A Framework for Faith/Spiritual Practice

He keeps Christ's blessed commandments in all things,/his bright deeds shine forth among men;/and they follow his holy miraculous example,/so that they too magnify the Father in heaven.

  - Sechnall, Audite Omnes Amantes (Irish, 5th century)

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

  - 1 Corinthians 11.1

There's a lot we could say about imitating Paul, but I'll focus here on one matter - the same that Sechnall referenced with respect to Patrick.

Paul obeyed the Law of God. He knew the Law to be holy and righteous and good (Rom. 7.12). He understood that being saved by the righteousness of Christ did not set the Law aside but established it as a standard for growing in that same righteousness (Rom. 3.31).

Paul knew that Jesus kept and taught the Law (Matt. 5.17-19), and so he made this an integral part of his own growth and ministry.

We believe the Law of God to be so important to the life of faith that we run a daily column - In the Gates - dealing with some aspect of the teaching of God's Law.

Yet ignorance of God's Law and negligence of it - not to mention hostility toward it - are widespread among professing Christians in our day. We will not make progress in imitating Paul as he imitated Christ until daily reading and meditation in the Law of God becomes part of our regimen for spiritual growth (Ps. 1).

Patrick obeyed the commandments of God, and he taught those he led to Christ and discipled in the Lord to do the same. Good works abounded, as a result, more people were led to follow Jesus, and a revival lasting four centuries broke out in what was surely the least likely place of that time.

We cannot claim to know Christ as Savior and to be His disciples indeed unless we walk as He did according to the Law of God (1 Jn.2.1-6). We're not calling here for some kind of salvation by works, but salvation unto works - just as Paul taught (Eph. 2.8-10) - as defined by the holy and righteous and good Law of God.

Your Christian life will never blossom and bear fruit or shine with the brilliance of holiness until reading, meditating in, and study of God's Law become your daily discipline, with the result that obedience flows from you as the Spirit fulfills His teaching mission in your soul (Ezek. 36.26, 27; Jn. 7.37-39).

Will this be the week you begin to take seriously the calling to hide the Law of God in your heart?

This Week at The Fellowship of Ailbe

ReVision - "Science" gets its comeuppance from a respected member of the secular elite.

In the Gates - We're in the thick of a series on the rule of Law, this week introducing the role of God's Law in relationships.

Kingdom Civics - Did Jesus expect the Kingdom to make progress on earth?

Mentoring - Pastor, let us help you improve your spiritual life, focus your calling, and hone your ministry skills. Contact us today for more information.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.