A Bunch of Keys to Lock and Unlock

UV 1425/10,000 A Bunch of Keys To Lock and Unlock
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus
2 Timothy 3 v 15
The writings, wit and wisdom of man can amuse, entertain, enrich, engage but it cannot make one “ wise unto salvation” which means to be imbued with such wisdom that will enable us to live forever as a winner. Scriptures alone can make a person wise unto salvation. A child once trained in the scriptures will not depart from the ways of God. The absence of such training has led to the loss of many generations. So much so, we live at a time when people even the worldly-wise, even those who are learned and educated often do not distinguish between what is right and wrong. We need to get Word-wise not worldly-wise. Jesus said, “ search the scriptures for in it you will find life.” The keys or codes to life in all its dimensions are hidden in scriptures. It is a bunch of keys to unlock the doors of eternal and abundant life. It is also a bunch of keys to lock the doors that need to be barred to our entry- the areas that would lead to our moral and spiritual destruction. We need to lock the doors of anger, bitterness, worry, fear, hatred, jealousy, flattery, deceit, partiality, injustice, violence, cruelty, rudeness, corruption, compromise, pride, lust, adultery, laziness and so on. We need to open the doors of joy, love, peace, kindness, goodness, graciousness, humility, gratitude, faithfulness, integrity, forgiveness, courtesy, gentleness and so on. Scriptures so applied are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus. Effective faith is being a Jesus practitioner or imitator and not just a Jesus preacher. In order to lay a solid concrete foundation, one needs to mix a portion of sand, cement with stones of the right size. Similarly, we need to mix a portion of learning scripture with one portion of preaching or teaching and five portions of practice. Five days of practice or application of scriptural principles, one day of training by the Holy Spirit through meditation and one day of communication of hope is the perfect week.

Wisdom lies in laying a rock solid foundation early in our lives and early every day. The rock solid foundation for my day is laid when I undertake this uni-verse meditation at the start of every day after half an hour of walking, talking and laughing with God. Once the foundation is laid, the rest of the structure or superb structure will withstand any pressures, overcome any challenge with faith and hope. The superstructure must be designed to be a superb structure worthy of the strength of the foundation. Nobody goes and builds a hut of straw and thatch on solid rock foundation. We need to be strong as rock but soft or sensitive as sponge in order to absorb the precepts the Lord is teaching us to be further strengthened. The rock should not be lonely, monolithic and shining smooth but huddle with other rocks and have cracks and crevices where others can find shelter or comfort in their hour of need.
We should always be hearing, learning, applying, doing and teaching others to do likewise. Though it might have begun in our childhood, it is a continuous and lifelong process. If any of these steps in the process- hearing, learning, applying, doing and communicating to others is missing, then we will be like the faithless servant who went and buried the talent the Lord had given him. We will understand that salvation and eternal life starts here and now. Salvation is not an event that happens after we die. Salvation is a process of learning and living the scriptures. It is incarnating the Word. Scripture is a whetstone on which our minds and hearts are honed and made to shine forth with an inner light of the truths of God. Salvation is a 360 degree experience of God’s grace obtained by the wisdom and knowledge that the scripture imparts.

Prateep V Philip