The True Voice of Faith: The Bible's Wisdom Beyond Theology

“Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant, yet walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” - Isaiah 50:10.

Have you ever pondered what it means to truly hear the “voice” of the living God? The Bible challenges us to go beyond superficial understandings and to plunge into its deeper essence—a journey not just of listening, but of discerning and acting upon the “voice” at the center of the Bible. Yet, it’s crucial to notice that the Bible does not encourage us to worship some ideal connected to it. Instead, it calls us to trust in the wisdom and philosophy of its “voice,” which “voice” is synonymous with the “name” of the living God.

The Bible separates its philosophy from the religious world’s theology. It doesn’t ask us to idolize or blindly follow a figure; rather, it emphasizes valuing the speech—the doctrine—of that servant. This distinction is key: this servant’s wisdom, not their person, holds the transformative power. In 1 Corinthians 4:6, it’s written, “Learn in us not to think of men above that which is written.” Similarly, John 15:20 states, “The servant is not greater than his lord.” These verses make it clear that the voice and not the servant or minister is to be prioritized, guiding us to treasure the Bible’s words rather than elevate an individual.

To truly follow the Bible’s guidance, our faith must recognize this “voice”—a voice rooted in wisdom and spiritual understanding, as stated in Colossians 1:9: “The knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” This voice isn’t about leading our belief to blessings; instead, it’s about letting our belief guide us into receiving the blessing. When aligned with this voice, our belief, and even our disbelief, becomes a powerful instrument of edification.

Our responsibility to edify one another is found in Mark 12:31: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Yet, true edification begins within. We cannot effectively love or edify others if our understanding is not first nurtured and guided by this voice. Luke 6:41 asks, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” Our ability to help others hinges on our own spiritual clarity and self-awareness.

Faith is more than just a spiritual connection; it is a dynamic force meant to express our unique capacity to edify. According to 1 Corinthians 14:10-11, there are countless voices in the world, each with significance. Understanding the “meaning of the voice” within the Bible is crucial, as it transforms us from being mere speakers to being true edifiers, fostering growth in ourselves and others.

Our faith exists not just to affirm a belief but to manifest a distinct capability to “love”—to build up and strengthen. This potential becomes reality through a disciplined engagement with the voice at the heart of the scriptures. As noted in 1 Timothy 1:5, “The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” This process of faith’s refinement and growth is what enables us to fulfill our highest potential in both personal and communal contexts.

We must ask ourselves: Are we truly edifying according to the Bible’s standard? If not, what voice is guiding our actions? Recognizing and embracing the Bible’s voice, and especially the voice transferred to us from the living God’s chief apostle, allows our faith to flourish and guides us toward our greatest personal and spiritual potential. It’s a call to humble ourselves for the sake of our faith’s higher learning, ensuring that our faith is rooted not in surface-level beliefs, but in the useful knowledge of the Bible’s wisdom.

Faith is not static; it has a character that must be discovered and nurtured. It holds thoughts, feelings, and a distinct purpose that can only be fully realized through an intimate understanding of the living God’s voice. This journey is about more than acquiring knowledge; it’s about embodying the Bible’s fact, moving beyond the superficial learning cautioned in 2 Timothy 3:7, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Your faith has a voice that it needs to hear and respond to—a voice that guides it toward edification and purpose, which voice Isaiah 42:4 emphasizes: “The isles shall wait for his law.” It’s our responsibility to ensure that our belief is guided by this understanding, allowing it to develop into its fullest expression to fulfill its purpose. Take the time to cultivate this understanding, for it is in this voice that the true essence of your faith and its capacity to bless others will be realized.

How Faith Learns: Embracing a Transformative Approach to Spiritual Growth

In our ever-evolving journey of personal devotional development, one crucial dialogue often overlooked is how our faith learns. If we place immense value on how we and our children learn, shouldn’t we apply the same level of care to the growth and understanding of our faith?

I was once a student, navigating the halls of elementary school and high school. Reflecting on those years, I recall the pervasive assumption that we inherently knew how to learn. The traditional educational model emphasized memorization—a useful tool for passing exams or completing assignments, but not conducive to lifelong or self-regulated learning.

Much of what we hold as beliefs isn't genuinely learned but memorized. This method, while seemingly efficient, often becomes our default learning strategy. Over time, it shapes our perception of knowledge, confining us to what is easily remembered rather than what is deeply understood. This superficial grasp leaves the true essence of knowledge unexplored.

Our faith should be treated as a living entity, much like a child. Just as we experience and learn through our thoughts and feelings, our faith needs to be nurtured through thoughtful engagement. Learning that incorporates both intellect and emotion fosters a deeper connection, allowing our faith to grow authentically. In contrast, rote memorization fails to engage the inward person, making learning feel like a burdensome task.

It's a common misconception that faith inherently knows all things. In reality, our faith often only knows what it has memorized. This method, rooted in discipline rather than understanding, limits the depth of our spiritual knowledge. The Bible speaks to this limitation: "And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know," (1 Corinthians 8:2).

The author writing to the Corinthians understood the flaws in the prevailing learning methods of their time. The Bible criticizes the so-called “learned” individuals who, despite their memorization skills, fail to grasp true wisdom: "The leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed," (Isaiah 9:16). This criticism highlights the need for a different learning approach, one that transcends mere memorization.

The Bible’s words remain sealed to conversations solely relying on memorization. To unlock the profound wisdom of the scriptures, a different learning method is required—one that involves making sense of the Bible's words through active engagement. This is encapsulated in the principle, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little," (Isaiah 28:10).

The Bible advocates for a hands-on approach to learning: "Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled…," (1 John 1:1). This method encourages us to seek wisdom and understanding actively: "I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things," (Ecclesiastes 7:25).

The Bible favors meditation over memorization as a learning strategy. Meditation involves a comprehensive approach to understanding and internalizing knowledge, leading to a more profound and lasting faith: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night," (Psalm 1:1-2).

Memorization requires constant reminders and re-memorization to maintain belief. In contrast, meditation and active engagement with the scriptures infuse our faith with a living, breathing understanding: "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people," (Jeremiah 31:33).

When memorization dominates our devotional conversations, it reflects an act of self, suggesting we are the architects of our belief. True belief is fostered by self-control. It acknowledges a higher power guiding our devotional journey: "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit," (Ecclesiastes 8:8).

Recognizing that our belief has a level of consciousness for character development is crucial. Every instance of controlling our faith stifles its growth. To allow our belief to flourish, we must embrace the Bible's method of learning—one that fosters an organic, self-sustaining growth without our interference.

It's time to move beyond a memorized faith and courageously build a foundation for a valid, living faith. By learning how to learn with our faith, we can nurture a deeper, more meaningful devotional journey. Let your faith breathe and grow, guided by understanding and meditation, rather than mere memorization.

Student Labor

There is an exercise to everything. Everything that has life within it, and everything that needs a spark of life to work, takes exercise. This scheme, concerning the growth and the development of our conversation, is no different. 

We shouldn’t think to breathe without exercising our lungs. We shouldn’t think to write without exercising mental and physical faculties. We shouldn’t think to love without exercising trust. We shouldn’t think to speak without first exercising thought. Yet, when it comes to our conversation’s belief, we do not think to exercise it. 

When it comes to our devotional conversation, it is acceptable to let another exercise it for us. When it comes to our faith’s intellect, it is acceptable to let a ritual handle it. Why is this acceptable? Why does a care for personal learning turn off when perceived belief arises? Why, when in the religious world, is there no heart to say to self, “Why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?” 1 Corinthians 10:29

Paul’s attitude is for the conversation desiring self-regulating learning. Paul understood the negligence in handing over the intellect of our faith to minds outside of our experience. In response to ministers seeking to not only rule the mind of other ministers, but also his own, Paul writes:

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself,” 1 Corinthians 4:3,4.

Paul gives to us an exercise that is contrary to the exercise given to “the sons of men.” Making fun of “the sons of men,” concerning how they govern themselves, Paul writes, “…ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ,” 1 Corinthians 4:15. He is mocking them because, with so many instructors, he still has to say of them, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” 2 Timothy 3:7. 

The curse of “the sons of men” is a curse where they are forever learning and yet never able to understand, concerning the Bible’s philosophy, one bit of truth. Instead of giving one’s time to such a lifestyle, Paul advised minsters to collect their minds and to independently labor within the scriptures for understanding. He writes: 

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,” 1 Thessalonians 4:11. 

There is an exercise given to the conversation that would sincerely claim its experience. That exercise is an experience involving the conversation building a relationship with the Bible’s words. Above suffering the “judgment” or the commandment and theory of ministers, the Bible would have the mind personally active, which is why it says, “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread,” Proverbs 28:19. 

The “land” to till is the heart of our mind. This is understood from how it says, “Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you,” Hosea 10:12. 

What is to be rained on, according to the Bible, is the mind, meaning that words are to be poured out. This is also understood from how it says, “I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you,” Proverbs 1:23. 

The exercise given to the Bible’s student is an assignment where an outpouring of words is occurring upon the ground of the conversation’s heart. Again, it is understood that the “ground” spoken of is the heart of the mind from how it says, “On the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience,” Luke 8:15.

The previous blog post highlights the most fraudulent and vain experience we can have with the Bible. The lifestyle highlighted is for the mind having a concern not for human and inward wellbeing, but for the theatrics of theologians and philosophers. The mind within the Bible would have its student form a relationship with its words, even a bond wherein its words may become the healing influence within the life.