Into Practice
Pastor Drew Shofner of the Church at Severn Run tackled Paul’s message to the Philippians. Here is a paraphrase of Pastor Drew’s teaching: Paul’s words in Philippians 4:9 have always stood out to me: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” It’s such a simple and direct command, yet it’s transformative in its impact. Paul doesn’t just want us to know the Word of God; he urges us to live it out. And that’s the key to a faith that changes lives.
I think about how easy it is to accumulate religious knowledge. We can spend years in church, hearing sermons, studying Scripture, even memorizing verses. But if all that knowledge never translates into action, what good does it really do? Knowing God’s Word but never applying it can leave us with nothing more than a religious education. It’s the living out of Jesus that transforms us, not the mere knowledge of Him. In fact, living Jesus is the essence of doing God’s will. It’s how saving faith becomes real in our lives.
We often talk about “loving well, living Jesus, and believing big.” Loving well means reflecting the very nature of God, who is love. Living Jesus means allowing His life to shine through us, just as He lived as the incarnation of God on Earth. When we let Him live in us, we become His second incarnation in a way—Christ in us, the hope of glory. And we believe big because we have a big God, capable of more than we can imagine. But at the core of all of this is living Jesus—letting Him live in and through us. Without that, even the best intentions fall short.
There’s a stark truth we can’t ignore: If we’re not inviting Jesus to live in us, we’re essentially rejecting Him. It’s not enough to claim belief. As James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” It’s a sobering thought. James is making a point that even the demons recognize God’s existence, but their belief doesn’t save them. It’s not transformative. They tremble at God’s power, yet they remain in opposition to Him. And James challenges us with this—do we believe in God without being moved by Him? Do we know the truth but remain unchanged by it?
Jesus Himself warned about this in Matthew 7:22-23, where He says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” These are frightening words because they remind us that religious activity alone—prophesying, driving out demons, performing miracles—doesn’t guarantee a relationship with God. It’s only those who do the will of the Father who will enter the kingdom of heaven.
So what does that mean for us? It means we can’t afford to treat our faith like a checklist—attending church, saying the right things, going through the motions. What really matters is a heartfelt decision to take what we hear, integrate it into our lives, and live it out. Hearing God’s Word should move us, just as it causes the demons to shudder. But instead of fear, we should respond with obedience and transformation. When we hear the truth of Jesus, we’re faced with a choice: We either let it sink deep into our hearts and change us, or we ignore it. There’s no middle ground.
I’ve often wondered about the difference between those who hear the Word and are changed by it, and those who hear it and remain unmoved. Why do some of us ignore it, while others are floored by it? I don’t have an easy answer. But I do know this: It’s the key move that changes everything. When the Word of God to penetrates our hearts, when we are changed us from the inside out, that’s when we truly live Jesus.
And that’s what matters in the end. As Jesus said, only the one who does the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. So today, let’s not just hear the Word—let’s live it. Let’s take what we’ve learned, what we’ve received, and what we’ve seen in the life of Jesus, and put it into practice. That’s the kind of faith that saves. That’s the kind of faith that transforms.
JG