| “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Luke 8:18). |
| This verse is so important that the Lord repeats it in the Bible, with small differences, five times. See if you can find the other four times it is used. Two are in Matthew, one is in Mark, and one more is in Luke. Let me explain what this verse means. |
| As Christians, when we hear something from the Word of God, or perhaps read it for ourselves, we are among those who have that particular truth. We have learned it, but then the question arises, What do we do with it? Are we willing to practice it in our lives, or is it just something interesting that we have read? In the language of the Bible, we do not really have something unless we have put it into practice in our life. We may have it in our head, but we do not really have it unless it becomes part of us, and we live out the truth of it. |
| When we walk in the truth that we learn, then the Lord gives us more. This is the way we grow as Christians. That is what it means when it says, “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given.” But God does not give us more if we do not practice what we already have. |
| But suppose we learn something, but decide that we do not want to do it. The Lord tells us that “from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” God will not allow us to carry the truth in our heads without walking in it. God says that we only “seem” to have it, if we have it only in our heads. If we do not walk in it, we will lose it. |
| It is a serious thing to lose what we have heard or read, but that is what will happen if we do not practice it. The Lord values our obedience, and as I have said, repeats this verse five times in His Word to emphasize the truth it contains. |
