Texting God: Chapter 3 - eXamine your heart
Introducing The TEXT Method - Reading your Bible as a conversation between God, humanity, and you
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Yes, using eXamine for X instead of X-ray or something else seems like cheating, but using a more accurate term like MRI your heart, just doesn’t have the same ring to it, so we’re staying with eXamine! But we’re not here to study medical textbooks or for an academic exercise and studying the Bible can’t just be an academic exercise if we want to grow closer to God. The Bible is a living and active book that penetrates our hearts and lives, not just our minds. That’s why taking time to examine your heart after reading Scripture is so crucial. This step in the TEXT Method is how we actively join with the Holy Spirit to let the Bible do its convicting, cleansing work within us. He brings to mind challenging but important questions to reflect on after encountering God’s truth, so we don’t just gain head knowledge but experience real heart and life change. For transformation to happen, we’ve have to accept what the Spirit reveals in us through Scripture. Don’t worry, God’s not condemning, just refining us to be more like Jesus! But we need to humbly and honesty admit when God’s Word exposes where we fall short. At the same time, we can’t refuse the grace and encouragement God offers everyone who falls short of His glory. Being hard or yourself or not accepting his forgiveness is refusing to accept the work of Jesus on the cross. The goal is to spark conviction, repentance, reflection, and empowerment into practical steps of obedience. The goal here, rather than defending our pride or wallowing in our shame, is to make space for the Bible to penetrate deep, shine light on hidden motives and intentions, and renew our hearts. When we let Scripture shape our inner life, it leads to greater awe, worship, and love for God! It’s personal and can get uncomfortable, but leaning into this heart work produces real growth and intimacy with Christ. Let’s allow God’s living Word to examine and transform us fully!