For some people, Christianity is like pure mathematics: it’s very engaging at the theoretical level but has little connection to everyday living. For others, their faith is alive and active and breathes life and purpose into every nook and cranny of their existence. It’s like the difference between a traditional degree in a highly theoretical field and a degree in the trades from a College of Applied Arts and Technology: the former is cerebral and theoretical while the latter is hands-on and practical. The choice between the theoretical and the practical is a valid choice for career preparation, but when it comes to our faith, those are not equally valid options. A relationship with God is meant to be intensely practical, not merely theoretical, and the Old Testament scribe Ezra gives us an example of this very thing.

The book of Ezra is one of my favorite books in the Old Testament. Ezra lived in a time when things were finally looking bright for God’s people again after years of captivity and exile. Ezra received permission from the King of Persia to return to Jerusalem to help with the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord. During his journey from Babylonia to Jerusalem, God was with him to protect him. Then we read this inspiring line about what kind of man Ezra was: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).

Like Ezra, if we are going to follow the Lord and walk with him in this life, we must set our heart to do it. Set your heart and firmly resolve to walk faithfully with our gracious God. Notice what it is that Ezra set his heart to do: he set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, to do the law of the Lord, and to teach the Law of the Lord; study, do, teach. There is a natural order to these three: first we must study so that we can understand what God has revealed to us. Second, we must take action and obey his word. Third, we must teach others so that they too can know the Lord and enjoy him forever. Christian, Ezra is a great example, but ultimately Ezra, like each of us, was imperfect. It doesn’t matter how much we study God’s word, how perfectly we try to obey it, or how many people we teach, we are still sinners in need of a Savior. And that’s why I’m thankful for our Lord Jesus, who came and lived a perfect life and died for us. Ezra sets a great example, but he can’t save you. Only Jesus can save you. So give thanks for the salvation we have through Jesus, and follow the example of Ezra, who understood that our relationship with God cannot be merely intellectual. Our faith must be vibrant and active and alive.