See to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. Exodus 25:40
On Sinai’s summit, Moses was given very specific guidelines regarding the tabernacle and its instruments, and he was reminded repeatedly to make all these things by the pattern. As Christians, we are taught to show ourselves as “a pattern of good works” (Titus 2:7). The Bible names various components of godly living which we might aptly call God’s recipe. The absence of a single ingredient can cause disaster in a kitchen. Leave the eggs out of a cake recipe, and it will not rise. Forget the pinch of salt or the spoonful of sugar, and your final result may be nothing short of repugnant. In like manner, we must be careful not to leave out any of the ingredients of God’s recipe, for His recipe is perfect.
1. Stick to the recipe. Failing to follow a recipe in the kitchen can often have undesirable consequences. We get ourselves into serious trouble anytime that we attempt to add to God’s recipe or take anything away from it. Peter says, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). John adds, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9, ESV). Some people want to add to and subtract from God’s recipe according to their own tastes, but the end result will not be a godly lifestyle.
2. Measure properly. Improper measurement and inaccurate instruments can lead to disaster. We need to use the instruments that God provides and be sure to measure properly and consistently (Matthew 7:1–5).
3. Mix faith with the preaching of God’s word. Faith is an essential component of our salvation, but unfortunately there are many who never mix faith with a hearing of God’s word (cf. Hebrews 4:1–2, KJV).
4. Next you must add some things to your faith. These ingredients include virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5–7).
5. Stir up the spirit within you. When Paul saw the city of Athens given over entirely to idolatry, his spirit was stirred up within him (Acts 17:16). Paul later admonished Timothy not to neglect the gift that he had been given, but to “stir up the gift of God” which was in him (2 Timothy 1:6). Our spirits should be stirred up within us when we see people bound by sin when we know that we possess the power that could liberate them.
6. Hold the leaven. As the Passover was to be observed with unleavened bread, even so is the body of Christ commemorated by unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper. Paul commands us to “purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (2 Corinthians 5:7–8).
7. Season with salt. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13). Paul adds, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).
8. Monitor constantly. Have you ever let something burn because you forgot to keep an eye on it? Paul writes, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
9. Serve with love. Some would use God’s word as a whip with which to scourge others. Paul tells us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
God’s recipe is a beautiful thing. All of the ingredients are provided (2 Peter 1:3). Anyone can follow it, and no matter where they are (even at high altitudes), it always yields the same result. There is no expiration date, and just like the loaves and fishes Jesus blessed, it has the power to serve multitudes!