Great word of god

Outline: The script presents Jesus as the Word of God and emphasises his superiority to angels and or prophets. It invites a response.

Script Number: 520

Language: English

Theme: Christ (Authority); Belief System (Angels); Undefined (Multiple themes); Character of God (Power of God / Jesus); Living as a Christian (Faith, trust, believe in Jesus); Eternal life (Salvation); Bible timeline (Creation, Gospel, Good News)

Audience: Muslim; Yazidi

Style: Monolog

Genre: Exhortation

Purpose: Evangelism

Bible Quotation: Extensive

Status: Approved

Scripts are basic guidelines for translation and recording into other languages. They should be adapted as necessary to make them understandable and relevant for each different culture and language. Some terms and concepts used may need more explanation or even be replaced or omitted completely.

Script Text

The Word made creation

Hello, my friend, I want to tell you something important. It is important because it is about God and His Word. The Bible tells us about God and His Word, and it shows us that it is important for us to know that God’s Word is very great.

The Word of God Made Creation
The first thing that Scripture shows us is that the Word of God made the whole world. (In the Tawrat,) the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapter 1 shows us that God created by speaking. For instance, verse 3 tells us, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” 2 Peter 3:5 confirms that testimony saying, “Long ago the heavens came into being by God’s Word.” Think of it! God’s Word is so great that when He spoke, He formed the world itself. This shows us how very powerful God’s Word is. It shows us that all the forces of nature act as God’s servants when He speaks.

Now, the world that God created is full of majesty and splendor, isn’t it? Glorious sunsets can paint the skies. Genesis 1: 24 says, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” God’s creatures are not clumsy, but each is a work of art, filled with special abilities. The world God created by His Word shows the work of a master craftsman. This also shows us how great God’s Word is.
But the Holy (Book, the) Bible also tells us that the world fell under the curse of sin. The first people, Adam and Eve, were the highest of God’s creations, but they chose to disobey God’s Word. Instead, they listened to the words of a serpent that questioned God’s Word and tempted them to disobey. In this way they sinned against God. Humanity’s sin affected all of creation, for God promised that the curse of death would come if people disobeyed. Adam and Eve were put out from God’s special presence. Now, thorns grow upon the earth, making life difficult. Mankind lives like we are away from God’s presence, and we continue to sin against God and each other. Much evil exists in the world because it is now under a curse because of sin.
So even though God created His world to be good and perfect, now there is much evil in the world and in mankind. We have seen that creation shows us two things. One is that God’s Word is very powerful, but the other is that creation suffers under the curse of sin.
God is against sin. The Bible warns us that someday God will judge sin. People must listen to God’s Word and repent from their sin, seeking to be restored to God. The Bible telling us this is very solemn, and is a word of great warning.

Prophets spoke by the Word of God

The Prophets Spoke by the Word of God

But the Bible also tells us that God did not abandon the world because it was under the curse of sin. God took action, and He sent prophets. Now, the prophets were great men, weren’t they? We regard them with great honor. God sent the prophets after people fell into sin. The message of the prophets was to call people back to God. Some prophets performed miracles, and they healed some people to show they were men of God. But the Bible tells us that the prophets were great men because they spoke by the Word of God. Many times the Bible tells us the Word of the Lord came to the prophets. They spoke words of great power, but that’s because they spoke by the Word of God. God filled the prophets with power to show men the power of His Word, so that people would turn back to God.

The Angels obey God’s Word

The Angels Faithfully Obey God’s Word

Scripture tells us of other things that are great. Some of those are angels. The angels are special servants of God. Angels have power far beyond any power that people may have. When people see angels, they become afraid. The angels are great because they obey God’s Word, and so God’s power works through them. But also, in the Bible, the book of Hebrews 1:7 tells us that it is God who makes them great because they are His servants. “He says about the angels, He makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.” By using the words «He says,» this Bible verse shows us that God’s Word is over the angels. God says something about them, and it happens. The very greatness of the angels tells us of the greatness of God’s Word.

So God’s Word is great indeed. God’s Word is so very great that it is able to make other things great. We see this in the greatness of creation, the greatness of the prophets, and the greatness of angels.

Jesus is God’s Word

Jesus is the Greatest because He Is God’s Word

The Bible tells us more about God’s Word when it tells us about Jesus Christ. Jesus is very great, but the Bible also tells us something different about Him. Many regard Jesus as the greatest of the prophets. But Scripture uses different words to tell us about Jesus. The Bible (The Injeel) in the book of Matthew, chapter 8, tells us that Jesus orders creation just by using His words. It tells us how Jesus calmed a storm on the sea just by rebuking it. He said, «Peace, be still,» and the storm stopped. His disciples asked, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” How great Jesus must be, that He can speak and the sea will calm down!

The Bible also tells us that the prophets were writing about Jesus. The Gospel of Luke, in 24:27 tells us that Jesus talked to two disciples and began with Moses and all the prophets. “He explained to them in all the Scriptures the things about Himself.” Jesus knew that the prophets pointed the way back to God, and that they did it by pointing to Jesus. This shows us that Jesus is very great, because He was the one to whom all the prophets pointed as they wrote the Holy Books.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is even greater yet. In Hebrews 1:6 we see that God told the angels to worship Jesus when He brought Jesus into the world. «He says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship Him.’” The angels in Heaven faithfully obey God, and they worship Jesus. How great must Jesus be for the angels to do that!

Now, how can these things be? How can the angels worship Jesus? How can Jesus order creation and it obeys Him? Why do the prophets point to Jesus? The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Word of God. This is why creation obeys His voice. He is the Word of God. He speaks with the very authority of God. This is why the Bible never says the word of the Lord came to Jesus. Instead, the Bible tells us that Jesus came as God’s Word. When Jesus came to earth to become a man, God’s Word came to us. This is why Jesus can order creation. This is why the prophets pointed to Jesus. This is also why the angels worship Jesus. Jesus is the greatest because He is God’s Word.

Jesus, the Word made flesh

Jesus is the Word Made Flesh

(In the Injeel,) the Gospel of John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Bible speaks those words about Jesus. It goes on, saying the Word was a Person Who created: “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” Later, John tells us that the Word became flesh. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His glory (, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth).” This means that Jesus was born as a man on the earth, even though He was also God’s creative Word. Think of it! The One Who is greater than the angels came to live among people. God’s Word came to earth, not thundering down from heaven, but instead, born into a humble family.

Now, the Bible tells us that Jesus lived among men to show us God’s glory, but we might wonder how this is so. How could living among men show the glory and greatness of God’s Word?

Remember how we mentioned that the world is under the curse of sin? Sin holds the world in great bondage, and people live as slaves to sin. When people are born, they are born into a world filled with sin, and they are born of sinful people. But when Jesus became the Word made flesh, He came to rescue us from sin. John 1:12 and 13 explain, “He gave the right to become children of God to everyone who received Him, who believed in His name. They were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Jesus became flesh. He was born among men, so that those who believe in Him might be born of God, born again, and join God’s family, becoming God’s children. Jesus did this by living among men, when He worked mighty miracles, healing people, and even raising the dead. He lived a perfect life before God. Although He never sinned, He died the death of a sinner, to pay the penalty of sin. Think of it! Jesus paid for the sins of others. Those who believe in His name are forgiven of sin. They do not fear judgment. This is how we can be restored back to God.
Because He humbled Himself so much, God highly exalted Him, and raised Him back to life again. That’s why Jesus is the greatest. And that is how Jesus showed the greatness of God’s Word. That’s why the prophets pointed to Jesus, and that’s why the angels worship Him.

Believe in Jesus the Word of God

The Bible calls us to Believe in Jesus as the Word of God

My friends, what I am telling you is important indeed. We must believe that Jesus is greater than the prophets. The Bible tells us that Jesus is much greater than Moses. Hebrews 3:3 says, “For Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” If Jesus is the one that the prophets pointed to, then who should we point to? Who should we look to for our salvation? If the prophets, by God’s Word, believed that God would send Jesus, then should we not believe them? The Bible calls us to believe that Jesus is the Word of God. When we want to hear from God, shouldn’t we be listening to Jesus?

We must also believe that Jesus is much greater than the angels. The Bible tells us that in Heaven the angels are worshiping Jesus. No other man deserves such honor, and so the angels testify how great Jesus is. It is right to ask: if the angels worship Jesus, then who should we worship? Scripture is right to tell us that we must worship Jesus. He is God’s Word.

We must also believe that Jesus is greater than the creation. That is why creation obeys His voice. Remember how we learned that the power of God’s Word created the world? But remember how creation was fallen and cursed through sin? Even though creation is great, we can also see how creation is fallen. We can even see this in ourselves.

But the Bible tells us that Jesus is able to make us new creations. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “So, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Jesus became flesh, lived among men, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead. He is so powerful that He is able to restore us to what God intended for His creation. This is because He is the Word of God. Remember how the greatness of creation shows us the greatness of God’s Word? That’s because God’s Word is so great that it is able to make other things great. Well, Jesus as God’s Word wants to do that to those who believe in Him. He wants to rescue us from sin and restore us to what God intended for His creation. The Word of God can create and re-create. God wants to free us from bondage and corruption. He wants to display the power of His Word through sons and daughters of God who live for Him. The Bible tells us that God’s Word is very great, and that’s why Jesus, the Word of God, is the greatest of all. He is worthy of our love, our faith, and our devotion.

My friend, won’t you believe God and take Him at His Word? Won’t you believe that Jesus is the great Word of God and entrust your life to Him? Will you believe in Him, and let His Word make you new? You can be born again. You can become a member of God’s family, one of His children, a new creation. Trust Him now.

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The first thing each and every Christian must fully realize is that the Holy Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God.

There are many liberal Christians who are starting to question the validity and authenticity of the Bible. I will not use this article to debate the origins of the Bible, all of the authors who wrote the books, and how the different translations came into being. There are plenty of good books at your local Christian bookstore that deal with this topic very extensively.

After studying the Bible in its complete entirety – there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that all of the Bible is God-breathed – that all of it has come directly to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit.

For those of you who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible, and that all of it has truly come to us from God the Father.

I will use this article to give you some extremely powerful verses from Scripture to show you that not only did all of the Bible come direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit to all of the authors who wrote all 66 books of the Bible – but I will also give you some powerful verses from the Bible showing you how powerful the actual words of the Bible really are, and how they can also help to change and transform you into the kind of person that God really wants you to become in Him.

The actual words of the Bible are anointed by the Holy Spirit Himself – and they have the full ability to completely change and transform you if you are willing to work with the divine truths that are contained in the actual words.

Jesus says in the Bible that you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. However, you first have to know what the real truth is before the truth can start to work to set you free.

This is why Kind David said we must meditate on the words of the Bible – so we can find out what their true meaning is and how all of these divine truths can apply to our daily lives. Meditating on the Bible means to think about, to chew on, to try and figure out the meaning of all of the different verses in the Bible.

Though the Book is long, God has made it as simple and easy as He possibly could. Think about this. There is only one Bible. In one Book, God has given us everything we need to know about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the basics of our salvation through His Son Jesus, how He wants us to live this life, the things that He wants us doing, and the things that He does not want us to be doing.

In this one Book are all the ways and commandments of our Lord, along with all the information we are ever going to need on what is awaiting all of us on the other side when we die and cross over – heaven for the saved and hell for the unsaved.

I believe the number one reason God created the human race was for intimate fellowship. Even to the amazement of the angels in heaven, God seems to have some type of special longing and love for the human race.

The fact that God would send His one and only Son Jesus down to our earth in the flesh to go through the worst form of physical death at the time He came, all just to bring us back to Himself, really does show us how much God really does love all of us.

The Bible tells us that the love that God has for all of us is like a “consuming fire.” These two words are showing us a love that is of maximum intensity. With this kind of intense, passionate love that God has for all of us, I believe He is trying to tell all of us one main thing – and that one main thing is that He is looking to enter into a one-on-one, personal, love relationship with each one of us.

Think about this – that the one and only all-powerful God of the entire universe is looking to make a direct, personal connection with you on an individual and unique basis.

If you really step back and look at the big picture and all the things that we see in this life – what is the one thing that most of us long for in this life? What is the one thing that will make you cry when you see this portrayed on the movie screens?

It is the longing for a true soul mate. It is the longing for a pure, true, and unconditional love from a person of the opposite sex. There is nothing that can satisfy the deeper longings of your soul the way that true love can. However, there is just one small catch with this scenario. Even though some of you may have found your true soul mates in this life, there is still one more thing that has not been met.

No matter how perfect you think your mate may be – your mate is still not perfect like God is, since the Bible tells us that all men and women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of our God. What this means is that no matter how good of a love relationship you may have with your mate, that person is still not capable of giving you a perfect love because that person is not perfect in their very nature and personality.

Thus, every single one of us still has that little hole in our soul that just cannot seem to be filled with anything else in our lives.

No matter how much money we have, no matter how many material possessions we have, and no matter how many loving children we have – there is still something missing and none of these things can completely fill that little hole that is in all of our souls.

God has purposely left a vacuum, a hole, and a void in each one of our souls when He created us. And the only thing that can fill this hole and void is God the Father Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit.

There is absolutely nothing else on this earth that can fill that empty void. People are literally chasing after the wind trying to find anything and everything to fill that void – and no matter how many lovers they have, no matter how many marriages they enter into, and no matter how many toys they buy with the money they have – nothing they chase after in this life will fill that hole in their souls.

The only thing that will fill that hole in your soul is finding, and then entering into a true, personal, love relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. There is nothing else that will fill that void!

Since God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are totally perfect in Their actual natures and have no dark side to Their personalities, then They, and only They, are the only Ones who are capable of giving you a perfect, pure, and unconditional love that no one else can give you in this life.

This is why the Bible tells us that we will find a peace that will pass all human understanding once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and have become truly born again. That peace we will find is the result of finding the one true Person who can fill that empty void that is on the inside of each and everyone of us – and that one Person is God Almighty Himself.

However, once you have found God through accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, there is now something you must do. You must now grow in the knowledge of God and grow in the personal relationship that He wants to establish with you.

And how do you start to grow in the personal relationship He wants to establish with you and grow in the knowledge that He wants you to have about Him? By diving head first into the Bible!

When two lovers first meet and fall in love with one another, the first thing they naturally and instinctively want to do is to learn as much as they can about one another.

How can you truly fall in love with another person unless you first seek to know everything you can about your lover, their past, where they have been, what they have been through, who are all of their friends and family, etc. Once you really fall into true love with someone, you will have a major hunger and desire to find out as much as you can about them and their past.

It’s the exact same way in our relationship with God. God obviously knows everything about each one of us since He is all-knowing, but we do not know everything about Him, His Son, or His Spirit. So the only possible way that we can learn all about God is to read and study from the Bible, since the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that will give us detailed information as to who the Three of Them really are.

If a true, born-again, Spirit-filled Christian is really in love with God, and really wants to deepen the personal relationship they have now established with Him – then the first thing that person will really want to do is to get into the Bible so that they can find out everything they possibly can about this awesome God of ours.

The more knowledge you gain about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit from studying the Bible – the stronger and deeper your personal relationship will become with the Three of Them.

As you will see in the Scripture verses listed below, there are several other incredible things that will start to occur in your life if you seek to study the Bible with the intentions on wanting to learn more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in order to deepen your personal relationship Them.

I will break these Scripture verses down under their appropriate captions below so you can see how powerful the Word of God really is, and how it can help change and transform the quality of your life if you are willing to study, learn, and seek to apply the divine truths that are in this incredible Book.

Study these verses very, very carefully. These verses are showing you how powerful and anointed the Bible really is. Since all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father, you can completely trust and rely on that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure, solid, God-truth.

1. All of Scripture is Given to Us By Inspiration From God the Father

These first two verses will specifically tell us, without any other possible interpretation, that all of the Bible has been given to us by “inspiration of God” through holy men who were “moved by the Holy Spirit” to write what they wrote!

In other words – all of the words in the Bible have come direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. The specific authors of the Bible then wrote under the guidance, inspiration, and illumination of the Holy Spirit.

This is why you can completely trust that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure, solid, God-truth! There is no other book on our earth that contains direct words from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ other than the Holy Bible. God Himself has personally arranged that all of the revelation that He wants us to have in this life about Himself, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit would all be contained in this one incredible Book.

Here are the two specific verses giving us this incredible revelation:

  • All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
  • “… knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20)

The first verse specifically tells us that all of Scripture, not just some or part of it, comes direct to us by inspiration from God the Father. The second verse then takes it one step further and tells us that the holy men of God who wrote the Bible, all wrote under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself. It also says that no part of Scripture was of any private interpretation of these authors.

The first verse also lays out the groundwork as to what the Bible is going to be used for – for establishing solid Christian doctrine in the real truths of God, and for instruction in the knowledge and ways of God so that we may all be made complete and thoroughly equipped to go to work for God in the calling that He has set up for each one of our lives.

These two specific verses are powerful, foundational verses in which our study of Scripture has to be based on. If you do not believe that all of the Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God – then the Holy Spirit is not going to move on you to start to really work the truths that are contained in the Bible to change, mold, and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.

Bottom line – if you want the divine truths that are contained in the Bible to really be able to change and transform you – then you will have to believe that all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. If you do not, then the Bible will have little or no transforming effect on you and your life.

2. The Word of God is Living and Powerful

As you will see in the following verses, the words that are contained in the Bible are living, powerful, and sharper than any two edge sword we can make on this earth.

In other words, the words in the Bible have God’s supernatural power and life in them. They are literally anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself. This is why the words and the truths contained in the Bible have the supernatural ability to change and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.

That is why Jesus told the apostles to “feed” His sheep. When you read and study the Bible for increased learning, you are feeding yourself with direct anointed words from God Almighty Himself.

Many Christians who do not regularly feed off the Bible have no idea on what they are really missing out on. The Words that are in the Bible are pure, solid, spiritual food that have the supernatural ability to feed your mind, soul, and spirit. Nothing else will feed your inner man like reading from the Bible will.

Just like our human physical bodies need physical food to be able to survive – so does our mind, soul, and spirit. The food that we feed our physical bodies will not nourish our mind, soul, and spirits.

The only thing that can spiritually feed and nourish us on the inside are true, solid, spiritual truths. And the only true, solid, spiritual truths that can feed us to cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life are divine truths that come direct from God the Father and Jesus Christ.

There are no other spiritual truths from any other sources that we can feed off of that will cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life.

Any other source is just dead meat. It has no supernatural life or ability to change us because it is not coming direct from God the Father and thus has no anointing on it.

All other false religions and New Age type thinking have no supernatural ability to change and spiritually transform you in this life. Only the divine truths that are contained in the Bible have this supernatural ability.

Now here are 9 major power verses showing you how much supernatural life and power there really is in the Word of God.

  • For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
  • So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
  • Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)
  • “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63)
  • “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” (Psalm 119:50)
  • Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart …” (Jeremiah 15:16)
  • How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
  • But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)
  • “… as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:2)

Notice all of the food analogies that God is using to compare His Word with. What He is trying to tell us is that when you are studying the words that are contained in the Bible for increased learning – you are spiritually feeding yourself with supernatural nutrition!

I believe that all of the above Scripture verses are trying to tell us one main thing – that the Word of God is living, powerful, and real spiritual food for the soul and spirit of every person who is willing to feed off of it.

3. The Word of God is Pure, Solid Truth

If the Bible is telling us that all of Scripture is coming direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit – then the next thing that the Bible will be telling us is that all of the words that are coming direct to us from God the Father are 100% pure, solid truth.

If God is all-perfect and all-powerful, then this means His intelligence and knowledge on all things is all-perfect. And if His knowledge on all things is all-perfect, then this means that all of the words that He is conveying to us in the Bible can be counted on as being perfect words, thereby giving us perfect knowledge.

This means that all of the Bible can be counted on as being 100% pure, solid, God-truth with no errors and mistakes. The Bible tells us that all humans will only know in part with what knowledge we are able to gain down here on this earth. Thus every book you read from human authors will never be totally perfect in the knowledge that the author is trying to transmit to you.

However, since all of the Bible is coming direct to us from God Almighty Himself – then the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that is totally and completely perfect in the knowledge that it is trying to transmit to us.

This is why the Bible has the ability to change your life. No other book on this earth has the amount of wisdom and knowledge that this Book has – and this is all because this knowledge and wisdom is coming direct to us from God the Father Himself.

Now here are 4 very good verses from Scripture that are specifically telling us that every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is 100% pure, solid truth.

  • Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5)
  • The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6)
  • For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:4)
  • Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Notice the first verse says that the words that come from God are “pure” words. The last verse then says that all of God’s words are “truth.” Put these two verses together and you get that all of the words that come from God are “pure truth.”

Pure means 100% pure – which means that all of God’s words are pure, solid truth with no errors or mistakes. This is why the Word of God is also called infallible and inerrant. If the Bible says that a thing is so – then it is so – end of discussion. You can literally bank your life on it!

4. The Word of God Can Sanctify You

If all of the words of the Bible are 100% pure, solid truth – then this means that all of the words in the Bible have the supernatural ability to sanctify you, especially since all of the Bible has the anointing of the Holy Spirit Himself on the entire Book.

God’s ultimate and highest aim for all of us after we become saved and born again is to sanctify us, to transform us, to mold and shape us into the express image of His Son Jesus. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to start this molding, transforming, and sanctifying work in us after we get saved.

However, the Holy Spirit needs something to work with in order to get this transformation process kicked into full gear – and that something is knowledge. God wants you to have full knowledge on exactly what it is He wants to change about you before He really starts to move you into this sanctification process with Him.

And where do you get the knowledge that will get God to start this sanctification process within you? From the Bible! There is no other book that we can learn and study from that will give us the direct knowledge that we will need from God the Father to get Him to start this sanctification process within us.

It’s the Word and the Spirit working together in a believer’s life that will get God to start working full force in their life so He can change them into the kind of person He really wants them to become in Him.

Here are several powerful verses from Scripture specifically telling us all of this. The first two verses will tell you that God can literally sanctify you by His Word.

  • Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
  •  ” … that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26)
  • How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:9-12)
  • You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3)
  • ” … and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)
  • “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Notice the last verse says that the Word of God can “effectively work in you.” This means when you start reading and studying the Bible in order to gain more knowledge about God – it will start to effectively work in you so you can start to change into the person God will want you to become in Him.

Just think of the power this Book has to dramatically change and transform the quality of your entire life. True inner happiness and fulfillment can only be found on the inside of your being, not on the outside with material things and possessions.

Hollywood is living proof that money, fame, and notoriety will not buy you true inner happiness. There are many in Hollywood who truly have what they think is “all” – yet they are miserable, unhappy, depressed, and go from one shrink to another – all in an effort to try and find what is still missing in their lives and why they cannot seem to find true inner happiness with all of the earthly wealth they have accumulated.

The only way to find true inner happiness in this life is to become saved and born again through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ – and then enter into a dynamic personal relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. From there, you are to start seeking after the knowledge about God and all of His ways by studying and reading the Bible on your own.

The personal relationship you will establish with God, and the knowledge that you will gain about God from reading and studying from the Bible is what will dramatically transform the quality of your life down here on this earth. Nothing else on this earth will do that for you!

5. The Word of God Will Give You Knowledge and Wisdom

The Bible tells us that we are to grow in the knowledge and ways of God. And the number one way in which we will grow in the knowledge of God is by reading and studying from the Bible.

There is no other way! If you do not seek to learn more about the Lord by studying from the Bible, then your spiritual growth in the Lord will stagnate and you will stop growing in Him.

There are no shortcuts to true spiritual growth in the Lord. You have to pay your dues, and those dues are that you have to gain and increase in knowledge about God and all of His ways before the Holy Spirit will start you on the road to true spiritual growth. And the only Book that will give you the knowledge that will cause true spiritual growth to occur in this life is the Bible.

And not only has God given us everything that we will ever need in this one Book – but He has also given us His Holy Spirit, whose main job is to “teach us all things” and to “guide us into all truth.”

Several verses I will list below will tell you that the Holy Spirit Himself will be the One who will personally open up the meaning of Scripture for you so that you can see the knowledge that God the Father is trying to transmit to you through this Holy Book!

This is a direct supernatural work that can be done for you by the Holy Spirit if you are willing to go into a seeking mode with Him when you study the Bible.

Here are several good verses telling us that the Word of God can impart true knowledge and wisdom to us, and that God does want us growing in the knowledge of Him, His Son, and His Holy Spirit.

  • “… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
  • And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:45)
  • “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
  • “However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth …” (John 16:13)
  • Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31)
  • Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another …” (Colossians 3:16)
  • Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path … The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple … Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:105, 130, 133)
  • My son, give attention to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20)

All of the above verses are showing us how powerful the words that are coming direct from God and Jesus really are. The Word of God can truly change your life for the better – but only if you are willing to spend some good quality time seeking to understand what is in this most incredible Book.

6. The Word of God Will Stand Forever

The last thing you will really need to grasp on the power of the Word of God is that the Word of God will last and stand forever – both in this life and the next life to come, which will be heaven.

Here are 3 very good verses from Scripture telling us that the Word of God is not chained and that it will endure to all generations – both in this life and the next life to come, which means forever!

  •  “… for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.” (2 Timothy 2:9)
  •  “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations …” (Psalm 119:89)
  • “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Not only will your study of Scripture profit you in this life, but it will also profit you in the next life to come – which will be heaven.

I personally believe that we still continue to study the Bible even when we all enter into heaven. I do not believe any one human can truly master the Bible in this lifetime. There is simply way too much knowledge, wisdom, and revelation that is contained in this one Book for any one human to be able to fully grasp all of it in this lifetime.

I believe that the Bible is like a treasure chest that has no bottom to it. And to think that all of this knowledge is contained in just one Book! Only a true God of the entire universe could have put this much knowledge and revelation into one Book.

Conclusion

I will leave you with one last thought. Each Christian must make their own personal decision on this. Once you have become saved and born again by accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior – you now have one of two choices to make.

You can either choose to press in and start seeking after God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit by spending regular quality time in the Bible to learn as much as you can about the Three of Them – or you can just leave well enough alone, figure you have as much of God as you will ever need in this life, and go on your merry way living for the world and the things of this world – never increasing your knowledge base about the Lord, and never really growing in the knowledge of God and all of His ways.

I am afraid most Christians in this day and age are taking the latter approach. Most Christians have either never read the Bible in its complete entirety, or have read very little of it in their own personal walks with the Lord.

This is one of the main reasons we have started up this website – to try and show everyone how much working knowledge there really is in the Bible, and how this knowledge can dramatically change and transform the quality of your life.

As I have shown you with all of the above Scripture verses, the Word of God is:

  • Inspired, Infallible, and Inerrant
  • Living, Powerful, and Anointed
  • Pure, Solid Truth
  • Sharper than Any Two-Edged Sword
  • Can Spiritually Nourish Your Mind, Soul and Spirit
  • Has the Ability to Sanctify and Cleanse You
  • Has the Ability to Teach You, Guide You, and Direct Your Steps in this Life
  • And Will Last and Stand Forever – Both in this Life and the Next Life to Come

What more can you ask for in one Book? Bottom line – there is simply no other book on our earth that has this amount of unlimited knowledge direct from God Himself. And it is all there for the taking for anyone who wants to dive in and take the journey.

  • For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
  • All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
  • Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.
  • Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
  • How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.
  • He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
  • The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.
  • As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
  • Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
  • Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
  • Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.
  • The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it gives understanding to the simple.
  • Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
  • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  • For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
  • Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.
  • In God, whose word I praise—
    in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
  • Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
  • For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
  • To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
  • Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
  • You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.
  • He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
  • So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
    but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
  • You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great.
    You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Bible verse of the day

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

In the book, “Taking God At His Word”, Kevin DeYoung writes, “Scripture, because it is the breathed out word of God, possesses the same authority as the God-man Jesus Christ. Submission to the Scriptures is submission to God.”[1] Over the last 200 years, many critics have disputed such a claim. They have accused Christians of worshiping the Bible and not making necessary distinctions between the Bible and God. Some have said that we need to see the truths behind the Bible, and not worry so much about the Bible itself. However, the Bible itself actually supports DeYoung’s claim, and often deliberately blurs any distinction between God and the Scriptures.

Hebrews 4:12-13 is one of the most famous statements in the Bible about the Bible:

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

This famous text assumes the closest possible relationship between God and his written word, even between Jesus and the Bible.

In context, it’s obvious that the passage is talking about the Bible itself. (Notice it says, “For the word of God is living…”) Hebrews has just been expositing and applying Psalm 95 for two chapters. In 4:2, it explains, “Good news came to us just as to them, but the message (literally, the ‘word’) they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.” So “the word of God” in 4:12 is obviously the message of God written in the pages of Scripture that Hebrews has already been citing.

However, Hebrews goes on to describe the Bible with startling attributes, even the attributes of God himself. Consider the following:

The word of God is living and active

Earlier in the same passage, Hebrews had warned against falling away “from the living God” (3:12). The “word” is obviously being personified as “alive”, as having a power all its own (see Rom. 1:16, 1 Cor. 1:18, Col.1:5-6, 1 Thess. 2:13; also Deut. 32:47, Isaiah 55:10-11). Interestingly, in John 6:63, Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Jesus clearly makes a connection between the Spirit who gives life and his words. Hebrews 3:7 pointedly introduces Psalm 95 by saying, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says.”

As Hebrews 4:12-13 continues, the attributes it describes look increasingly like the attributes of Jesus as the “word of God”.

“Sharper than any two-edged sword”

Consider how Jesus is repeatedly described: Rev. 1:16, “In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” Rev. 19:11-15,

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True… He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God… From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.”

These references echo the Old Testament images of the Divine Angel of the Lord (Joshua 5:13, Num. 22:23, 1 Chron. 21:16), as well as Isaiah’s Servant (Isaiah 49:1-2).

“Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”

How do swords “discern”? For that matter, how does “the word” discern’? Who is it who discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart? In fact, this is an activity of God. Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind” (Cf. Psalm 94:11, 139:23, Jer. 20:12; 1 Chron. 28:9, 1 Sam.16:7). Jesus says in Revelation 2:23, “I am he who searches mind and heart.” The prophet Simeon said of Jesus, in Luke 2:34-35, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

“No creature is hidden from his sight”

Did you notice how the subject changes? Suddenly, v.13 starts talking about a “him”, because it’s been talking about a “him” all along. You cannot separate God from his word.

All are naked and exposed to the eyes of him.”

Interestingly, in Revelation 5:6, Jesus is described as having many eyes:

“And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

The imagery is taken directly from Zechariah 4:8-14,

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you… These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth.”

Did you catch the weirdness of the language there? The “word of the Lord” came to Zechariah, but then that “word” says, “You will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.” What “word” is speaking? Then the word explains that there are seven “eyes” that see everything, which Revelation then connects with the Lamb.

Some scholars have argued adamantly that when Hebrews 4:12 talks about “the word of God”, it only refers to Scripture and can’t be referring to Jesus as the “word of God.” But these scholars have forgotten that Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians, likely Levite Christians. And intertestamental Jewish literature is full of speculation about the “word” of God (דָּבָר—Hebrew; מימרא—Aramaic; λόγος—Greek)[2]. Sometimes, the “word” was seen as a hypostatic-manifestation of God himself and as a title for the Divine Angel of the Lord[3].

Consider this passage from the intertestamental, apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon, referring to the Angel of the Lord at the Exodus:

“Your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on the earth” (18:15-16).

Similar things can be seen throughout Jewish literature. The Jews were very familiar with the idea of the “word of God” as a personal manifestation of God in his Divine Angel, sent from “the LORD of hosts” (as we saw in Zech. 4:9).

Because of this intertestamental Jewish tradition, John Owen, who was very familiar with the rabbinic writings, defends seeing Hebrews 4:12-13 as an explicit reference to Jesus:

“In writing this epistle to the Hebrews, our apostle accommodates himself to the apprehensions and expressions that were then in use among the Hebrews… Now at this time there was nothing more common or usual, among the Hebrews, than to denote the second subsistence in the Deity by the name of “The Word of God”. They were now divided into two great parts; first, the inhabitants of Canaan, with the regions adjoining, and many old remnants in the east, who used the Syro-chaldean language, being but one dialect of the Hebrew; and, secondly, the dispersions under the Greek empire, who are commonly called Hellenists, who used the Greek tongue. And both these sorts at that time did usually, in their several languages, describe the second person in the Trinity by the name of ‘The Word of God.’ For the former sort, or those who used the Syro-chaldean dialect, we have an eminent proof of it in the translation of the Scripture which, at least some part of it, was made about this time amongst them, commonly called the Chaldee Paraphrase; in the whole whereof the second person is mentioned under the name of מימרא דיי, “Memra da-Iova,” or the “Word of God”… And for the Hellenists, who wrote and expressed themselves in the Greek tongue, they used the name of ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, the “Word of God,” to the same purpose; as I have elsewhere manifested out of the writings of Philo, who lived about this time, between the death of our Saviour and the destruction of Jerusalem.”[4]

Owen concludes, “It is Christ himself who makes the word powerful and sharp: the principal efficiency is in himself, acting in and with it. That then which is here intended [Heb.4:12], is the spiritual, almighty, penetrating efficacy of the Lord Christ, in his dealing with the souls and consciences of men by his word and Spirit… the same person all along is intended.”[5]

The 18th century Baptist, John Gill agrees,

“This is to be understood of Christ, the essential Word of God; for the Word of God was a known name of the Messiah among the Jews… Therefore the apostle makes use of it when writing to them: and the words are introduced as a reason why care should be taken, that men fall not off from the Gospel, because Christ, the author, sum, and substance of it, is the living God, omnipotent and omniscient; for not a thing, but a person is spoken of, who is a Judge, and a critical discerner of the secrets of men’s hearts: and certain it is, that this Word is spoken of as a person, and is said to be a priest in the following verses; to which may be added, that the several things said of the Word exactly agree with Christ.”[6]

In conclusion, we have seen that Hebrews presents the Bible as God’s powerful Word, but it immediately blurs the distinction between the Bible and God, even the Bible as “the word” and Jesus as “the Word”. There is a Person behind all the ‘words’ of the Bible, who is himself ‘the Word’. They are essentially his ‘words’. To not believe and receive the Bible is not to believe and receive him.

As DeYoung says,

“God’s gracious self-disclosure comes to us through the Word made flesh and by the inscripturated word of God. These two modes of revelation reveal to us one God, one truth, one way, and one coherent set of promises, threats, and commands to live by. We must not seek to know the Word who is divine apart from the divine words of the Bible, and we ought not read the words of the Bible without an eye to the Word incarnate.”[7]


Matt Foreman is the pastor of Faith Reformed Baptist Church in Media, PA. Matt is a graduate of Furman University and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He previously served as the Founding Chairman of the Reformed Baptist Network, is the secretary for the RBN Missions Committee, and is a lecturer in Practical Theology at Reformed Baptist Seminary. Matt also writes music for worship; some of which can be found at ekklesiahymns.org.


Related Links

«Bavinck on Speech Acts and the Power of God’s Word» by Bruce Baugus

«8 Properties of Scripture (by Mastricht)» by Ryan McGraw

The Word: Above All Earthly Powers, with R.C. Sproul, Ligon Duncan, D.A. Carson, Philip Ryken, and Mark Dever

The Sufficiency of Scripture (Download  |  Booklet)

The Inerrancy of Scripture (Download  |  Booklet)

The Authority of Scripture (Download  |  Booklet)


Notes

[1] Kevin DeYoung. Taking God At His Word. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014) p.119

[2] Cf. Daniel Boyarin, “The Gospel of the Memra: Jewish Binitarianism and the Prologue to John,” Harvard Theological Review 94:3 (2001): 243-84. John Ronning, The Jewish Targums and John’s Logos Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010).

[3] See Matt Foreman and Doug Van Dorn. The Angel of the Lord: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Study. (Dacona, CO: Waters of Creation Publishing, 2020).

[4]  Owen, J. (1854). An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews. (W. H. Goold, Ed.) (Vol. 21, pp. 354–355). Edinburgh: Johnstone and Hunter.

[5]  Owen, p. 359.

[6]  Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 396). London: Mathews and Leigh. In fact, this Christocentric interpretation of Hebrews 4:12-13 was the almost unanimous consensus in the early church fathers. Numerous quotes could be given.

[7] DeYoung, p.119.

June 2020

June 2020

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We sometimes hear of talented athletes, artists, or authors who are considered underrated. Despite their abilities, their work is neglected, and they have not been given their due. The popularity and success of less-talented people baffles us, and we wonder why our culture is so fixated on superficiality and empty celebrity. We should, however, consider that a far more unreasonable pattern has played out in this world: the very Word of God has become underrated. As Christians, we ought to stand firm in treasuring the Word of God, which He uses as the primary means for the creation and edification of His church.

We need to be reminded that God’s Word is powerful. It was the Word of God that was instrumental in bringing all of creation into being (Ps. 33:6; John 1:3). At this very moment, it is the Word of God’s power that upholds all things (Heb. 1:3). While the greatest of humans and their best work fade and disappear from this earth, the Word of our God stands forever (Isa. 40:8). While we struggle to have an effect on hearts and minds, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The Word of God is instrumental in transforming believers, for we “have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).

The Word of God ought to have a primary place in the life of the church. It should never be neglected.

We also must remember that the living Word has great potential to grow and spread. In the book of Acts, we read a fascinating account of the growth of the Word. The Apostles had a single-minded focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word; they understood that it was the center of their ministry (Acts 6:1–4). As a consequence, there are glorious scenes of church growth in Acts, with thousands being added to the church. But there is arguably a stronger emphasis throughout Acts on the Word of the Lord itself spreading, growing, multiplying, and prevailing (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20). If you step back and survey the book of Acts, it is as much an account of Word growth as it is church growth. Rather than first being focused on the effects of the Word as the church grows, we need to have a healthy appreciation for the actual presence and growth of the Word itself.

As we review how the Scriptures attest to these truths, we should confess that the Word of God ought to have a primary place in the life of the church. It should never be neglected. Westminster Shorter Catechism 89 teaches:

The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching, of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.

When the Shorter Catechism speaks of the reading and preaching of the Word of God as a “means,” it is speaking of the Word as an instrument or a tool. This is, in a sense, something like how we might use a certain curriculum as a means to change students’ minds or a certain process to shape a piece of wood. The reality is that even when the Bible is printed by human printers and preached by human preachers, it is the Lord who is using the Word as a tool to work in us. The Apostle Paul taught the Thessalonians that “when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).

When it comes to using the Word of God, the primary responsibility of the church has been to ensure that the Word is preached carefully, substantially, and truthfully and to trust that the Lord will use that. The Son of God Himself came as a preacher of the gospel (Luke 4:18). His Apostles were sent out primarily to preach the Word. Men such as Timothy and Titus were called to focus on preaching and teaching with authority (1 Tim. 4:13–14; Titus 2:13). We would be lost without preachers who are sent to bring the good news, since “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:14–17). In Titus 1:3, Paul teaches that God has “manifested His word through preaching.” This means that God “reveals” or “discloses” His Word through preaching. What was a mystery to the natural man is revealed.

When we put together these concepts, we have to accept that it is not ordinary to be able to understand the reality of sin or to come to faith in Christ or to grasp the breadth or the depth of the Scriptures apart from preaching. As diligent parents primarily shape and mold the character of a child through their words, so the Lord ordinarily gathers in and shapes His children through the preaching of His Word.

One of the great blessings of being under faithful preaching is that it often exposes us to unexpected truths, corrections, and encouragements. Left to ourselves and our own ideas, we tend to end up living or learning according to our own preferences. In some cases, this can result in selected parts of the Scriptures being abused. Being under regular expository preaching, which covers the breadth of Scripture over time and brings to us old things and new, will give the believer a healthy spiritual diet. Having a preacher who knows the needs and concerns of a congregation will result in guidance that may be challenging but will ultimately restore our souls and lead us into “paths of righteousness” (Ps. 23). Fifteen times the New Testament tells us, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Son of God Himself came as a preacher of the gospel (Luke 4:18). His Apostles were sent out primarily to preach the Word.

Scripture also points us to the blessing of our personal use of the Word of God as a means of grace. The need for preaching does not mean that believers do not also benefit from studying the Word on their own. The psalmist woke up early to pray and to read the Word (Ps. 119:147–48). The “fair-minded” Bereans searched the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). Careful and diligent reading will equip you to listen with discernment to preaching. A steady and consistent diet of personal Scripture reading will make you complete and will equip you “for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17). It will also continually correct you and reprove you (v. 16), which may be difficult but is necessary. It will point you to your need for Christ often, make you “wise for salvation,” and give you a foundation for doctrine and Christian living (vv. 15–16).

When you read the Bible or listen to faithful preaching, there is more happening than mere communication of ideas. The Word is more than ink and paper, and preaching is more than a speech. The Word is living, as the Lord is working effectually by His Holy Spirit through it. There are many pictures of this in Scripture: the Lord through His Word is sowing imperishable seeds (1 Peter 1:23), bringing about repentance and faith (Rom. 10), feeding our souls with the Bread of Life (Matt. 4:4; John 6:35), creating a source of living waters in our hearts (John 7:38), and washing His church (Eph. 5:26). To have the Word abide in us is to be in union with Christ and to be conformed to His will so that we learn to desire what is godly and holy (John 15:7). This means that the Word is an incomparably precious and powerful gift of God to us as He works through it. In the Word we encounter Christ, and encountering Christ, we commune with Him.

Finally, there is for the Christian a great reassurance in the fact that the Word of God does not change. We live in a world where change in itself is seen as virtuous, including many unwise changes to morals, ethics, and lifestyles. Trends come and go. But we can be thankful that, as people of the Book, we confess the same Word as the church of all ages. The Word of God has not lost its significance or its power as a means of grace. It continues to grow and spread across many parts of the earth. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:8).

Rev. Robert VanDoodewaard is pastor of Hope Reformed Church in Powassan, Ontario.

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