Thursday 26 June 2008

The Word of God is Living and Active

We looked last time at the food for our souls. We saw that while people spend a lot of time considering the food they put into their mouths, often very little thought is given to what goes into the mind. We saw that the way to feed ourselves spiritually is by feeding ourselves on the Word of God. We read in 1 Peter 2:2, “like new born babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

This time we will be looking at how the Word of God is able to feed us, sustain us and give us eternal life.

There are many passages in which the Bible speaks of itself. One of the best known is found in Hebrews 4:12. There we read, “ For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

One attribute that the Bible has that sets it apart from any other book is that it is “living and active.” This might seem a strange thing to say about any book and it would be hard to explain if it were not for the source of the Bible. “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). What sets the Bible apart from other books is the inspiration of God! The idea behind this is that men were directly moved by God to pen His words. We are not dealing with the words of men here. We are dealing with the Word of God.

Because it is the Word of God, the Bible has attributes that other book cannot have – it is living and active. The Bible has life and it has effects. The word of God can and does enter peoples heart’s and it changes them. Romans 10:17 states, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Faith does not come by a miraculous act of God, it comes through people hearing the Bible. Through the faith that people receive from the Bible, they change their lives and become obedient to God’s will.

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God” 1 Peter 1:22-23.

It is the Word of God that causes us to be born again – to be saved. Without the work of the Word of God we would not hear of God and we could have no faith. God’s word truly is living and active.

No comments: