THE
BIBLE
GOD’S
INSPIRED WORD
HEBREWS
4:12
Good
evening from the Panhandle. The Bible – it has been called many
things; God's Word, a road map, a history book, even a book of fairy
tales. According
to Guinness World Records as of 1995, the Bible is the best-selling
book of all time,
with an estimated 5 billion copies sold
and distributed.
Mr.
Kwak showed up at an English Bible study taught by an American
missionary in Korea, saying, “I really don’t care about religion.
I don’t believe in God, and I don’t want to. The only reason I
want to attend this class is to practice my English.”
One
evening, as the study group explored the biblical evidence of God’s
love for the world, the missionary saw tears streaming down Mr.
Kwak’s face. He looked up and said, “No one has ever loved me so
much. If God did this because of His love for me, then I must love
Him back.” The
word of God had pierced his soul:
12 For the
word of God is living 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. (Hebrews
4:12).
1.
The Word of God
What
is the Word of God? Hebrews
1:1–2
~1:1 In the
past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times
and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by
his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he
made the universe. The
key words are “God
spoke.” God
spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai. God spoke through the prophets. God
spoke in the person of Christ Jesus. And, God speaks today through
the Scriptures. The Bible is God’s appointed channel of
communication with the human race. It was written by 40 men over 1500
years on 3 continents.
God
some times speaks to us through a sermon, a sermon I pray taken from
the Bible. God speaks to us in prayer, but where did we learn about
prayer? Where did we learn to pray? 11:1
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one
of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as
John taught his disciples."
2
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
"`Father,
hallowed
be your name,
your
kingdom come.
3
Give us each day our daily bread.
4
Forgive us our sins,
for
we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And
lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:1-4). We
learn from God's Word, the Bible teaches us the language of prayer.
If
God speaks to us through nature, we know this how? 20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his
eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
(Romans 1:20). Look at John 1:3-4; 10 ~ 3
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that
has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of
men...10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through
him, the world did not recognize him. From the Bible of
course.
Some
would say how can I trust a book that was written so long ago. Isn't
it just like any ancient religious literature. No, no it's not and if
you do any critical research you will find this out for yourself. And
then you must decide to either put your faith in God's Word or not
too.
“I
would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to
believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else
reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be
satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of
divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water
is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and
is not good for much.” - C. H.
Spurgeon
2.
A Living Word
The
Word of God is a living Word, an active Word, a penetrating Word
(Hebrews.
4:12).
Unlike an ordinary history book or story book the Bible is
continually teaching, leading, and guiding us. You can literally read
a passage one day and find some meaning or none and then read it a
day or several days later and it will say something new to you or
speak to you for the first time.
The
Bible is a living Word because its Author is the living God. 8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who
is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty..." 6 He said
to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning
and the End... 12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with
me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and
the End. (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:12)
Wherever
a preacher proclaims it, or a seeking soul sits down to read it, or a
Bible study group examines it, the living God is there to interpret
His message. Christ Jesus said that this would happen. 7
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I
will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of
guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ...13 But when
he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He
will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he
will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by
taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that
belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will
take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John
16:7-8; 13-16).
3.
An Active Word
It
is an energetic Word. (The Greek adjective “energes” NT:1756
(en-er-gace') in Hebrews
4:12
[“powerful”
in KJV] literally means - active, operative, effectual. Or Eric
Partridge in his book Origins, interprets it “at work.”
By
His word the Creator God made heaven and earth: Genesis 1:1-2 ~ 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the
earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the
deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And
Psalms 33:6 ~ 6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their
starry host by the breath of his mouth.
By
His word the Saving God brought His people out of Egypt. By His word
the Reconciling God called the church into being. By His word the
Energizing God empowers His people to carry out His purpose in the
world. His purpose is to reconcile the world to Himself: “namely,
that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation.”
(2
Corinthians 5:19).
There
was a time when God walked with in the garden with Adam and Eve. He
visited Abraham, Moses, Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
God sent prophets and then He came to earth as God/man in the form of
Christ Jesus. His
purpose in all of this is to reconcile the world. Now God has
entrusted word of reconciliation to all who will received it by
faith. God's word of reconciliation and so much more are found in
God's Word the Bible.
4.
A Penetrating Word
Like
a two-edged sword, the Word of God can penetrate to the core of our
being, but only if activated by a response of faith. The Word of God
“did not profit” the Israelites in the wilderness because the
message was not “mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews
4:2)
–
“For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they
also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not
united by faith in those who heard.”
5.
An Illuminating Word
God’s
Word sheds light (Psalms
119:105)
– “Your
word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” A
lamp's job is to light things up, a room, a path, a city on a hill.
Our relationship to the Word of God is to see and know God, not just
know of Him. A well built lamp cannot contain light, but it can send
its rays into dark corners. A Christian can not contain God's Word in
them, it will burst forth.
After
a little girl had prayed about what gift would be best for her
father's birthday, she felt led to buy a Bible. She wondered what to
write on the flyleaf. "From Maggie" seemed too cold. "From
your little daughter" would not do, either, her father had said
she was getting to be a big girl. Would "From one who loves you"
do? Scarcely, for quite a lot of others loved him, too. Finally she
went to her father's library. She found that one of the books had
this on the flyleaf--"From the Author." Later, when her
father opened his gift, and saw "From the Author," he
realized that he was not acquainted with the Author of the Bible. He
began to study his Bible, was converted, and became a preacher. In
telling the story of his conversion, he often held up the little
Bible, and told about the inscription, "From the Author."
Let us then accept it, read it, believe it, confess it, and tell to
others that it is a love gift for them "From the Author."
--Golden Sheaves
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