- It is living; it is active; it is sharp.
What is it?
We find the answer in a Biblical text. “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, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12).
It is the word of God that is alive, active and sharp. Here are some facts
about the Word of the Lord:
a. The word of God fully furnishes us with all we need to know (2 Peter 1:3;
10,11).
b. The word of God is God's final revelation to man (Matthew 24:35,
Galatians 1:8-9, and Jude 3).
c. The word of God is inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
d. The word of God is able to save souls (James 1:21).
e. The word of God is what we are to be judged by (John 12:48).
Anytime in which we focus a lesson on the word of God we must acknowledge
the importance of deep reverence for that word. To approach it with anything
less than sincere devotion and utmost respect is to place ourselves in
jeopardy. Listen! The word of God is not threatened by man's failures to
properly regard it. It is eternal. It is man who suffers for his disregard.
So often people today wrongly believe the Scriptures of God; especially the
moral teachings found within, are out of date or obsolete. Do not swallow
the lie! How can something be “obsolete” as long as we are this side of the
day of judgment and when we get there, we will be judged by those same
Scriptures and thus our eternal destinies will have been determined by our
responses that we have made to them?
The Word of God is Alive
The Bible is “alive”. This simply means that the Bible is not a dead letter.
It is very much alive and able to bring life. That was true in the first
century, and it is true today. The word is alive and the word brings life.
(John 6:63; 67,68). The word of God lives and abides forever (1 Peter
1:23-25).
The Bible holds within its pages promises of blessings now and blessings yet
to come. Jesus described these as “abundant life” (John 10:10).
So, what effects can the word have on me now? It can give us hope and
confidence. It can help us be better husbands and wives and parents and
children neighbors and friends. It can fill us with joy and courage. We have
assurance of ultimate and complete victory, and hold confidently onto this
living hope even in the dark day of evil (Philippians 4:4; 6-8; 13).
The word of God is alive because of what it can do that nothing else can.
Through it, by the mercy and grace of God, I can experience eternal victory
(Revelation 21:3-7; 22:7-9; 1 John 5:3-5; 9-12 ).
The Word of God is Active
The influence and power of God's word is described in several ways:
The word of God is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Don't
leave home without it in your heart!
The word of God is so active that it brings faith (Romans 10:17). God
instills faith in searching and receptive human hearts through the word of
the gospel.
Not only this, but the Word of God continues to be at work in the lives of
the faithful. The word of God changes lives (Colossians 1:3-5; 9-11). This
building up of godly attributes in the lives of God's children accompanies
the prospect of an eternal inheritance (Acts 20:32)
The Word of God is Sharper Than Any
Two-edged Sword
The word of God is a sword. To describe the sharpness of the sword the
Hebrew writer says in our text: “…piercing as far as the division of soul
and spirit, of both joints and marrow…” . This sword pierces not to do harm
but to ultimately bring wondrous blessings. It must be sharp to cut deep so
as to bring healing and forgiveness. (Romans 10:8-11; Acts 2:37).
Any sharp blade can cut open a man to show his physical heart, but only the
word of God can reveal the thoughts and intentions that are hidden in the
heart. It can be painful, but necessary to bring about faith, sorrow,
repentance, followed by obedience, joy, love and eternal life.
The sword of the Spirit is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). While this
sword penetrates to do good for us, it is also our weapon of choice in
resisting Satan. “Engarde!” The word of God can be so effective that the
devil tries to keep if from being spread, lest it thwart his purpose of
destroying you and me (2 Corinthians 4:4-5). The word of God is so powerful
it chased off the devil (Matthew 4:8-11; James 4:7). Use the sword to change
the roars of the prowling beast of darkness into whimpers of a fleeing foe.
Don't be content with just delivering a flesh wound when you can
incapacitate him!
The Word of God Reveals Our
Thoughts and Intentions
God already knows our thoughts and intentions without the involvement of the
word. The Word does not reveal anything to God. Note the next verse; “ And
there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid
bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.“ (Hebrews 4:13). We use the
word of God and examine ourselves to reveal our thoughts and intentions (2
Corinthians 13:5 and James 1:23-25). When one hears the word of God they
have a choice to obey or reject it (James 1:22).
Our reaction to God's word, or lack thereof, reveals our thoughts and
intentions. It tells us what we really think about God; about how much we
may really love, or not love, God. Not only when we first hear it, but
disciples learn much about themselves through the word and how they handle
it throughout their walks of faith (1 John 2:4-6; 24).
What does your reaction to the word of God say about you? Have you submitted
to the will of the Lord? Do you trust Him and love Him? Can you be counted
on to continue to follow the word of the Lord? God has spoken, and we all
need to hear Him. When you look into the word of God do you find you need to
make changes? The word of God is alive; active, and sharp. Will you react to
it as you probably already know that you should? That will be seen in the
choices we make each day.-
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From The Bradley Banner 3/5/2006
Published by the Bradley Church of Christ
1505 E. Broadway
Bradley, IL 60915