THE LIVING, WORKING WORD

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received His message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the very center of Christian living is the word of God. For if it weren’t for everything that God has said and the recording of the things He has done, especially the revelation of His salvation plan for all mankind through His Son Jesus, there would be no Christianity nor would there hope for anyone.

On top of this, our God continues to speak to us, sharing His words through our prayer communication with Him and through the counsel we receive from the Holy Spirit.

In other words, we aren’t guided by words that are formed by human wisdom but rather by the very God who created everything in heaven and on earth. Our very being depends on Him and He will ultimately dictate our eternal outcome. This is why it’s so critical to know Him and receive His word with gladness and submission to His will and way for our lives.

The Thessalonian Christians had done this and as we see in verse 13 of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2, Paul shares His joy in knowing that the believers in Thessalonica embraced what they were taught as the “very word of God”, not just “mere human ideas”.

Note that this very word of God didn’t just enter the Thessalonian Christians and then go dormant. Rather, it continued to work within them because they believed in Him and His Son. For the word of God is always a working word that remains alive and active within the heart, mind, and soul of anyone who gladly receives it. It was true in first century A.D. and it remains true today.

Speaking of the word of God, here’s what we learn about it in the Holy Bible:

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. Hebrews 4:12

Here, we learn that the word of God is surgical. It penetrates the spirit within a person and “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. If you read the word of God and feel good within, like that warm and fuzzy feeling people often talk about, then the Lord is signaling to you that you are doing right, obedient to the words you are reading. If you feel guilty or sad when you are reading the word of God, then the Lord is convicting you of your sin and encouraging you to repent and change.

We can always gauge where we are as Christian believers by reading the alive and active word of God, allowing it to work within us.

Here’s another couple verses to consider in regard to the Bible:

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. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is alive because God breathed into life and continues to do so. Used properly, it becomes our life instruction manual, “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness”.

God wants us to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” He will have us carry out and He uses His living, working word to do it.

Finally, consider these words from Peter:

You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:23-25

All Christians are born again, leaving their sinful lives behind in exchange for new life in and through Christ. It’s impossible to enter Heaven, the very Kingdom of God without it because Jesus said so Himself:

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3

When a person commits to Christ and is born again, then trade the perishable for the imperishable and this is only made possible through the living word of God that endures forever.

Every day, I get the privilege and honor to be a vessel God uses to share His word with you and others. It’s the best time I spend and I can tell you from experience that the messages I share are definitely grounded in a word that is active, alive, and working. I pray that He is helping you grow in your faith and knowledge of Him as He helps shape you to be the person He wants you to be, a person who is becoming more and more a reflection of His Son Jesus.

Amen.  

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com