Romans 10:14 “How can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?”
Our Wednesday evening Small Group Bible Study has been working through a 7-part video series by Pastor Frances Chan titled, “Basic: We are the Church” and last night viewed and discussed the fifth session on “Teaching”, which focused on the learnings in the Word of God, the Holy Bible – being taught Truth and then teaching Truth; not as a discipline by behavior modification due to duty, like a chore (though a disciple of dedication and devotion are involved), but a heart, mind and soul transformation that creates a carving and longing desire for the Word of God – to hear, to learn, to know, to believe and to apply for the abundant life here and now on Earth, plus the amazing eternal life to come in the hereafter of Heaven.
Acts 2:42 tells of the early Christian church, how “they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” And 1 Peter 2:1-3 describes transformation as, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 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.” I have to ask myself, “have I devoted myself to the Word of God with this carving and longing desire?
The Bible is not just another ordinary book. It is the very words of God and 2 Timothy 3:15-17 tells us “how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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.” The result of the author of Scripture, the supernatural nature of Scripture is clearly stated in Hebrews 4:12, “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.”
The Matthew Henry Commentary on Hebrews 4:12 explains that the Word of God is very lively and active, in all its efforts, in seizing the conscience of the sinner, in cutting him to the heart, and in comforting him and binding up the wounds of the soul. When God sets it home by his Spirit, it convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully. It is powerful to batter down Satan’s kingdom, and to set up the kingdom of Christ upon the ruins thereof. It is sharper than any two-edged sword; it cuts both ways; it is the sword of the Spirit of Ephesians 6:17. It pierces to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit; a proud spirit to be humble, of a perverse spirit to be meek and obedient. It cuts off ignorance from the understanding, rebellion from the will, and enmity from the mind, which, when carnal, is enmity itself against God. This sword can cut off the lusts of the flesh as well as the lusts of the mind, and make men willing to undergo the sharpest operation for the mortifying of sin. The Holy Scriptures are a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, even the most secret and remote thoughts and designs. It will discover to men the variety of their thoughts and purposes, the vileness of them, the bad principles they are actuated by, the sinister and sinful ends they act to. The Word of God will turn the inside of a sinner out, and let them see all that is in their heart. Now such a Word as this must needs be a great help to our faith and obedience.
The Word of God is the objective truth that is the foundational common ground which all else in life is built upon, measure by and governed from. As America’s Founding Father stated, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men.” Yet, there are obstacles which we encounter. Let's continue this message on Christian teaching in the next post.
In God We Trust and In Christ We Live, Brian
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