THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD

WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD?

The Word of God spoke in creation (Ps. 33:6-9), “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” The word of God includes both speech and action. It is powerful, for by it God created all things and by it He still cares for His creation. God’s written word is fruitful, and it does not go forth without producing powerful results. The word is reliable and true. It has been written down as Scriptures, God’s inspired Word. More important, it has come to us in human flesh in Jesus Christ, the Word of life; and whoever listens to Him receives eternal life.

AND THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD?

All of Scripture, in its totality and its parts, is a means to an end and an instrument for a purpose (2 Tim. 3:16, 17), “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for corrections, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  It is not a goal in itself, but has its grand objectives the equipment of man for the service of God. It is freely produced by human writers, but its original Author is God Himself. Through the service of human writers God breathed out the Scriptures so that they are not only human words but simultaneously and ultimately the very utterances of God. Inspiration does not only pertain to the persons who penned Scripture. Neither is it restricted narrowly to the “spiritual” realities, which are the central and essential content of Scripture. Inspiration encompasses every word and all the words of the sacred writings. Therefore the Scriptures are fully consistent and inerrant, authoritative and trust worthy, in everything that they assert, in every area that they address and in every way that they speak. As such they are perfectly suited to reach their intended objective (Acts 20:32), “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

THE WRITTEN WORD AS SEED

(Matt. 13:23), “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” The seed is the Word of God, alive in the Person of Christ and written in the Holy Scripture. The Word of God  not only reveals His Son, but His standards, His solutions to life questions, His secret for knowing Him, His sufficiency, and His program for  human fulfillment. The Word of God is authoritative. It calls for trustful submission to its spiritual imperatives. To be meaningful it must be studied and obeyed. Illumination of the written Word of God by the Holy Spirit gives insight. Inspiration of the written Word of God guarantees reliability. Transformation is the inevitable result of its inherent power. Beloved, the written Word of God changes men’s lives and produces an abundant spiritual harvest. Prophet Isaiah affirms this, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11). 

TRUSTING THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could not swear by anyone greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you” (Heb.6:13-14). Not only had the Lord promised seed to Abraham, but He underscored it by swearing by Himself, for no one could be greater than God. Thus the writer encourages the faith of believers who may be sluggish in their endeavors for Christ and His kingdom. He calls believers to imitate those who “through faith and patience inherit the promises” (v. 12). A look at Abraham, who was ordered to sacrifice his only son Isaac, provides the ultimate example of faith in God’s covenant promises. All Abraham had was the written word of promise and some years trusting God’s Word. The covenant Lord had consistently proved Himself faithful to His promises. Now Abraham was also ready to believe that Isaac would be raised from the dead because of God’s promise. Then the Lord strengthened His original promise by swearing an oath by Himself. What a ministry of affirmation! How it could be otherwise, since the Lord our God is so gracious and faithful, so that the written word of promise can be trusted (Prov. 29:25), “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be save.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORD OF GOD

1.       The word of God is reliable: (2 Sam. 7:28), “And now, O Lord God. You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.”

2.       The word of God is true: (1 Kgs. 17:24), “Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth;” (John 17:17), “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

3.       The word of God is flawless: (Prov.30:5), “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”

4.       The word of God is alive and active: (Heb. 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 the intents of the heart.”

5.       The word of God is eternal: (Ps. 119:89), “Forever Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”

6.       The word of God will endure: (Isa. 40:8), “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands for ever;”  (Matt. 5:18), “For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled;” (Matt. 24:35), “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

7.       The word of God will not return empty: (Isa. 55:1), “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

 

HOW SHOULD WE REACT TO THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD

1.       We must hear the word: (Isa. 1:10), “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah;” (Jer. 7:1-2), “The word that came from Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at this gate to worship the Lord!’”

2.       We must understand the word: “(Matt. 13:23), “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

3.       We must accept the word: (Mark 4:20), “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred;” (Act 2:41), “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them;” (1 Thess. 2: 13), “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in the truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

4.       We must hide it in our hearts: (Ps. 119:11), “And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, ‘hear the word of the Lord.”

5.       We must retain the word: (Luke 8:15), “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and  bear fruits with patience.”

6.       We must let the word dwell in us: (Col. 3:16), “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

7.       We must trust in the word: (Ps. 119:42), “So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word.”

8.       We must hope in the word: (Ps. 119:74, 81, 114), “Those who fear You will be glad when they see Me, because I have hoped in Your word; “My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word; “You are my hiding place and my shield; I trust in Your word;” (Ps. 130:5), “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.”

9.       We must praise the word: (Ps. 56:4, 10), “In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to Me?”

10.   We must live according to the word: (Ps. 119:9), “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”

11.   We must obey the word: (Ps. 119:17, 67), “Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word; “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, But now, I keep Your word;” (Jas. 1:22-24), “But be does of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

12.   We must handle the word correctly: (2 Tim. 2:15), “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

13.   We must preach the word: (Act 8:4), “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.”

Righteous Father, I thank You and Glorify Your Holy name for Thy word which has gone forth; It will not return to You void, but it shall accomplish what You please, and it shall prosper in the things for which You sent it for.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”