THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD Often the scriptures are referred to in a personal sense, as though they had the attributes of an individual: "The COMFORT of the scriptures" (Rom. 15:4); "the scripture SAYS" (Rom. 9:17; 10:11); "the scripture FORESEEING that God would justify the heathen through faith" (Gal. 3:8); "the scripture has CONCLUDED all under sin" (Gal. 3:22), etc. It is also declared that "the word of God is LIVING AND POWERFUL" (Heb. 4:12), and that the "engrafted word" is "ABLE TO SAVE the soul" (James 1:21). Tomorrow:
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for THOU HAST MAGNIFIED THY WORD ABOVE ALL THY NAME." (Psa 138:2) ". . . for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!" (Amplified Bible)
Devotion 14 of 30
God has virtually equated Himself and His benefits with His word. Certainly not because the word and He are identical, or because the word and eternal benefits are the same. God is personally and conceptually separate from His word, and His benefits exist in distinction to the word. The word of God however, is an expression of His person, and the intelligent transmission of the reality of His benefits. Neither can be known independently of His word.
When it comes to "finding God" (Acts 17:27), "obeying God" (Acts 5:29), or "believing God" (Acts 27:25), the word is absolutely necessary! None of these things can be accomplished without the word of God. In fact, these are all actually responses to God's word – and response is evidence of life.
By way of contrast, ignoring the things of God, and living for pleasure, is actually death. "She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives" (I Tim. 5:6) – dead to God and the things of God; impervious to heavenly stimuli; unaware of heavenly realities! The means of getting saving persuasion into the heart – the word of God – has thus been ignored. Therefore life in Christ is rendered impossible, and death dominates, for man does "live by every word of God" (Lk 4:4).
THE PRIORITY OF HEARING
In view of this situation – that "man lives by every word of God" – a high priority must be placed upon that word! Familiarity with it, a joyful reception of it, and a willing submission to it are all imperative for spiritual life.
Let us be clear about this; without spiritual life there is no hope of heaven, and without the word of God, there is no possibility of that life. Ignorance of the scriptures is an intolerable situation. It actually alienates from God, and renders heavenly reality inaccessible (Eph. 4:18). This simply means that man cannot have "eternal life" apart from the "knowledge of God" (I Cor. 15:34), and this saving knowledge is administered through the word of God.
God's personality is in His word. His purpose is clearly reflected there. When your mind is subjected to the "holy scriptures," you are submitting yourself to the mind of the Lord. You are being ushered into the realm of life when you pick up your Bible and begin to take it seriously.
The word of God is neither mystical nor magical. Its purity (Prov. 30:5) and accessibility (Rom. 10:8) combine, when received, to convey to the mind of man the great and beneficent love of God toward His offspring. The power of the word, however, (Heb. 4:12) is not basically in the message that it declares, but in the person that has given it. It is as the message is seen as being associated with the person of God, that His word becomes effectual.
Is it possible to read the Bible without realizing genuine profit; to submit our minds to the "scriptures" in vain? What a tragic possibility! Our Lord Jesus indicted the Pharisees: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me . . . and ye will not come to me that ye might have life" (John 5:39-40; 8:47). They had failed to make the connection between God and His word, and thus had no faith or life! What about you?
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank and praise You for the abundance that is made known in Your Word. Give me understanding that I may perceive what You have intended.