THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD I must labor this point; it is a pivotal truth that must be apprehended by the heart. During the early days of the several valid religious movements the scriptures had lost their identity with God in the minds of myriads. Experience, philosophy, and independent views had supplanted the lofty revelation of the Almighty. One of the great contributions of those spiritual stalwarts was their exaltation of God's word and their stress of our absolute dependence upon it. Faith cannot be had or maintained apart from the word of God, and spiritual life is undeniably dependent upon it. 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 15 of 30
The pressing need of our day is to again exalt the word of God, making plain its indispensable role in the salvation of man. It was a noble work that was done earlier by certain reformationists and restorationists, but it must be done again. Men must be made aware that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The framework of codified religion is too small to contain the truth of God.
THE WORD AND ETERNAL LIFE
The word of God is "able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). Peter recognized the inseparable unity between God's word and His purpose. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that BY THESE ye might be partakers of the Divine nature," he wrote (2 Pet. 1:4). This sharing in the "Divine nature" is elsewhere referred to as being "joined to the Lord" (I Cor. 6:17), being "baptized into Christ" (Gal. 3:28), and being "in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17). Peter associates this blessed unity with the promises of God – the articulated promises of God.
God has no promises that have not been couched in intelligent words. There are no hidden promises – they are all revealed in the word of God. Were you to take all of the promises of God relative to redemption in Christ Jesus, and place them in a single statement, it would read like this; "This is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life" (I John 2:25).
Oh, what a glorious statement is that! "ETERNAL LIFE"! This is the intimate knowledge of God of which our Lord Jesus spoke, when He prayed to His Father; "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent" (John 17:3). John further elaborated on "eternal life" when he wrote: "And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. THIS IS THE TRUE GOD, AND ETERNAL LIFE" (I John 5:20). All of the promises are gathered together in the single phrase "eternal life"!
Peter has declared that we partake of the Divine nature – simply another view of eternal life – by means of the promises. They are the appointed means through which we "lay hold of eternal life" (I Tim. 6:12,19). Further, there are no promises that are not in the word of God; that is the container into which every single promise has been deposited. There can be no awareness of the promises apart from the word of God. There can be no enjoyment of the promises apart from that word.
CONCLUSION
The word of God is necessary in an economy of faith. The "faith" deals with an unseen world, an unseen God, an unseen Mediator, and an unseen inheritance. The knowledge of all these things is brought to us exclusively through the word of God – the scriptures. The faith by which we are justified (Rom. 5:1) can only come by "hearing" – the hearing that involves submission to the word of God. No word, no faith! No faith, no salvation!
The involvement which is so sorely needed by us all is produced through faith. Hearts are "purified by faith" (Acts 15:9); the child of God "lives" by faith (Heb. 10:38); we "stand" in a state of acceptability "by faith" (Rom. 11:20); we have access to God "by faith" (Eph. 3:12); and Christ "dwells" in our hearts "by faith" (Eph. 3:17). It is thus true that "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6); and it is equally true that where there is no word, there is no faith.
This word of God has been invested with power to "convert the soul," "make wise the simple," "rejoice the heart," and "enlighten the eyes" (Psa. 19:7-8). It but remains for you to capitalize on this Divine and unique resource. It is for you!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for Your word.