THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD The impression of the things of God upon the spirit of men is essential for their enjoyment. But this cannot be accomplished without the word of God. Men cannot ascend up into heaven to bring the truth down. As it is written: "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring Christ up again from the dead). But what saith it? THE WORD IS NIGH THEE, even in thy mouth and in they heart: that is, THE WORD OF FAITH, which we preach (Rom. 10:6-8)." 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 19 of 30
The word of God is the exclusive means of bringing Christ and His work to men. It is called "the word of faith" because it is the vehicle through which faith comes. The word of God does not, however, produce faith of itself. If it is not believed, it is powerless. It must be believed, accepted, and embraced. No dream, no fleshly experience, no physical sensation is equivalent to the word. It is the word that is nigh, or near, unto us. That is, the word of God is in our language, adapted to our minds, and suited to our needs. It gives substance to the things of God, exposes us to His mind, and brings to us the good news of His provisions for man. "Good is the word of the Lord"! (2 Kgs. 20:19).
For some, this introduces all kinds of questions. They wonder it God was instrumental in His word being put into various languages, or if that was left to the caprice of men. Such foolish questions are never raised in Scripture, because such inquiries are an insult to the Almighty, and border on blasphemy. Precisely what spirit would suggest that God had a word for men, yet did not see to it that is was delivered to them. If the Word of God is the means through which faith"comes" (Rom 10:17), what would move men to raise such questions?
RIGHT THINKING IS ESSENTIAL
A conception is an understanding, true or false. While men are free to develop their own concepts, they are not free to establish the validity of their concepts. Concepts, or views, of truth are ultimately subject to the scrutiny of God. He will "make manifest the counsels of the hearts" (I Cor. 4:5). It may be true, in a temporal sense, that "every man has a right to his own opinion," but the results of that opinion are not optional, and are critical. It is imperative that sound conceptions and proper thoughts be had concerning things pertaining to God.
The thoughts of a man reflect his person and determine his character. Solomon spoke the truth when he said, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he . . ." (Prov. 23:7). Elaborating upon that reality, Jesus said, "A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil of his heart brings forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). The Lord "knows the thoughts of the wise," declares the apostle (I Cor. 3:20).
Again, it is proclaimed that the word of God is a "discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). While the Lord is able to examine every individual thought expressed by man, this is not the point of these verses. The word of God is able, through its proclamation, to discover where man's thinking is at variance with the thoughts of God – where God's thoughts are not man's thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). The discovery of faulty concepts, erroneous views, and vain thoughts is the point.
The Galatians thought men could be justified by the works of the Law (Gal. 3:1-13). That was a faulty concept! The Thessalonians thought that because Christ was coming, they should refrain from earthly duties, and wait for Christ in a state of idleness (2 Thess. 2-3). That was an erroneous view! Some of the Corinthian teachers thought that there was no resurrection of the dead (I Cor. 15:12-25). Truly, a false conception!
Concepts must be correct for living to be right. They must be acceptable if life is to be acceptable. One cannot entertain false views and live acceptably in the areas of life directed by those views. It is not enough to be supposedly sincere. Man's thoughts concerning God and His will must be right, or he will live amiss and leave this world only to confront an angry and displeased God.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for Your word, which is able to make us wise unto salvation.