THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD The kingdom of God is one of orderliness. It is characterized by timeliness and exactness. Whatever God does is marked by precision. When He sent His Son, it was "in the fullness of the time" (Gal. 4:4). When He judges the world by Christ, it will be on a day "appointed" (Acts 17:31). Israel's deliverance from Egypt was precise – on the "selfsame day" before appointed (Exodus. 12:51). When Noah entered into the ark, he did so on the "selfsame day" (Gen. 7:13). When the day of Pentecost was "fully come," the church was inaugurated (Acts 2:1). Creation was orderly, and the end of the world shall be exact. Everything God has done or will do is precise, governed by Divine appointment. Tomorrow:
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for THOU HAST MAGNIFIED THY WORD ABOVE ALL THY NAME." (Pisa 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 20 of 30
God's word, the means He has ordained to implement His purpose, is characterized by the same exactness that distinguishes Himself. The words of scripture are "words which the Holy Spirit teaches" (I Cora. 2:13). They portray God's mind, exactly reflecting heavenly things. Spiritual things may only be conveyed in spiritual words – words that are not vague and mysterious, but perfectly expressive of spiritual reality.
It is imperative that men use "sound words" when speaking of the kingdom of God. "Hold fast the form of sound words," admonished the apostle (2 Tim. 1:13). The reason for the counsel is clear. The only way to maintain a grasp on the things of God is to think properly of them. Hence, the only way to promote proper thoughts of them is to speak correctly concerning them. If unsound or unacceptable words are employed, unsound and unacceptable thoughts will be generated concerning life and death matters. The objective is not to speak the things of God in the most simple manner, but in the most precise manner! It is not only to communicate, but to communicate correctly. No eternal purpose shall have been served if faulty views are fostered by our speaking.
The correct articulation of the things of God enables one to "hold fast the faithful word as he hath been taught . . ." (Titus 1:9). Our grasp of the gospel is only as firm as our apprehension of the words constituting that gospel. Learn to say it right! That is one of your greatest contributions to men. Insist upon speaking with the words that "the Holy Spirit teaches" (1 Cora 2:13). The things of God must not be reduced in expression to the language of the street. It is man's obligation to learn what God said, not to couch the Gospel in simplistic terms that are adapted more to man's ignorance than to the realities they are intended to proclaim.
Words are a container for truth. If they are proper, they will hold a good amount of truth. If they are general and inadequate, they will not be able to convey truth to the hearts of men. Men are admonished to maintain "incorruptness" in their doctrine or teaching (Titus 2:7). Those who represent the King of kings are charged to "teach no other doctrine" (I Tim. 1:13). Exhortations are to be made effective by using "sound doctrine" (Titus 1:9), and we are to avoid anything that is "contrary to sound doctrine" (I Tim. 1:10). Teaching that is sound and without corruption is "good doctrine" (I Tim. 4:6).
If God communicates His purpose through His word, then an inaccurate representation of that word will result in the obscure of God's will, and the consequent condemnation of men. When men are carried away with "every wind of doctrine" (Ph. 4:14), and give ear to "diverse doctrines" (Herb. 13:9), they are led away from God and into sin. There can be no connection with God or participation in His salvation apart from doctrine. The reason for this is evident. We are in a world that has been cursed, and consequently the things of God may only be procured by faith. Faith, on the other hand, must have a word from God – and that word is doctrine, proclamation, teaching, or instruction.
Every place unsound doctrine was proclaimed, serious repercussions were noted and warned against. The "doctrine of the Pharisees" was to be avoided because of its leavening influence upon men's hearts (Matt. 16:13-14). To be carried about by the inconsistent doctrines of men would result in sure deception (Ph. 4:14). Doctrines originating with men actually nullified worship, according to the word of Christ Himself (Matt. 15:9).
What is God doing? What are men to be doing? What are the implications of the gospel of Christ? The proclaimed answers to these, and other, questions constitute doctrine. No provision is made for error in doctrine. If men teach in the Name of the Lord, they are required to teach correctly! The kingdom of God cannot be served with false gospels and strange doctrines. Blessings cannot come from a lie, and eternal life cannot be administered through misrepresentation.
In order to participate in God's salvation and citizenship in His kingdom, a knowledge of His truth is demanded. That is how God has ordered it. When Jesus came, He spoke the truth. For Him to have done otherwise would have been to betray His mission and cause it to fail. His followers are no less obligated to hold fast the form of sound words and proclaim sound doctrine. Truth cannot be maintained unless it is articulated properly. It will not "free" (John 8:32) unless it is correctly stated.
The church, as "the pillar and ground of the truth," is to hold forth the "word of life." Its message must not constitute a hindrance to men's apprehension of the truth. The church is the custodian of the form of the truth, as well as of the truth itself. In fact, the form of the truth is the only means of expressing the truth. Under the first covenant, men were given a "form of knowledge and of the truth in the law" (ROM. 2:21). When God engraved the ten commandments on tables of stone, He solidified their expression. The words themselves contained the thoughts or revelations of the law. Thinking of God's Law was not possible apart from these words – they were the "form of the truth."
Learning to use the "form of sound words" is the same as using "wholesome words" (I Tim. 6:3). "Wholesome words" are words without flaw; words that are in perfect agreement with the things they represent. They are words as precise as the realities of which they treat. The emphasis here is on the vocabulary used rather than the thoughts conveyed. God has developed a vocabulary – a nomenclature – that transmits to men His mind and purpose. Some of these key words are "atonement" (ROM. 5:11), "reconciliation" (2 Cora. 5:19), "sacrifice" (Ph. 5:2), "sanctification" (I Cora. 1:30), "covenant" (Herb. 8:10-13), "death" (ROM. 6:3-4), and "life" (John 17:3). God has invested these words with eternal soundness. It is man's obligation to maintain their form in order to convey and maintain the truth. A failure to do this will result in removing the key of knowledge (Luke 11:52), and the shutting up of the kingdom of God against men (Matt. 23:13).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the words that contain and transmit Your truth.