THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD God's word renews our strength. It is able to make the man of God "perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:15-17) – and that text is speaking about "the Scriptures," and "All Scripture." It appeals to one of the chief parts of man – his mind. That is his faculty of chief utility when it comes to serving the Lord. "With my MIND, I myself serve the law of God," asserted the apostle (Rom. 7:25). All of our kingdom concepts have been formed by God's word. Our understanding of the love of God, the grace of God, the longsuffering of God, His power, His wisdom, and His will has been produced by His word. No dream has conveyed to us the magnitude of His "great love wherewith He loved us" (Eph. 2:4).
"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 29 of 30
No vision was used to proclaim His wonderful grace. When "the grace of God that bringeth salvation" appeared, it did so in gospel proclamation. The historical appearance of Christ achieved no lasting results until it was interpreted and proclaimed to the sons of men through the Holy Spirit, as confirmed by the Scriptures (Rom 16:26; 1 Cor 15:3-4). Unproclaimed, the gospel is ineffectual for salvation. A vision of Christ dying on the cross will not save a soul, or bring one to a state of reconciliation. It is the "gospel" that is the "power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16). Men trust "after" they have "heard the WORD of the truth," the "gospel" of their "salvation" (Eph. 1:13).
It is the "WORD of His grace" that is "able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). Our life toward God is traceable to "every WORD of God," by which we live (Matt. 4:4). Men are not admonished to go to their bedchamber and seek for dreams if they are to know the will of the Lord, but to "hear what the Spirit SAITH to the churches" (Rev. 2:29).
Spiritual strength and stability are developed and maintained by means of the word of God. It is by desiring "the sincere milk of the WORD" that men grow in the grace and knowledge of God (I Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18). Spiritual growth is essential if one is to be saved. This is proclaimed in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23). There are those that hear and do not understand. The word brings no profit to them in any form. Some receive the word "with joy," but because they have "no root" in themselves, endure only "for a while." The word of the kingdom brought no lasting benefit to them! Still others receive the word without putting away their lust for other things. Thus the "cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." No eternal benefit, in such a case, is gained from the word of God. In all three of these instances, satisfactory growth did not occur.
The only ones that prove satisfactory are those that bear fruit: i.e., yield good and pleasing results. THEY GROW! The word of God and Christ dwells "richly" in them (Col. 3:16) resulting in a life that is compatible with heaven. They think as God! They perceive as God. They rejoice with Him, and they work in perfect compliance with His will and way. It is all traced back to the Word, and to Divine power that works through that word.
Only the word of God can sustain such a growth process. No amount of religious activity can accomplish this requirement. No experience, however wonderful and valid, can sustain spiritual life. Visions, dreams, bodily sensations, etc. – they are all impotent when it comes to the development and advancement of spiritual life.
The reason for this is obvious. We are in a realm that conflicts with spiritual reality. Satan is the "god of the world" (2 Cor. 4:4), and as such has corrupted it within and without with sin. The superior life of God cannot be nurtured by the inferior temporalities of this world – religious or otherwise. We must have a word from the homeland to renew us! The word of God is specific, and conveys precise conceptions of the realities faith embraces. This gracious provision has enabled us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for deliverance from speculation and assumption.