S) "12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)
O) There are a few basic things to take from this verse. First, the word of God must be defined. Certainly we can take the Bible as the word of God. Certainly, Paul considered the Old Testament Scripture to be the word of God (see 2 Timothy 3:16). And, there are many references between the apostles of Jesus, that the words they spoke carried the authority of Christ Himself, that they were being used to speak the words of God. This is in line with what Jesus foretold, when He said the Holy Spirit would give words to speak. Lastly, there is the direct concept that God can still speak to us today, right into our hearts, or through others. When we read the context of the previous few verses (especially v.7, but even back to ch.3), we see that the writer isn't specific about how the voice of God is "heard," but only what to do when it is "heard." From this point, we need to examine what the word of God is doing in the verse above. The first thing, is that it is living and active. This does not mean that the word of God changes. This means that the word of God is not stagnant. The word of God is not archaic. The word of God is always applicable. The word of God is always relevant. The word of God is always effective, when it is heard and we do not harden our hearts (again, see v.7). Then, we see a description in the verse above, that helps us to recognize when we have heard to word of God (as opposed to some other kind of external voice, audible or otherwise). The word of God is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. This is a matter of truth. How it does that, is with a precision and detailed specificity unlike anything else we encounter. The conviction of the Holy Spirit within us is carefully controlled by God, unlike our own doubts, or the accusations of others. It is very easy to recognize and categorize external sins. When a person steals, it is outwardly obvious. Those kinds of sins are already defined in Scripture for us. It is clear that loving your wife does not include adultery, and therefore that is always sin. But, what about sinful thoughts? This is where the word of God, in terms of the inner man being convicted, becomes unmistakable it its characteristics. When God is convicting, He is able (and does) to judge the difference between a sinful temptation (thought) and a sin in our heart (intent). This is what Jesus described when He described committing adultery in the heart, of hatred being the same as murder. The word of God is living and active within every believer. The word of God is living and active every time Scripture is read. The word of God is living and active, because in the heart of a believer, God is showing us the truth of a situation to us. He is rightly judging us, here and now, and as we read in the passages before this, it is up to the hearer to not harden his heart.
A) There was something of a debate in my head about which verse to highlight in this chapter. On the one hand, v.7 includes very clear instruction about how to apply the verse above. Do not harden my heart. That's a pretty clear application. Also, the end of this chapter teaches me to seek Jesus in prayer, in the face of temptation or in the aftermath of sin. Even though those two elements are so vital, I can still apply just this above verse to my life, simply by exposing myself to the truth of its claim. By staying grounded in the Bible everyday, I am exposing myself to the word of God. In a sense, I am asking God to put me under the knife, spiritually. I want God to perform a heart surgery, every time I open my Bible. I need Him to show me the errors of my heart. In everyday life, even when I am not in Bible study, I need to be in prayer. I need to ask God to convict me throughout the day, to show me my errors (both in deed and in my heart). It will only be by the word of God, that I can ever correctly diagnose my day. Without properly seeing my life, in view of the word of God and His judgment, then I will never become the servant of God I want to be. I will not be able to effectively represent the gospel to others. I will not be able to lead my wife and kids, and minister to others, if I am not exposing myself to the words of God everyday, through both Scripture and prayer. Then the word of God will be living and active, and effective in my life.
P) Father, the grace at work in the way You relate to creation is humbling. You spoke, and Your words brought existence. Then, You spoke to Your creation, revealing Your grace and love. Your plan was given with words. Then, when sin entered the world, Your words again brought conviction. But, not conviction alone. You spoke the consequences, but You also spoke hope and resolution. On and on through history, You spoke to Your creation. You spoke to Your servants, and Your prophets, and Your people. You spoke in a loud thunderous voice. You spoke in a whisper. You spoke by a donkey. You spoke through a letter. Your words, God, have been at work through the ages. Then, at the time You told it would be, Your word became flesh and dwelt with us. Even after Jesus died and was buried, and was resurrected and ascended, Your word remained with us. This is amazing grace, that even today, I can know Your words. God, I invite Your judgment in my life today. Let Your word be living and active within my heart, today. Judge my thoughts and intentions. Convict me where I am guilty. I confess that my heart is broken, God. Please heal me as I repent of my sins. Redirect my life in obedience to Your words. Let Your will be done in my life, both today and everyday. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
Always read the bible
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