The power of the Word of God

[Ezra]

For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrew 4:12,13).

The Bible tells us plainly (above) that the Word of God is (1) quick which means “alive” and (2) powerful, which means it is full of energy and dynamite.  Then it goes on to equate the written Word with the Divine Word (who is Christ) since “neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight”.  This is an amazing passage, which reveals that the power of God also resides in the Word of God, and that the written Word and the eternal Word work side by side, and close together, in the matter of convicting and convincing both sinners and saints, as well as regenerating those who are dead in their trespasses and sins.

1. The Word of God has power to convict and cleanse: The Sword of the Spirit is not only the only offensive weapon against Satan and all his evil spirits (Eph 6:17) but it is also a sharp two-edged sword which pierces the innermost being of each one who reads it.  The spirit of man resides within the soul, and the soul resides within the body.  But Scripture pierces right through to the very core of your being, because that is how it has been designed.  The point of the sword is meant to (a) reveal the sin and corruption within (like a surgeon’s scalpel) and (b) to excise the malignant tumour which may reside within the soul and spirit. That is the “point” of conviction. That is also a function of the “washing” by the Word of God (Eph 5:26).

2. The Word of God has power to regenerate: The Gospel is called “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom 1:16) and that is because it is the “seed” which germinates into the New Birth.  That is exactly what Peter and James tell us (1 Pet 1:23-25; Jas 1:17,18):  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you....Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

People often wonder how sinners who are dead in their trespasses and sins can be regenerated.  Well the answer above is plain as day.  The Gospel (when presented primarily as Scripture) becomes the power of God unto salvation as the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces the sinner.  That is one of the Holy Spirit’s ministries (John 16:7-11):  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Therefore sinners are admonished to not harden their hearts when He speaks to them (Heb 4:7): Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

[JohnD]

1 John 1:1–3 (AV)

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John 1:1–3 (AV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:13–16 (AV)

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Isaiah 44:24 (AV)

24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

 

Genesis 1 (AV)

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And {the Word of} God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

 

[JohnD]

The Word of God is God the Word Creator of all things created in the beginning.

He can create a universe and an eternal spirit realm. There's nothing we can think up or list that he cannot do. 

Our problem is it is not up to us what he will do or won't do... and we must rest assured that since he loves us as much as he does he has reasons for not doing what we ask or think he should do... only trust him!

[saved34]

Amen. Its literally our food and sustenance while we are down here on our pilgrimage. 

As I have grown in my faith I have found that its not really about how much head knowledge of his word that I have but that which I do know to put into practice and allow it to shape my life according to his will.

[mevosper]

I like the idea that it is living, meaning it grows. As we in our human flesh grow from a baby, to child, to young adult thru to old age. And during that time we are constantly learning.  The word of God grows in us and becomes our part in the kingdom of God.

It most certainly grows like a tree and produces fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. In that manner also it weathers storms and becomes stronger. It has the signs of growth and age.

In the sense also that it is alive, it breaths, and we hear the whispers as God reveals things to us through his living spirit within us.

This also means that if we don't have the word of God hidden in our hearts, if we are not renewed in our minds with his word, we CANNOT hear the voice of God. Since the word of God is also the voice of God, if we don't have this voice in our mind, we CANNOT know the will of God. 

[Rom 12:2 KJV] 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.