Jump Start # 4012
Hebrews 4:12 “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.”
A sure sign of a church that is in trouble is when truth no longer is important. A church gets that way when the truth is no longer important to the leaders and the members. Some are more interested in a full house instead of hearts that are filled with the word of God.
Some want a truth that is unique to each person. Like snow flakes, no two people would have the same truth. For others, it’s their feelings. They believe how they feel is more important than what the Bible says. As long as I feel good about something, that’s all that matters. Yet, others claim that truth is forever evolving, changing and what worked in one generation may not work in another generation.
God’s truth is revealed in the word of God. And, that truth at first will not bring instant comfort and joy. In fact, it will likely make you miserable. It will reveal that you’ve not been on the right course with God. God’s truth will show that you have sinned and in that condition and direction you are traveling, your future is hopeless.
But, stay with the truth. Get beyond that and you will find, as our passage illustrates, that the word of God works like a sword. It cuts through the excuses that we have hid behind for years. It will slice the opinions that have believed and loved. It will destroy the error that can make us feel comfortable and safe.
Here are three things that the truth of God’s word will show you:
First, God’s truth will show you how patient the Lord has been with you. You are still here. God has put people in your life and reminders along the way to help you come back to Him. God has never given up on you. There has been days upon days when you have never even thought about the Lord. But there has never been a day that He has not thought of you. Blessings from Heaven. People intersecting your life. Reminders from His word. It’s all around us. It’s all the time.
Second, God’s truth will show you the depth that the Lord went to in order to save you. The journey of Jesus, first told in the Prophets, then lived in the Gospels and highlighted with a cross at Calvary. Nothing else would save you. God sent the best. God has given you the best people on the planet to help you, His people. God has saved and preserved His divine word so you can know His will and follow Him. Powerful rulers have tried to crush the Bible, yet it remains. Progressive minds have tried to denounce the Bible, but it remains. Solid, dependable and helpful.
Third, God’s truth will lead you to doing things that you never thought you could. As our journey begins with Jesus, we see others who are so far ahead of us. We tell ourselves that we will never be that good. But, the truth of God’s way leads you to becoming that righteous person. You learn to resist the Devil. You learn to feed your faith.
That truth will lead you to apologize and forgive others. You may have been hurt and think that you can never get over that. But, the truth leads you to doing those things. The truth will lead you to be thoughtful and helpful. The truth will make you kind and generous. It will change your insides which changes your outsides. While looking the same, you are no longer the same. You are a child of God. You are a disciple of Jesus. Your outlook changes. What impresses you changes. How you define success changes. Who you confide in and who you count as friends changes.
And, it’s more than simply changing, it is improving. Better attitudes. Better language. Better habits. Better friends. Better heart. Better parent. Better marriage. And, the starting point is God’s word, the truth. We need to dive deeply into God’s word. We need to demand the truth be preached from the pulpit. We want Bible classes that teach the truth. It’s not less Bible, but more Bible that we need.
Roger