THE SAME WORD THAT SPOKE THIS WORLD INTO EXISTENCE TRANSFORMS US
The Word of God suffers neglect. As a result, the Church is languishing, according to Frank Wright, a former National Religious Broadcasters president. In an interview with The Christian Post, Wright claimed that when the Word isn’t central, the Church’s health and vitality suffer:
∑ "It was Augustine who set forth a three-fold standard for Christian teachers and preachers in which he said their role was to discover the truth in the contents of Scripture, teach the truth from the Scriptures and to defend Scriptural truth when it was attacked," Wright said. "When those three things are not happening, the Church is in desperate straits," he said, "and I fear the Church is approaching the tipping point of sorts for this reason." https://www.christianpost.com/news/frank-wright-explains-why-hes-going-after-heresy-hes-seeing-in-evangelical-groups-236696/
This doesn’t mean that skilled and articulate sermons aren’t being preached. However, Paul warned that when they the product of worldly pragmatic wisdom, they are not being preached with power of the Holy Spirit:
∑ For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18, 24 ESV)
To what does the “power of God” refer? “The Word of the Cross” is itself the power, the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). The Holy Spirit supernaturally applies the Word to our souls to transform us into His likeness.
Yes, it is supernatural. Let me give you several Scriptural indications of this fact. While Paul had preached the saving Word of the Gospel, the Spirit transformationally applies it to the heart:
∑ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us [through the Word], written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)
The Spirit is able to apply the Gospel to our hearts, removing the our blindness. It’s called “regeneration.” Israel also had the Word and even hints of the Gospel. However, it didn’t do them any good because they had blinded their hearts against it. But at the right time, the Spirit removed the veil:
∑ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom [from the blinding veil]. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
While the Word is the Light of God, it has to be applied by the Spirit. Otherwise, it remains foolishness to the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Since the Word of God is the power of God, it should be no surprise that it is “at work” to change us:
∑ And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
This is the same Word of God by which He spoke creation into existence If God had been able to speak creation into existence, we shouldn’t be surprised that He is able to use it “to build” us up and to give us the courage to stand against adversity:
∑ And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)
The Word is also a Light, which reveals our hidden motives so that we could repent of them and experience cleansing (1 John 1:9):
∑ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
The Word is so empowering that even Jesus resorted it against Satan, after He was weakened after 40 days of fasting:
∑ “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
Jesus never stood above the Word of God to pick and choose which verses He preferred. Instead, He submitted to every Word that came from the mouth of God – the Scriptures. However, few pastors take this to heart. Instead, they preach for results – church attendance, social acceptance, and offerings. (I do not mean to put myself above these pastors. I would probably succumb to the same temptations, unless His Spirit remained at hand.)
Often, the problem is not with what we preach but with what we don’t preach. Wright concludes with these appropriate words of warning:
∑ "Will we be faithful to the Word of God or will we let go of the anchor line and drift on to who knows what rocks because we've let go of the truth? That's my hope that in calling this out, it will get people to reconsider."
Why do we let go of this anchor? I think that it is because we think too highly of our own thoughts and too little of the Word of God.
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