THE WORD OF GOD (The Other Side of the Spiritual Christian’s Situation)
Filed under Scripture on August 4th, 2011 by Eric Gilmour
Concerning a division between the living Word as Christ and the written Word
Concerning the division between the living word as Christ and the written word of scripture, I know there is no real basis to present an argument from the scriptures. For the scriptures are not the sole basis in your mind, but a ground to a greater phenomenon, namely, an individual speaking likened unto the hearing of the saints of old (Hebrews 1:1).
It is impossible to explain this point. As the trinity is impossible to explain, it must simply be believed.
The scriptures are simply the things written or recorded that have been spoken by a living God. As you know, they can never be placed in the same category as thoughts coming from a man’s mind, no matter how extravagant (Isaiah 55:8)? God is living and His speaking lives just the same. For His speaking is not only an extension of His own heart but a revelation of His unchanging character, for as He wrought, He wrote and this for the sake of the end of the ages (1 Cor. 6:11). These “writings” He holds in esteem as high as His own reputation and name (Psalm 138:2). For instance, if He holds all things together by the power of his word (Heb. 1:3) than the same “Let there be light…” causes the light to rise every morning. This is the power of His word, placing the recording of the same in a category all by itself, being the only thing that is living/creative (Heb. 4:12). These things written are the breath of God, recorded, having the same life giving effects as it always has. God breathed into man to make him alive (Genesis 2:7). He spoke to the dry bones in the valley in order to bring life into them (Ezekiel 37:5). In the same way, nothing has been made apart from God’s speaking (Genesis 1; John 1:3; Psalm 33:9). The same is Christ. He is the very intent of God’s heart, revealing the actual character of God (Hebrews 1:3). Having always been with God (John 1:1,2), He is wisdom, understanding and knowledge (1 Cor. 1:30;Proverbs 2:6;8:22-32). He is the spoken word of God in human flesh (John 1:14). This is why the Scriptures are perfect, even after He has been revealed and penned out (Psalm 12:6,7;139:140;Proverbs 30:5).
I know what your thinking, how can Jesus be the story of Ruth, Ester or the Lamentations of Jeremiah?
They are words/stories/counsel/correction/psalms/letters (Luke 24:25-27;1 Cor. 10:6,11;Romans 15:4, God perfectly (Psalm 18:30) knit together to reveal the facets of Himself having breathed by His Spirit (1 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16), Christ (The Word), the only revealer of God (John 14:9). The only thing able to bring us unto maturity (James 1:21;2 Timothy 3:16; 1Cor 3:2; Hebrews 5:12). He has preserved His words as promised (Matt. 5:18;Psalm 12:7;Mark 13:31;Matt. 24:35). This He has done without special effort because, the words written are Christ and Christ is unquenchable and indestructible (Isaiah 40:8). It is imperative that a man’s faith is based upon that which God has spoken, His word, for anything else would be a pseudo faith. Faith comes no other way (Romana10:17). Special phenomenon have no weight next to the words of God, for it believed alone can produce faith to please God (Heb 4:2; 11:6;Luke 16:31).
You have got to see this! His word alone is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). His word alone is water for washing (Ephesians 5:26). Only if a man sees this can he truly say, “your word is like honey to my lips” (Psalm 119:103). His word is none other than He Himself. The intent of God’s heart, spoken by His Spirit, revealed through letters forming words, sentences, paragraphs, books, God’s complete revelation to man, JESUS (John 6:63). How can the Christ be words? Simple, He just is. There is nothing else that God has set His seal on. Not personal interpretations, or holy speakings…nothing else has God backed (2 Peter 1:20-21;Ephesians 2:20;3:5;2 Peter 3:2).
I know another point you are going to bring up…”Ye search the scriptures…” (John 5:39).
The Pharisees motives were called out by Christ several times (Matt 23). And just as a hunter can search for deer all day and come back empty handed, so were they in their selfish pursuit of the letter alone and not the Spirit (2 Cor 3:6). They simply would not believe that which would have transformed them, just as the Children of Israel mixed not the word of God with faith and fell in the desert. They, as a whole, hated Him (Luke 20:15). Just as Jesus is no use to you unless you apply Him, the blood in Exodus 12 was no use unless you applied it, the word of God is powerless to transform and quicken unto life if it is not mixed with faith.
Eric Gilmour is an Associate Editor for Voice of Revolution, overseeing Revival & Evangelism. Visit his website at agonypress.podbean.com
Tags: bible, breath of god, evangelism, Hebrew, Jesus, living word
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Once again, by inference of this article’s title, in spite of its belabored prose, we have in focus a false notion of the Word of God being set against the Spirit of God in action, internalization, authentic religious experience, and consequence. It seems the author’s personal slow realization of the Word as setting standards for interactions of the Holy Spirit with God’s own people–as not being based on relative to personal religious validation experience alone–is beginning to come into focus here. Perhaps accompanying this realization will come too a wider understanding of faith being related in religious terms other than those past noted for primary example by the author as being charismaticly experienced religious terms primarily validated as such. The faith of Mo. Teresa, for example, overcoming her own journal’s record of doubt and lack of experiencing ‘the Presence”, may come to be accepted as legitimate faith for the author’s own acceptance, in time (as coming into an acceptable focus by measure of her fruit alone, not her power, as such).
If we read Peter and John, in addition to Paul, a more balanced view of faith, suffering, and lack of experiencing ‘the Presence,” as not inclusive of an insistence for such as a central measure of legitimate Christian experience as feeling the presence has been by those labeled as evangelists here, comes into our data base of legitimate Christ centered faith.
Here is a case in point for sticking with the written Word as forming our frame of religious reference, as a summary thesis posted of a new DVD media recently published warns us (my own watchman on the walls concerns and cautions past raised as comments on the norms being promoted by labeled evangelists in the past here come into focus by the synopsis below of the new DVD, ‘Wide is The Gate, The Emerging New Christianity”. Let us ensure we are not comissioned by such an agenda, moving in opposition to the Great Commission of the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Commission, as Eric recently clariified, is associated with the foundational work of Jesus Christ–no other foundation is lain.):
“Wide Is The Gate: The Emerging New Christianity DVD – Today’s new brand of Christianity has a different gospel and is targeting thousands of the younger generation with a so-called hip, cool, experiential spirituality, much of which is embracing a form of mysticism with the ecumenical philosophy of uniting people from all faiths to work together and bring about a new world of peace and harmony. This notion dovetails with the heart of New Age thinking and the utopian ideals of many world religions who all await their religious leaders and dreams of world domination. The dangerous result of this new spirituality in the church is bringing about the rise of today’s “Christianized” occultism. It’s stretching its tentacles around the souls of unsuspecting youth, setting them up for the lie that subjective emotions of “power” and “experience” are “feelings” to be held higher than an objective walk in the Christian Faith, based in Truth found in the Pure Word of God. The Bible warns of great heresy and apostasy in the church of the last days. It foretells of false teachers, prophets, doctrines of lying spirits and their signs and wonders. For 2000 years, since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ the Bible has been attacked. Alongside the Apostolic Church, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles, counterfeit Christian heretics, apostate denominations and false movements have proliferated. Ecclesiastes says, “There’s no new thing under the sun”. (I:9) Learn what Scripture teaches about the times we live in, the ways in which Christians are being seduced away from Biblical Truth, and the methods used by the New Spirituality to usher in the counterfeit Kingdom of God on earth. Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world” and “Narrow is the Way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it.”
Hi Eric. Thanks for posting this! Good article. I love the fact that the written word is our solid foundation as we pursue God experientially and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus!