THE BIBLE IS
SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD
Which Can Lead You To A New Purpose-filled And Power-filled Life
Do you ever feel you are chained to a ‘rock of human suffering’? Then I have some very Good News for you. God is offering the means and the method to break your chains and to set you free; free to reach your God-given potential which transcends satisfying the flesh, that is the emotional, mental and physical indulgences this natural world, and to find true peace, purpose and satisfaction.
The ‘rich young ruler’, who had achieved much in this natural world was in chains. His story is one of the saddest passages in scriptures. He missed one of the greatest opportunities in history as he “turned away sorrowful because he had great possessions”. This is really the story of mankind in general. We reject the salvation that Jesus offers – our chance of finding God – because we “have great possessions”; not in the least because we are rich in the terms of money, for indeed most people are not, but because we have great possessions in terms of preconceived ideas, confidence in our own judgement, and with ideas with which we happen to be familiar; spiritual pride, born of academic distinction; sentimental or material attachment to institutions or organizations; habits of life which we have no desire to renounce; concern for human respect or admiration, or perhaps fear of ridicule; and these possessions keep us chained to the rock of human suffering which is your exile from the power, presence and provisions of God.
The ‘poor in spirit’ do not suffer from these embarrassments, either because they never had them, or because they have risen above them on the tide of spiritual understanding. They have freed themselves of the love of money and property, of the fear of public opinion, or the disapproval of friends or relatives. They are no longer awed by human authority. They are no longer cocksure of their own opinions. They have come to see that most of their most cherished opinions may have been and probably are mistaken, and that all their ideas and views of life may be false in and need of remaking. They are ready to start again and to learn life anew. (text in italics are taken, in part, from “The Sermon on The Mount”, E. Fox, 1938.)
Now the question is how? How can we hear and understand what God has to say on this matter and break free – or more accurately, allow Him to set us free?
PART 1. Consider what the LORD has to say:
Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Verse 9. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
How is it possible to start anew if Isaiah 55:8-9 is true? How could we hope understand God, His thoughts and His ways? How can we hope to have the attitude in us which is in Christ Jesus if His thoughts and ways are beyond our reach? How can we ‘do the works He has done, and even greater works’ if we are left in the dark?
JESUS
The answer is Jesus. Jesus is the Light. God reveals Himself through His son, and through the Holy Spirit inspired, written Word of God (the Bible). This is how we can know Him and understand Him. This is how we can become more like Him.
THUS SAYS THE LORD:
Hebrews1:1, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, Verse 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all, things, through whom He also made the world. Verse 3. And Jesus is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,
Again, John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
PART 2. Consider this:
The Word of God is more than just a collection of stories and events which have occurred over the last 3.500 to 6,000 years. In fact, I believe that if you are reading the Bible as a collection of spiritual or religious historical stories, you are not getting the full meaning of what God has said and continues to say.
The Bible is also more than a collection of rules, regulations, spiritual truths to be read about, or standards of behavior and social norms. In fact, I believe that if you are reading the Bible as a collection of spiritual or religious historical stories, you are not getting the full meaning of what God is telling you.
The Bible is The Breath and The Living Word of God.
The Bible is The Truth and The Way that Leads to Life.
The natural unbelieving man does not accept the teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness, absurd and illogical to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned. (see 1 Corinthians 2:14)
Therefore, to the unregenerate person and the natural mind God says,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
PART 3. Consider this:
The Bible is a prophetic, creative, causative and powerful vortex of truth when it is taken into your mind and your heart. The book of Joshua says, when it ‘remains in your mouth and on your heart’, when you read and meditate on it day and night, you will be enabled to do everything in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. God has commanded us to be strong and courageous! We are not to be terrified, dismayed or intimidated, for the LORD our God is with us, He is with you, wherever you go.” (see Joshua 1:7-9)
The Bible says that Jesus’ Words are creative, causative, prophetic and instructional. They can create a ‘new you’ and cause you to become one with Jesus, Christlike, just like the prophetic scriptures say; and they will instruct you in your journey of being made new.
I ask you, “WHAT IF WHAT THE BIBLE IS SAYING IS REALLY TRUE?” I mean, not only without error, but literally true and factually accurate in ways we fail to recognize? It is manifest in the natural, but it originates in the spiritual world. This is the case whether this Truth is spoken through plain language, as metaphors, similes or as an idiom? Let me give you an example before you answer.
The Bible says, “For the Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating 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). These words are an idiom contained within a metaphor. They were written about 2,000 years ago, before there was any thing as a ‘discipline of psychology’. Can these words really be true? Can they literally come to pass? And, how could the Bible look 2,000 years into the future to make such a statement which is true today?
Can the Word of God this actually make these things happen? Or are the Words of Jesus just metaphors and similes, an invention of a poetic mind?
A STEP FARTHER
When people personally encountered Jesus and testified and reported on the Works He did, it caused throngs to follow Him; it stirred great controversies, created deadly conflicts and gave untold billions a greater hope for a new, vibrant life; a life full of promise and an eternal hope of a home in heaven with God.
The Words Jesus spoke, and the Works Jesus has done, changed the lives of billions of people. He changed the world.
What if we have been reading and only partially understanding or completely misunderstanding what Jesus meant by His Words, that is the intentions and the effects of His Words? What if we have been misapplying what He taught? (By the way, Jesus was always concerned about His disciple’s lack of understanding and ‘lack of faith’, so it could happen to us.)
WHAT IF THERE IS MORE
What if Jesus has been telling us how to actively engage His Word, so He could actually do His Works, and even greater works through us? (“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will you do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12.)
I realize I am wading into a potentially controversial area, but I am not referring to some kind of religious mysticism or extra-Biblical teaching, heresy or religious name-it-and-claim-it nonsense. (I believe, practice and teach a reformed view of the Bible.) But I do believe a great majority of the church, the teaching and practices of the church and the results produced by the early church have waned if not disappeared completely.)
So, I ask one last time: What if the Word of God is
- Somehow, literally Alive, and
- Somehow, literally Active, and
- Producing the effect of being Sharper than any two-edged sword,
- Capable of literally Penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit,
- Dividing both joints and marrow, and
- Somehow, literally able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart?
*Ask yourself, “Why would the Bible and Jesus say such things if they were not true?”
*”Why would Jesus and His disciples be willing to suffer and die for a fad, a lie or a scam?”
The answer is that they would not. If The Word of God is absolutely true, and in light of what we have discussed and from what you have read, what do you now think about the Word of God?
*How would you then approach the Bible?
*Would you even dare pick up The Word of God, suspecting or knowing it is somehow “actually alive, and active and able to penetrate your mind, spirit and body, having the ability to ‘cut you into pieces’ and reveal the deepest secrets and thoughts of your heart mind and soul?
*What would you now DO with such a strange and exciting potential?
Would you still read the Bible just as ‘stories’ about people, places and ‘about God’?
Would you still read the Bible just for prophecies? For promises? For power?
Would you still read the Bible just to learn about it and about God? And, if so, what would you DO with what you would now learn?
Perhaps these Words now have a clearer meaning, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12).
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Whitestone Fellowship 