Living and Active

In the past week or so I have heard at least three men speaking to the media say that the Bible is a good book with good principles, but many things in it are not to be taken literally or seriously(one of them was Rudy Guliani - remember that when you vote). Sadly, I believe that is the consensus among many people even in the church today. Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart". There is so much hidden in that one little verse that it would take volumes to write all that it contains. But one thing is for sure, someone who says that the Bible is not to be take literally or seriously has never actually met Jesus Christ. The person who says the Bible is not relevant today is a person who hasn't had an encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews was written after Jesus' ascension because Hebrews 1:3 b says, "When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven". So the Hebrew writer (we don't know exactly who it was) was writing the book of Hebrews after Jesus was already in heaven. Even then this man who penned Hebrews knew that God's Word was inspired, living, active, and would be as relevant to people in the future as it was to those who lived in his day.

How can words be living and active? John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God". The Hebrew writer knew that the word was living and active even though the Word was in heaven. The Word of God is living and active because it IS God. God could have taken Jesus back to heaven and left us here on earth to fend for ourselves, but because He loves us so much, He gave us His word in the form of the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts.

The Word of God is just as relevant for us today as it was for Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, and all the other people mentioned in the Bible who had physical encounters with messengers of God. The only difference is that the Word is in different form. We don't have angels that visit us saying "Fear not", we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts saying "Hear the Word of the Lord". The Word of God is living and active because it IS God! When I think about this truth, I am brought to conviction EVERY TIME! Conviction because if the Word of God IS God, then I am a terrible failure at seeking Him and spending time with Him.

Let me say it like this: Let's forget the OT verse that says no one can look on God and live. Let's pretend that God comes to my house in human form and rings my doorbell. Am I going to say, "Sorry, God, I don't have time for you right now, I have laundry to do." Considering the fact that the Word of God IS God, that is exactly what I do when I place chores (or whatever else I am doing) over spending time in the Word. It's like saying, "Sorry, God, you'll have to wait until I do the more important things."

Before Jesus came, God sent angels to speak to His servants. When Jesus came, He was God in human form bringing the Word to His servants. When Jesus ascended, God sent the Holy Spirit to speak to His servants and much of the time (if not most of the time) the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word. I think sometimes we expect an angel to appear and bring us 'glad tidings of great joy', but while we are watching for the angel, we are missing the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is how God chooses to speak to us today. The Holy Spirit IS our angel that helps us understand the heart of God. It's time we stop looking for the burning bush and start listening to the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit speaks when we seek Him through the Word.