V. THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD
`Faith cometh of hearing, and hearing by the
word of Christ.' -- Rom. 10:17
`Receive with meekness the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls.' -- James 1:21
`We also thank God without ceasing, that,
when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye
accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God,
which also worketh in you that believe.' -- 1 Thess. 2:13
`For the word of God is living and active.'
-- Heb. 4:12
The new life of a child of God depends so
much on the right use of God's word, that I shall once again speak of it with
my young brothers and sisters in the Lord.
It is a great thing when the Christian discerns
that he can receive and accomplish all only through faith. He has only to
believe; God will look to the fulfilling of what is promised. He has every
morning to trust in Jesus, and the new life as given in Jesus and working in
himself; Jesus will see to it that the new life works in him.
But now he runs the risk of another error. He
thinks that the faith that does such great things must be something great, and
that he must have a great power in order to exercise such a great faith. (Luke
17:5-6; Rom. 10:6-8) And, because he does not feel this power, he thinks that
he cannot believe as he ought. This error may prove a loss to him his life
long.
Come and hear, then, how perverted this thought
is. You must not bring this mighty faith to get the word fulfilled, but the
word comes and brings you this faith which you must have. "The word is living
and powerful." The word works faith in you. The Scripture says, "Faith is by
the word." (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 4:12)
Think on what we have said of the heart as a
temple, and of its two divisions. There is the outer court, with the
understanding as its gate or entrance. There is the innermost sanctuary, with
the faith of the heart as its entrance. There is a natural faith -- the
historic faith -- which every man has; with this must I first receive the word
into my keeping and consideration. I must say to myself, "The word of God is
certainly true. I can make a stand upon it." Thus I bring the word into the
outer court, and from within the heart desire reaches out to it, seeking to
receive it into the heart. The word now exercises its divine power of life; it
begins to grow and shoot out roots. As a seed which I place in the earth sends
forth roots and presses still deeper into the soil, the word presses inwardly
into the holy place. The word thus works true saving faith. (1 Thess. 2:13;
Jas. 1:21; 1 Pet. 1:23)
Young Christian, pray understand this. The word
is living and powerful; through the word you are born again. The word works
faith in you; through the word comes faith. Receive the word simply with the
thought that it will work in you. Keep yourselves occupied with the word, and
give it time. The word has a divine life in itself; carry it in your inmost
parts, and it will work life in you. It will work in you a faith strong and
able for anything.
O be resolved then, pray, never to say, I cannot
believe. You can believe. You have the Spirit of God in you. Even the
natural man can say, This word of God is certainly true or certainly not true.
And when he with a desire of the soul says, "It is true; I will believe it,"
the living Spirit, through whom the word is living and powerful, works this
living faith. Besides, the Spirit is not only in the word, but also in you.
Although you do not feel as if you were believing, know for certain you can
believe. (Deut. 32:46,47; Josh. 1:7,9) Begin actually to receive the word; it
will work a mighty faith in you. Rely upon it, that when you have to do with
God's word, you have to do with a word that can be surely trusted that it of
itself works faith in you.
And not only the promises, but also the commands
have this living power. When I first receive a command from God, it is as if I
felt no power to accomplish it. But if I then simply receive the word as God's
word, which works in those that believe, -- if I trust in the word to have its
working, and in the living God which gives it its operation, -- that
commandment will work in me the desire and the power for obedience. When I
weigh and hold fast the command, it works the desire and the will to obey; it
urges me strongly towards the conviction that I can certainly do what my Father
says. The word works both faith and obedience of faith. I must believe that
through the Spirit I have the power to do what God wills, for in the word the
power of God works in me. The word, as the command of the living God who loves
me, is my power. (Rom. 1:3; 16:6; Gal. 6:6; 1 Thess. 1:3; Jas. 1:21)
Therefore, young disciples in Christ, learn to
receive God's word trustfully. Although you do not at first understand it,
continue to meditate upon it. It has a living power in it; it will glorify
itself. Although you feel no power to believe or to obey, the word is living
and powerful. Take it, and hold it fast; it will accomplish its work with
divine power. The word rouses and strengthens for faith and obedience.
Lord God, I begin to conceive how Thou art in Thy word with Thy
life and Thy power, and how that word itself works faith and obedience in the
heart that receives and keeps it. Lord, teach me to carry Thy every word as a
living seed in my heart, in the assurance that it shall work in me all Thy good
pleasure. Amen
1. Forget not that it is one and the same to
believe in the word, or in the person that speaks the word, or in the thing
which is promised in the word. The very same faith that receives the promises
receives also the Father who promises, and the Son with the salvation which is
given in the promises. Pray see to it that you never separate the word and the
living God from each other.
2. See to it also that you apprehend thoroughly
the distinction betwixt the reception of the word "as the word of man" and "as
the word of God, which works in you that believe."
3. I think that you now know what is necessary
to become strong in faith. Exercise as much faith as you have. Take a promise
of God. Say to yourself that it is certainly true. Go to God and say to Him
that you rely on Him for the fulfilment. Ponder the promise, and cleave to it
in converse with God. Rely upon Him to do for you what He says. He will
surely do it.
4. The Spirit and the word always go together.
I can be sure concerning all of which the word says that I must do it, that I
also can do it through the Spirit. I must receive the word and also the
command in the confidence that it is the living word of the living God which
also works in us who believe.