12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
We now step into probably one of the greatest reasons why there is a need to guard the doctrine that we live by.
To say the word of God is offensive is probably not much of a stretch. After all, it is the very word of God that points out our deepest secrets and the sin that lurks deep within all of us, bringing it to light and showing us the need for change. Instead of beating around the bush, the Word goes straight to the root of our sin, like surgical alcohol on an open, infected area.
While it causes extreme discomfort, we know that a cleaning agent is only cleaning out all forms of bacteria that could lead to bigger problems if left untreated. In a similar manner, the word of God gets to work at the root of our sinful lives, exposing it and dealing with it. While we might find this invasive and uncomfortable, we can be rest assured that the Word of God is only trying to rid that which could cause much damage at a later stage of our lives or lead us to spending eternity separated from the love and hope of God.
The scariest thing to see today is how many people believe they are living in the will of the Father, calling themselves Christian, but still choose to live in a particular pattern of sin. Using scripture to justify their behaviour, they go about their journey truly believing in their hearts that they are in a right standing and relationship with the Father when they are so far of course; they simply fail to recognize it.
These men and women go to church, worship the Lord, serve in the body, preach and teach from the very word of God while the devil, knowing full-well that they are completely missing the mark, allows them to carry on living in this blinded faith. These men and women are merely playing church, and if they continue failing to hear, see and react to the truth of God’s Word, they will carry on playing church and miss the mark of entering the very Kingdom they have high hopes of entering one day.
My friend let us be clear. The Word of God can certainly sting and make us extremely uncomfortable as it points to our deepest flaws, revealing the truth of that which needs changing in our lives. Instead of trying to justify it in our hearts and minds, even doing so using scripture – we need to heed its warning. This manual is only trying to help us see and protecting us from the schemes of the enemy. We can either choose to listen or turn a deaf ear.
This world, and the many who claim to be born again, would say that certain portions of scripture greatly exaggerate their behaviour and fail to take into account the culture of today. Trying to justify sinful behaviour has, in many ways, infected the very Body of Christ.
The truth of the matter remains: when it comes to the word of God, sin is sin. If we desire to be a part of God’s kingdom then we need to change what we choose to believe, which in turn leads to the way we think and behave. All of this takes place within the doctrine we choose to hold onto. The question is: will the doctrine you believe in line itself up with the word of the Lord, or with the lies the enemy has been feeding you?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father. I deeply desire to walk in the very will of Your Word, to live as You desire me to live, in right standing and relationship with You. Help me, through Your Spirit, to see and discern the truth of Your Word and lead me into Your everlasting truths. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.