Plainly Speaking
Title: The Living Word
by Karl J. Forehand
The Living Word
Now that you have purified yourselves by
obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love
one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of
perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word
of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers
of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the
Lord stands forever." (1 Peter 1:22-25a)
In Washington, D.C. is a place called the Bureau of Standards. There
you will find the perfect inch, the perfect yard, the perfect pound, etc.
All other measurement get their standard from these measurements. We have
an ultimate standard in the Word of God. It is our ultimate standard.
My professor used to say, “The only two things that endure are the Word
of God and the souls of men.” The Word of God is not just the standard
of the day – it is the eternal standard. It was given first by the prophets
(Heb. 1:1) – then the Word became flesh, in Jesus Christ, and dwelt among
us. Now we have the Holy Spirit and a complete revelation of God’s Word.
God’s Word is eternal. What are some things we notice from this passage?
1. The Word Saves Forever
Nicodemus asked Jesus, “What must I do to be saved?” (John 3). Jesus
told him, “You must be born again (anothem).” Anothem means “from above.”
We must be born from above. Everything on earth corrupts and decays. We
must be born again with something that will never decay. What is eternal?
The Word of God is eternal. God is eternal and His seed is eternal. The
Word of God recreates us by eternity into eternity.
What is the reason that He saves us? Is it simply so that we can have
fire insurance (not going to hell). Is it just so we can enjoy heaven?
Certainly if we put our trust in Christ, we will have eternal life and never
perish (John 5:24). Certainly, in Christ, we will have fire insurance.
But did God just intend that we get our fire insurance and be miserable
until we die and go to heaven. This passage says different. It says we
have purified ourselves for “a sincere love of the brethren.”
I believe
God intended for us not just to get fire insurance, but also to understand
God’s love for us and demonstrate that love to others. He wants us to love
“deeply” or “fervently” with a sincere heart.
We are born from eternal
seed by the eternal Word of God into eternity. 1 John 5:11-12 says, “And
the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son
of God does not have the life.” We have the life – it is eternal – we must
act like it.
God’s eternal Wod saves forever, but also:
2. The Word Lives forever
Zao is a Greek word that means, “to be warm, to be alive.” The writer
of Hebrews said, “The Word of God is living and active…” (Heb. 4:12). All
other literature can eventually be evaluated and exhausted. If we were
to lecture on any other book long enough, we would eventually run out of
things to talk about. The Word of God is not like that.
God’s Word
still makes old scholars say “Wow!” Why can it still “wow” scholars that
have studied it for decades? Because it is alive.
3. The Word Abides
forever
It is one thing for my mother-in-law to be alive. It’s a totally different
thing for her to live with me. Abide means “to continue to be present.”
I love my mother in law – I hope she lives a long life – I’m happy to have
her come visit me. But, after about three days, I would have to say, “Why
is she continuing to be present here?” It’s great that the Word of God
is alive; but it is even better that it will always be alive and can “abide”
WITH us.
When we memorize Scripture – and hide it in our hearts – and
let God apply it to our lives – it literally abides with us. We have to
have God’s answers to our problems. We have to have an answer for our accusers.
We have to have answers for people’s questions. Those things come from
the Word of God. We need more than it to be alive, we need it to abide
and abide forever.
God’s eternal Wod saves forever, it lives forever and abides forever. It
also:
4. Endures Forever
God’s Word has seen many attacks. Diodetian, the Emperor of Rome in A.D.
303, determined to destroy every copy of the Word of God. He also purposed
to slay any owner of such a copy. Over one burned copy, he erected a statue
with the inscription “Extincto Momeme Christianorum” (The Name of Christ
is extinct). His proclamation was incorrect. His successor, Constantine,
replaced all pagan influence in the area just nine years later.
John
Wycliffe, who translated the Word of God into English, was burned at the
stake with a copy of God’s Word around his neck. His ashes were spread
across the River Swift. As his ashes flowed first into the River, then
into the Avon and the Severn, then eventually out to the Sea (which touches
the seven continents of the world – in much the same way his translations
were already headed there.
In 1799, Voltaire boldly exclaimed, “One
hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in all the earth except
one that is looked upon by antiquian curiosity seekers.” One hundred years
later, Voltaire’s work sold for 11 cents in Paris, while a copy of the Word
of God (the Codex Simaiticus) sold for $500,000. He was obviously wrong
too.
The Word of God lives on. The poet exclaimed it this way:
Last eve I passed beside the blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vespers chimes
Then looking in I saw upon the floor
Old hammers worn out with beating years of time
"How many anvils have you had?" said I.
To wear and beat all these hammers so?
"Just one," said he and then with twinkling eye
"The anvil wears the hammers out you know.
And so I thought, the anvil of God's Word
For ages skeptics' blows have beat upon,
Yet, though the noise of falling blows were heard
The anvil is unharmed, the hammers are gone.
- John Clifford
The grass withers, but the Word of God endures…
God’s Word does save forever – it lives, abides and endures forever. But
what is our response? Thank you for asking.
like newborn babes, long
for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2:2-3)
They have many names; but I call them “no-bake” cookies. They are made
of oatmeal, cocoa, sugar and sometimes peanut butter. I can eat myself
into a sugar coma when I taste these wonderful cookies. I simply love them.
No-bake cookies are so good, I have to take my shoes off to wiggle my toes
around. If there are 10 of them in front of me, I will eventually eat all
10 and want more.
During the summer, when it’s less likely that we
have baked goods, I don’t see my favorite cookie much. Often, around Christmas
time, when I first notice them at a gathering, I may even walk by them.
Why would I do that? Well, during the summer, I forget what they taste
like. One taste is all it takes; but because I haven’t tasted them, I forget.
The “milk” of the Word must be a steady diet for us. We can’t ignore
it and forget what it tastes like – we need a steady diet. Have you ever
let your Bible sit in your car for a full week after church. If you have,
then you are asking your pastor to force feed you His food. Why not read,
study, meditate and interact with the Word all week – then you can share
in your pastor’s rejoicing this Sunday. You’ll be surprised how “in sync”
the two of you are when you’ve both been in the word.
I can almost hear you saying “Yeah, yeah, yeah Pastor Karl. I already
know this.” My friend used to say, “Knowing and not doing is the same as
not knowing.” Are you daily studying God’s Word? Do you think about it
throughout your day? And maybe the biggest question – here it comes – are
you living it??
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