For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing 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. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13

One of the reasons many people are not interested in God’s Word is because they do not understand its nature. It is not a mere collection of men’s writings about God. It is God speaking. Notice the present tense. Not merely that He has spoken in the past, but it is God speaking now. His words transcend time and become the only communication of this nature. There is nothing like God’s Word.

LIVING AND ACTIVE

Not one word you read in Scripture is dead. It is energized by the Spirit and is a living, real-time communication. Therefore, it is dynamic and operational. It does things. It accomplishes what it sets out to do. God changes everything and His Word and Spirit are the agents of that transformation.

SHARP AND PIERCING

It is not only able to cut, but is sharper than any tool in the universe. It goes beyond what a mere two-edged sword or surgeon’s knife can accomplish. 

“…as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow.” For instance, when we read and listen to God’s Word, it goes to the deepest places of our lives. It delineates the difference between what is soulish and carnal (merely of human flesh and living) from that which is spiritual (which is of the Spirit.) “Is this thought just my thought that is wrong and sinful, or God’s which is correct and righteous?” The Word of God makes that differentiation. Whether we listen and respond or not, it is cutting through all of that in every man all the time.

JUDGING

God’s Word is always judging “the thoughts and intentions of ” your heart. Here is a man who has made a decision and he feels fine about it. But when held against the active searchlight of God’s Word he comes to understand that the decision was motivated by pride and self-glory. Without that searchlight, he would have moved forward in blissful, but horribly damaging, ignorance. God’s Word purifies us by wonderfully exposing self.

Again, God’s Word is doing this always, whether or not you realize it in your daily experience. One day, His Word will judge all of man’s activity and everything will be sorted as to its nature and either reward (for those who know Him by faith) or punishment (for those who are unbelieving).

INESCAPABLE

“There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” You may think you are escaping His gaze by ignoring His Word. But you would be wrong. Everything is open to Him. His Word is a searchlight that exposes every corner and crevice of every life every millisecond of every day.

A man would be foolish to ignore the Word. Such callous disregard is like a terminal cancer patient who pays no attention to warning signs and recognizes his disease only when death is near.

There is no one who can do the masterful surgery we need like God. He has given us incredible access through the written Word, which is His living, active tool for our restoration. You can ignore it and go on with cancer in your soul, or submit yourself to the healing hands of the Great Physician and let His Word expose and cut away everything that does not look like Jesus in you.

 

© 2014 Bill Elliff.  Originally posted on Bill’s Graceful Truth blog.