Posts Tagged ‘Word of God’

See Jesus through Revelation

Posted: December 2, 2012 by Pam Larson in December, Devotionals/Commentaries, Revelation
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John Piper, in a sermon, “A Year-End Look at Jesus Christ”

The voice says in [Revelation 1] v. 11, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches.” This means that the vision John is about to get is meant not just for him but for us as well. And the point of writing it down is to transmit to us the same kind of experience of seeing Jesus that he had.

“Write What You See”

This is not easy to do—”write what you see.” It is easy to write words that you hear. But it is not easy to write in words glorious things that you see with your eyes. But it is possible, because Jesus said to do it. Jesus does not intend to come to each of the seven churches the way he came to John. He could have appeared to each congregation with this same vision. But he doesn’t. He appears to John and says, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches.” John gets the vision. We get the book.

But this is not because Christ wants to be distant and impersonal with his churches. It is because he wants to come to us in and through his Word. He wants us to seek him in his Word, and know him by his Word, and gaze upon him steadily through his Word. And when we do, the Lord stands forth from his Word in ways beyond the merely rational and intellectual possibilities of reading.

The primary way of gazing on Christ today is through his Word. That is the clear implication of these words in verse 11, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the . . . churches.” Why else write in a book what he saw except to transmit to the readers some of that same experience.

Soul Survival

Posted: October 3, 2012 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, James, October
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James 1:21  Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

John Piper, in a sermon, “Receive With Meekness the Implanted Word”

kidneyReceive it—this implanted word. In other words, if you treat the word of God like your kidneys, you are making a big mistake. Your kidneys are implanted in you by your first birth. But you do not go on “receiving” your kidneys. They just sit there doing their work, and you rarely think about them. You certainly don’t “receive” them. They are already there—firmly implanted.

But James says, “Receive the implanted word.” It is already in you. And you should receive it. It is rooted and planted in you. It brought you life. It is there sustaining that life by feeding faith in Christ.

breathe oxygenBut it is not there like kidneys. It is there like oxygen. It gives life and in giving life, it makes you breathe, and in breathing you receive oxygen. No one says: “I have oxygen; look how well it is working in me; it makes me alive; I don’t need to receive oxygen.”

The implanted word of God and the external word of God are so united that we live by having it already implanted and we live by receiving it. It is at work in us, as Paul says. And the work it does in us is it makes us want to receive it. Receiving the external word replenishes the power of the implanted word, and the implanted word creates the hunger to receive the external word. And then to make us very serious about this process, James adds at the end of verse 21 “which is able to save your souls.” What saves our souls? The implanted word which we receive.

Soul Survival

In other words, our souls depend on the implanted word, and our souls depend on receiving the word. If you decide that you don’t need to receive the external word, you are like a person who decides he doesn’t need to breathe. If you are spiritually dead, you can carry through that decision. You can choose not to breathe. But if you are spiritually alive, you can’t. The implanted word is powerful; it produces life and breathing. It takes over the spiritual diaphragm and demands oxygen. It demands the life-giving external word. If the word is implanted in you, you can’t hold your breath forever. The implanted word will sooner or later conquer and be replenished. You will receive the word again. And you will love it.

Living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword

Posted: September 7, 2012 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, Hebrews, September
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John Piper,in a sermon from Hebrews 4:12-13 ”The Word of God: Living, Active, Sharp”

Now the point of today’s text (Hebrews 4:12–13) is to help us do that by telling us about this Word. Be diligent, verse 11 says, because (verse 12 says) the Word of God is . . . And then it tells us about this Word.

sword_of_the_spiritSo let’s read again what it says about this Word. Verse 12:

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.

Now I am tempted to take every word here and probe into why it is used. Like, why mention joints and bone marrow? And what’s the difference between spirit and soul? And what precisely is the difference between thoughts and intentions? And do the words “living and active” perhaps correspond to any of these other pairs: spirit-soul, joints-marrow, thoughts-intentions? Is the “heart” (mentioned at the end of the verse) different from the soul and spirit? And so on. These are good questions and they are worth meditating on for hours.

But this morning I don’t want to lose the forest for the trees. I wonder if we couldn’t all agree on this much from verse 12: one of the functions of the Word of God when it comes into us is that it penetrates very deep—like a sword through tough, hard layers—and makes judgments about what’s there.

The word “judge” in verse 12 (“to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart”) does not mean “condemn.” It means “assess.” When we show somebody a painting and say, “What’s your judgment?” we don’t mean, “What’s your condemnation?” We mean, “What’s your assessment of the quality? Is it good or bad?” So the Word of God penetrates to the deepest place in our lives and assesses what’s there. Is it good or bad?

To read or listen to the rest of this sermon, click here:

Ryle: the only rule, and measure, and gauge of religious truth.

Posted: July 15, 2012 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, July, Luke
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And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
(Luke 10:25-28 ESV)

J. C. Ryle:

Let the principle contained in these words, be one of the foundation principles of our Christianity. Let the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, be the rule of our faith and practice. Holding this principle we travel upon the king’s highway. The road may sometimes seem narrow, and our faith may be severely tried, but we shall not be allowed greatly to err. Departing from this principle we enter on a pathless wilderness. There is no telling what we may be led to believe or do. Forever let us bear this in mind. Here let us cast anchor. Here let us abide.

It matters nothing who says a thing in religion, whether an ancient father, or a modern Bishop, or a learned divine. Is it in the Bible? Can it be proved by the Bible? If not, it is not to be believed. It matters nothing how beautiful and clever sermons or religious books may appear. Are they in the smallest degree contrary to Scripture? If they are, they are rubbish and poison, and guides of no value. What says the Scripture? This is the only rule, and measure, and gauge of religious truth. “To the law and to the testimony,” says Isaiah, “if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20.)

God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand which never fails.

Posted: February 10, 2012 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, February, Psalms
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For the word of the LORD is upright,
        and all his work is done in faithfulness. —Psalm 33:4 ESV

Charles Spurgeon, in The Treasury of David:

Whatever God has ordained must be good, and just, and excellent. There are no anomalies in God’s universe, except what sin has made; his word of command made all things good. When we look at his word of promise, and remember its faithfulness, what reasons have we for joy and thankfulness!

And all his works are done in truth. His work is the outflow of his word, and it is true to it. He neither doth nor saith anything ill; in deed and speech he agrees with himself and the purest truth. There is no lie in God’s word, and no sham in his works; in creation, providence, and revelation, unalloyed truth abounds. To act truth as well as to utter it is divine. Let not children of God ever yield their principles in practice any more than in heart.

What a God we serve! The more we know of him, the more our better natures approve his surpassing excellence; even his afflicting works are according to his truthful word.

“Why should I complain of want of distress,
Afflictions or pain? he told me no less;
The heirs of salvation, I know from his word,
Through much tribulation must follow their Lord.”

God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand which never fails. Bless his name.

Psalm 19: Declaring what the Bible IS and DOES

Posted: January 20, 2012 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, January, Psalms
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Sam Storms on Psalm 19 (from Enjoying God Ministries):

The power of the Word of God is perhaps nowhere better seen than in Psalm 19. There we find six declarations that tell us what the Bible IS and DOES: 6 nouns, 6 adjectives, 6 verbs. The focus is on the identity, the quality, and the function of Scripture.

First, “the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” (v. 7a).

identity – “law” = lit., instruction, in whatever form God sends it;

quality – “perfect” = whole, complete, lacking defect of any kind;

function – “restoring the soul” = it renews, refreshes, and brings the soul back to where it belongs.

Second, “the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (v. 7b).

identity – “testimony” = Scripture is God’s own witness to who he is and what he requires of us;

quality – “sure” = true in principle and verifiable in life’s situations;

function – “making wise the simple” = the Bible takes the undiscerning and naive and gullible person and makes him/her wise. “Every fork in the road does not have a biblical arrow” (Piper, 123). We need wisdom for decision-making. It comes from Scripture. He who is immersed in the Word is equipped to choose wisely where no explicit direction is found.

Third, “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (v. 8a).

identity – “precepts” = rules, regulations, guidelines for living; cf. Ps. 119:16,97,111; Jer. 15:16;

quality – “right” = never wrong; always can be counted on to provide truth and accuracy;

function – “rejoicing the heart” = if your heart needs joy, dive into God’s word.

Fourth, “the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (v. 8b).

identity – “commandment” = do’s and don’ts;

quality – “pure” or “radiant” (NIV) = devoid of sin or malice or corrupting influence;

function – “enlightening the eyes” = it brings understanding so that we can see how to live, what to do, etc.

Fifth, “the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever” (v. 9a).

identity – “fear of the Lord” = a reference to the fear of God that the Bible produces in us;

quality – “clean” = both in terms of its essence and its impact on our hearts;

function – “enduring forever” = its power and purpose never end; we can always count on God’s Word to do its work; God’s Word does not change with the seasons or with fashions; it is always “in”!

Sixth, “the judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether” (v. 9b).

identity – “judgments” = divine decisions about human conduct;

quality – “true” = never false; never off the mark; the only barometer for reality;

function – “righteous altogether” = the Word of God provides us with the standard of righteousness; no guesswork.

Note also from Psalm 19 that the Word of God is that which brings to us satisfaction and joy and delight, so that we will not be enticed and tempted by the passing pleasures of sin:

“They (i.e., the laws, precepts, commandments of God’s Word) are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (vv. 10-11).

The people of God may be bound, but the word of God is never bound.

Posted: October 15, 2011 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, Jeremiah, October
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Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes:  “Take in your hands large stones and hide them in the mortar in the pavement that is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah,  and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them.  He shall come and strike the land of Egypt, giving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword. Jeremiah 43:8-11

Ray Stedman, in a sermon “Back to Egypt”

So the people come down to Egypt despite the word of God. This people, who had been delivered from Egypt 900 years before the power of God, is now back in Egypt again, back in the land of bondage, the land of peril.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah down in Egypt, at Tahpanhes. The word of God is never bound. The people of God may be bound, but the word of God is never bound. The word comes to Jeremiah and tells him again to do one of those strange things which are graphic illustrations of truth. He is to take large stones and hide them in the mortar of the pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, as a testimony to the fact that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon would come down to Egypt and spread his royal canopy above these stones. The thing they were trying to escape in Judah, they would find in Egypt. The king of Babylon would be there.

Some years ago Sir Flinders Petrie, the English Egyptologist, digging in the very location of the ancient city of Tahpanhes, found a pavement with large stones embedded in it. Jeremiah’s stones are still there. This people had a testimony that God would confirm his word to them. They would find in Egypt what they were fleeing from.

Pour the Word into Your Mind and Heart

Posted: September 17, 2011 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, Isaiah, September
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For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. —Isaiah 44:3-4

John Piper, in a sermon from Isaiah 44:1-5,  ”A Precious Promise: The Outpouring of God’s Spirit”

Pour the Word into Your Mind and Heart

It’s not an accident that in Psalm 1 the tree planted by streams of water that brings forth fruit for others is a picture of the person who meditates on the Word of God day and night, while the tree planted by streams of water in Isaiah 44 is a picture of the person who has experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It’s not an accident because

  • the Spirit of God does not produce hope apart from the Word of God;
  • and the Word of God does not produce hope apart from the Spirit of God.

But the Spirit through the Word, and the Word by the Spirit, takes away fear, nourishes hope, fills with joy, overflows in love, and glorifies God. That’s what it means to be filled with the Spirit. Therefore the way to experience the outpouring of the Spirit is to pour the Word of the Spirit into your mind and heart every day and believe it.

I urge you in the name of Jesus Christ, if you long for the touch of the Spirit of God upon your life, give yourself day and night to the reading of his Word.

To read the rest of Piper’s sermon, click here:

Spurgeon: rewards of obedience make us scorn the scorning of the scorner.

Posted: August 17, 2011 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Proverbs
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Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself,
but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. -Proverbs 13:13 

From Faith’s Checkbook by C. H. Spurgeon:

HOLY awe of God’s Word is at a great discount. Men think themselves wiser than the Word of the Lord, and sit in judgment upon it. “So did not I, because of the fear of God.” We accept the inspired Book as infallible and prove our esteem by our obedience. We have no terror of the Word, but we have a filial awe of it. We are not in fear of its penalties, because we have a fear of its commands.

This holy fear of the commandment produces the restfulness of humility, which is far sweeter than the recklessness of pride. It becomes

  • a guide to us in our movements,
  • a drag when we are going downhill,
  • and a stimulus when we are climbing it.

Preserved from evil and led into righteousness by our reverence of the command, we gain

  • a quiet conscience, which is a well of wine;
  • a sense of freedom from responsibility, which is as life from the dead;
  • and a confidence of pleasing God, which is heaven below.

The ungodly may ridicule our deep reverence for the Word of the Lord, but what of that? The prize of our high calling is a sufficient consolation for us. The rewards of obedience make us scorn the scorning of the scorner.

Embrace the Word of God for what it really is

Posted: July 12, 2011 by Pam Larson in 1 Thessalonians, Devotionals/Commentaries, July
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1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 

John Piper, in a sermon, “How to Receive the Word of Man as the Word of God”

So the point of 1 Thessalonians 2:13 is that there is a right way to accept or welcome the teachings of the Bible when we receive it. And the right way is to accept it for what it really is, the very word of God. We should embrace it and welcome it as the word of God, because it is the word of God. It is God’s truth and has God’s authority. It is the rule for all other claims to truth and the rule over all other authority. We should embrace it that way.

Now how do we do that? What does it look like to welcome the Scriptures as the word of God? I have a three-fold answer from the context of Thessalonians and a five-fold answer by implication based on what the Bible says elsewhere about how to use it.

You’ll have to click here to read or listen to the rest of the sermon and find the answers to those questions:

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