Words
A. Jno. 17:17, says, Sanctify them by the truth; your word
is truth. Words are powerful things----more powerful than
we sometimes think. Words are vehicles that convey ideas from
the mind of one person to another person. The thing that sanctifies
the Christian (makes him different, uniquely sets him apart as
belonging to God) is Gods truth, encapsulated in His word
as stated in Jno. 17:17. Words that speak truthfully about God
are exceedingly important things. The danger is that we may cease
to be moved by even the most powerful words when we become very
familiar with them. Someone once said, Familiarity breeds
contempt. Like a child playing with a new toy we can grow
tire of it as the newness wears off. Thats when we begin
to discard what is no longer new and seek other interests in life.
Thats whats meant by Familiarity breeds contempt.
The three most important things or three most important words
in our life and in our language are: God. Love,
Bible. Yet how often do we treat them lightly? How
often do we push them back into the dark, dusty recesses of our
minds?
1. How important is God to you and your life? Do we fully appreciate
the critical difference that it makes whether or not God exists?
One predominant and troubling question atheists ask Christians
is, How can God and the Bible have so little impact on the
lives of those who say they do believe? If God really exists
do we understand how important that truth is at the practical
level?
a. If God really is, why are we not radically moved and changed
and militantly given to converting
people to that belief? Why is God not the center around which
everything in our lives moves?
Eccl. 12:13,14, Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion
of the matter: Fear God and
keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. For
God will bring every deed into
judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or
evil. Do you really believe that the
whole purpose of your existence is to serve God as directed in
this Word? Do you really
believe that God going to judge the world and cast into eternal
torment all those who do not
come to Him through Jesus and worship Him properly? The fact is:
We need to recover our
belief that God is real.
(A) What about the kind of love God has and expects us to have?
In JNO. 3:16-17, we are
told, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God
did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is
not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has
not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. That
says, God exists and God
loves us. Now the question is, What does that do to
move you off your pew, out of your
recliner, into your armour and on to the battle field? Or
has the reality of God, and fact
of lost souls become so familiar that it doesnt touch you
and you no longer care? What
concept of Gods character are your children learning from
you? In 2 Cor. 5:14?15, We
are told, Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced
that one died for all, and
therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Only the love of God in
our hearts can move is in His direction to do His will. If youve
not been moved in that
direction, whose love does fill your heart?
(B) God gave us the Bible because He loves us. That Bible is one
of the highest and best gifts of Gods love. Ps. 19:7?11,
reminds us that. The Bible contains the whole truth on the subject
of our most critical concern: being reconciled to God and living
in fellowship with Him. The Scriptures are able to make
us wise for salvation, 2 Tim. 3:15. What attitudes toward
the Bible do your children get from you?
b. God deals in truth and truth is conveyed by words. Peter
explained it this way in Jno. 6:67-60, when he said, "Lord,
to whom shall we go? You only have the words of eternal life.
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
(A) The problem of sin comes down to a problem of untruth. Thats
why it should be no
surprise that God has chosen to counteract the problem of sin
with truth. John 8:32,
Jesus said, You will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free." We need to maintain
a love and a respect for the truly important words that convey
the ideas that our
relationship with God is based on. May we live every day in recognition
of our faith that
God is real. May we rejoice in the love that He has for us, may
we love Him in return,
and may we love one another. And may we recognize the Bible for
what it is: Words of
truth from the very mind of God, telling us of His love for us
and His plan to save us and
bring us home to Him in heaven.
(B) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 09/21/03 pm
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