SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : And What is Meant by the Word?

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Next Page )
PosterThread









 And What is Meant by the Word?

Basic question. How do we understand what the word is. John writes in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Such a glorious statement that would take all of eternity to ponder. Against John 1:1 all doctrinal creeds and church histories and Bible translations pale. Who is the Word. In Revelation John says his name is called the Word of God. Might I suggest that the Word is Jesus. For we are not called into fellowship with a written book. For we are called to fellowship with him who is the Way, and the Truth anf the Life. We are called to fellowship with Jesus who is the Wotd.

In Revelation when the fifth seal is broken we see the witnesses, the martyrs. They cry for God's justice. These precious saints have been slain for the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. These saints were not slain for a Bible. They were slain for the person of Jesus, him who is the Word. They followed Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Their allegiance was not the book but to him who is the Author of the book, to him who is the Word.

When I read about the persecuted their testimony is about him who is the Word. Their testimony is about an encounter with the living Word. They speak of an encounter with Jesus. Their devotion is not to the book itself. Their devotion is to Jesus who is the Word. It is sincere and pure devotion to Jesus that sustains the persecuted.

When many Moslems come to Christ it is primarily through a vision of Jesus, who is the Word. The Bible just confirms the dream or vision. So again our fellowship is with him, who is the Word. For John writes that our fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. He says this after saying that we proclaim the Word of life.

When John writes to the young men who have overcome the evil one. He says they are strong and the Word of God lives in them. That would be Jesus, the Word hmself who lives in them. For he writes further in his epistle the one who is in them is greater than the one who is in the world. In other words Jrsus, the living Word living in the saint is greater than the devil who controls the world. For this we say Halleujah!!!@

So how did the early church in the first 30 years evengelize the known world at the western end of the Mediteranean Sea. I mean they did not have the Bible par say. Some of the Jewish churches may have had some of the Old Testament scriptures. The Apostles were not writing their letters to the churches until mid century. So hoe did the young fellowships grow. No church historians or Sermon Index or commentaries or KJV Bible. I mean the early church did not hVe the word.

Oh yes they did. The early church had Jesus who is the Word and how the early church turned the world upside down with the gospel. They had the Word They had him who is the Word. They had Jesus.

The Bibke has been a blessing and still a blessing. But sometimes I wonder if the Bible has not been a stumbling block to our coming to Jesus. Look at the debates that rage in this forum over Bible doctrine and the translation of the Bibke to use. After all Jesus told the Pharisees that they diligently studied the scrptures that testified of him. But that they would not come to him for life.

I think that the most depraved of sinners who has no Bible knowledge stands a better chance of recieving salvation than the religious person. Yet I fear for the new convert when the religionist gives him a Bible. And gear we go.

At the risk of being heritical. I wonder if we would do well to put our Bibles aside and focus in him who is the Word in prayer and worship. For only when we truly delight in the living Word that lives in us can we truly apprecate the written wotd that speaks of him. For it is Jesus that gives life and not the written code.

I have written this to edify. I have shared from my heart. I pray these thoughts are a blessing. I close with this quote from a Christmas card I saw years ago. I think it best sums up what I say.

For the Word did not become a philosophy, theology, or a cocept to be discussed, debated, or pondered. But the Word became a Person to be followed, loved, and enjoyed.

Posted by Blaine Scogin

 2012/2/12 11:31









 Re: And What is Meant by the Word?

In John 5:39-40

You diligently study the scriptures because you think by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that speak about me. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.


When I first came to Christ I had drilled into me you had to study your Bible, read your Bible, memorize your Bibke, etc. It was always to study your Bible to defeat the devil or defeat others in theological arguments.

As I ponder the above verses it seems that the purpose of scripture is to testify about Jesus. The purpose of the Bible is simply to autheticate our experience with Jesus. As I shared in my previous post the word of God living in us is simply Jesus who is the living Word himself.

The Pharissees were great Bible students. They knew the Torah backwards and forward. Yet their very Bible stood between them and Jesus. Jesus told the Jews that they did not have the wotd of God dwelling in them because they did not believe in the one God had sent (Jn.5:38). But how could this be? After all the Pharissees were professional Bible students. You woukd think they would be full of the word.

The Pharissees were experts in the written word. They had no experience with the living Word of Jesus himself. Jesus was not living in their heart. The very scriptures they studied stood between them and Jesus.

Does our Bible keep us from Jesus? Do we worship the Bible more than Jesus? Does Jesus, the living Word dwell in our hearts? Do we live in that loving relationship with him who is our life? Do we hear his voice?

I close with a modification of the Christmas card quote in the previous post.

For the word did not become a 'book' to be discussed, debated or pondered.

But the Word became a 'person' to be followef, lived, and enjoyed.

For your edification.

Blaine Scogin

 2012/2/13 19:42
pilgrim777
Member



Joined: 2011/9/30
Posts: 1211


 Re:

"The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The Voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free. 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' The life is in the speaking words. God's word in the Bible can have power only because it corresponds to God's Word in the universe. It is the present Voice which makes the written word powerful. Otherwise it would lie locked in slumber within the covers of a book." (A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God. Christian Publications. 1948. pg. 74).

"Church history has amply demonstrated that... The written record became absolutized. The prophetic spirit was quenched. The Christian Scripture became a rigid Christian Torah, a rule book for everything Christians must believe and teach. The gospel became a new law. Faith was confounded with orthodoxy, which was really theological legalism. The church ceased to be a charismatic community and became an institution. Instead of the Spirit there were rules. Instead of the priesthood of all believers there was wretched clericalism. Instead of the Spirit and presence of the living Christ there was religious canned goods. Instead of the living gospel there was dead ideology. Instead of freedom there was bondage. Yet, like the Pharisees, we have desperately tried to substitute an incredible devotion to the letter of Holy Scripture for the prophetic Spirit. Instead of having the certainty which the Spirit inspires, we have looked for certainty in endless apologetics and theories of textual inerrancy. (Robert D. Brinsmead, "The Gospel and the Spirit of Biblicism, Part I", The Christian Verdict, Essay 15, 1984. Fallbrook: Verdict Publications. Pg 9).

 2012/2/14 8:25Profile









 Re: Pilgrim

These brothers have conveyed far more elequently what I have tried to share. Thanks Pilgrims for posting this. For they confirm what God is showing me.

Blaine

 2012/2/14 9:16
Sree
Member



Joined: 2011/8/20
Posts: 1953


 Re: And What is Meant by the Word?

Quote:

For the Word did not become a philosophy, theology, or a cocept to be discussed, debated, or pondered. But the Word became a Person to be followed, loved, and enjoyed.



Jesus is called the word of God because he obeyed every word of God. The first thing that Jesus said to his disciples is to follow him. The same imply to us as well. To follow Jesus starts with believing that Jesus is the son of God. But it does not end there. There is so much to do and to lose when we follow Jesus. When one says he follows Jesus, he actually follows the word of God, and Bible is the word of God. So you actually follow Bible.


_________________
Sreeram

 2012/2/14 10:54Profile
Lordoitagain
Member



Joined: 2008/5/23
Posts: 632
Monroe, LA - USA

 Re: And What is Meant by the Word?

Often in Joshua Project’s “Unreached of the day” I read of millions of people in different people groups on the earth who have no access to a Bible in a language that they can understand, yet in such groups sometimes there are a few Christians who have had a few gospel messages brought to them in their languages, or perhaps the Jesus film, and they come into a relationship with THE WORD and are born again. Often they live their entire lives as Christians without any access to God’s Word in written form nor in spoken form, yet with the little introduction that they have received to THE WORD they live fruitful Christian lives.

Without “the luxury” of theological training, commentaries, dictionaries, doctrinal explanations, etc. they are living out daily what is written by the indwelling presence of THE WORD in their lives. Often they bear MUCH more fruit in the Kingdom of God than the well refined “doctrinally correct” Christians who have had God’s Word for centuries. They risk and often they give their lives for this Christ that they have never read about. They give all their earthly goods so that the message of this Christ can be shared with others, while many “doctrinally correct” Christians spend more on their pets and personal luxuries than on the furtherance of the gospel. They spend hours of their lives in prayer and fasting and communion with THE WORD hoping for others to come to know Him, while the “doctrinally correct” spend hours correcting others' incorrect theology.

Is it God’s will for us to defend the truth and stand against error? It is according to Who or who is motivating that defense. Is our “defense of truth” motivated by THE WORD living within us? Is it motivated by our own personal pride in OUR correctness? As stewards of our time, talent and treasure, we will all give account for our lives. I want Christ THE WORD to live through this little short life of mine.


_________________
Michael Strickland

 2012/2/14 12:20Profile









 Re: And What is Meant by the Word?

If just ONE young Christian tosses his Bible aside as unnecessary and begins to believe that the Word of GOD - GOD's Word, the Bible, is not what it Says that it is, because of any of you - I would not want to be in your shoes when you stand Face to face with the Author of that book, that was left for us because of the Saints that spilled their blood to be sure each generation were able to have His Word in their hands and the many Ministries that are even to this day, laboring to get His Written Word to the world, at the risk of their own lives and those who would walk, literally miles, just to have a torn out page of it.


Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.



2Thess 2 - The strong delusion begins just like this - by those that throw away The Truth of His Word.

The Holy Spirit is given to testify to Truth and you are leading the vulnerable away from it.


Yet, you love your 'own' words and expect Him to hear your prayers and to have power over the enemy?
Jesus used Only 'The Word' against the enemy and never 'spoke' His Own words while in the flesh.


GOD brings The Word miraculously to those in countries that don't have anything to read of it.


THANK GOD FOR THE BIBLE SMUGGLERS!


and GOD forgive you


 2012/2/14 12:42
pilgrim777
Member



Joined: 2011/9/30
Posts: 1211


 Re:

Jesus-is-God,

No one here is saying what you are implying. We all love the Scriptures. Where is the misunderstanding?

Blessings,
Pilgrim

 2012/2/14 12:52Profile









 Re:

Pilgrin, I put up this thread [link below] as a rebuttal of this thread by Blaine, rather than to come onto this thread initially ...

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=43344&forum=45&5


All he can keep repeating to himself are, words from "a CHRISTMAS card."


The HOLY Spirit did not "Author" this thread.


I don't see me posting here anymore at SermonIndex because I feel The LORD telling me to get off and just PRAY that GOD Himself will send in the men that KNOW how to rightly divide the Word of Truth and to defend Him and His Word and His Saints and can defend those that have since gone on to Heaven, Very Well.

I will and Do believe GOD, that the men of GOD that I've met here since 2005 will come back and blow the doors off of any compromising messages being spued out on this forum - For 'HIS' Name Sake to this world.


Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple,
and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness
and for THY TRUTH:
FOR THOU HAST MAGNIFIED THY WORD ABOVE ALL THY NAME.


In Jesus' Name I plead - we need men of GOD that are not all full of their own words and selves. Who's writings can be verified BY The WORD of GOD!

 2012/2/14 13:22
Lordoitagain
Member



Joined: 2008/5/23
Posts: 632
Monroe, LA - USA

 Re:

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Phil. 2:3


_________________
Michael Strickland

 2012/2/14 13:37Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy