Hi all,
Last week I shared how most of the world's Christians do not own a Bible or New Testament, yet they grow in Him without it.
In the greatest 'revival' of all time, Christianity saturated the Roman Empire within 300 years after Pentecost, all before any of them had the New Testament as we know it today. Why then do so many believers today think 'the Word' should be the main focus of our spiritual lives?
The 'Word' to know is the person who IS the Word. The ink on the page flows from Him. Therefore knowing the Person who is the Word is first priority.
This is about those priorities.
How many times have you heard Hebrews 4:12:
"The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and critiques the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
This verse has been used by countless pastors as the basis for sermons telling congregations to 'get into the Word'. Many Christians read a daily devotional, read 2 chapters a day to get through the Bible in a year, or read a verse a day. This motivation comes in large part because church culture continually bombards us with strong exhortations to get into the Word.
But Hebrews 4:12 is NOT talking about scripture.
We read 'the Word of God is alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword', and have been programmed to think that means ink on the page is alive and active....but read verse 13 as the author continues his message:
"And there is not a creature hidden before Him. All things however are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him who is our reckoning....Therefore since we have such a high priest, Jesus Christ the righteous....let us come boldly to the throne..."
The Word who is alive and active is Jesus Christ Himself! He is the double edged sword critiquing our thoughts and intents, not ink on the page. Put scripture back in context and you will see throughout the NT it emphasizes relationship first and foremost!
"You search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life. But they testify of Me." John 5:39
Here Jesus tells us the priority and reveals error. He says people search scriptures because they think searching the scriptures gives them eternal life. Wrong. He said scripture is there to (just) testify of Him. This places the priority on knowing Him. It corrects the thinking that in scripture we have eternal life. No, we have eternal life by knowing the Lord.
Remembering they had no New Testament by which to know about the Lord, read the following passages realizing when they write of the knowledge of the Father and Jesus, they aren't talking about knowing by scripture. Neither are they writing about knowing about them.
Read the word 'knowledge' and 'know' and 'knowing' below as if you are in the 1st century. Read these verses realizing they are writing about personally knowing Jesus, knowing the Father:
I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know Me. John 10:14
I count all things loss for the excellency of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Philippians 3:8, 10
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. I John 2:3
...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, (and of knowing the Son of God) Ephesians 4:13
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. (through knowing God and Jesus our Lord) II Peter 1:2
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will make you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (in truly knowing our Lord Jesus Christ) II Peter 1:8
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. (escaped the defilements of the world by knowing the Lord...) II Peter 2:20
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (casting down all things that exalt itself against what you know of God the Father) II Corinthians 10:5
Notice - this verse says we are to cast down our emotions and thoughts which rise against what we know of the Father and Jesus. We don't bring our thoughts and feelings captive to chapter and verse, but to the fact we know the Father and Jesus. This proper understanding can change everything.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:(give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him) Ephesians 1:17
When you read through the NT:
Study the word 'know' and 'knowledge' with the understanding they met in homes and no one had a New Testament. When they write of knowing Christ and the knowledge of God, they are talking about actually knowing the Father, actually knowing Jesus. THAT is eternal life Jesus said.
Showing you are already have this proper priority is next week, and some practical tips. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
Last week I shared how most of the world's Christians do not own a Bible or New Testament, yet they grow in Him without it.
In the greatest 'revival' of all time, Christianity saturated the Roman Empire within 300 years after Pentecost, all before any of them had the New Testament as we know it today. Why then do so many believers today think 'the Word' should be the main focus of our spiritual lives?
The 'Word' to know is the person who IS the Word. The ink on the page flows from Him. Therefore knowing the Person who is the Word is first priority.
This is about those priorities.
How many times have you heard Hebrews 4:12:
"The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and critiques the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
This verse has been used by countless pastors as the basis for sermons telling congregations to 'get into the Word'. Many Christians read a daily devotional, read 2 chapters a day to get through the Bible in a year, or read a verse a day. This motivation comes in large part because church culture continually bombards us with strong exhortations to get into the Word.
But Hebrews 4:12 is NOT talking about scripture.
We read 'the Word of God is alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword', and have been programmed to think that means ink on the page is alive and active....but read verse 13 as the author continues his message:
"And there is not a creature hidden before Him. All things however are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him who is our reckoning....Therefore since we have such a high priest, Jesus Christ the righteous....let us come boldly to the throne..."
The Word who is alive and active is Jesus Christ Himself! He is the double edged sword critiquing our thoughts and intents, not ink on the page. Put scripture back in context and you will see throughout the NT it emphasizes relationship first and foremost!
"You search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life. But they testify of Me." John 5:39
Here Jesus tells us the priority and reveals error. He says people search scriptures because they think searching the scriptures gives them eternal life. Wrong. He said scripture is there to (just) testify of Him. This places the priority on knowing Him. It corrects the thinking that in scripture we have eternal life. No, we have eternal life by knowing the Lord.
Remembering they had no New Testament by which to know about the Lord, read the following passages realizing when they write of the knowledge of the Father and Jesus, they aren't talking about knowing by scripture. Neither are they writing about knowing about them.
Read the word 'knowledge' and 'know' and 'knowing' below as if you are in the 1st century. Read these verses realizing they are writing about personally knowing Jesus, knowing the Father:
I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know Me. John 10:14
I count all things loss for the excellency of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Philippians 3:8, 10
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. I John 2:3
...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, (and of knowing the Son of God) Ephesians 4:13
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. (through knowing God and Jesus our Lord) II Peter 1:2
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will make you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (in truly knowing our Lord Jesus Christ) II Peter 1:8
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. (escaped the defilements of the world by knowing the Lord...) II Peter 2:20
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (casting down all things that exalt itself against what you know of God the Father) II Corinthians 10:5
Notice - this verse says we are to cast down our emotions and thoughts which rise against what we know of the Father and Jesus. We don't bring our thoughts and feelings captive to chapter and verse, but to the fact we know the Father and Jesus. This proper understanding can change everything.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:(give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him) Ephesians 1:17
When you read through the NT:
Study the word 'know' and 'knowledge' with the understanding they met in homes and no one had a New Testament. When they write of knowing Christ and the knowledge of God, they are talking about actually knowing the Father, actually knowing Jesus. THAT is eternal life Jesus said.
Showing you are already have this proper priority is next week, and some practical tips. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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