If Christians know that the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged 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, then why don’t they read and study the Word of God and why are they afraid to speak the Word of God? Do you read and study the Word of God? Do you know the Word and the will of God ? And are you bold enough to speak the Word of God or do you remain silent so that you won’t offend people?
The Word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13)
This part in the Bible refers to entering God’s rest. Only those, who are born again in Jesus Christ and belong to God’s people and walk in faith after His Word, shall enter into God’s rest. Jesus is the living Word of God, Who was made flesh and lived among us, and was the expression of the Father. Jesus represented the Father and every word, that Jesus spoke derived from His Father, and contained life and power (Jn 6:63).
Although, the words that Jesus spoke contained life and power, not every one was willing to listen and accept His words. There were many people, who rejected Him. Why? Because the words of Jesus were often hard and confronting and called man to repentance, the removing of sins and a change of life. Therefore, not everyone, who belonged to God’s carnal people, was willing to give up his own life. Many loved their own life too much to give it up. And that’s why many hearts stayed hardened, when they heard the voice of Jesus and the words He spoke. The people didn’t see, that although His words were hard and confronting, His words were the truth and contained life, and would bring forth life instead of death.
Jesus was appointed by God and stood in the service of His Father
Jesus lost many followers, by preaching the truth. But because of the fact, that Jesus was appointed by His Father and stood in His service instead of people, Jesus didn’t compromise and continued doing what He was called to do, namely to preach and bring the Kingdom of God to God’s people and call them to repentance and the removing of sins. Jesus stood in the service of His Father and out of His great love for Him, He served the people. Although Jesus served the people, He stood not in their service.
Jesus allowed everyone, to come to Him, and Jesus gave them what they needed. Jesus never forced anyone to follow Him or to stay with Him, and let those, who left Him go.
Jesus didn’t adjust His message to the lives or desires of the people. Not even, when the thousands of followers left Him and Jesus was only left with His twelve disciples.
Because of the fact, that Jesus had laid down His own life and His flesh and loved God above all and everyone, and relied on Him, instead of people, Jesus continued preaching the message of His Father; the message of repentance. He knew how much the Father loves people, and that’s why He gave His own life to reconcile man back to God.
Jesus had the ability to save His own life, by preaching what the people wanted to hear. Yes, even when He was brought before the council, He had the ability to stand up for Himself and defend Himself, and go the easy way, and not being whipped and crucified for humanity. But Jesus stayed obedient to the will of the Father, and kept silent and chose to go the hard way, that cost Him His life.
The Word of God means death for the carnal old man,
but life for the spiritual new man
The words of God are often hard and confronting for the old man, who lives after the flesh. Although the words of God contain life and power, they divide soul and spirit. The words of God; the words of the Spirit are diametrically opposed to the words of the world; the words of the flesh and that’s why everyone must decide to believe the words of God and live after His words and feed the spirit of man or believe in the words of the world and live after the words of the world and feed the flesh.
The words of the world are motivating, promising, hopeful and possess energy for the carnal man, and feed the flesh of man. The words of the world will not only temporarily motivate the carnal man, but will also caress the ego of man and cause man to live they way (s)he wants to live. The words of the world pleases and strengthens the feelings and emotions of man. They don’t call to repentance, but respect, accept and tolerate the works of the old man. The words of the world are not based upon truths, but on lies of the devil, and therefore the temporary gain in the flesh, shall eventually be changed into an eternal loss.
The words of God are diametrically opposed to the words of the world and shall do the exact opposite. The words of God shall be hard and confronting for the old man, who walks after the flesh. Because the words of God shall bring people to repentance, the removing of sins and demand a change of life. By living in obedience to the Word of God, the flesh shall become weaker and weaker and eventually die. But for the new man, who walks after the spirit, the words of God shall give life, joy, peace and power. The words of God shall give the new man, what he longs for and shall cause the spirit to mature.
Christians should be valiant sons of God
Jesus was the first Son of God, Who walked on the earth, and spoke in boldness the truth of God. After His death and resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, many sons of God, who were born in Him, followed His example.
Peter was the first one, who stood up with confidence and boldness, after he had become a son of God, by the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Peter spoke in boldness to the thousands of men, who were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. He preached Jesus the Christ and called man to repentance. Peter didn’t hide any longer, as he did before, when he was still the old man and denied Jesus. But because the Holy Spirit was living inside of Him, He spoke in boldness and wasn’t ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Not even, when he and John were taken captive and were led before the council and the council commanded them to no longer preach and teach in the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John could not keep their mouth shut, and be silent, and they continued preaching and bringing the Kingdom of God to the people (Acts 4:1-22).
Even Stephan, who was full of the Holy Spirit, spoke in boldness and was not ashamed of the gospel and the hard words of God, that contained His wisdom and life. He didn’t adjust the truth of God, in order to save his life, but he stayed faithful to Him until the day that he died.
Stephan could have saved his life, by keeping his mouth shut, and by speaking the words, that the people wanted to hear, and maybe even received respect and honor of the people. He could have saved his life, by defending himself before the high priest, and temporarily deny Jesus Christ. And if the high priest would release him, he could have shown remorse to God and ask forgiveness and turn back to Him, like so many believers do nowadays.
But Stephan didn’t do that. Stephan was born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. His new life had become Jesus Christ. Jesus lived inside of him and that’s why he couldn’t be silent and keep his mouth, but he had to tell the truth. Instead of defending himself in front of the high priest, he testified about God Almighty and the promise of Jesus Christ the Messiah and confronted the hearers with their sinful behavior and deeds, and accused them of their resistance against the Holy Spirit, just like their fathers did. Stephan witnessed of Jesus Christ and because of his testimony, he was put to death. Even while he was stoned and saw the heavens opened and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, he not only said: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”, but he also cried with a loud voice, just before he died: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
Paul also continued preaching and bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word, despite all the oppositions and persecutions of man. Paul warned and confronted the saints with the way they lived, and corrected them and called them to repentance and the removing of sins. Paul was not afraid of losing people, because he knew, by Whom he was called and appointed and in Whom’s service he stood.
And there were many more sons of God, who stayed faithful to Jesus, by standing on the Word and by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and the words of God. They didn’t deviate from the Word, but kept speaking the Word of God, and because of their testimony, many were put to death (Heb 11:32-40).
Many Christians compromise and adjust the words of God
Unfortunately, this mentality and attitude is lacking in the lives of many believers. Many believers are not filled with the Holy Spirit, don’t’ have knowledge of the Word, and don’t live after the Word, like the ancient believers did. They are afraid of taking a stand on the Word and are ashamed of speaking the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of God to the people, and therefore they make concessions with the world.
Instead of having a fear of God, they have a fear of people. They are afraid of what the people around them might think of them and what they might say, and are afraid of their opinions. They are afraid of rejection and to hurt and/or even lose people, by speaking the truth of God. And that’s not what they want. No, they want to be liked and loved and accepted by the people around them. Out of fear of rejection or persecution they adjust the words of God, to what people want to hear.
They only address the beautiful, positive promises from the Word, which are focused upon the prosperity of the flesh, but they leave the requirements away and therefore they conceal and keep silent about the confronting parts and hard words of God, that call man to repentance, the removing of sins and a change of life.
Through their humanistic behavior and by continuously taking the emotions and feelings of people into account, they close their eyes for all those things, that go against God’s Word and His will, and allow and tolerate them. They keep silent and let those who habitually walk in sins, continue in their sins.
But this behavior proves, that the believer hasn’t laid down his own life in Jesus Christ, but is still present and alive. Because if someone is death, then the behavior and actions of others cannot affect the person anymore. That’s why Jesus continued and that’s why the apostles continued, by preaching and bringing the Kingdom of God to the people, because they had died to the flesh and therefore no behavior of man, nor their deeds, could stop them from doing what they were called to do, and that was to preach the truth and make known the will of God to the people. They only had one purpose and that was to please and exalt God, by walking in righteousness in obedience to His Word and to live after His will and representing, preaching and bringing the Kingdom of God on this earth.
But many modern believers resent being told what to do. They don’t want to yield to the Word and don’t let the Word and the Holy Spirit lead them and dictate them what to do. Therefore, many don’t live after the Word and are not doers of the Word anymore, but they are led by their own feelings, emotions, findings and experiences and tell others what they think and feel. But if you have laid down your own life in Jesus Christ, it’s no longer about you and about what you think, feel or want, but it’s all about what the Word; Jesus says. Because only the words of Jesus, which are the truth divides spirit and soul and bring people to repentance, and cause believers to put off the old man and put on the new man, and enter the rest of God and inherit eternal life.
Are you bold enough to speak the Word of God?
The first apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ were filled with the Holy Spirit and therefore they were able to preach the truth of Jesus Christ and the words of God in boldness. Because of their boldness and preaching the truth, they not always received a warm welcome and they were not always loved by everyone.
Many Christians had to pay for their faith and love for Jesus Christ and were put to death. But they all had one thing in common, namely, they loved God above all and stayed faithful to Jesus Christ and stood in the faith. They didn’t compromise and didn’t deviate from the Word of God, because of all the criticism and persecution of people.
What about you? Do you know the Word and do you stand on the Word? Are you bold enough to speak the Word of God, just like the other sons of God? Or…
‘Be the salt of the earth’
