Penetrating Word

Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
 
WHEN you hear the word “Bible” what do you see in your mind? Is it a book sitting on a bookshelf seldom used? Perhaps it’s a bit dusty. Or is it a well-worn book alongside your favorite place to sit in your home? Is the Bible real in your life? Does it make any difference to you?
   Hebrews describes God’s Word in one of the most powerful, even life-threatening images in the culture of his day. Warriors and guards carried two-edged swords. They were weapons of conquest and order. A skilled swordsman could quickly cut the bone and marrow of his victim. There was no dust on a sword. It was ready to use.
   That’s the way it must be with God’s Word. The Bible is God’s living Word. How do we know? Learn God’s commands. Put them to use, and you will discover how readily the Bible applies to each circumstance in your life. The power of the living Word is that anyone in any situation can use it to bring order to life.
   God keeps no secrets about the human condition. He reveals what sinful thoughts and actions do to people. He teaches us about repentance and humility, grace and forgiveness. He uses historical events to illustrate his relationship with the world in general and with Israel specifically.
   The Lord gives us words of wisdom and warning. He promises and he completes the promises. The Lord cuts away the barriers that reject him, so he can penetrate our souls and spirits to save us. He uses Scripture to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. God sees all. It is to him we must give account of our lives.
   God is creator. He all-powerful and ever-present. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
   Be mindful, then, that one day we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10) This is not salvation by works, but it is an assessment of your reward in heaven. The Christian life is to use the Bible as a weapon for truth, so we can effectively serve God. Each passage in Scripture holds a truth we must use to cut away the wrong, so the right will thrive to bring order to our lives.