Young Adults' Group

The Power Of God’s Word

by Pastor Mark
January 17, 2019

The ministry of the Word

As we begin YAG this week, one of the key things that we have always emphasised is the study of the Lord’s Word. The Word of God is vital for the growth of our faith, life and ministry. It is through the Scriptures that we are able to gain knowledge and understanding that would help us with our spiritual growth. Let us look forward to growing deeper in our understanding of the epistle to the Philippians.

The power of God’s Word

This was a declaration made by the author of Hebrews, “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrows, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12) How did the author understand the Word of God?

1. It is living

The Word of God has a life of its own. It is alive! The Word of God is full of life. It can also generate life. To whomever comes in touch with the Word, it would give life. Jesus taught that His words are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63)

2. It is powerful

The Word of God has great power. The word “powerful” in Greek is where you get the English word “energy”. The Word of God is full of powerful energy. Whatever the Lord has declared, it will come to pass. The prophet Isaiah said that the Word of God would go forth and not return void. (Isa 55:11) It would accomplish what the Lord was pleased with.

3. It is very sharp (Heb 4:12)

The Word of God is compared to a two-edged sword. A doubled-edged sword is considered better than a singled-edged sword. It can cut both ways. When the sword is thrust into something, it is sharper in piercing through it. The Lord’s Word is sharper than a two-edged sword. It can pierce deeply into our soul.

a. The Word of God can discern and pierce straight to the heart. The word “discern” in Greek is “kritikos” where you get the English word “critic, critical”. The Word is able to critically discern the thoughts and the intents of the heart. No one else is able to discern such thoughts and intents. But the Lord’s Word is able to discern them powerfully.

b. The Word of God can also distinguish, which means to “divide”. The author spoke of dividing the soul and the spirit. With limited knowledge, we would not be able to divide between the soul and the spirit. He also spoke of the joints and marrow. With limited medical knowledge then, it would have been hard to divide or to distinguish between the joint and marrow. It shows how sharp the Word of God is to be able to divide things.

Nothing can be hidden from the Word of God (Heb 4:13)

We cannot hide from God. There is no one…no creature that can hide from God. All things are naked and open to the eyes of the Lord. It would include our thoughts and intentions in our heart. As such, we have to give an account to Him. All of us need to be accountable to God. No one is spared. This is the power of God’s Word. Let us truly appreciate the living and powerful Word of God that is sharp enough to know what is in our heart. Let us be challenged to live our lives being accountable to the Lord according to His Word.

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