The Word of God

Our Final Authority - The Supreme Court of our Lives

The World is not just what we can see, feel and touch. In fact there are more than one world. There are (broadly divided) two worlds : the Physical and the Spiritual World.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1

God is Spirit. And the Word of God shows us that He existed before anything else. He is the Uncreated One - Creator of all things spiritual and physical. And thus the Spiritual came before the Physical. In fact, the Physical came from the Spiritual. The Spiritual is more Powerful than the Physical.

In fact there are things in the Spiritual that are also created. For example, angels are created spirits. Satan and other spiritual forces of darkness are created spirits. Man’s Body is alive because he is a created spirit. And God by His Word, created the Physical World.

The Physical World as we know it, is run by the Spiritual World.

The Bible says,

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. - Hebrews 11:3

As human beings we have been brought up and taught that if it can be perceived, sensed or seen it is true and it exists. But think about it, from where did that which is visible come from? As Christians, we believe that God created this World. That whatever is visible (no matter how big or how microscopic) , was created by an omniscient, omnipresent, omni potent God. That He created it by His Word.

Thus if we need to live and navigate through this life and this physical world in victory and peace, we need to understand the underlying purpose, principles and laws that govern our world. Since the Spiritual existed before the Physical and created the Physical, it is vital to understand this Spiritual God and the Realm that He existed in for all eternity.

Living this Life without this understanding is like driving through an express highway at more than 100 kmph, absolutely blind. It is bound to end up in a wreck!

The Physical world we live in is changing constantly. But the Spiritual remains the same. God never changes. Thus if we need to live this Life in victory and like we were meant to live, we need the Only Authentic and Trustworthy Source of Information about God and the Spiritual Realm: THE WORD OF GOD

The aim of this article, is not to present the ample historical, scientific, documentary evidence that is already there to prove that the Bible is the Word of God. If you are a Christian, you already know that. The aim of this article is to reiterate that because the Bible is the Word of God, it must be your final authority. The Supreme Court of Your Life. The Bible reveals the Spiritual. The Bible reveals your purpose and destiny. If you believe anything about your life or your faith or God, it cannot be based on what you are comfortable with or at peace with. It must be based on this infallible Word of God. It cannot be based purely on experience or tradition or feelings. It must be based on this Never Changing Word of God. The more we understand it and do what it says, the more we will realise, that there is more than just what you can see, feel or touch. That there is an entire Realm that actually runs the world we live in. A Disciple of Christ must thus have the Word of God as the Final Authority of his Life. He/She must trust THE WORD above any voice, feeling, thought, vision, dream or experience.

Scripture Cannot Be Broken

“...and the Scripture cannot be broken...” - John 10:35

The Greek word that Jesus uses above in John 10:35 is luó which means "to loose, to release, to dissolve, to annul, subvert; to do away with". This is the reason the Word of God must be the Final Authority of our Lives. Scripture cannot be annulled or broken. If it said that "through His stripes and bruises you were healed" (1 Pet 2:24), then you are Healed. End of story. What you feel has nothing to do with it. The more you stand on this truth, the more the feelings and symptoms will line up to what the truth says. The Word of God cannot be annulled or done away with in any way. If it's in the Word, that’s it. It’s never broken. This might seem radical to some, but is essential to mature as a disciple. No situation can ever arise that breaks what the Word says. If the situation seems to break the Word, it's not the Word that errs. Its you. Remember Faith is the "evidence of things unseen" (Heb 11:1). Trusting the Word even if the situation and experience tells us something to the contrary is the essence of Faith.

The Word of God is Unchangeable

Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven. - Psalm 119:89

The word settled in Hebrew is a word natsab, which means, appointed, erect, establish, fix, establish boundary. Thus the Word of God is firmly fixed as a boundary of a property. As a Christian we are required to not go beyond the boundary of this Word. Also this means that the Word is unchangeable. Fashions may change, trends may change. But the Word never changes. What it said 2000 years back, still remains the same. No matter what. It is true today and will be true forever. It is essential that as a disciple, I trust it and depend on it. If it is Written, it is Settled. Hold on to it. No matter what.

The Word of God is Truth

Sanctify them in the Truth, Your Word is Truth. - John 17:17

The Word of God is Truth. It Never Lies. If the Word Says something, it is TRUE no matter what. If it promises something, it is TRUE, no matter what. It is not a myth or Fable. It is not a book of positive quotes that applies to some people some of the time. It is the Truth. Any decision about what is Good or Bad, Right or Wrong, must be made against the benchmark of the Word of God.

On the other hand, the The Enemy is always a Liar. He is the Father of Lies. Lies never existed before Him. Anything that contradicts or goes against the Word of God, is directly or indirectly from the enemy. Every lie, has the Devil behind it.

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources (Native Language), for he is a liar and the father of it. - John 8:44

The Word of God is Essential to be Trained as a Mature Disciple

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. -  2 Tim 3:16-17

A Mature Disciple must always have Scripture as the foundation for any doctrine or correction. The Word of God is absolutely ESSENTIAL for thoroughly equipping or training a Disciple for Every Good Work. Training based on the Word plus something else is dangerous and destructive. Most errors, heresies, cults and deviation from truths happen because of a wrong understanding of the Word and its context, which leads to adding assumptions or traditions to it. The biggest and the Oldest example : the Roman Catholic Church. No where does scripture endorse the idea of Purgatory or praying to Dead saints or the exaltation of a single pastor or bishop as the bishop of bishops - the Pope. These additional dogmas, have made the Catholic version of Christianity nothing but another dead religion.

The Lord Never Contradicts His Word

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name  -  Psalm 138:2

The Lord will never tell you something that contradicts His Word. The Word will never tell you something that goes against the Character of God. You can never hear a voice, see a vision or a dream from the Lord that goes against His Word. And You will never see in the Word anything going against His Name and who He is. If any such prophecy or vision is declared or seen it must be rejected, as it goes against His Word. God never contradicts Himself. Even references in Scripture that look like God contradicting Himself, is nothing but a misunderstanding of the language or context or meaning of what was intended.

The Word is the Seed

“having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever”  - 1 Pet 1:23

The Word is an incorruptible Seed. Just like the human Seed has the full potential and DNA material needed to produce a full healthy living human baby that grows into an adult. The Word is the Seed - the Spiritual DNA of Jesus, planted within us to produce a full healthy living New Man in the Image of Jesus. The written Word contains the very DNA of Jesus - His Nature.

The Word is from the Beginning!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1

We find everything about Forgiveness, Salvation, Healing, Life, Freedom in the Word. If the Word is from the Beginning, before the Sin Problem and its effects of Sickness, Death, etc, the solution existed. God made provisions for your freedom before your problem even came about. Trust Him. His Solution as described in the Word is True. We Thus Trust the Word that was from the Beginning, more than any Experience!

The Word is A "DOING" BOOK

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us an interesting Parable about the Villa of Foolishness!,

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and DOES NOT DO THEM, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” - Matt 7:24-27

Jesus very clearly sets the standards for Wisdom and Foolishness. Just Hearing the Word is not good enough. In actuality it is utter foolishness. It is nothing but building ones destruction. But the Word must be heard, understood and most importantly must be DONE. In fact the letter of James makes this even more evident,

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. - James 1:23

There is a way to deceive yourself. Just hear and don't do. Too many times, do I see Christians that hear the Word that is preached so that they can preach to someone else. I call this the "Preacher Syndrome". Listening to only correct others or merely shake ones head in sadness at the state of affairs of our world. The Word must be read and studied as a doing Book. A book that reveals the will and heart of God and what He expects you to do.

One clear command in the Word is that You have a Mission from God - to destroy the influence of the Devil and advance the Kingdom of God by Healing the Sick, Raising the Dead, Casting out Demons, Cleansing the Lepers and Preaching the Gospel. We have a responsibility to make Disciples of all nations. It is time that Christians stop being foolish and deceiving themselves by merely listening to fantastic preachers that satisfy their itching ears, but to go and DO what the Lord commands.

The Bible is not a Book of Beautiful Quotes. It is a Manual and Command Book that you are expected to Execute.

Also, the Word of God reveals not only who God is, but who you are and how you are to live your life. Quite often, Christians merely look at the Bible as a painting - they admire what is in it and that’s it. The Word of God reveals to the believer who he is in Christ. It is a mirror reflecting who you really are. Thus the Word reveals who you are - you are just as He is (1John 4:17, Rom 8:29) and thus His Mission (1John 3:8) becomes your Mission (John 20:21).

Feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving; My warrant is the Word of God Naught else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel condemned For want of some sweet token, There is One greater than my heart Whose Word cannot be broken. I'll trust in God's unchanging Word Till soul and body sever, For, though all things shall pass away, HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER! - Martin Luther

In Conclusion, Read and Hear the Word. Understand it. And most Importantly....Do it. Whether you feel comfortable or not. Whether you "feel" peaceful or not. Whether the Opportunity presents itself or Not. Do the Word. Do the Mission. Always.