Which type of contract is more binding - an oral contract or a written one? The written contract is more binding. Is it the same with God? No. Everything He says is true - written or spoken - He doesn't lie.
In Christian circles, we talk about the Word quite a bit. "The Word this and the Word that." We must keep in mind that it's not just the Word - it's God's Word. That's the part we mustn't forget. It's God's Word, no matter how you get it - it's God s peaking.
Can God ever contradict His Word? Can the written Word of God contradict the spoken Word of God, or vice versa? No. It's the same God. That's the bottom line - it's God's Word.
We hear a lot about spiritual warfare. It's interesting to note that there are two instances recorded where the devil has come down personally and dealt with people. The first time was with Eve and the second time was with Jesus Christ. What did he d o? Did he possess somebody? Did he make the moon disappear? Did he make a hurricane? What did he do? He lied! Satan's whole goal is to prevent the Word of God from being planted or to prevent the planted Word of God from bearing fruit.
II Corinthians 10:3-4
(For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [ they're not fleshly], but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds:)
Let's go looking through Atlanta for strongholds! We'll pull them down with spiritual weapons! Is this correct? No, not at all! Let's read on.
Casting down imaginations [or reasonings], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
It's thought by thought by thought.
The bottom-line issue is -: do you love God enough to obey Him no matter what?
John 14: 21 Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
What's the proof that you love Jesus? Doing His commandments, of course! To whom will he manifest himself? To those who keep His commandments!
II John verse 5
And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning that we love one another.
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it."
How do we know that we are walking in love toward our brothers and sisters? If we are obeying the Word, we are walking in love. Can we be walking in disobedience to the Word and still be walking in love? No. It doesn't work! That's the test.
Look at I John 5:1-2.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
How do we know that we love the children of God? By loving God and keeping His commandments. Verse 7 reads, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
How do we know that we love God? We keep His commandments! We do what He says to do.
John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
We spend a lot of time saying what this verse doesn't mean, but what does it mean? God is His Word and His Word has always been with Him. They are one. You can't drive a wedge between them and you can't separate them. God says, "If you don't like me, you don't like my Word". They are that close. God's Word is no "Johnny come lately" - it's not something that God whipped up at the last minute in order to deal with some of humanity's problems. With God created the heavens and the earth, His Word was there, too.
John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
While reading this passage, we must remember that the original Greek nouns had gender. What is the gender of the word "logos"? The "him" refers back to the masculine noun, "logos".
John 1:4-5
In him [the logos] was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (Some translations use the word "overpowered" instead of "comprehended".)
The main point is that God and His Word are inseparable.
Jeremiah 5:21
Hear this now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they r oar, yet can they not pass over it?
The passage goes on to say that God's people were rebellious. God expected His people to tremble at His presence, but were they doing it?
Isaiah 66:1-2
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
What's God looking for? Someone who trembles at His Word. Do our Bibles have to shake when we pick them up? Well, suppose we receive a letter in the mail from the IRS. It's not that you're scared of the folks that work at the IRS - it's that you real ize that what's in the envelope has the power to change your lives in ways you cannot control. You know that you're dealing with something serious. When I was younger it was a letter saying "greetings from the President of the United States". It meant that you were about to go to war. That meant that your career was now on hold, your family was now on hold, and you were about to go war and might not be coming back.
Verse 5
Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word...
God not only wants us to tremble at His presence, He wants us to tremble at his Word.
Ephesians 6:5
Servants, be obedient to that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Are slaves supposed to be scared of their masters? In today's terminology, are we supposed to shaking with fear at the thought of your boss? But it does mean that we should treat them with that kind of respect.
Philippians 2:12-13
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Are we supposed to live the Christian life shaking like a leaf? No, but we are supposed have that much awe of God. When we read His Word, we are conscious that this is GOD talking and that means something BIG! The Creator of heaven and earth has taken the time to talk to me! He's taken the time to write a book. You know, I've had the hardest time this week getting this book open. That's spiritual warfare! We've got to make the time to talk to God - make the time to pray. That's spiritual warfare. How many serious Christians don't like to read the Bible? How many don't want to hear from God? How many believers don't want to talk to God? How many have to fight to do it? That's not just you. That's somebody getting in the way.
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The Greek word for "word" here is the word rhema. It's not just the words on a page, but it's God taking that Word and energizing His Word in your heart and on someone else's lips - and making it alive! They are not just words on a page. Jesus said that the word that He gave are "spirit" and "life".
Hebrews 4:
For the word of God is quick [that means living], 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 discerned 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.
Who does the word "him" refer to? It's the Word. God's Word. It means that while you are busy reading God's Word, God's Word is reading you. Nothing in you is hidden from it. The Word of God is living. You could be going along reading your Bible, and all of the sudden - ZING! The Word of God finds an area in your heart that needs attention! It's living and it's sharp and it's powerful.
"Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit" Most Christians don't even know the difference between soul and spirit, let alone divide them. The Word can. When we stand before Christ at the bema, what's He going to judge us on? By what s tandard?
Remember when Job said that he wished his adversary had written a book? Take a look at that sometime. Who was his adversary? Any ideas? If you examine it you'll find it was God (not the devil like some teach). Job was around before the written Word. He was wishing that he had a written standard.
Right after He was baptized, Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. He only had the Word on which to rely for thirty years. The Bible does not mention anything about any special revelation given to Him up until this time. He only had the Word of God. He hadn't had the spirit of God and wasn't around people that did either. Even though Jesus managed to walk perfectly before God all His life, the devil didn't bother him up until He was baptized. Once He received holy spirit, it was p anic time in the kingdom of the enemy. The devil came personally to take care of the situation.
Matthew 4:3-4
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Why did Jesus choose this verse? Did he mentally go over all the verses that mentioned food? Is that what this was all about?
Deuteronomy 8:1-
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
How did Jesus live His life? How did He make His decisions? He knew that if He would put the kingdom of God first, God would supply Him with everything He needed (Matt. 6:33). That's how He answered the devil. Remember how Jesus gave the Pharisees a hard time? Why did he give them a hard time? Weren't they obeying the Word? No, they were just acting. In contrast, Jesus Christ knew that the Word of God had priority over even his needs. That is how He lived. That's critical in walking with God .
Has anyone seen "Let's Make a Deal"? You've won two hundred dollars and you sit down. You're then asked if you want to trade it for what's behind door number two. Well, our adversary is ready to make a deal. If your needs are more important than God' s Word - they have a way of making themselves seem very critical - then you will trade God's Word for door number two. It's like the movie "Indecent Proposal" (the stupidest movie I never did see). The rich guy offers another guy one million dollars for a night with his wife. There really shouldn't have been anything to discuss.
There are four steps in order to make the Word yours: you've got to receive it as the Word of God with meekness, you've got to meditate on the Word (You've got to teach it to yourself, that it's real and God will do as He promised.), you've got to obey the Word (otherwise, according to James, you're just fooling yourself), and you've got to speak the Word.
II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Does God judge us on our workmanship of His Word? He definitely does.
II Corinthians 2:17
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
The word "corrupt" means to adulterate. In the Septuagint, the word used was the same as when a tavern keeper mixed wine with water. When we mix anything else with the Word of God, do we still have the Word? No. We can either serve the Word straight or we can water it down. When we water down the Word, we dilute it with men's words.
Here are a couple of things to check for while somebody's teaching you the Word. Ask yourself, "Is this what the Word says?". If it doesn't exactly say it, proceed with caution. You also should ask yourself how it is applied in scripture. Those t wo things will keep you from making a lot of mistakes in interpretation.
Hebrews 5:5
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my son, to-day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God and high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
What is the key thing that Jesus had to learn? Obedience. There will be times when we won't know what's going on times when God's Word won't make sense. The bottom line is - do you love Him and do you trust him? And equally - does He love you and is He faithful to His Word?
II Timothy 3:1- 11, 14 - 17, 4:14:1-
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boaster, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, lead away with divers lusts,
Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconnium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
(14)But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
I charge thee therefore be fore God, and the Lord Jeuse Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Preach the word; be instant in season out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears form the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of and evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
What was Paul worried about in the last days of the church? What was the danger? He was warning about people turning away from the Word. What's the solution? The solution is to study and know the Word. What do you do if someone gives you a counterfei t twenty? You check it out.
I just heard Andy Stanley teach on spiritual eating disorders. You've got spiritual anorexics who don't eat. They supposedly walk with God, but they never eat. Then, you've got spiritual bulimics who binge on the Word and throw it all up. None of it gets into their system. They don't do it. They think to themselves, "Boy, that was a good meal!". What we have to do is to receive the Word of God as the Word of God - and that means checking it as it comes in. Not everything that advertises itself as the Word of God is the Word of God. You n eed to make sure that it doesn't have some of the word of man slipped in. You do that by knowing the Word. Checking everything against the standard of the written Word. God's Word will always agree with itself. You've got to speak and teach God's Word to yourself and fully persuade ourselves that what God promised in His Word, He means. We've got to do the Word. And we have to make sure that we speak the Word that we've received.