Resting in the Word

Hebrews 4:12–13 NIV

For the word of God is alive 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. 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.

Introduction: A Journal Entry - The Word was living and Active in my life on that day.

4 - The Goal is Salvation.

Context - The Idea of rest

vs. 2 we who have believed the Gospel have entered God’s rest.

vs. 6 some have not entered the rest yet.

vs. 8 - He points out that the promised land was not entering that rest.

vs. 11 - Let’s make every effort to enter God’s rest - Salvation. - To reasons - God’s Word can get us there, and God knows everything and we will give an account.

5 - The Word is Living and Effective in bringing Salvation.

Experience times where it feels like we I have just been going through the motions.

Creation - John 1 connection.

6 - How is it Living?

- The Spirit continually works in and through the words of Scripture. - The Holy Spirit didn’t simply inspire the writers of the Bible—he also continues to inspire the readers of the Bible.

- the Spirit of life who raised Christ from the dead and now lives within us (Romans 8:11),

- For this reason, we should approach Scripture with expectation. We should come to the Bible expecting God to speak to us. - As we take the action to read Scripture, we may come to find that God is the one acting on us; as we read the Bible, God—in a mysterious and metaphorical way—is actually reading us—our hearts and our minds (v. 13).

7 - How is it Effective?

Again we are taken back to creation - When God Speaks the universe is created....

It speaks to us in our present moment and contextualizes the message to fit our current situation. With this in mind, we should never grow weary of reading Scripture—even texts that we are extremely familiar with that may seem redundant—because through the presence and activity of the Spirit, the Bible has the power to speak a fresh word to us in every season and stage of our lives.

https://www.bibleref.com/Hebrews/4/Hebrews-4-12.html

machairan was primarily meant for cutting flesh—unlike true military "swords" which were tougher but less razor-sharp. Whether military "sword" or meat-cutter's "knife," this perspective makes the metaphor of this verse all the more vivid. The "sword" is said to separate the "joints and marrow," probably a reference to tendons, ligaments, and other meaty parts. These are from the Greek words harmōn and myelōn. These tissues are hidden away, hard to reach, and seemingly indistinguishable. A sharp blade, such as a machairan, can uncover and separate these things. In the same way, the Word of God can even separate spiritual things which seem completely intertwined, such as the soul and spirit. This is not meant to be literal, as the Bible often uses these terms interchangeably. Rather, this is a graphic explanation of how completely God's Word can distinguish between the godly and ungodly. To man, the soul and spirit seem indistinguishable, but the Word of God can—metaphorically—even discern between these. This incredible "cutting" power of Scripture is therefore a tool to separate our very thoughts into good and evil. The Bible provides everything we need to know the difference between truly selfless, spiritual deeds, and acts which are actually selfish and ungodly (Matthew 7:21–23). Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees describes how outwardly pious behavior itself is not always obedience (Matthew 23). It is possible to read the Word and yet fail to follow God's will, due to rebellion (2 Peter 3:16) or pride (John 5:39–40).

- Positive change and personal growth are only possible if we are open to the leading and guiding of the Spirit.

- If we are not open to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, then the Bible will lose its transformative potency in our lives, becoming like just another book.

8 - We read the Bible Devotionally.

9 - Prayerfully and In the Spirit.

10 - S.O.A.P. Reading

S - Write out one or more verses that are particularly meaningful to you, today.

O - Rewrite those verses or key points in your own words to better understand.

A - Write down what you can do to apply your life to that passage.

P - Write out a prayer telling God what you’ve learned and how you plan to obey.

11 - Divine Reading

Conclusion: Video - https://skitguys.com/videos/the-word-of-god