God's Word Is Living, Active, and Sharp

Back ground to

God promised the nation of Israel a place and time of rest.

Numbers 13:

Numbers 13:1–2 NASB95

Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.”

The people did not believe the Word of God to give them the land

Numbers 13:27–29 NASB95

Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. “Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. “Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”

Numbers 13

Israel saw the beautiful land that God promised them, but focused on the obstacles that stood in their way. They complained that God deceived them and led them into the desert to be killed.

Numbers 14:1–4 NASB95

Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! “Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

Numbers 14:1-

Because of their unbelief God forbid, the unbelieving people to enter into the land He promised.

Numbers 14:26-

Numbers 14:26–30 NASB95

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. ‘Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

God’s word is always true. We must always believe in order to enter into His promise land

God’s Word Is Living and Active.

The promises of God’s word make it alive! Our faith in God’s promises make it active!

The Promises of God Make His Word Living!

Salvation

JOhn

John 3:16 NASB95

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

God makes a promise that if we believe in Jesus Christ we will not perish but have eternal life. We must believe that Jesus is God. We must believe that He died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. We must believe that He was resurrected bodily to conquer death and sin. We must believe that He is going to return and eradicate sin and establish his kingdom for ever.

Provision

Matthew 6:31–33 NASB95

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew

God promises to take care of our needs when we seek FIRST His kingdom and righteousness. God knows what we need. He also owns everything. He has the ability to provide from His ownership

Proverbs 13:22 NASB95

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

The Lord will provide everything you need, when you put Him first and believe His promise. This is not name it and claim it. God gives us what HE KNOWS WE NEED! The problem comes when we think we need more than God gives. This is when we get into debt.

Protection

Isaiah 43:2 NASB95

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

:

God promises to be with us when we go through difficult times. When difficult times seem to overwhelm us like a mighty rushing river, God promises to be with us. When we have to face the scorching heat of persecution, God promises to be with us. God never promises to shield us from troubling times, but does promise to be with us. This is important because when things are overwhelming and burning hot our strength to carry on is gone. He is the one who carries us through life’s darkest times.

Psalm 37:14 NASB95

The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct.

Psalms

Psalm 34:17 NASB95

The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Guidance

Guidance

James 1:5 NASB95

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

There are times when we don’t know what to do. We can ask God and He will give us what we need to make the right decision.

Goodness

Romans 8:28 NASB95

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

God uses everything in our lives for our good. This is because His purpose is always fulfilled and it is always good for us.

Our Faith in His Promises Make His Word Active

Salvation - When we have faith in God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, it makes facing death more peaceful. People that don’t have faith in Jesus salvation fear death because of the uncertainty of their unknown.

Provision - When we are focusing on the things of God, we are not focusing on the things of this world. Putting God first alleviates the worry of worldly needs. When we get our eyes of Jesus and put them on what we don’t have it robs us of peace and gives us worry.

Protection - When we trust in God’s faithfulness to watch over us and protect us we can rest. I must confess I struggle in this area. I always worry about what is going to happen to Rachel, Tatum, or Tucker. When I can’t get a hold of them, my mind always goes to worst case scenario. I know my Father loves them and has wonderful plans for them. When I rest in this I have peace.

Guidance - It is comforting to know that we serve an omniscient God that can give us completely truthful solutions to issues in life. Those that lack faith in the guidance of Godly answers must depend on human sources. All human sources are tainted by sin.

Goodness - God is sovereign over all and is in control of everything that happens. When we understand this and the fact that He loves us, we can handle difficult times with better peace. We know He promises that it will work out for our good. People that lack faith in a sovereign God allow circumstances to dictate their peace.

The Word of God Judges Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart.

It is sharp enough to penetrate to the depths of our inner most being. As far as the soul and spirit. This is the immaterial part of our being that formulates our being. We are a soul with a body, not a body with a soul. God’s Word communicates to our soul.

This is why it is sometimes painful to read. When it begins to transform us, it is a painful process. It judges our thoughts and intentions. When they are not pure it is revealed and our soul experiences pain that manifests itself in conviction. When our soul is transformed and lines up with God’s will, it manifests itself in worship.

No One Is Exempt From God’s Word

Whether you are a believer or not God’s Word affects everyone. For those who believe it is transforming you into Christlikeness. For those who do not believe it will serve to judge for eternal punishment.