The Power of God's Word

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Introduction

I was watching a documentary called The West, and my attention intensified when I heard the narrator speak about an account when the Nez Perce Indians were in search of a black book that had great powers…

I thought, would if the group of Nez Perce came to our church, what would I tell them about this black book with great powers!

I. Power to Save

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

We need salvation because our souls are unclean - Spiritual Pollution

‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth...”

souls must be purified because they are filthy with sin and corruption

we inherited a sin nature from Adam and Eve

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

Religion cannot save you

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth...”

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

2. Power to Stay

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Doctrine of Preservation of the Scriptures

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

3. Power to Sanctify

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The process of sanctification begins at salvation

Growing process

Grow in holiness

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Let’s look at some things we need to lay aside....

Malice

Wishing evil upon others

Guile

any form of dishonesty and trickery

William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 2257.

Hypocrisy

“insincerity, pretense, sham. The hypocrite is a play-actor, pretending to be someone he is not. He pretends to be happily married when his home is actually a battlefield. He pretends to be spiritual on Sundays but he is as carnal as a goat on weekdays. He pretends interest in others but his motives are selfish.”

William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 2257.

Envy

Hatred for others because they have what you want.

Cain and Abel

it is different from Jealousy

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Evil Speakings

Slander

Gossip

The Book helps us to grow and be sanctified

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Conclusion

The power of this book is unleashed by the individual welcoming the author of the book into his/her life.

Jesus has the power to do the miraculous

We have to surrender and let God be God in our life

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.