“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

As a New Testament church, the source of our instruction is not driven by social commentary. The source of our instruction is not personal agendas or platforms. The source of our instruction is not past personal experiences. The source of our instruction is God’s Word. Why? It is God’s Word that reveals man’s condition, as well as the remedy for that condition. It is God’s Word that searches, convicts, and cleanses the heart of man. It gets down to the “joints and marrow” of our bodies and shines a light on the places in our hearts we like to keep hidden. The lost person does not need to hear what we think. The lost person does not need to hear a softened, watered down version of the truth. We owe them more than that. His Word is living, it is active, and it has a definite and determined plan. The Christian has the promise that as God’s Word goes out, it will not come back void. Although we may not see immediate fruit from our teaching and evangelism, we can trust that God will do a great work within the hearts and lives of the people who hear. There is no such promise if we make our instruction about us or about things that will not last. This world needs the unchanging, truthful, and living Word of God. Anything else is an injustice to the hearers whose spiritual lives depend upon it.

Reflection Questions:

In your opinion, what does the writer of Hebrews mean by saying that God’s Word is, “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart?”

What challenges exist today that make it more difficult for the church to keep the Word of God as the focus of our instruction?