What IS The Word of God?
Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
What is the Word of God?
How can we know it?
Is it God’s word because it’s true?
Is God’s word ever VOID?
(Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.)
First of all, God never lies; He’s never wrong!
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
-Not all grass is green, but if God said “grass is green”, ALL grass would
become green!
(God does not know the future because He’s so smart. God MAKES the future!)
When a man gives his word, he’s promising to do something. Keeping one’s word means keeping one’s promise.
EVERY word of God is a promise!
-God always keeps His promises!
If no word of God is “void”, how can it be “of none effect”?
-Why is it that most people are not saved?
-Why is it that most people that are crippled, blind, deaf or demon-possessed
are not saved (delivered, set free)?
When God makes a promise to do good, it is not for everyone. It is for those who believe.
-Not for those who believe the promise, but for those who believe God!
-Faith is a word to describe those who are trusting (believing) in the character of
someone who made a promise.
God is good and kind and merciful and wise.
God is powerful, just and full of grace.
God MADE all things and OWNS all things.
God rules over me, you, the kings and presidents, the rich and poor.
If you do not believe and accept God’s character and reputation, you are a miserable and sad soul.
God has given us free will. This means that He has given you authority over many areas in your life.
IF you choose NOT to trust Christ with your life:
-You think YOU know better than God.
-You think YOU are smarter than God.
-You think YOU are stronger than God.
-You think YOU own your own life.
These things are not only wrong, they are dangerous, insulting to God, and they DO NOT please God!
Let’s see what happens when we DO believe God will keep His word:
Genesis 12:1-4 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Genesis 15:5-6 And he (GOD) brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he (Abram) believed in the Lord; and he (GOD) counted it to him (ABRAM) for righteousness.
(parenthesis are mine to clarify; please read the whole story…)
What if Abram had NOT believed?
-God would have chosen someone else! His word would not have
returned void.
(note: we don’t really know how many people God called, just that Abram
responded in faith and God chose him)
The word “righteousness” literally means the actions of a righteous (upright) person.
The “righteousness of God” is a phrase used to describe God fulfilling His promise!
Romans 4:13-25 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he (Abraham) believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
This event is written in the Bible for each of us!
When we have faith in God, we become those to whom the promise was given!
When we have faith in God, we inherit the promises and God fulfills them!
WE are given credit for the wonderful things God does for us!
Consider SOME of the marvelous promises God has given us:
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The picture here is of two animals yoked together to work. Jesus promises to do the heavy work when we follow along with Him.
Matthew 5:1-6 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
-Are you poor?
-Are you sad?
-Are you unimportant (meek)?
-Are you HUNGRY to see God’s power?
Come to Jesus Christ today!!
Jesus IS the good shepherd and will give you eternal life.
Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
What is the Word of God?
How can we know it?
Is it God’s word because it’s true?
Is God’s word ever VOID?
(Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.)
First of all, God never lies; He’s never wrong!
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
-Not all grass is green, but if God said “grass is green”, ALL grass would
become green!
(God does not know the future because He’s so smart. God MAKES the future!)
When a man gives his word, he’s promising to do something. Keeping one’s word means keeping one’s promise.
EVERY word of God is a promise!
-God always keeps His promises!
If no word of God is “void”, how can it be “of none effect”?
-Why is it that most people are not saved?
-Why is it that most people that are crippled, blind, deaf or demon-possessed
are not saved (delivered, set free)?
When God makes a promise to do good, it is not for everyone. It is for those who believe.
-Not for those who believe the promise, but for those who believe God!
-Faith is a word to describe those who are trusting (believing) in the character of
someone who made a promise.
God is good and kind and merciful and wise.
God is powerful, just and full of grace.
God MADE all things and OWNS all things.
God rules over me, you, the kings and presidents, the rich and poor.
If you do not believe and accept God’s character and reputation, you are a miserable and sad soul.
God has given us free will. This means that He has given you authority over many areas in your life.
IF you choose NOT to trust Christ with your life:
-You think YOU know better than God.
-You think YOU are smarter than God.
-You think YOU are stronger than God.
-You think YOU own your own life.
These things are not only wrong, they are dangerous, insulting to God, and they DO NOT please God!
Let’s see what happens when we DO believe God will keep His word:
Genesis 12:1-4 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Genesis 15:5-6 And he (GOD) brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he (Abram) believed in the Lord; and he (GOD) counted it to him (ABRAM) for righteousness.
(parenthesis are mine to clarify; please read the whole story…)
What if Abram had NOT believed?
-God would have chosen someone else! His word would not have
returned void.
(note: we don’t really know how many people God called, just that Abram
responded in faith and God chose him)
The word “righteousness” literally means the actions of a righteous (upright) person.
The “righteousness of God” is a phrase used to describe God fulfilling His promise!
Romans 4:13-25 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he (Abraham) believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
This event is written in the Bible for each of us!
When we have faith in God, we become those to whom the promise was given!
When we have faith in God, we inherit the promises and God fulfills them!
WE are given credit for the wonderful things God does for us!
Consider SOME of the marvelous promises God has given us:
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The picture here is of two animals yoked together to work. Jesus promises to do the heavy work when we follow along with Him.
Matthew 5:1-6 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
-Are you poor?
-Are you sad?
-Are you unimportant (meek)?
-Are you HUNGRY to see God’s power?
Come to Jesus Christ today!!
Jesus IS the good shepherd and will give you eternal life.
Photo used under Creative Commons from Kevin Shorter
