THE WORD OF GOD – OUR BASELINE TO CHRISTIAN LIVING

Part 1: The word of God gives life

Pastor Maselo Mosomane

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21

We read in the gospel according to John that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1. We also read in Genesis chapter 1 that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We are told in verse 3 how He created them. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’” He spoke and the whole universe came into being. Every time He spoke the word it became and order. He would speak and things would obey. It doesn’t matter how big they might be – they obeyed.

The bible tells us in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 that the earth was without form and void. Darkness was upon the face of the earth. But when God spoke; light was restored for darkness and shape for shapelessness (for the earth was without form). By His word He rearranged this earth and since that day it became functional.

What happened? The word of God gave the earth life. There was no life on earth until God spoke His word. When He spoke; life was imparted. When He spoke the earth brought forth grass, the herbs that yields seed according to its kind and the trees that yields fruit according to is kind. When He opened His mouth the waters abounded with an abundance of living creature. The sky above was filled with all sorts of flying creatures. What happened? He spoke the word and said “let there be” and there was.

The word of God imparts life. Everything created was created by Him and finds its life from Him. Without God there was no life. The same is still true even today. Without God there is no life. Everything outside God is dead even if it is still breathing. Life without God is synonymous to death. We are witnesses to this truth my friend. At one stage we were without God and our lives bear witness to the truth that we were not just without God - we were dead. We claimed to be alive as many are doing today. But death and fear were all around us. We looked alive; but were in fact dead. But when we heard the word of God preached; when we believed the word, life was imparted into our spirits and we became alive in Christ.  

The word of God imparted life to us. The Holy Spirit said this through Peter; “….having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” The Holy Spirit says the word of God is a seed. Like a natural seed it gets implanted into the hearts of people. But unlike all the other seeds, it is eternal. It abides forever. When the other seeds die, the word of God continues to live. The same is true with its products. Those who are born of this incorruptible seed will not die. They received eternal life.

The word of God is like God Himself. It changes not. God said in Malachi 3:6; “I am the Lord, I do not change.” A backslidden prophet also testified; “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19. God and His word are one. He is eternal; so is His word.

This same Word that created and gave life to every living thing will be there long after all that we see is gone. The Word of God will abide forever. Jesus was recorded saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” Matthew 24:35. This is good news. We will always have the Word of God and; as long as it is so, He (the Word) will continue doing what He used to do since the beginning of life. He will continue to give life.

Will this not be a good reason why we should build our lives on this baseline? A wise man will base his life on something that will remain when all things shall have gone. The word of God is eternal. What does this mean? It means the word of God will outlive everything. All other things are subject to death and decay. They all have an expiry date. Even heaven and earth do have an expiry date. They will one day come to an end. But the word of God will by no means pass away.

Let us therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls. All other things may look good and glamorous. They may also do a good job in this life; we cannot deny. However; they overflow with wickedness. They are subject to corruption and capable of corrupting those who entangle themselves with their filth.

Friend you can flee from the coming wrath. Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you for “…he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36.