The Word is Life
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Many people do not believe that God speaks through His Word. They believe that God is confined to context alone. While context of Scripture is very important, the Spirit of God speaks directly to your life through verses of Scripture. This does not mean taking verses out of context. For example, just recently, I, Alison, experienced God speaking to me through His Word.
I was asking and praying regarding a specific situation. When I woke up one morning, all I could hear in my heart was “lean not on your own understanding” (see Proverbs 3:5). I had not read that verse in a while but I had spent time in it before. God does not speak to you this way if you have not hidden His Word in your heart. I decided to turn to this verse and read deeper into it. As I did, it became evident that in regard to my prayer I was to wait and continue to trust in the Lord.
This was not taking the Word out of context but rather reading it through my relationship with the Lord. My life is in Him. Therefore, after I hear from Him, I have peace and contentment to do what He says. This also protects me from doing what others may guide me to do. If it does not line up with what God told me through His Word, I know not to follow that direction.
To live in the world is to follow the world’s ways. If you are not spending adequate time in God’s Word and allowing the Spirit to teach, then you can receive advice from the world and believe that it is from God. But when you are taught by the Spirit of Christ through the Word, you will be able to recognize the world’s advice. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God’s commands. God’s commands guard and protect you from the evil one. In order to follow God’s commands, you need to be in Christ. Without Christ, your spirit does not desire the things of God. But if you live in Christ, your desire will be the desires of God.
The ten commandments place boundaries on your sinful nature. You are incapable of obeying them in and of yourself. If the Word is just words on a page to you, then you will not line up to what these commands require. However, if you recognize that these commands are the nature of Jesus and have an intimate relationship with Him, then you will have a strong desire to live within the bounds of these commands.
A key element of a life in Christ is the Spirit of Christ. You cannot read Scripture simply in a literal way because it is spiritual. Spiritual life in Christ is obtained by faith in Christ. The life that Jesus offers is eternal life. While God does hold your physical life in His hand, this is not the life that the Scripture is describing. You can be physically alive and spiritually dead. Therefore, if you try to obtain spiritual life by reading the Word without the Spirit, then it will not profit you anything. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
Life in Christ consists of daily time with Him. It requires relationship, repentance, and submission. Many approach the Word of God by trying to do what is says without surrendering to the Ways of Christ. This will not provide the life that Christ has to offer you. Trying is different than surrendering. One works toward a goal, and the other recognizes the lack of ability and submits to help. A humble heart is required to obtain life in Christ. Jesus doesn’t just contain life; He is life. A poor spirit grants you access to the kingdom of life. This requires seeing that you cannot accomplish the Ways of God by yourself. You need Jesus.
From John: True Belief Brings Joy by Alison Veazey and Kerry Skinner.