"For the Word of God is living and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword..."
Living and effective we get...but what about this phrase, "sharper than any two-edged sword"? What kind of picture does that paint of God's Word?
A two-edge sword cuts both ways, doesn't it? As it sweeps across and then as it sweeps back again. God's Word leaves nothing unscathed when it does its convicting. At first reading it cuts into our conscience, and with another review and allowing it to start its work, it cuts again to separate us from whatever actions that are causing us that sense of conviction.In Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, it is stated this way, "The Holy Scriptures are the word of God. When God sets it home by his Spirit, it convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully. It makes a soul that has long been proud, to be humble; and a perverse spirit, to be meek and obedient. Sinful habits, that are become as it were natural to the soul, and rooted deeply in it, are separated and cut off by this sword."
We are reminded that Paul admonished us to arm ourselves with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" in Ephesians 6:17. The sword of the Word is a defense mechanism for us against the schemes of Satan...Jesus Himself used this tool when Satan tempted Him in Matthew 4.
Four times in John's vision of Revelation he refers to a sword coming out of Christ's mouth. Now the sword is a tool of retribution and judgment. Revelation 2:16, "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
Seems we will face the sword in one of two ways...we can face it as a tool to enable us to cut away the sinful habits as Matthew Henry writes of, or we will face it as Christ returns to battle those who have never repented nor allowed that cutting work to take place in their lives and have chosen, instead, to remain opposed to Christ.
Just as Jesus told His disciples that we all need pruning so that we can bear much fruit (John 15), His sword must be allowed to cut away the rotten and dead parts of us so that we can live our lives in Him to the fullest and be the most productive for His purposes.
It's a hard request, but....cut away!
1 comment:
God cuts out illness as well as sin. God is in our lives in all different ways. We have to come to God in humble obedience and ask Him for his Love and Power to enter into us in any way that may be needed. He cuts away all things that are bad for us. We have to ask Him and Pray to Him to "cut away" and "cut away" all that is rotten and dead.
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