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Monday, April 8, 2013

The Believer's Part in Remaining Spirit-filled # 12

Life On The Highest Plane

The Word of God is the Medium in Regeneration

The Word of God is Wealth to Enrich

Psalm 119:14, "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches."

Psalm 119:72, "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver."

Psalm 119:127, "Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea above fine gold."

Psalm 119:162, "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."

There is constant drain upon the Christian. Everything in his environment tends to impoverishment of spirit. There is unceasing need of renewal through enrichment. But in the Lord Jesus are "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3); in Him are embodied all the unsearchable riches of grace and glory (Phil. 4:19; Eph. 1:7). The Spirit opens these to us by opening the Scriptures and enabling us through the Word to know and to claim all the things which He hath given us richly to enjoy.

The Word of God is a Critic to Judge

Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The Greek word "Kritikos" means able to judge. The tendency today is that men choose to be critics of the Word rather than to accept the Word as their critic. But one very salutary function of the Bible is its judgment upon the Christian's thoughts and actions. The Psalmist who offered that sincere prayer, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting," knew the helpfulness of God's righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:164, "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments."

Psalm 119:175, "Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me."

What a quickening of spiritual life would take place today if every child of God would put his life under the righteous judgment of the Word of God. The long-prayed for revival undoubtedly would burst forth like fire if the Bible were permitted to become the Critic of men's thoughts, feelings and actions, and if they were willing to act upon its kindly, beneficent criticism.

The Word of God is a Manual of Holy Living

Psalm 119:1-3, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways."

God has provision for every step of the way in the life of godliness, which He expects His child to live. In His Word He has given the principles that govern such a life, and the precepts which teach us how to practice them. The Christian who practices the presence of God and who lives the Christ-life most transparently is the one who is most thoroughly saturated with God's Word and who deliberately has given himself to live out that Word in deed.

The Word of God is a Weapon

Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The Spirit-filled man has enemies; he is engaged in a warfare. The powers of hell are all against him. He is always open to attack and momentarily liable to defeat. He needs both defensive and offensive weapons. He must be able both to stand and to withstand in every assault of satan.

There is but one way this can be done and it is the way the God-man used. His only weapon in the wilderness was the Sword of the Spirit. "It is written," repeated three times in the threefold attack, repulsed he enemy.

Let us note that the God-man had His sword burnished and ready. He did not wait to draw out the scroll of Scripture and read from it to get an answer for the devil. In the years of seclusion in the Nazareth home He had stored away the Words of God in His heart, and in the hours of quiet work in the carpenter's shop He had meditated upon them. It may be that the Son of Man had gone into the wilderness fresh from the study of Deuteronomy. His mind was so saturated with its truth that when satan attacked Him, the Spirit instantly brought to His remembrance the very words that utterly routed him. He was kept in the moment of temptation by the Word hid in His heart.

Deut. 11:18, "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes."

Psalm 119:11, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Col. 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 13)

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