Our Scripture meditation is based on Hebrews 4:12, part of next week’s Epistle reading.
[12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
There will always be a sense of mystery around God‘s Word. This makes what we know for certain about Scripture all the more important.
I have acquaintances who say that speaking certain words from the Bible work like incantations. They maintain speaking the words gives the speaker powers. I can see how passages like Hebrews 4:12 give this impression. It clearly states the “word of God is living and active.”
It’s important to note the Hebrews 4:12 doesn’t state how the Word of God is “living and active”. Does this happen when the words are spoken? The Bible does not state that speaking Scripture empowers the speaker. Instead, the Bible identifies God as the power working through Scripture.
This is illustrated in baptism. When a pastor declares, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit,” changes do occur. The one being baptized receives the forgiveness of sins, the gift of faith, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, it does not happen because the pastor speaks the words. It happens because God has promised to do this work through the water and the Word. The gifts of baptism are the result of God’s work in us.
This helps us understand Hebrews 4:12. The context of the passage is our propensity to disobey God. Bible passages convict us of sin. Not just the sin itself, but our sinful motives as well. This happens as God works through his Word. Through this same Word we also learn of the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake.
Kevin Wilson 360 