My dear brothers and sisters, of FaithLine: “Is not My word LIKE A FIRE?” says the LORD, “And LIKE A HAMMER that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29) Like fire, God’s word is quick and piercing, and penetrating into the hearts and consciences of men; and works wrath there as necessary, and raises a FEARFUL EXPECTATION OF FIERY INDIGNATION; it threatens with everlasting fire; it sentences sinful man to the fire of hell. The Gospel part of the word is like fire, because of the light to the entrance of it gives to sinners; by which they see their impurity, impotence, and the insufficiency of their own righteousness, and the way of life and salvation by Christ; and BY THE LIGHT OF THIS FIRE SAINTS ARE DIRECTED in their walk and conversation toward Christ. “The LORD came from Sinai…From His right hand Came a FIERY LAW for them.” (Deut. 33:2) Man’s heart when being hardened by sin, becomes destitute of spiritual life; stupid and senseless; stubborn and inflexible; from which no response is made, and man becomes unrepentant and inflexible; “…they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and STOPPED THEIR EARS so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, REFUSING TO HEAR THE WORDS which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit…thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zech. 7:11-12)
Now the WORD OF THE LORD, in the hand of the Holy Spirit, is a means of BREAKING SUCH HARD HEARTS, the Gospel is an instrument in the hand the Lord and when He takes it into His own hand, and strikes with it, IT WILL BREAK THE HARDEST HEART IN PIECES, and make a stony heart a heart of flesh. This is how we should pray, “I delight in your rulings; I WILL NOT NEGLECT YOUR WORD. Be good to your servant…that I MAY OBEY YOUR WORD. OPEN MY EYES that I may see WONDERFUL THINGS in your instructions.” (Psa. 119:16-18)
WE ALSO THANK GOD, BECAUSE WHEN YOU RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD WHICH YOU HEARD FROM US, YOU WELCOMED IT NOT AS THE WORD OF MEN, BUT AS IT IS…THE WORD OF GOD…(1 Thess. 2:13)
FaithLine, the bible says: “Is not My word LIKE A FIRE?” says the LORD…”
-Bill Stockham