Proclamation:
“For The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written under
the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the unknown human author of The
Bible Book of Hebrews to the Hebrew believers, and indirectly to all
believers. In this chapter the author
begins by addressing the Sabbath-rest for the people of God. He attempts to explain what God meant when He
said, “… They shall never enter My rest.”
He refers to it as a heavenly rest, the rest of salvation for believers,
as opposed to a state of labor and trouble during this life. This was not a reference to the
Sabbath Day, the day of worship, this reference was to salvation for those who
heard The Word of God and believed. (Hebrews 4:3-4) He goes on to say that The Word of God will
judge the heart and soul, and the thoughts and attitudes of man.
Application:
The Word of God is so powerful that it enters into the
deepest part of the heart, the secret and most intimate part, and it fatally
wounds the stubborn and hard-hearted while it revives and renews the
believer. The Word of God can affect the
mind and heart, the spirit and the soul, of those who hear it and those who
preach it. Only non-believers are
unaffected by it and they will have to deal with the consequences of their
choice. The Word of God is the bases for
dividing right from wrong, good from bad, and righteous from sinful. It applies not only to our actions but also
to our spoken words and our thoughts.
Thinking sinful thoughts is committing a sin. (Proverbs 23:7 and Matthew
5:28) God knows everything that we do,
say, and think, and we will have to give an account for them. (Matthew 12:36
and Hebrews 4:13) So, when we pray, we
should ask to be forgiven for all of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.
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