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Theology => General Theology => Topic started by: mejbaker on November 21, 2003, 06:44:17 PM



Title: A More Sure Word
Post by: mejbaker on November 21, 2003, 06:44:17 PM

2 Peter 1:17  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.''
18.  And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19. We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.

Peter heard the audible voice of God on the holy mountain, yet he goes on to say, We also have the prophetic word made more sure.  He’s talking about the written Word of God, being more sure than the audible voice of God heard from the holy mountain. This is a more sure Word. Many people seek such things, signs and  visible manifestations wanting to hear from God, when all you have to do is pick up your Bible and read it!  This is the surest Word there is.  It doesn’t get any surer than this!

Isaiah 55:11  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

This is the sure Word of God, it doesn’t fail, it doesn’t return void.  It always accomplishes that which it was sent to do.  Always,  not occasionally, not when God is in the mood.  He never changers, He’s always the same. He is consistently consistent. That sounds like a Yogi Bera-ism, but it makes a point.  

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God tells us in His Word, that there is no variableness of change in Him.

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

-- New Revised Standard with Apocrypha
James 1:17  Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Hebrews 1:10.  And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands;  11.  They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; 12.  Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.''

We can see just from these few scriptures that God is always consistent.  You can see that He is faithful to do what He said He would do.

In other words, He fulfills His Word.  His Word will not fail.  His Word will not return void.  That would make Him a liar if it did, and He can’t lie!!!!

Numbers 23:19  "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.  Has He said,  and will He not do it?   Or has He spoken,
and will He not make it good?

This is a question to us.  God’s written Word is to us, will He not perform it?  Will He not make it good.   Thank God,  He will. Thank God,  we can depend on Him, thank God,  He is faithful.   Thank God,  thank God.  Whether we feel like it or not,  the Word of the Lord is a sure thing.

Prov:2:1:  My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you,   2.  so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;   3.  yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,   4.  If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;   5.  then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

Prov:4:4: He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live.

Prov:4:20: My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21.  Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
22.  For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
23.  Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
24.  Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.

Prov:7:1: My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

God's Word is a sure thing,  but we haven’t always walked in it, we haven’t always obeyed His voice and followed His instructions.  Have you ever considered how strong the Scripture is concerning this.  God’s Word absolutely cannot fail,  ever!
Then why aren’t we walking in miracles and healing and divine prosperity all the time?  God's Word will not return void, but are we doing what He told us to do in His Word to cause the results He wants?  As we just read in proverbs we are given commandment, to give attention to His words,  receive His words, and treasure His commands within us, not to let them depart from our eyes; to keep them in the midst of our heart, let our hearts retain His words; keep His commands, and live.  If we treasure His commands within us, so that we incline our ear to wisdom, and apply our heart to understanding; if we cry out for discernment, and lift up our voice for understanding, If we seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then we will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

God's Word tells us that His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, yet it also tells us how we can get knowledge.

Jesus said,  to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'' John 8:31-32.

Knowing is another way of saying having knowledge.  If  we abide in His Word –
Firstly,  then secondly we shall know the truth, and then in that knowing the truth shall make us free.  Jesus called this discipleship. Abiding in his Word, and knowing the truth, and being free because of it. Abiding is to continue there in.
Do all Christians walk in freedom?  The answer to that is assuredly No!   Has this freedom been given to all Christians?  The answer to that is assuredly Yes!  Jesus was talking to the Jews, who believed Him – but just because they believed him did not give them a free ride, He told them, the ones who believed, that they had to abide in his Word before they would know the truth. Many Christians who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, don’t know the truth of much of God’s Word. They lack knowledge concerning His promises.  They don’t know the truth, therefore they haven’t been abiding in His Word, and therefore they can’t be made free.

Jms:1:25: But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Many people think you prove your faith by your works, -- I’ve seen people do all kinds of works, thinking that those works will prove their faith, yet many times all they have, is works without faith. This is not to say there shouldn’t be corresponding action with our faith, but the works by themselves aren’t necessarily the result of faith.  Faith will produce the works,  but works will not produce the faith.  I hope you see my point in this. So let us not get caught up in trying to produce faith by our works, it doesn’t work that way, works must always be accompanied with faith.
God's Word will never return void, yet we have to come to a place where we have full confidence in his Word if we are ever going to walk in the knowledge of His truth, and experience the true freedom that comes from knowing the truth.  This can only come from a confidence that is created in us from truly abiding in His precious promises.

2Pt:1:4: by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We have a part to play in this, we have to partake.  In order to do that we must walk in obedience and believe His Word to be true, this becomes easier as we draw closer to Him.

Deuteronomy 7:8  "but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God's Word is on the line, let's put Him to the test and see that He will make good on what He has said.

The first step is to know for sure that you are a child of God,  you start by earnestly praying this prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, “…and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”   (Jn.6:37),   So I know You won’t cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it.  You said in your Word,   "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.''     (Ro. 10:13).
I am calling on Your name,  So I know You have saved me now, You also said, “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”     (Ro.10:9,10).
I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, “… with the heart one believes to righteousness…” and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21),
And I am saved!            Thank You, Lord!
I can now truthfully say,  I see myself as a born again child of God!

Glory to God!!!!          Amen.
The Olive Branch (http://olivebranchministries.us)


Title: Re:A More Sure Word
Post by: Petro on November 21, 2003, 08:18:06 PM
mejbaker

Very Good, I agree with you, and as I started to read these verses you put forth, I thopught of the connection, that verse 19, had with Heb 1 and 2.

19. We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.

Verse 17,  "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.''

The prophetic Word, concerning Jesus, and how he became flash and dwelt among men, and then  in Hebrews Paul says;

Heb 1
1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;
3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Made more sure, because it was not only prophecied that He should come, but He himself spoke and continues to speak to us today, through His Word.

You go on to say;

Quote
Many people think you prove your faith by your works, -- I’ve seen people do all kinds of works, thinking that those works will prove their faith, yet many times all they have, is works without faith. This is not to say there shouldn’t be corresponding action with our faith, but the works by themselves aren’t necessarily the result of faith.  Faith will produce the works,  but works will not produce the faith.  I hope you see my point in this. So let us not get caught up in trying to produce faith by our works, it doesn’t work that way, works must always be accompanied with faith.
God's Word will never return void, yet we have to come to a place where we have full confidence in his Word if we are ever going to walk in the knowledge of His truth, and experience the true freedom that comes from knowing the truth.  This can only come from a confidence that is created in us from truly abiding in His precious promises.

The only thing which produces anything which is pleasing to God, is belief in His Word, only then can one do the Work of God, which is to believe in Him, whom He has sent. ALL other works are secondary,

If anyone ever asks, show me your faith by your works, one need to point to nothing other than his faith in Jesus, this is the Work of God, that saves, Faith in Christ to the saving of the Soul.

Many do not accept this saying....as proof, one is saved, since they need to see tangible evidence, but I dare say, even if any healed the sick, and gave sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf, and caused the lame to walk, they would still not believe.

Thanks for your post...


God Bless,
Petro


Title: Re:A More Sure Word
Post by: ELI on November 23, 2003, 05:31:19 AM
Nice piece, mejbaker  :) ;)

So Peter's "eyes not only saw" but his "ears heard" as well.

2 Pet. 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven (from within and around Jesus) we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Heaven is wherever God is -- Yes, I'm saying Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh

And not only do we have an eyewitness account, but we have the Word of God, the prophecies of which foretold of Christ and the glory to come.  

[19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place = (you before getting saved), until the day dawn, and the day star arise  in your hearts:

Did you not read back in verse 3 -- that according to His divine power He has given us all things that pertain to life [eternal] and godliness through knowledge of Him, which is to say His Word?

It is the "sure word" of that which is to come!  ;) :)

You can count on it! Take heed unto it, Peter says, for therein you shall find the light! And that light, the "day star", who is Jesus Christ, will rise and abide in your heart.

Rev. 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear?  :) :)

Then "take heed" to the Word of God, Peter says, for the prophets of old have brought forth the light!

You know ?

God bless

Peace