This is an excellent post by a man of God.
by Mattfivefour/Rapture Forums (used by permission)
Brothers and sisters, regardless of the circumstances you may find yourself in, regardless of how tempting it may be to lean unto your own understanding, regardless of how much your intellect may be swayed by man's arguments, remember that man lives by God's Word. Therefore I beseech you to cast down every reasoning of your mind that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), which knowledge is revealed in His Word. I implore you to remember on what you stand as a soldier of the Cross. You stand on the Rock, which is Christ who IS the Word the true Logos. Indeed, as a soldier, what enables your feet to stand on that rock? Ephesians 6:15 tells us: "Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Everything depends on those shoes our preparation of the gospel of peace. In other words, the Word made real in our hearts. In fact, if there is a single piece of armor that is more important, it is not the sword, or the shield, or the belt. It is not even the helmet or the breastplate. It is the shoes. For it is those shoes that enable us to stand on the Rock. That which those shoes provide is that upon which everything else depends. All that we have, all that we hold, our salvation, and the security of our eternal souls rests upon that gospel.
You have your loins girt about with Truth? Wonderful! But if it were not for Gods Word you would not know the truth, for it is from His Word that we know of Christ and learn that He Alone is Truth. (John 14:6) You are wearing the helmet of salvation? Terrific! But if it were not for Gods Word you would not know of salvation, for it is from God's Word that we learn that salvation comes by faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone. (Ephesians 2:8) You have on the breastplate of righteousness? Awesome! But if it were not for Gods Word you would not know of that righteousness that protects you, nor would you realize that you in fact now possess the Righteousness of God provided by Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:22) You are carrying the shield of faith at the ready? Excellent! But where did you get that faith? Did it not come by hearing? And your hearing, did it not come by the Word of God? (Romans 10:17) And you have in your hand the Sword of the Spirit? Splendid! But what IS the Sword of the Spirit? Is it not the very Word of God? (Ephesians 6:17) And does the gospel given in that Word not save you if you hold fast to it? (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
Thus with all of this armor are you not then able to stand against all the tricks and the ambushes of the Devil? Yet is it not all based on the preparation of the gospel of peace? Can you see that everythingfrom that on which you stand, to everything else you needis ALL based on, and arising out of, the Word of God.
Let us stand fast, then, on this Word. For it alone gives light (Psalm 119:130). It alone gives life (James 1:18). It alone testifies of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:7). When we hear preachers and teachers speaking, let us be as the Bereans and actually search God's Word to see if the things being said are really so. (Acts 17:11)
Too many Christians treat the reading and study of God's Word as optional. They find it arduous and tedious. They are willing to leave it to scholars and preachers to read and study. Isn't that what we pay the pastor for? To read it and tell us what it says?
There is a truism of scriptural study that if God says something once we should pay attention to it. If He says it twice, we had better not miss it. If He says it THREE times, then we had better make sure we heed it without fail. Three times in His Word God repeats the exact same words. And those words concern HIS Word.
"The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." 2 Samuel 22:31
"The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 18:30
"Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." Proverbs 30:5
Brothers and sisters, dearly beloved of God, God's emphasis on His Word is no accident. We have seen its importance as we have read. Do not be as Adam and Eve in the Garden who were tricked into doubting God's Word. Let us ensure that we cling to that Word, that we hide it in our hearts, so that the Holy Spirit can provide us with the knowledge and the wisdom to be as Isaiah, who cried: "To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)
What Word? Gods Word. The Bible. Hide it in your hearts. We have always needed it. But in these last days we need it more than ever.
by Mattfivefour/Rapture Forums (used by permission)
Brothers and sisters, regardless of the circumstances you may find yourself in, regardless of how tempting it may be to lean unto your own understanding, regardless of how much your intellect may be swayed by man's arguments, remember that man lives by God's Word. Therefore I beseech you to cast down every reasoning of your mind that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), which knowledge is revealed in His Word. I implore you to remember on what you stand as a soldier of the Cross. You stand on the Rock, which is Christ who IS the Word the true Logos. Indeed, as a soldier, what enables your feet to stand on that rock? Ephesians 6:15 tells us: "Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Everything depends on those shoes our preparation of the gospel of peace. In other words, the Word made real in our hearts. In fact, if there is a single piece of armor that is more important, it is not the sword, or the shield, or the belt. It is not even the helmet or the breastplate. It is the shoes. For it is those shoes that enable us to stand on the Rock. That which those shoes provide is that upon which everything else depends. All that we have, all that we hold, our salvation, and the security of our eternal souls rests upon that gospel.
You have your loins girt about with Truth? Wonderful! But if it were not for Gods Word you would not know the truth, for it is from His Word that we know of Christ and learn that He Alone is Truth. (John 14:6) You are wearing the helmet of salvation? Terrific! But if it were not for Gods Word you would not know of salvation, for it is from God's Word that we learn that salvation comes by faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone. (Ephesians 2:8) You have on the breastplate of righteousness? Awesome! But if it were not for Gods Word you would not know of that righteousness that protects you, nor would you realize that you in fact now possess the Righteousness of God provided by Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:22) You are carrying the shield of faith at the ready? Excellent! But where did you get that faith? Did it not come by hearing? And your hearing, did it not come by the Word of God? (Romans 10:17) And you have in your hand the Sword of the Spirit? Splendid! But what IS the Sword of the Spirit? Is it not the very Word of God? (Ephesians 6:17) And does the gospel given in that Word not save you if you hold fast to it? (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
Thus with all of this armor are you not then able to stand against all the tricks and the ambushes of the Devil? Yet is it not all based on the preparation of the gospel of peace? Can you see that everythingfrom that on which you stand, to everything else you needis ALL based on, and arising out of, the Word of God.
Let us stand fast, then, on this Word. For it alone gives light (Psalm 119:130). It alone gives life (James 1:18). It alone testifies of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:7). When we hear preachers and teachers speaking, let us be as the Bereans and actually search God's Word to see if the things being said are really so. (Acts 17:11)
Too many Christians treat the reading and study of God's Word as optional. They find it arduous and tedious. They are willing to leave it to scholars and preachers to read and study. Isn't that what we pay the pastor for? To read it and tell us what it says?
There is a truism of scriptural study that if God says something once we should pay attention to it. If He says it twice, we had better not miss it. If He says it THREE times, then we had better make sure we heed it without fail. Three times in His Word God repeats the exact same words. And those words concern HIS Word.
"The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." 2 Samuel 22:31
"The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 18:30
"Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." Proverbs 30:5
Brothers and sisters, dearly beloved of God, God's emphasis on His Word is no accident. We have seen its importance as we have read. Do not be as Adam and Eve in the Garden who were tricked into doubting God's Word. Let us ensure that we cling to that Word, that we hide it in our hearts, so that the Holy Spirit can provide us with the knowledge and the wisdom to be as Isaiah, who cried: "To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)
What Word? Gods Word. The Bible. Hide it in your hearts. We have always needed it. But in these last days we need it more than ever.
