The importance of words is something that the human mind cannot truly comprehend. It is beyond human conception how words that we speak that are apparently in the natural realm can be used by God in the spiritual realm. There are a few clues, however, to some of the issues at hand. We know several things from Scripture and yet we too often don’t think about them very much. James 1:18 is simply a marvelous verse that we can quote and preach on and simply miss what is going on. “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” In this verse we see that the ultimate cause of the new birth is the will of God and yet we see a secondary cause or a means by which He works through. It is the word of truth. God uses His words to bring forth life into the souls of humans. But it is His words.
This is food for the soul and if God gives us sight we can see His glory shining here. What is it about the preached word that God uses to bring life to souls? Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 gives us more teaching on this: “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” This tells us that it is the word of God which performs its work in those who believe which as we know it is God working through His own words. Then we have 1 Peter 1:23 stating the case against that the word of God is used to bring life to eternal souls: “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” How important it is to speak the words of God.
Now how are we to put this together? The Bible is the words of God breathed forth by the Holy Spirit. When a man of God stands up and preaches the words of God, it is God alone who can make those words alive and bring them into the souls of human beings. But as the words of the living God who is life itself, He can bring life through His words. The God who spoke and a universe came into being by an act of His will can use a human being to speak His words and by an act of the same will that brought the universe into being bring life to that soul. Isaiah 55:11 lets us in on this to some degree: “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” God has sent forth His word and He sees to it that the purpose for which it is sent out will be accomplished.
Jeremiah 1:12 tells us that the Lord is “watching over My word to perform it.” We have the words of God in the Scripture, but the Lord alone can perform them. No one can carry out the words of God in his or her own power as that activity resides in the will of God to do with His words as He pleases. “For I the LORD will speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord GOD'” (Ezekiel 12:25). “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,”‘” declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 12:28). What happens when human beings go out and preach to some degree the words of God and yet expect men to perform His word? It is certainly arrogance and a species of idolatry. God alone can perform and carry out His words. We must learn to speak His words while looking to Him to perform them rather than men.
God is to be worshipped as He has commanded human beings to worship Him because He alone can perform His words. Human beings cannot worship God in their own strength and power. God must share His love in the soul of humans and bring them into the worship of Himself. The worship of God can only be by joining in and sharing in the joy and delight God has Himself. God alone knows how He enjoys and worships Himself and He alone knows how a human being can share in that praise in a way where God’s holiness and glory are not compromised. When a human being tries to worship in his or her own way or invents a way to worship God, what that human being is doing is informing the triune God how He should function and operate toward Himself. God alone can perform His words and it is His words alone that He will perform. Preaching must be the words of God and not the words of men because God will only perform His words according to His will. Worship must be according to the words and will of God because God alone can perform His words in the human soul and share worship with the human being. What is it to preach our own words and worship according to our own inventions? It is asking God to change how He is in His triune being in order to fit with our words and will. It is to want God not to function through Christ and by the Spirit. It is to ask God to manifest Himself apart from Christ and to love apart from the Spirit. That must be repugnant to God beyond our highest imaginations.
God Loves... Himself 
Leave a comment