The Living Word

This past week I was driving into a local city to purchase a coffee and start my day. The drive from my home is about 25 minutes and usually quiet: meaning no radio or CD. I had arrived in town and was confessing scripture, specifically I Corinthians 13 which is the "love chapter". Christians know how important it is to love like God so His description of what love does is important if we are to walk hand in hand with the Godhead. When I confess scripture, I focus on the words spoken and the meaning, trying not to just say words but seek Him for what He knows we need to hear to be a doer, not just a hearer.

Moments later I turned into a single-laned alley to gain access to the coffee shop. As I approached the parking lot from the alley, another motorist pulled his vehicle into the alley and sat there, looking at me. My immediate response to his action was to proclaim his idiocy and wrangle my car out of his way. After, I heard these words, "hadn't you just finished confessing what the love of God does?" Needless to say, I was frustrated.

Later that morning, I heard in my spirit the Lord say, "My Word was never intended to be effective without the breath of the Holy Spirit empowering you to be a doer of it". I had confessed that portion of scripture many times and as recently as five minutes beforehand and the Words I had confessed fell flat to the ground, not able to empower me to overcome selfish behavior (mine and others). Jesus was able to navigate these types of situations without falling short of the grace of God. He also had the Holy Spirit without measure. He was One with the Father.

James 1:19 reads, "let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath". Hear what?  The anointing of the Holy Spirit coming within you to overcome. The anointing to be victors over all temptation comes from within. That is why we must be new creatures in Jesus Christ through the new birth and infilling of the Holy Spirit! But wait! I have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit for twenty years. Why am I getting this just now? We are being built up a spiritual house.

It is not that the written Word (logos) is not life-giving. We need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to do it like Jesus did!

So, we study the Word of God to SHOW OURSELVES approved. BUT, we direct our attention to our Father, thanking Him for who He is and what He has made available to us through Jesus Christ. We praise our Lord, Jesus Christ who was the Father's perfect emissary of willing obedience to Him for our sake. We press toward Him  (Them) so that we may be one with Them(John 17:21). Then we will hear Their Words, empowered BEFORE the temptation to sin arrives, and respond just as Jesus would/did!