The Bible and the Living Word

What is the Word of God? Is it a compilation of books? Is it letters on paper? Is the Bible the Word of God or is there more to it? There is a real danger that Christians could make the Bible something that was not God's intention at all! This danger is what is sometimes called "Biblidolatry"-making an idol of the Bible! When you listen to some Christians you get the feeling that they worship the Bible more than Jesus. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." (Hebr1:1-2)

Despite the fact that I read(studied) Biblical Studies as part of my degree and achieved excellent results, my spirit was still "dead" until I met the Living Word, Jesus. Suddenly the Bible became a living book as I could identify with the experiences of Abraham, David, Peter, Paul and other heroes (and "villans") of faith. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."(John1:1,14)

Whichever way the Word of God came to the human race in the past, it was always an expression of the Eternal Word that was with God, and this Eternal Word became a human to reveal God, but not only God, also our true identity! It is generally known that the original ekklesia(church) did not have the Bible as we know it today. They had the Old Testament scriptures and the public preaching and teaching of the apostles and prophets. James Fowler put it like this: "The early Christians were not propogating a belief-system. They were not dispensers of theological information about God. They were not Book-bearers. They were bearers of the Living Word, the Life, the Person, the Power of Jesus, "who is the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:18)."

We need to be careful not to fall into the Pharisaical trap that Jesus referred to in John 5:39-40 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." The Bible's importance lies in the fact that it testifies of Jesus in whom is the Life! It can assist in helping us to find the Living Word and once we have found the Word, the Bible becomes a living book full of meaning and life. The Bible serves as an objective standard whereby we can test and judge our own experiences and understanding of God against the experiences of other men and women in the early ekklesia.

We live in a largely post-modern society where you cannot witness to people by saying," The Bible says..." We must become carriers of the Living Word, Bibles of flesh and blood, demonstraters of the Christ-Life, expressions of true humanity, and once people have been hooked by the sweet fragrance of Jesus through us, we can introduce them to the Bible which can then become to them what Paul said about the Scriptures.(at that time only the O.T.) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."(2 Tim.3:16-17) My hunger for the Living Word often drives me to the Bible to feed on the Life that has breathed upon the lives of so many people,and because I have the Living Word in me the scriptures becomes spirit and life. "who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." ( 2 Cor. 3:6) or in the words of The Message:" The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!"

Identity in Sonship

God has spoken to humanity in these last days through the truth of Sonship. "Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end."(Hebr.1:1-5)

The authority and power demonstrated by Jesus during His earthly ministry was not linked to His office of Messiah, but to His Sonship." I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.(John 5:19) True spiritual authority will be released in these days through a people who walk in a revelation of Sonship - it will not be our "offices" or "ministries" of apostles, prophets etc. that will release authority, but our intimate relationship with Dad as sons! "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me." (John 6:54-57) It is in an intimate organic relationship with the Son that the Life of true sonship will be experienced. What a firm foundation for identity! I am a son of my heavenly Dad!

The revelation that motivated Paul's ministry was a revelation of Sonship."But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,"( Gal. 1:15-16) "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:25-26) "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." ( Gal. 4:6-7) Sonship brings freedom; freedom to be who God created you to be; freedom from rules and regulations imposed by man and freedom from the tyranny of self-image. As this reality is fleshed out by the sons of God, all of creation will be set free from the bondages that were put on it by humanity losing their identity. This is God's strategy; "In bringing many sons to glory"(Hebr 2:10),all of creation will be brought into the same freedom as that of the sons!
"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."(Rom. 8:19-21) Come on, Sons of God! Take a firm grip on your identity, declare with boldness who He has made you, walk in the reality of sonship and allow the Pattern-Son to flow through you; creation is waiting in birth pangs for your manifestation! This manifestation starts with you appropriating what Father says about you by faith. It grows as you continue to look deeply in the mirror-reflection of your true identity as revealed by Jesus! (James 1:25)

Identity in eternity

One of the biggest problems that humanity struggle with is identity. Many wars have been fought and many relationships have been destroyed in humanity's drive for identity and recognition.Nationalism, patriotism, the gang-culture and racial pride are all manifestations of this search for identity.The apostle Paul explained the roots of humanity's identity like this; "Long before he laid down earth's foundations,he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ."(Ephesians 1:4)
The implications of this truth are magnificent; before God created any atom, molecule or galaxy he had His focus on humanity; before we did anything wrong or right for that matter, our Father has already made up His mind about us;before anything evil was done to me by someone I trusted, He has already decided that I would be a success because His Son was the "prototype", the original,the pattern, the true Human,see Genesis 1:26.In Jesus we see our original design and in union with Him we live fully human again!In Christ we have entered the realm of eternity; we entered the order of Melchizedek who has no beginning and no end; we have entered the realm of the One known as the Alpha and the Omega! I have no past but Christ, I have no future but Christ and He is also my present!
My identity and self-worth are not dependant on race,status,gender or achievements in the corporate world, but was determined in eternity when God decided my destiny as a human being. He decided that I would be born into this material world to reflect His image and glory(opinion). With this new perspective on my origin and identity I realise that everything that happens to me has a redemptive purpose; in other words they only serve to push me to my true identity. That is why James could write to the believers these words;"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.( James 1:2-4) Keep looking deeply into the mirror-reflection of your true identity(James 1:25) and you will experience the transforming power of His Life flowing spontaneously through you.(2 Corinthians 3:18)