The Word Of God Is Living, Enduring Forever -{1 Peter 1:24-25}

 ^“For,

And this is the word which was preached to you.-“- {1 Peter 1:24-25}

“For” gives the explanation.

Know that all around, people are perishing, dying.  People whom you have not heard of in the next town, city county, country or continent, people whom you have never heard of nor will hear about are dying. It is an epidemic. One out of one dies, They may die in different ways but all die!

When I was younger and someone died I remember hearing that “deaths come in three’s.” That when someone died then people upon hearing of someone else in the community believed this. But the truth is people are dying all the time all over the world in various places, cultures, nationalities, on all the continents and is no respecter of age, sex, color, nationality. Every family is touched by death. large families over times as with small families all experience death until all are wiped out of that generation. Grim? No, factual! Often you may read of statistics of what kills various people and the percentage of people who will die from that specific disease. But the reality is one out of every one…dies! The truth is we all… Die… it is inevitable! Death, decay, corruption, often bodies go into a grave, buried out of sight because the decay and do we hide them away from sight!Others may be cremated and they are gone, turned to finite dust. Death removes the person, there is no life anymore in their body, the heart stops and shuts down, no longer the ability to communicate and the corruption, of the body takes place. What we call living and thriving people are in fact dying people from the moment they are born, no one knows the time, place but the Bible assures us “It is appointed for man once to die…” – {Heb 9:27}. The Bible teaches all die and experience around us teach us and confirm this is so as some graveyards don’t have head stones but have markers in the grass and flowers to mark each grave and to drive by and not be familiar with such can look like a field with beautiful flowers growing but in fact is a testimony that below those flowers was someone who was buried there!

While all die, Peter teaches us something that does not die, deteriorate, change but is everlasting,unchanging, powerful, life changing, namely, the Word of the LORD endures forever!

Peter quotes Isaiah 40:6–8, “For, ‘all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

What we need to learn from the grass and the flower is that they have a life span and it is quite short and even when the glory of the flower is seen it too is quite short in light of eternity. Our lives are but a vapor. There may be days, weeks, months that seem to drag out and  the days seem to be sooo slow, but the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, are passing quickly. The flower may bloom and give off a beautiful scent and look wonderful but the grass withers and the flowers die, and this is the comparison that is made of all people, no matter how bright, brilliant they are they too deteriorate and die!  In a time of suffering as the believers were whom Peter writes to, he wants them to know no matter how attractive or how much it seem some people have it all, they too will die, the glamour of the world will pass away as it is temporal but the new birth and the Word Of The LORD will endure… forever!

This is one thing that is living and endures forever. Death, decay, deterioration, does not and cannot touch it because God has decreed, determined so!

His Word endures forever!

 

The Word of The LORD is TRUE

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is TRUTH.”-{John 17:17}

The Word of the LORD is LIVING and Active;

” For the Word of God IS LIVING… “-{Heb 4:12}.

It is alive, living …Vibrant life imparting. ” My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your Word. ” – {Psalm 119:25}

The Word of The LORD is TIMELESS;

“But the word of the Lord endures forever.”   “-{1 Peter 1:25}. There are myriads of books that have been written in various languages over various centuries in many cultures and some, no matter how popular they may have been, over time they have gone out of print, or unpopular, faded away, no longer in print, out of date, no longer in use. But not the Word of the LORD, it is Living, Active, Timeless, relevant. They speak to each heart today as they did in generations past. for the heart of each generation is the same, desperately sick, and in need of a SAVIOR, salvation!

The Word Of The LORD is POWERFUL. 

“For the word of God  IS LIVING and ACTIVE and SHARPER than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ABLE  to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. “-{Heb 4:12}. ” This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has revived {preserves} me.” -{Psalm 119;50}

The Word Of the LORD REVEALS JESUS CHRIST.

“Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”-{Luke 24:27}. To know Jesus and what He is Like He reveals himself in All the Scriptures. Look for Him as you read, so you may know Him and understand Him, His will, ways, promises!

The Word Of The LORD is At WORK IN YOU WHO BELIEVE.

“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”-{ 1Thess 2:13} The Word of the LORD was heard, received and actively, effectively working in them, to bring about change from the inside out. It has power to change. It is an inside job!

The Word Of The LORD TRANSFORMS

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”- {Romans 12:2}

The word “conformed'” literally means to be molded or stamped according to a pattern! It is to be conformed to the same pattern OUTWARDLY. It is to form, mold one’s behavior outwardly  in accordance to a pattern or a set of standards. The word ‘conform,’  is suschematizo  and it refers to an outward expression that does not  come from within you, or reflect who and what you are. You are playing a part that is not who you are “In Christ.”It is not who you are!

It is a command and the verb is all the moments, days of your life resist being squeezed molded into this worlds system that is opposed to Jesus Christ and HIS RULE IN THEIR LIVES!

“stop doing this” they were already allowing the world’s views, standards to mold them and the command is stop it!

It is not to come up with a list of things to stop doing and equate it with spirituality as it only leads to legalism rather let the Spirit of God mold and form and develop you into the image of Jesus Christ. We can so this practically as we  guard our ears, eyes, what we take in and watch, listen to, where we get our advice from and what their value system is such as their world view may be political ours is to be one of redemption, their view of “success” may be the achieving of materialistic goals, the “success” of academic, sports, arts, as the fulfilling of selfish gain at any cost be “number one” and not for His glory. The pursuits of pleasure the end rather than loving God. The pursuits of popularity, fame in order to be worshiped, adored rather than worshiping and adoring God. It has to do with our motivations, doing all that we do for the glory of God. Don’t allow a system that is opposed to the reign and submission to Jesus Christ as LORD to shape , form your world view rather than God’s view of the world!  And this they do and influence us if we are not spiritually alert. The word “conformed’ literally means to be molded or stamped according to a pattern! “BUT” speaks of a different way a reversal of the way mentioned.

“BE TRANSFORMED”-{Metamorph0o}, the basic meaning is that of changing into a different form. WE GET THE WORD the word metamorphosis,  a biology term explaining the change a worm takes place to transform , change into a beautiful, colorful butterfly. What a change we would agree! How different, so here the change is not superficial but that which reveals a new life, a new creation in Christ! The Word transforms, changes our thinking to align up with what is God’s good, acceptable well pleasing will! His Word reveals His will to us, so we may know what it is, and in submission to His Word we are being changed To “transform”means to change into another form. It was used of Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration, when His appearance was changed into Divine brightness. It begins with our mind as our thinking influences our views and choices we make! His word the key, hear it, submit to it be transformed by the HOLY SPIRIT working Through it as it works in your who believe! It is a call for a change that begins on the inside and is seen on the outside in the ways we live due to the new motivations and truth we hold to.

Be being transformed changing on the inside as “living sacrifices”  and by “the renewing of your mind,” so that we may know what is the good, acceptable well pleasing will of God for us. We know HIM, HIS Ways we can identify, know and follow… Be being changed so on the outside the way you live is different, because guess what? You are different!

 

The Word Of The LORD IS…

·   EXALTED  – ” I will give Thee thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to Thee before the gods. I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, and give thanks to Thy Name for Thy Loving-kindness and Thy TRUTH; For Thou hast  EXALTED/MAGNIFIED Thy Word according to ALL THY NAME.”  – {Ps 138:1-2}

·   ETERNAL  – “FOREVER, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in Heaven.” -{ Ps 119:89}

·   EFFICIENT – ” All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, that the MAN OF GOD may be thoroughly Equipped for every good work”- {2 Timothy 3:16-17}

·   EMANCIPATING – “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”-{2 Peter 2:4 }

·   ENCOURAGING -“…For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” -{Romans 15:4 }

·   ENLIGHTENING –  “..the commandments of the Lord is pure,enlightening the eyes.” -{Psalm 19:8}

·   EFFECTIVE  –  “So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to  Me empty without Accomplishing what I desire, and without Succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”- { Isaiah 54:11}. “…the Word of truth, the Gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world, also it is CONSTANTLY bearing fruit and INCREASING,   even as it has been doing IN YOU also since the day you heard of it and  Understood the Grace of God in truth..” -{Col 1:5-6}

·   EXPOSES – “For the Word of God IS LIVING and Active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ABLE TO JUDGE the thoughts and Intentions of the heart.” -{Heb 4:12 }

·   EMPOWERING –  “…The Gospel is the POWER of God unto salvation…”- { Rom 1:18}

·   EVANGELIZES – “And from childhood you have known the Sacred writings which are ABLE to give you the wisdom that leads to SALVATION through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” -{ 2 Tim 3:15}

·   EDIFIES –  “ALL Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for TEACHING, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for TRAINING in RIGHTEOUSNESS.”-{ 2 Tim 3:16 }

–  EQUIPS–  “…so the man of God may be THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for Every good work.” -{2 Tim 3:17 } It is the Word of God which the Spirit of God uses to equip us for ministry.

 –  ENJOYABLE – “…rejoicing the heart” -{Psalm 19:8 }

If all of the above are true, and they are…why then do people turn to psychology and their own reasoning as a means {False} of “attempting” to conduct Gods business. Some of our congregations are weak, sometimes due to leaders who are not convinced in their own life of the Sufficiency of God’s Word or also that people in the pew are not convinced, and so what we often end up with are immature believers … who are Deficient in their walk and in trying to deal with problems of the soul…IS IT BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD S DEFICIENT? No! The DEFICIENCY is not in that which is Perfect- {Psalm 19:7}-namely HIS WORD. but the DEFICIENCY is in the RESPONSE TO and…the APPLICATION OF His Word. His Word is sufficient. His Word is LIVING. His Word ENDURES FOREVER… SUFFICIENT, for each person in all times in all generations!

The LORD Jesus -“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63).

While all around us is death, for all die, yet there is one thing that is Living and Enduring, outlasting all lives and generations, empires, governments, kings and emperors, namely The Word of the LORD.

The Word Of The LORD is LIVING and ENDURES Forever! It is Effective!