“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 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 Corinthians 2:2-6 NKJ
Being raised in the church and in a religious school I knew the Bible. I could recite the books of the Bible and I could even spell them. If you asked me where to find a certain story like the story of Noah, I could tell you the chapter and verse. If you had a problem I could give you a Scripture that addressed that problem. I knew the Bible! Even when I walked away from my relationship with God at 15, I still quoted the Bible and loved to enter into debates with people, regarding the Bible. A friend of mine recently reminded me of the number of times I would be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and would talk to people about God and quote Scriptures. But even with all this knowledge something was lacking on the inside of me and I did not feel alive in Christ, and the messages I shared did not bring life to the hearer.
When I came back into a relationship with God in my early twenties I discovered a profound truth about God and His Word. Even though the words of God are written in ink for us to read, the true power of His Word does not come from just knowing what the letter of His Word says. It is only effective and powerful when his Word is written in our hearts by His Spirit. This is when the Word becomes an active and living organism within us. I had the words of the Bible cataloged in the library of my mind, but I did not have his Words embedded in my heart by the power of His Spirit. In other words, my sufficiency was of myself, not of God. Therefore I was effective in quoting the Bible but I was ineffective at living the Bible or in sharing a living Word from the bible!
The transformation took place when I began seeking God for wisdom in this area because I wanted the dead works of my Christian life to become alive and active; so they would bring life to the person I shared the Gospel with! God was faithful and answered me! Every time I opened the Bible I asked God to give me a fresh revelation of truth. I denied my mind the right to go back into human reasoning and self sufficiency. I humbled myself before God and gave Him permission to speak to me by His Spirit. This was a very difficult time in my life because there was a war going on in my soul for the control of my mind. But the more I gave the Spirit of God permission to speak to me the more alive the Word of God became on the inside of me.
I began to experience what the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 4:12. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This is when an inner working took place in me and the Word of God became alive on the inside of me. From that time on I began to experience the promises of God and the miracles of God manifesting in my life and in the lives of the people I shared the Gospel with.
Are you experiencing the promises and miracles of God in your life and does your witness bring life to the people you share the Gospel with? Do you feel the power of the living Word of God working on the inside of you? Have you given the Holy Spirit permission to speak to you? Is your sufficiency in God alone? Is the fullness of the Gospel at work in your life? If you answered no to any of these questions I want to encourage you to spend time with God and ask Him to give you wisdom in these areas. Ask Him to reveal the truth about the power that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! Humble yourself before Him and ask Him to give you a new revelation of His Word as you seek wisdom and understanding. Wisdom is the principal thing in life!
Proverbs 4:5-9 “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
Prayer: I praise You for giving me the indwelling Holy Spirit and I believe by faith that as I allow the Spirit to speak to me I will become a living epistle of Jesus Christ. I believe by faith that the words of the Bible will come alive on the inside of me as I yield myself to Your Spirit. I deny my mind the right to rely on human reasoning and self sufficiency. My sufficiency is in You alone and I choose wisdom and understanding by Your Spirit, over my human reasoning. Amen
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