INTEGRITY OF THE WORD
(week 04/01)
OLUBI JOHNSON
THE MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY
The written Word of God is the most wonderful document ever penned. As Christians we must have a great reverence and appreciation for this written Word. As we said in our weekly rhema article last week we need to have a healthy fear of God, which comes, by having a great reverence for the written Word by firstly recognising it is inspired by God not man:
2 Peter 1:19-21 KJV: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
THE FEAR OF GOD AND WALKING IN HIS WORD
When we have the fear of God by reverencing His Word we will walk in all His ways and not just the ones that are convenient for us, as many of us do:
Deuteronomy 10:12 KJV: And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
When we walk in all His ways then we will truly love the Lord with our acts of obedience to His Word, and not just with our mouths and man-made commandments and traditions:
John 14:21 KJV: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Matthew 15:7-9 KJV: Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Psalms 78:36-37 KJV: Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
It is when we love Him truly by keeping His Word that we can truly serve Him with all of our hearts: with our spirits and not just fleshly service that is not backed by the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer:
Romans 1:9 KJV: For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Works done by mere natural effort without the backing of the power Holy Spirit are wood, hay and stubble that will be burnt up and receive no eternal reward:
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 KJV: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
EVERY WORD OF GOD WILL BE FULFILLED
God the Holy Spirit is currently watching over His Word to perform it even as you read this article now; God is not a man that He should lie: He has the wisdom, power and resources to bring His Word to pass. For this reason every jot and tittle in the Word will be fulfilled.
Jeremiah 1:12 NIV: The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
Numbers 23:19 NIV: God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Matthew 5:18 NIV: I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
HIDDEN TREASURES IN THE WORD
God’s Word, the 66 books of the Bible, contains hidden in types and shadows all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and God’s plan for every individual life:
Colossians 2:3 KJV: In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 3:3 KJV: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Revelation 22:19 KJV: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
The Lord Jesus said every detail hid in the Word will be fulfilled. This means that for the Christian who will do all of the will of God revealed in the Bible, not taking away parts of it by human traditions, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and God’s plan for his personal life will be revealed to him and brought to pass in his life.
This is certain because God has magnified his Word above His name: God is no respecter of persons including Himself. God Himself keeps His own Word. For instance, since God has commanded us in His Word not to lie God Himself does not lie. There is nothing He has commanded us to do that He Himself does not do.
Psalms 138:2 KJV: I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Hebrews 6:17-18 KJV: Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
One may ask, if the Word of God is so sure why do so many Christians not experience the fulfillment of the Word in the lives? This is because many of us do not have the wisdom of God: we will examine the manifold wisdom of God our next article.
