A More Sure Word
2 Peter 1:17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’’
18. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19. We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.
Peter heard the audible voice of God on the holy mountain, yet he goes on to say, We also have the prophetic word made more sure. He’s talking about the written Word of God, being more sure than the audible voice of God heard from the holy mountain. This is a more sure Word. Many people seek such things, signs and visible manifestations wanting to hear from God, when all you have to do is pick up your Bible and read it! This is the surest Word there is. It doesn’t get any surer than this!
Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
This is the sure Word of God, it doesn’t fail, it doesn’t return void. It always accomplishes that which it was sent to do. Always, not occasionally, not when God is in the mood. He never changers, He’s always the same. He is consistently consistent. That sounds like a Yogi Bera-ism, but it makes a point.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God tells us in His Word, that there is no variableness of change in Him.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
-- New Revised Standard with Apocrypha
James 1:17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Hebrews 1:10. And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands; 11. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; 12. Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.’’
We can see just from these few scriptures that God is always consistent. You can see that He is faithful to do what He said He would do.
In other words, He fulfills His Word. His Word will not fail. His Word will not return void. That would make Him a liar if it did, and He can’t lie!!!!
Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken,
and will He not make it good?
This is a question to us. God’s written Word is to us, will He not perform it? Will He not make it good. Thank God, He will. Thank God, we can depend on Him, thank God, He is faithful. Thank God, thank God. Whether we feel like it or not, the Word of the Lord is a sure thing.
Prov:2:1: My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, 2. so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; 3. yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, 4. If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; 5. then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Prov:4:4: He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live.
Prov:4:20: My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
22. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
23. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
24. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.
Prov:7:1: My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
God’s Word is a sure thing, but we haven’t always walked in it, we haven’t always obeyed His voice and followed His instructions. Have you ever considered how strong the Scripture is concerning this. God’s Word absolutely cannot fail, ever!
Then why aren’t we walking in miracles and healing and divine prosperity all the time? God’s Word will not return void, but are we doing what He told us to do in His Word to cause the results He wants? As we just read in proverbs we are given commandment, to give attention to His words, receive His words, and treasure His commands within us, not to let them depart from our eyes; to keep them in the midst of our heart, let our hearts retain His words; keep His commands, and live. If we treasure His commands within us, so that we incline our ear to wisdom, and apply our heart to understanding; if we cry out for discernment, and lift up our voice for understanding, If we seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then we will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
God’s Word tells us that His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, yet it also tells us how we can get knowledge.
Jesus said, to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’’ John 8:31-32.
Knowing is another way of saying having knowledge. If we abide in His Word –
Firstly, then secondly we shall know the truth, and then in that knowing the truth shall make us free. Jesus called this discipleship. Abiding in his Word, and knowing the truth, and being free because of it. Abiding is to continue there in.
Do all Christians walk in freedom? The answer to that is assuredly No! Has this freedom been given to all Christians? The answer to that is assuredly Yes! Jesus was talking to the Jews, who believed Him – but just because they believed him did not give them a free ride, He told them, the ones who believed, that they had to abide in his Word before they would know the truth. Many Christians who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, don’t know the truth of much of God’s Word. They lack knowledge concerning His promises. They don’t know the truth or won’t acknowledge it, therefore they haven’t been abiding in His Word, and therefore they can’t be made free.
Jms:1:25: But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Many people think you prove your faith by your works, -- I’ve seen people do all kinds of works, thinking that those works will prove their faith, yet many times all they have, is works without faith. This is not to say there shouldn’t be corresponding action with our faith, but the works by themselves aren’t necessarily the result of faith. Faith will produce the works, but works will not produce the faith. I hope you see my point in this. So let us not get caught up in trying to produce faith by our works, it doesn’t work that way, works must always be accompanied with faith.
God’s Word will never fail, yet we have to come to a place where we have full confidence in his Word if we are ever going to walk in the knowledge of His truth, and experience the true freedom that comes from knowing the truth. This can only come from a confidence that is created in us from truly abiding in His precious promises.
2Pt:1:4: by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We have a part to play in this, we have to partake. In order to do that we must walk in obedience and believe His Word to be true, this becomes easier as we draw closer to Him.
Deuteronomy 7:8 "but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God’s Word is on the line, let’s put Him to the test and see that He will make good on what He has said.
