Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Pharisees were great
students of the Scriptures. Many of them carried about portions
of the Scriptures upon their bodies wherever they went. Yet
the Lord said they were farther from the kingdom of God than
the wicked and immoral publicans and harlots. Some quote Paul's
exhortation to Timothy, studied to show thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. They do this in an attempt to
encourage men to read it and peruse its pages diligently.
They will often tell us that the Lord is impressed when men
apply themselves to such study, and that by doing so they can
rejoice in the knowledge that they obtain thereby, even gaining
discernment by the process. We will certainly never discourage
men from reading and studying the scriptures, but this particular
verse is not about that sort of study. Rather, the word study
here means to give diligence to, and seen in the working out
of the salvation which the Lord has worked in. A man cannot become
approved by the operation of his flesh in any endeavor. Rather,
those that are approved unto God demonstrate that fact as
they are given an understanding of the truth which is found in
the word of God. This is a fulfillment for that
which the Lord promised when He said, Howbeit, when He, the
Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.
For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear,
that shall He speak. And He will show you things to
come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine and
shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath
are Mine. Therefore said I that He shall take of Mine and shall
show it unto you. Christ identified himself as
the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. Thus we can have no doubt that
when the scriptures speak of the word of truth, it is always
pointing to Christ who is the truth. We are certain that the
Bible is absolutely true. However, it is not in itself
the word of truth. Neither is that which is spoken
by preachers and teachers, however accurately set forth, the word
of truth. Only the operation of the Spirit
of God can cause men to hear the Word of Truth. On the day
of Pentecost, the Lord miraculously caused men to hear the Word of
God. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together
and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak
in his own language. Now when they heard this, they
were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the
rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? It is impossible that a man can
hear the gospel without the operation of the word of truth upon his
mind preceding such preaching. We do not wish to minimize the
glorious blessing that is brought to the sons of men through the
preaching or declaration of the gospel of the glory of the blessed
God. Yet we would want to put that preaching in its proper
context as that which is sent by the Lord to those who have
been unable to hear. Saul of Tarsus heard the word
of truth on the road to Damascus, yet no mere mortal preached it
to him. And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me? We don't suppose that every individual
who was under the sound of Peter's voice had the spirit to fall
upon them. While Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. Rather,
it was those who heard the word of truth. Faith is applied through
hearing rather than preaching. The Word of Truth must be rightly
divided. Christ is the Word of Truth.
Regardless of how much of the Scriptures a man might know and
or teach, if Christ Jesus and Him crucified is not discovered
and proclaimed, then the Word of Truth is not rightly divided.
The Pharisees devotedly studied the Bible, but they could not
see Christ therein. Thus they were bereft of the
Word of Truth. The Word of Truth, which is the
power of God and His righteousness, are inseparably linked. By the
Word of Truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness
on the right hand and on the left. Wherever you find the Word
of Truth, you will see a demonstration of the power of God unto salvation.
Where you find the Word of Truth, you will also discover a people
who claim no righteousness but His. But of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. The sons of God are born again
by the word of truth. John says the same thing, which
were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God. Truly this is that wind which
blows where it determines, causing men to hear the glorious good
news which brings life and immortality to light. Do you love the word
of truth? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.