“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
You would expect a book that is divine and living would in fact be active, and so it is. Paul writes in 1 Thess. 2:13 that the word of God does work. Jeremiah writes: “”Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)
God’s word is powerful. The word translated here as powerful is the source of our word energy. It means to say that God’s word has God’s power, his energy.
Because it is God’s word, it is an undefeatable word. The Bible has all the essentials of the life and power of God to do his work! Isaiah says that the word of God does not return void; it does his work, powerfully so (Is. 55). The Word of God is powerful.
Just think with me about a couple of implications here:
From the standpoint of your own sanctification or spiritual growth, you need this book every single day. You need to read it, meditate on it, memorize it, and delight in it. You need it preached each Lord’s Day and you need it singing in your head all day long. It is a powerful book.
From the standpoint of evangelism and mission: this is what we want to get out of our mouths and into the ears of our hearers. We want people to hear the Word of God. It is this this that does the powerful heart work of conversion. Our stories are helpful and even moving; however, they are not powerful unto salvation like the word of God.
From the standpoint of apologetics: If you are defending the faith against a skeptic or a cynic. Listen, don’t you be afraid or embarrassed by the Bible; it is powerful. You are not going to a knife fight with a spork; this is a sharp, two-edged sword! One old preacher used to say, “This book is a lion! You don’t defend lions, you just open the cage and let them out!”
– See more at: http://www.emmausbiblechurch.org/sermons/sermon/2014-02-23/the-book-that-reads-you#sthash.ZgrYXVCn.dpuf
