DISREGARD OF THE SCRIPTURES, THE CONVOY OF HIS MERCY

Here in New York City, I have attended a number of “evangelical” home fellowship groups. I was glad to see that the participants would openly share their concerns and solicit prayer. However, they seemed to be a reluctant to make use of the Word of Life to address their problems. From what I could tell, no one even brought a Bible to the group; neither were they made available. It seemed that, for a vast number of groups, Bibles were irrelevant, perhaps even a distraction.

What would Jesus say about this? For one thing, He never uttered a disparaging word about the Scriptures. Instead, He subjected Himself to the Word of God (John 12:49-50; 14:10, 24; Matthew 4:4) and criticized those who didn’t (John 5:39-47).

In regards to Christian growth, sanctification, and salvation, Jesus regarded the Word as essential:

·       Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:3-14 ESV)

According to Jesus, the Word is the Spirit’s means of sanctification. Amazingly, the disciples were cleansed through the Word Jesus spoke to them. If this is so, the Word should be the central part of the Church. Besides, abiding in Jesus is a matter of abiding in His Word, His commandments. Whoever does not abide in His Word is “burned” up as are pruned and rejected branches. Consequently, we are only His friends if we do what He has commanded us to do. How then can we discount the Word of God!

In addition to this, by abiding in His Word, we become fruitful, receive Jesus’ joy, and our prayer requests. In His prayer to the Father, Jesus reiterated that the Word is truth, and that the truth sanctifies:

·       Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:17-19)

Jesus ministered to us through the Word of God. From where then do we derive the false confidence that we can minister without the Word? In a fellowship group that I had attended for the first time, one of the brethren, who was unrepentant about his sinful lifestyle, confessed that he suffered from recurrent fears that he was going to hell. However, no one offered Biblical counsel. Unsurprisingly, they offered nothing apart from prayer.

I wanted to quote the verse which claimed that when we love God by obeying His Word, we will eventually no longer fear judgment:

·       So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment. (1 John 4:16-17)

Since it was only my first day there, I waited to hear the responses of others, but they never came. Jesus taught a lot about the necessity for repentance:

·       “…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3-5)

To withhold such counsel might be PC, but it is also cruelty. Jesus concluded His prayer to His Father:

·       “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

Through His Word, Jesus revealed the nature of God to His disciples so that the love of God would be in them. To withhold the Word, therefore, is to withhold what is of supreme importance. It is also cruelty.

I know that all of this sounds a bit esoteric. You might be wondering, “How is it possible that Scripture, mere words, can possibly impart such benefits?” However, it does. I know this from experience after seeing five highly recommended psychologists without any benefit. Instead of feeling loved, I walked around feeling condemned by the world, even by God. It felt to me as if God was a sadist, even though I tried my best not to believe this. However, the Word eventually won, and I became convinced that God loved me so much that He had died for my sins. After the Spirit had made this so real for me through His Word, I was enabled to enter into His presence with delight and not terror and hatred to find His comfort. There are countless examples of this, as many will testify.

How then can we expect to receive the mercy of God after we have rejected the mercy He offers us through His Word, the mercy convoy of His love and friendship!