The Word That Works

by   John Jarman                                                                                                                                           Vol. VI., No. 2, March 1993

[John Jarman is pastor of Free Union Baptist Church, Free Union.]

When Gene Fowler, a friend of W. C. Fields, caught Fields reading a Bible during a siege of illness, he expressed amazement. Fields squelched his friend's concern about any sudden burst of piety by exclaiming, "I'm only lookin' for loopholes."

How unfortunate. For in his desire to meet with his friend's approval, W. C. Fields effectively deprived himself of the blessing he might have received from God's Word.

The Apostle Paul writes these inspired words in I Thessalonians 2:13: "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

That verse clearly states that God's word performs its work in those who actually believe that it is His word. Hebrews 4:1-2 adds this insight: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." The word must be received in faith or it brings no profit to the one who hears it.

What profit does it bring? What profit can the Word of God bring to you? It can make you wise unto salvation in Christ (II Tim. 3:15), build you up in faith (Acts 20:32). It can give you comfort (Romans 15:4), hope (Psalm 119:49), and cause you to rejoice in your heart (Psalm 19:8), to mention just a few benefits. But remember, before the Bible can profit you, you must first believe that IT IS GOD'S WORD, not just the word of men.

We live in a time characterized by the search for "loopholes." Even among the clergy today, there are many who use a "cut and paste" theology, approaching the Bible as they would a cafeteria line: picking and choosing which portions of Scripture they want to accept as the Word of God and which they do not.

As an unfortunate result, many, like W. C. Fields, forsake the very blessings which could be theirs through the faithful reception of God's Word. It reminds me of a fable that Aesop wrote entitled, "The Miser and His Gold":

Once upon a time there was a miser who used to hide his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed this, went and dug up the gold and made off with it. When the miser came to gloat over his treasure, he found nothing but an empty hole. He tore out his hair and screamed so loudly that all his neighbors came to see what was the matter. He shared with them how he used to come and visit with his gold. One of them asked, "Did you ever take any of it out?" "Nay," he said, "I only came to look at it." "Then come again and look at the hole," another neighbor said, "for it will do you just about as much good."

The fable's moral: wealth unused might as well not exist.

Don't let anyone deprive you of the blessings which could be yours through the use of the Bible and don't deprive yourself. Accept it in faith as God's Word: read it, study it, meditate upon it, and put it into practice. Only then will its power work effectually in your life.