We Are Recreated by the Word

We Are Recreated by the Word

James 1:18, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." Read John 3:3-8.

I Peter 1:23, "Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the Word of God, Who liveth" (American Standard Version).

The Word imparts to us Eternal Life. Were it not for the Word, we would not know that there was a Redemption or a Substitution or a New Creation.

Corinthians 5:17, 18, "Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new, but all things are of God, Who reconciled us to Himself."

Our Minds Are Renewed by the Word

Romans 12:2, "And be not fashioned according to this age, but be ye transformed (transfigured) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may know what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Colossians 3:10, "And have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of Him that created him."

The mind is renewed by studying the Word and by acting upon it. One may study the Word for years, but if he does not act it, live it, is not a doer, the mind is not renewed.

James gives us the secret in James 1:22, "Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

Many Bible students are deceiving themselves because they are not acting, living, doing the Word.

We Are Indwelt by the Word

Colossians 3:16, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another..."

What does He mean by letting the Word dwell in us richly? This is one of the most striking sentences in this epistle.

John 15:7, "If ye abide in me, and My Words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

The Word here is dwelling in us, producing prayer fruit. Read carefully the next verse, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so shall ye be my disciples." It is prayer fruit. It is the Word bringing forth its own kind in the believer's life. It is not only committing the Word to memory, which is valuable, but it is letting that Word become an integral part of our beings. It lives in us. Ephesians 3:17, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love..."

Christ and the Word are one. It is the Word dwelling in you, which is equivalent to Christ personally being in you.

Letting the Word have right-of-way in your life is letting Christ have right-of-way. The Word dominating you is the Lordship of Christ in you.

We Are Built Up with the Word

Acts 20:32, "And now I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified." 

He commends us to the Word of His grace. This Word builds the Christ nature and the love nature of the Father into the individual. In other words, God is building Himself into us, making Himself a part of us as the Word dominates, rules and satisfies our spirit nature. You cannot build one up spiritually on philosophies or theories about the Word, or on the history of the Word. We are only made spiritual by living in the Word and by the Word Living in us.

Advance Bible Course