The Transformative Word of God

The Word of God is not just a text; it’s a potent force that can transform lives. In 2 Cor. 10: 4-5, Paul urges the Corinthians to seize every thought and make it obedient to Christ. This transformative power of the Word is our key, offering us hope and inspiration. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we, like Paul, can dismantle strongholds of wrong thinking and behavior, paving the way for a more enlightened and hopeful future.

John’s writing tells us that Jesus Christ is the living Word that reveals the glory of God—a pre-existing life-giving person (John 1:1-18, NLT).

The Word of God possesses the strength to create everything around us – including us – and demolish strongholds, a testament to its unparalleled power. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary expounds that it represents Jesus’ message, the message about Jesus and Jesus Himself (Brand 1666).

The book of Psalms paints a majestic picture of how the Word, with its remarkable power, directs nature and comes to the aid of His people. This power is a testament to the divine origin of the Word and its ability to bring about miraculous changes in our lives.

“He sends his orders to the world – how swiftly his word flies! He sends snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. He hurls the hail like stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold? Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws (Ps. 147: 15-18, emphasis added).

“He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death” (Ps. 107:20, emphasis added).

The Word of God is not a passive entity; it is described as living, active, sharp, piercing, and discerning (Hebrews 4:12)—God’s utterance delivers awe-inspiring results, engaging us in a dynamic relationship with our faith.

Hebrews records that God’s promise and oath are unchangeable because God can’t lie. We can have confidence in our hope in Christ (Hebrews 6:18). The Word, as the Gospel message, gives us steadfast hope that is strong and trustworthy, like an anchor for our souls (v19).

With this in mind, we can claim every promise that is ours as His children and heirs with Christ (Gal. 3:29). Abraham never hesitated in believing God’s promises. He was convinced that God would do whatever He promised (Romans 4:20-21). We can have the same confidence today because God’s Word is God. God is Love (I John 4:8). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), providing us with a reliable anchor for our faith.

When He ascended to heaven, Jesus left us the gift of peace for our hearts and minds—one of many promises we can claim—something the world cannot give (John 14:27).

When we accept Christ, we receive a new heart and spirit. The Holy Spirit Jesus speaks of as our Advocate who reminds us of these promises and gives us hope to persevere. The OT also speaks of this, pointing to Christ when God showed Ezekiel in a vision that He can bring dry bones to life (Ezek. 37:1-14). The breath in this passage is the Spirit. These passages often end with God’s promise that He has spoken and will do what He says (36:36; 37:14).

When I surrendered my life to Christ, these dry bones came to life for the first time. The weight I was carrying from my past lifted immediately with the utterance of one question—God, what do you want? I had never asked this before because I was focused on what I wanted (or thought I wanted).

Can you relate?

Maybe it’s time to ask God what He wants for you.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30, NIV, Emphasis added).

“From his abundance, we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17, NLT, Emphasis added).