You know how Hebrews 4:12 says the Bible is living and active? While the verse continues to move on with how it specifically affects us, the first phrase is what stands out to me today.
I don’t know how many times I have read the first three chapters of Genesis. From the creation account, to the Fall, to being banished from the garden, it is probably the most read and referred-to passage in the Old Testament. Yet, I still find myself being taught new things from little bits that I hadn’t noticed before
Recently, I was having a conversation with my Father-In-Law, much like we normally do about Biblical topics. He brought up the question of what kind of things we would do in Heaven or on the new earth in regards to work.
Now, my initial thought was, No way will we be working in Heaven. Work came as a result of the Fall. I was thinking of 3:17-19, “…In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you ; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground…” So, naturally, I disagreed with his thinking.
But then he pointed out there is another verse, before this one, that references work. So, I looked it up. Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
How had I missed that before? How was I under the impression that work was a curse, as a result of the Fall? I mean, I had even built entire chapel sessions at camp around these three chapters and had never noticed this detail.
That is when Hebrews 4:12 came into my mind. Yet another well-known verse, many people in the church have it memorized. But how much do we truly believe “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”?
You see, we get into this awful habit of “knowing too much” about the Bible. Those passages of Scripture that we have grown up on, we tend to skim over because we have heard them so many times before. But, how powerful and life-changing can John 3:16 be for us after 5 years with Christ? 15? 50?
“The word of God is living and active…” The Holy Spirit is constantly working and continually pushing us towards Christ IF we let Him. As challenging as it can be to digest and meditate on every part of Scripture, incredible things will happen in our lives. The promise is given in the rest of the verse. “…sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Christ is interested in who we are – right here, right now. He doesn’t want us to “get cleaned up” before we come to Him. He doesn’t want us to feel “good enough” to come to Him, because, honestly, we never will be. He wants us to come to Him now, so that He can do the work and discern our thoughts and intentions – which is something that we can’t do on our own.
So as I share what I am learning and continually being challenged by in life, I encourage anyone who happens to stumble upon my space to take this to heart – this simple concept I have been shown through Scripture. Whether we are just starting fresh with Christ or are a seasoned veteran, there are endless possibilities of what we can learn through God’s word.
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