Getting to know God’s Heart through The Word

As Christians we uphold the Scriptures as one of the important ways God speaks to us today.  If we don’t take the Bible seriously, or just relegate it to an old, out of date relic of past cultures, we miss the beauty and love of God in giving it to us.

Throughout the history of the Church, there have been incredible books written, but none of them replace the Bible. Some of the best ones have something in common. They advance our knowledge of our Triune God, and point back to our studying/meditating of Scriptures. They also encourage us to engage with the Scriptures in humility, openness, and total dependency on the Holy Spirit.

We shouldn’t turn to the Bible as a manual, or worse, as a ‘weapon’ to be used against others who disagree with your views. I like to think of it as a ‘living organism’.  One that through millennia has ‘fed’ God’s people. The Word, the book, is intertwined with THE WORD, Christ. The Bible speaks of God’s people, and the One and Only Triune God. It came into being by the power of God, and it comes alive to us by the power of God. As we believe the writers were anointed by the Spirit, so are we also in need of the Spirit’s anointing as the readers.

When Jesus revealed himself in the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He spoke of passages probably familiar to them, which gained a whole new meaning once enlightened by the Light Himself. The same is true of Paul, James, and the other writers. Their relationship with the Living God gave a whole new meaning to the Scriptures they had along with the ones they took part in writing. We will see this more clearly this Sunday.

We are finishing up 3 weeks of readings in the book of Galatians.  We have been talking about walking in the Spirit, and living by Faith. This week we will see how the church practiced this very teaching through a very important decision. The decision of not imposing the practice of circumcision upon the Gentiles (us).

Paul, at the end of the letter to the Galatians, speaks clearly about that. We can see how his relationship with God, and the revelation he received of what Christ accomplished through His Life, Death, and Resurrection, prepared Paul to teach the Church. The man who had been a fervent student of Scriptures was able to finally understand and teach it from the heart of God. It is incredible that Paul, the one who knew the Law so well, didn’t rely on his own interpretation. Rather, it was through God’s revelation that he was able to see God’s love for the Gentiles, and lay the foundation for what God intended from the beginning. Through Christ and IN Christ we are all united.

In Acts 15, we see Peter and James also weighting in this decision about circumcision of Gentiles. Peter speaks of the revelation he received from God (about clean and unclean food). James speaks of Scriptures coming to its fulfillment.

And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

“‘After this I will return,

and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;

I will rebuild its ruins,

and I will restore it,

that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,

and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,

says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’

Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God.  (Acts 15: 12-18)

James, the brother of Jesus, goes back to Amos and quotes Scripture ( Amos 9:11,12) that already announced the Gentiles coming to God; becoming his people. The revelation God gave to Peter, the confirmation Paul experienced in seeing the lives of Gentiles transformed, and James pointing all of that back to the Scriptures is one of the most amazing interactions of God in the life of the church. Please, take some time to read Acts 15.

This passage in Acts 15 also teaches us something very wise in the response from the Church:  Listen to the Holy Spirit, listen to wise counsel, and listen to the Scriptures.

The Spirit came over this crowd and there was a hush (“all the assembly fell silent, and they listened…”). To hear God’s voice, we must have our heart quiet and our ears open. Remember what we have said about positioning ourselves before God with humility and anticipation for the move of His Spirit.

I encourage you to take time to read His word each day one verse a time. Perhaps one phrase will stand out. Go to the Scriptures, knowing that He loves you, and let Him speak to you about your relationships, work, neighborhood, children.  Don’t just “proof-text” for assumptions about God you have made in the past, but open your heart for him to speak fresh into your situation. He has given us this love letter to allow us to know His love, than pass it onto others.

Blessings and peace,

Rev. Todd and Dr. Christiane