His Name is Called, “The Word of God”
Jesus Christ is the Word of God (Jn 1:1). When God created the physical universe, He spoke it into being (Gen 1–2). For this reason, the Bible assures us that by Jesus Christ, all things were created (Col 1:16; Heb 1:2). All things are upheld by the Word of His power, which means Jesus is holding it all together, too (Heb 1:3).
God spoke to man, whom He created, while man was in the garden paradise of Eden (Gen 3). God is eternal and so is God’s Word. Heaven and earth will pass away in the fervent heat of God’s judgment (2 Pet 3:10–12), but God’s Word will not pass away for it stands forever (Mt 24:35).
God’s Word is true; therefore, God spoke the Word of truth to Adam and Eve. Despite their integrity in the state of innocence, temptation was too great for their free will. The result of acting on the serpent’s lie was the loss of both innocence and free will. The Word of God had already warned man of the consequences of his defiance. The devil’s deception directed the deceived into darkness and death. Man did not believe the Word of God and dishonored the name of the One who is true (Jn14:6; Rom 3:4).
The same Word of truth rejected by man is the Word of life that gives life back to those to whom God has mercy (Rom 9:15). Jesus is the life and the life-giver (Jn 14:6), by His Spirit (1 Cor 15:45). It is the Word of Christ that opens the ears for one to hear the voice of his or her Good Shepherd (Rom 10:17).
The irresistible grace of God’s Word produces its intended end…a believer in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:30). Trust in God, through Jesus, is the restoration of a right relationship. Unlike Adam and Eve on that day (Gen 3), we believe the Word of God. He has made us believe by giving us His Spirit (Mt 3:11; Jn 14:26; 15:26).
Faith in Jesus Christ is granted by God’s grace, in His preferred allotment (Rom 12:3; Gal 3:22; Eph 2:8–9; Phil 1:29; Heb 12:2). Faith manifests in the soul who has received the seed of God’s Word, implanted by the Spirit of God, through the preaching of the Gospel of God.
Jesus Christ is the Gospel, the good news of who God is and what He has done for sinners. Those who believe in Him will not perish (Jn 3:16), as is the plight of those in Adam. It is by God’s doing that any one of us is in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 1:30). So, what does He do?
The Word of God comes to us. The Word is made known to us. It is planted in our hearts so that life and faith would be evident, as coming from God. Just as Jesus enfleshed and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14), so the Word enters our lives and transforms us (Jn 17:17). Christ lives in the born again by His Spirit (Gal 2:20).
With new hearts and renewed minds, the children of God collectively now boast in the name above all other names…Jesus Christ (Phil 2:9). The Spirit of Christ teaches the Word of Christ to the Christian, and the effect is conformity to the image of Christ, who is the icon of God (Col 1:15). This work of the Spirit producing holiness is called, “sanctification (Rom 15:16; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2).”
With the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), meditation on God’s Word is a delight for those who love their Lord. The soul is nourished by the Word of life. The edification of the saints is God’s Word spoken to them. The Christian’s faith is strengthened when he or she hears the lover of one’s soul speak the Word of truth, that is, the Spirit employing the preacher of the Word.
It is the false prophet who does not align God’s Word and God’s name (Dt 18:19–20). The true Word of God honors the name of the Lord our God (Dt 28:58). God’s dwelling with men has always been His house — be it tabernacle, temple, or church. It is especially there where the Word of God is magnified, and His name exalted (Ps 138:2).
God’s people tremble at His Word. They cringe when His name is employed as a curse, a by-word (Is 66:5). The intimacy of sharing a name is to be identified with that other person (Acts 11:26). The voice of the exalted Lord is heard and followed (Jn 10). His Words are a joy and a delight to one’s heart (Jer 15:16).
People hear the Word of the One who speaks to them from heaven. They know His name. It is a love or hate response to His Word and to Him. It is the desire of the hearer’s heart to respond to His name and His Word in obedience…or rebellion. Everything in word or deed is done in the name of the Lord…or to spite Him.
The lover of Christ’s name is the one who could never deny the name of the Lord Jesus. Keeping God’s Word is his or her daily bread to eat up while waiting for the Lord’s return. It is our ambition to please Him (2 Cor 5:9). It is the indwelling Spirit of Christ who grants faith, making one faithful (Gal 5:22). His or her faith is strengthened by hearing the Word. The Spirit comforts God’s beloved, bringing to remembrance all the promises and all of God’s good works done for the benefit of those who bear His name.
The name of God and the Word of God cut and divide the sons of men into very distinct groups. You, my dear reader, belong to one or the other of these family alignments. The children of God and the children of the devil are known by their respective fruits — being good or evil (1 Jn 3:10). The test of allegiance is presented by the handling of God’s Word and by the treatment of His name. How do you fare in these matters?
Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5). As the divine warrior King, who is clothed with a robed dipped in blood, you will give an account of how you treated His name and how His Word had its effect upon you. Repent if you must, and then rejoice because it is right to do so, for great is His name, which is called “the Word of God (Rev 19:13).”
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
October 27, 2021
