The Spoken and Written Word

Do you like to tweak what people say? I do! I even like to tweak what I say. I think playing around with words is entertaining and contributes to nimbleness of mind. As a simple example, do you know what a decaffeinated cow is?

But don't play around with what the Bible says! That's God's Word!! Though I can appreciate the nimble mind that can derive interesting word plays from Holy Writ, I don't like such careless handling of divine thought. I would give you some examples, but I consider even that irreverent and sacrilegious.

Then there's that old story about a wanna-be preacher who proves he knows the Bible cover to cover...by spinning a convoluted story which is a hybrid of many Biblical accounts. Talk about hilarious!! And talk about shameless. How dare we have so low a view of the Scriptures that we will use them in such a debasing manner?!

The Bible is God's own written Word to us. Shall we use it as entertainment fodder? We wouldn't strike from the Bible the truth of Christ's virgin birth, so why should we trivialize it with our jokes, word plays and perversions?

Were Jesus here in the flesh, speaking His sublime truth to us, no jokester among us would use His words for merriment. Is His written Word somehow less sublime? Is His written truth somehow less inspired? Has the Bible become just another book to us, so ordinary that we must skim its surface for clever nonsense and entertainment? May God in His grace deliver us from such a spirit of, of, of...well, how would you finish this sentence?!

To sharpen our appreciation for God's Word just a little more, let's consider a few of its words and expressions. In these limited references you will be reminded of just some of the purposes and effects of the Word.

"...That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed" (Luke 1:4). Only by the miracle of God's Word can we enjoy the certainty of Truth. Without the Bible, how likely is it that you would know what you know about God and His ways? Because of the Bible, we needn't plunge along blindly with hearsay and imaginings. We certainly have certain Truth!

"...The gospel...wherein ye stand" (1 Corinthians 15:1). Without the power of God's Word none of us could stand solidly upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. Because of His Word, we also stand complete in Him.

"...That ye may have fellowship with us: and...with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1). See that?! God's Word knits us to God and to fellow believers! The Holy Scriptures make possible unmatched communion.

"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:4). Shall we trade this fullness of joy for vain mirth and merriness?

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