The Authority of God's Word

 

The Word of God is a pivotal part of God’s image. The scripture reads, “And God said, ‘Let there be light:’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). This passage of scripture lets us know that God’s Word gave commands to which the elements had to respond. It is recorded in the gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). It is important to notice that “Word” is capitalized in this passage of scripture. John emphasized “Word” using capitalization to personify God’s Word as God. God has unlimited power. God’s Word gives commands to which all creation must respond (Gen. 1:1-3). The born-again believer possesses God’s Spirit, and the power of God’s Word.

THE WORD OF GOD

The Word of God is God's revelation of his will and purpose. Christians often refer to The Holy Bible as the Word of God. However, according to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary the phrase "Word of God" used in scripture often does not refer to the written word, but instead to the spoken words of God, or those inspired by God to speak (1221). The same is true in Christendom today. The phrase “Word of God” is not limited to the written words of scripture, but includes the written words, and the words of those inspired by God to speak.

Our knowledge of God should not be limited to the written words of scripture, because God does not limit his communication to mankind to his written Word. Biblical history tells us that because the children of Israel rejected the Word of God from his prophets, God blinded their eyes to wisdom and understanding (Isa. 29:10). Christians today should be careful not to make that same mistake. If we reject the spoken words of God, or those inspired by God to speak, we will also be blind to the will and purpose of God. The prophet Hosea writes, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . .” (Hos. 4:6).

The Word of God is Spirit

God’s Word is a living entity. Jesus says, “. . . the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Paul writes, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The Word of God governs the universe in which we exist. Peter writes, “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Pet. 3:7).

The Word of God Reflects His Will and Purpose

God makes his will and purpose known to mankind through his Word. It is recorded in the book of Isaiah, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Is. 55:11). It is important to note the use of the verbs; goeth, return, accomplish, and prosper in this scripture. These verbs personify God’s Word as a living entity; that which is able to take action, or to cause actions to take place.

The Word of God is Life

When the people of Israel complained about not having food to eat, God sent manna from heaven, and gave them commandments on how to gather and eat it. God wanted the Israelites to know that their lives depended more on following the instructions of his Word than on the consumption of food. The Israelites found that when they did not follow God’s instructions for gathering and consuming the manna, the manna spoiled, and they could not eat it. God said to the people of Israel: “. . . man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” (Deut. 8:3). Jesus confirmed these words in Matthew 4:4, The Bible records, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

The Word of God is the Ultimate Authority

An excellent example of how the Word of God commands events to take place is found in the story of Elijah the prophet. It is recorded in 1 Kings 17:2-4, “And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, ‘Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hid thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.'” The Bible does not record God commanding the ravens to feed Elijah. That is because God did not actually speak to the ravens. At the very moment God spoke to Elijah, his words were giving commandments to which the ravens had to respond.

Later in the story of Elijah, God tells Elijah: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (1 Kings 17:9). When Elijah arrived in Zarephath he discovered that the woman who was to provide for him was extremely poor. When Elijah asked her for a morsel of bread, she told him that she did not have enough for a cake, but only had a little meal and a little oil.

Obviously, God had not spoken to the widow woman, if God had spoken to the woman, she would have told God the same thing she told Elijah. So, when did God command her to sustain Elijah? At the very moment that God spoke these words to Elijah, he commanded this event to take place. As we read further in 1 Kings, Chapter 17, we find that the widow woman did what Elijah asked her to do, and the woman, Elijah, and her entire house had enough food to last for a year.

In the New Testament, the centurion is an example of someone who understood the authority of God’s Word. When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion tells him that his servant is at home sick of the palsy. The Bible says, “[7] And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. [8] The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. [9] For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it” (Matt. 8:7-9).

GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION BEGAN WITH HIS WORD

God realized that the people of Israel needed someone to intercede between him and them. However, there was no one that possessed the righteousness to fill this position. So, God decided that he would be the one to intervene for mankind. Isaiah records, “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him” (Is. 59:16). God would accomplish his plan of salvation for mankind by sending the Word of God to redeem mankind from the law of sin and death.

God Robes Himself in the Flesh

Because there was no one fit to intercede between God and mankind, so God robes himself in the flesh in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). In Isaiah's prophecy of a coming savior, it reads, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Is. 7:14). John writes, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus Christ is the Word of God Manifested in the Flesh

The Old Testament Prophets Isaiah and Micah both prophesied the coming of Christ as the Word of God. The following passage of scripture in Isaiah 2:3 is repeated almost verbatim in Micah 4:2. “. . . and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” The prophecies of Isaiah and Micah were fulfilled in the following passages of scripture. “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, ‘Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord’” (John 12:12-13). John the Revelator declares, “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13).

GOD SPEAKS TO AND THROUGH HIS PEOPLE TODAY

God says that he will do nothing unless he first reveals it to his prophets (Amos 3:7). The same God that spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses still speaks to, and through his people today. God is always speaking; he speaks through his spoken word; through his written word; through his pastors, prophets, and teachers; and through dreams and visions. God does not change. God says, “For I am the Lord, I change not . . .” (Mal. 3:6). God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

GOD HONORS HIS WORD

God’s Words are promises. A promise is a statement binding the person who makes it. A promise creates the ground or basis of expectation. For example, when someone is hired for a position, there is an agreement between that person and the employer that they will be compensated for performing the duties of the position. That person expects to receive a paycheck on a regular basis based on the employment agreement. An employee will acquire material wealth based solely on the expectation of a paycheck. God's Words are promises, which create the ground or basis of expectation in us. We should expect God to do exactly what he has promised based on his Word, and we should have enough faith to act based solely on God’s Word.

God Swears by His Word

In biblical times, swearing was a way of sealing a covenant between two parties, and is also referred to as making an oath. People often swore by God in Heaven because he was the greatest of all. God swore as a means to seal his covenant with mankind. God says in Genesis 22:16-18, “. . . By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou has done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee . . . And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed . . .” Paul says, “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself” (Heb. 6:13).

It is Impossible for God to Lie

One of the characteristics of God is that he is immutable, which means that he is not subject or susceptible to change. The word immutability is used in the scriptures to describe God and his Word. These following passages of scriptures tell us that the unchanging God, in swearing by his unchanging Word, makes it impossible for him to lie. As a result, we have strong consolation in laying hold on his promises.

16. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
17. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
(Heb. 6:16-18)

In God's promise of a savior he says, "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return . . .” (Is. 45:23). God honors his Word by swearing or making an oath by himself. Because it is impossible for God to lie, his Words must come to pass.

God Performs His Word

The house in which I rented a small room was being sold, and everyone living there had to move in thirty days. I needed a miracle. God spoke to me in a dream that I should give my next paycheck to my church as an offering. That paycheck was small because it was only compensation for a couple of days of work as I had just started a temporary job. However, after explaining to God how much I needed that check, I was obedient and when I got the paycheck, I signed it over to my church. I put my faith in these words of scripture: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom . . .” (Luke 6:38).

God is faithful to his Word. The temporary job assignment turned into a permanent position, and within six months I purchased a car and a house. In addition, I was given enough furniture to furnish my two-bedroom, two-bath house. I took hold of the promises of God and demonstrated my faith by responding to God’s Word. God honored my faithfulness and exceeded my expectations. When we put our faith in God’s Word, he will perform it.

God Exalts His Word

God has exalted his Word above all things. King David says, “. . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" (Ps. 138:2). God exalted his Son, Jesus Christ above all things. It is recorded in the gospel of John, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). The following passage of scripture tells us that the name of Jesus is exalted above every other name. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2.10-11). Jesus tells his disciples that whatever they ask the Father in his name they will receive it (John 16:23).

God Confirms His Word

God's law for the people of Israel commanded that, "One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity . . . at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established" (Deut. 19:15). Jesus says, “. . . in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Matt. 18:16). The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give similar accounts of Jesus's three-year ministry, yet they are all recorded in the Bible. Why are all four gospels included in the Bible, instead of just one? It is because God requires that every word be established out of the mouth of several witnesses. When someone is given a prophetic word, it is most likely a confirmation of something that God has already revealed to the person through other means. God always confirms his Word in the mouth of two or more witnesses, and if we listen, we can hear the echo.

THE RHEMA WORD

In the New Testament there are two Greek words that are translated “word” in the scriptures. They are “logos” and “rhema.” Logos refers to the totality of the scriptures and to Jesus. Rhema means “utterance” and refers to the spoken Word. An excellent example of a rhema word is when Jesus instructs Simon to let down his nets for a drought after Simon had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. The Bible records, “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Lk. 5:5). Paul says, “. . . God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom 4:17).

God’s Word Brings Him Glory

To glorify himself before the people of Israel, God commanded Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock so that it could bring forth water. The Bible says, “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink” (Num. 20:8).

The Spoken Word Brings Blessings to Generations

The patriarchs spoke paternal blessings to their heirs. Isaac tells his son, Esau, “Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death” (Gen. 27:7). The Word of God to David, spoken by Nathan the prophet, “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Sam. 7:16).

Faith and the Spoken Word

Throughout Jesus’s three-year ministry, he demonstrated the power of the spoken word through healings, miracles, signs, and wonders. Matthew writes, “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick” (Matt. 8:16). Jesus disciples were amazed that the fig tree that he cursed died, “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mk. 11:22-23) .

Miracles Performed Using the Spoken Word

Following the example of Jesus Christ, the apostles used the spoken word to perform many signs and wonders. Peter tells a lame man to rise and walk (Acts 3:6). Tabitha is restored to life when Peter tells her to arise (Acts 9:40). Paul commands a crippled man to stand to his feet (Acts 14:10). Paul commands a spirit of divination out of a possessed woman (Acts 16:18).

Born-again believers also possess the power to give commands, to which all creation must respond. The Bible tells us that Jesus and God will reside with the saints. Jesus says, “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Because God resides with the saints, the saints possess the power of God, and the power of his Word.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, you must be born-again according to Acts 2:38 which reads, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please share your comments and questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.



Diane Margo Penny is an author, content creator, social media specialist, and Web Designer.

WORKS CITED

All scripture references are from The Bible, King James Version unless otherwise noted.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. Giant Print Reference ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990.

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary

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