“GOD’S ALL-POWERFUL WORD.”
By Stemple White
“FOR the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Heb. 4:12, 13. The Word may be treated under three special divisions, to wit: Spoken, incarnate, and written; and no matter what the conditions may be, the Word is ever the same, “quick and powerful.” At creation “He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Ps. 33:9. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” Verse 6. All things in the whole universe are to-day upheld by that same word (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:16, 17), for all power is of God (Rom. 13:1; John 19:11). In the fulness of time the Word became incarnate and dwelt among men. To the palsied man of Capernaum, who was let down through the roof, Jesus said, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” Then the Pharisees said in their hearts, “Who can forgive sins but God only?” Jesus said unto them, “Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, . . . I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all.” Mark 2:9-12. Thus He spake, and it was. When He said, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” the palsied man believed Him, and it was immediately so. And to show that it was so, Jesus healed the sick man instantly. And mark; these things happened while yet Jesus was incarnate. Why then doubt the word of the heavenly Advocate? “These things happened unto them for ensamples,” showing how quick and powerful is God’s Word, and how that, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” These things were written for our admonition, “that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Rom. 15:4. But what are the Scriptures that we are to have comfort in?—The written Word, the inspired, God-breathed Word of Him who is the same “yesterday, to-day and forever.” And that written Word which says, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” and also, “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions,” is the same all-powerful Word of God. As soon as one accepts that Word, so soon does he possess the righteousness of God, which is by faith. Notice God’s word in creation. When He said, “Let there be light,” it was so—was pronounced good, but was only a means to an end. And likewise when He, by the Word of God, brought forth the whole creation (except man), and pronounced it good, yet it was all only a means to an end. But when man was fashioned into the image of God and endowed with divine life, he was pronounced very good, and the end, of which the pronounced good things were the means, is man’s happiness. Sin came, and with it the cross, which forever stands for the forgiveness and destruction of sin. The same power that, silently and unseen, lifts the water of the oceans to the heavens to continually bless man with rain, is the same power that works mighty revolutions in human hearts. ‘Tis all accomplished by the same word. O soul, have faith in that word. Thy name is engraved on the palms of the hands of Him who now is in the holiest of holies of the heavenly sanctuary pleading for fallen humanity, and saying to the heavenly Father, as cases are being brought up, “If he hath wronged Thee, or oweth Thee aught, put that on Mine account.” Philemon 18. STEMPLE WHITE.