The Word and the Spirit

The Word and the Spirit | The Institute for Creation Research
— Read on www.icr.org/article/13988/

This devotional explains why the Bible has so much meaning and inspiration for some people, but not for others. That difference is the Holy Spirit who authored the Scriptures in the first place. The Spirit brings the Word of God to life for those who possess Him through the new birth (Romans 8:5, 9; John 3:3). It is no wonder that unbelievers either reject or distort the teachings of the bible, because often they appear as foolishness to them and they cannot pick up on the meaning (1 Corinthians 2:14). Nevertheless, Romans 10:17 teaches that hearing comes by the word of Christ that is preached to a lost soul. In other words, through the Spirit of God, the word of God can create a spiritual “hearing” ability (understanding, discernment) in the listener when God works through the message (the gospel), resulting in faith in that message (Proverbs 20:12, Hebrews 11:1, 2) and salvation of the soul. That is when a person’s journey begins in the wonders of God’s inspired Word!

For me, this was a before and after experience. While I was raised as a Catholic, in my youth I read through most of the bible, using the Catholic Confraternity Edition. During that time the Scriptures were dull, uninteresting, and a meaningless enigma in most of its entirety. That was my early impression of God’s Word in the bible. In my early twenties, once I converted and became born again, suddenly and to my amazement, the bible came alive with meaning in book after book, but especially the New Testament. It became transformed into a treasure trove of delightful wisdom and vistas of truth as never before.

The implication is that no matter what era or culture a person lives in, the Word of God in the gospel remains as the only power of God for the salvation of individuals (Roms 1:16). That is the necessary starting point for enabling persons to come to an understanding of and appreciation for the messages of truth in the Scriptures.