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How Do You Receive The Word Of God?

by Chris Simmons

What you do with God’s word has everything to do with how you receive it. It first must be noted that, though God’s word is the most powerful message ever written (Romans 1:16), it accomplishes nothing in the heart of the one who will not listen. Every conversion recorded in the book of Acts included God’s word first being proclaimed to the soul that is lost (Acts 2:38-42; 3:12ff; 8:4-13; 8:35-40; 9:16 & 22:14-16; 10:24ff; 11:19-25; 16:13-15; 16:30-34). There is no other way for one to obtain faith without hearing the gospel proclaimed (Romans 10:17). But not all who hear God’s word receive it in the same way. If we are to be saved, we must receive God’s word in the following ways.

First, we must receive God’s word with a spiritual mindset. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 2:12-14, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept (receive) the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” Someone with a carnal mindset can listen to God’s word but they will never be able to receive it and accept it because God’s wisdom will never reconcile with human wisdom. However, if we have our minds set on spiritual things and on the “things above” (Colossians 3:1-2), we will be able to receive and obediently respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Second, we must receive God’s message as being worthy of all endurance. We read in I Thessalonians 1:6-7, “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” Unless we hear and receive the word of God with the understanding that trials and tribulations will come, we will not be able to endure until the end. We receive God’s word as being worthy of all endurance because of the hope of eternal reward that it offers. It is a hope that is described as “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away” (I Peter 1:4). Any message that offers such hope is worth any suffering or persecution that accompanies it. In fact, Paul said that what he hoped for was not even worthy of being compared to the sufferings of this present life (Romans 8:18). The one who receives God’s word as not being worthy of all endurance is described by Jesus in Mark 4:16-17, “And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”

Third, we must receive the word as being divinely inspired. Many today try to promote the Bible as simply being a collection of wise sayings and others accept what Jesus said as being divine but categorize what the apostles wrote as simply human commentary. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said in I Thessalonians 2:13, “And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” There is no power in the gospel if it is simply of man. That includes that writings of the apostles who were promised that the Holy Spirit would guide them into “all truth” (John 16:13), who attributed their message not to human sources but to divine revelation (Ephesians 3:3-5; Galatians 1:11-12). Thus, Paul stated regarding the message he preached, “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment” (I Corinthians 14:37). Peter also wrote regarding his message, “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles” (II Peter 3:1-2).

Last, we have to be willing to receive God’s word with all humility. We read in James 1:21, “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” It does us no good to hear God’s word preached with a “yeah, but…” attitude in which we establish that we think we know better than God does. James goes on later in his letter to say, “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:6-10). If we are willing to subject ourselves to God’s word, He has promised to exalt us at the “proper time” (I Peter 5:6).

It is no understatement to say that our eternal destiny depends upon how we receive His word.

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