Twenty

"Let us go on to perfection!" - constantly seeking to keep our focus on "beholding the glory of the Lord," so that the Holy Spirit will be able to continue His vital work in us, for us and through us. That vital work includes working in us to "transfigure us into the same image from glory to glory."

There have been many Christians who have been personally motivated by these challenges which come to us from the Word of God, people who have attempted to enter into this glorious experience. But they have found themselves to be struggling with a variety of issues that appear to hinder them. So often they have become so discouraged that they begin to feel that this experience is outside of their possibility of attaining it, that it is just not available to them, even though it may be to others.

When this happens, one of the most important things to consider is this statement that was made by the Lord Jesus, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God"(Matthew 22: 29).

"You are mistaken," "You err" - in your understanding of all that is involved. Why? "Not knowing the Scriptures!" We are living in an age when one of the greatest hindrances to all of the various aspects of the work of God is to be found in the fact that so many Christians have far less that a very elementary knowledge and understanding of the Word of God.

Many may have a few of their own personal favorite passages that they may be able to recite from memory; in fact, they may even know where to go in the Bible to find those passages. But beyond that very limited beginning, they have failed to take the time or make the effort that is demanded from us if we are to really gain a deeper, broader, and fuller understanding of the Bible in its entirety.

It is also vital for us to notice that the Lord Jesus emphasized that the fact that those people to whom He was speaking not only did not know the Scriptures, but, because they did not know the Scriptures, they were seriously lacking in another vital area. They did not know "the power of God!" Of all people they were the most limited in their personal experience of the power of God in their own lives.

Most Christians today are in exactly the same condition. Because they do not know the Scriptures, the result is that they have an extremely limited experience of the power of God in their own lives, and in their service.

In far too many cases, everything that most Christians know about the power of God is the result of second-hand knowledge, something they have gained by hearsay! They may have heard about what the power of God may have been doing in the lives of some other people, but they themselves cannot honestly say that they have very much, if any, personal experience of all that the power of God can accomplish, especially as far as their own lives are concerned. They examine their own lives for evidence that God is really at work in power today, and they draw a blank.

The first and continuing priority for the Christian who is seeking this vital experience can be expressed in the words of Paul, and his prayer in which he sought that they "be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3: 16 - 19).

This is a most exciting and encouraging statement that the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write. It was written to encourage the Christians in Ephesus to press on to enter into the fullness of all that God had for them. It also comes to us today full of inspiration and encouragement.

Every Christian today who has resolved to press on into the excellence of God's perfect will for them and for their lives will always be excited to read such verses as these, and there are so many of them that are given to us in the Word of God. Almost every phrase of these verses reminds us of the thrilling potential that is the will of God for every Christian.

This statement is "solid gold!" It is a treasure of the most incredible value to the ones who in faith claim it and appropriate its truth in their lives. Having said that, it is also true that the vast majority of Christians probably do not have the slightest idea of the power and the potential that is expressed in these verses, that is, if they even know that these verses are in the Word of God. Many do not know that Paul wrote these verses, and therefore cannot, and do not, think about the significance of these words for their own lives.

It is for this reason that we want to take the time to consider these words: "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food" (Job 23: 10 - 12).

As Job was speaking these words he was being confronted by his three "friends" - what strange "friends" they were! Their presence, attitude, and comments only added to the deep distress of Job as he sought to battle his way through the extremely perplexing situation in which he found himself.

Each of these verses contains treasures of great value, treasures that illuminate both the faith of Job and the faithfulness of the Lord. Yet, possibly the key statement is to be found in the words, "I have treasured the words of His mouth!" It was the Word of God that Job identified as being of the greatest of value to him.

This meant that when everything seemed to look so utterly dark, so difficult, Job could still confidently witness to his assurance, "He knows the way that I take!" I may not know it; in fact, I may not even be able to see the next step. But, "He knows the way that I take!" - and I can trust Him with that knowledge!

Job could also confidently add: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." We are reminded of Peter's words: "You have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ"(1 Peter 1: 6,7).

"When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold!" It may not have looked that way as Job sat in the ash heap attended by his "miserable comforters!" But Job saw far beyond his immediate circumstances to the ultimate result of the finished work of God in his life. Yes, Job was being tested, but no one could doubt his sincerity as he affirmed, "I shall come forth as gold!"

These strong, confident statements of assurance must be seen for what they really were: strong statements of a man of God. Most of us, if we had been in Job's situation, would have been oozing with bitter complaints and self-pity, desperately hoping that somehow, and very soon, things would take a turn for the better. But those who have responded to the call of the Lord Jesus, "Come unto Me!" "Learn from Me!" "Take My yoke upon you!"- have moved a long way beyond a vague hope that things will get better, to a strong, unshakable assurance that we too will "come forth as gold!"

It is Job himself who gives us the key to understanding this strong assurance that he had: "I have treasured up the words of His mouth!" Job had lost almost everything else. Even his wife rejected his faith in God as she told him, "Curse God and die!"(Job 2: 9). But Job was fully convinced that he had something that was of the greatest value to him, something that neither man nor devil could take away from him. Something that he valued above everything else.

Job had: The Word of God! This was the treasure that proved to be of the greatest value to him. This is what made the difference for him.

This valued treasure that meant so much to Job is still the real key to living the victorious life of true Christian holiness today, the victorious life that continually brings such honor and glory to the Lord.

What a treasure this is: "The Word of God!" Sadly there are far too many Christians today who have totally failed to understand the incredible value of this treasure that God has so graciously and freely offered to them. Instead of valuing this treasure, they have allowed other interests to distract their attention from the Word of God. This is such a great tragedy.

There are not too many Christians who could honestly echo those words of Job. If most of us were to calculate the time, effort, and other things that we put into the purchasing, preparation, and consuming of our "necessary food," we would inevitably discover that we appear to give a far higher priority to the eating of our food than we do to reading, studying, and praying about the Word of God.

You will notice that Job describes it as his "necessary food!" And, he is quite right. Food is necessary to sustain life, to develop the body, to build strength, to maintain health, among other things. None of these thing are denied, least of all by Job.

But, when we hear Job say, "I have treasured," I have valued, "the words of His mouth," he is focusing on that which is absolutely necessary to sustain our spiritual lives, to build us up in the Lord, to develop needed spiritual strength and resources, to maintain our spiritual health, and, with all that, to ensure that we are enabled to keep ourselves in a good, strong, healthy relationship with the Lord Jesus.

It was for this very reason that the Lord Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8: 3 when He answered the devil's suggestion that He turn stones into bread: "But Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God" (Luke 4: 4).

"Man shall . . . live . . . by every Word of God!" If this is true, and the fact that the Lord Jesus emphasizes it reveals that it is a most vital truth, that the Word of God is of such crucial importance to every Christian, why do so many Christians place such small value on the reading, studying and inwardly digesting of the Word of God, especially on the personal level? Most Christians spend much more time reading other things, the daily newspaper, magazines, novels, etc., than they spend reading the Bible. Even as there are many Christians who spend so much time watching television that they often find little time to read the Bible.

If you were to challenge many Christians as to why they spend such a meager amount of their time with the Word of God, they would probably remind you of their "very busy" lives, their crowded schedules, and the multitude of other activities and interests that demand their time. This would probably include many of those Christians who profess that they really do want to be transfigured into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus - if only they could find the time!

Is it really a matter of "finding the time", or of making the time? Job's words remind us that it is all a matter of setting the right priorities. When something is seen to be of the greatest importance, we make time for it in preference to doing other things. We make that decision! The Christian who is serious about revealing the glory of the Lord Jesus to others gives the Word of God the first priority in their lives - even over the essential matter of eating our necessary food! That was true of Job, and it should always be true of us as those who are pressing on to Christian perfection.

In the light of all this, it is not at all difficult to see why there is such an urgent need for workers in God's harvest fields all over the world today. Christians are so very busy pursuing their own priorities that they have left themselves with no time to listen to what the Lord is attempting to say to them. They are not listening to Him, so how can they hear, let alone heed, His call to them.

This is why, in the face of a world around us that is incessantly emphasizing getting ahead, looking out for number one, getting the most from the available pleasures, etc., that the Church is obviously so impotent to even begin to stem that tide, let alone reverse it. The Church in so many cases and in so many places has totally lost its authority to speak, because the very Christians who make up the Churches are caught up in the flow of the world's priorities and activities, while they remain so pathetically ignorant of the challenge of the Word of God.

There are not many of us who are being faced with the times of most severe trials and testing that confronted Job. He had lost his children, he had lost his possessions and his means of making a living, and even his wife scornfully told him to "curse God and die!" His friends who supposedly came to him to comfort him actually blamed Job himself for all of his troubles, telling him that the things that were in his own heart and life were the cause of all of his problems.

It is so crucial for us to take note of the fact that when Job stated his unswerving commitment to God and His Word, God did not correct him! God knew that Job was testifying to the central principle which had always governed his life. God honored Job's testimony!

At the beginning God described Job in the following terms: "My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil"(Job 1: 8). Then, after Job experienced the first series of tragedies, God said of Job, "And still he holds fast to His integrity, although you have Me against him"(Job 2: 3).

Ultimately, when this time of most severe testing was finally over, God three times described Job as: "My servant Job!"(Job 42: 8). God declared that Job had spoken of God that which was right! God openly and repeatedly honored Job. God always takes notice of, recognizes, and honors those who honor Him!

The ultimate goal of the Lord as He speaks His Word is to establish meaningful relationships. The events recorded in Genesis three emphasize this aspect of God's will: "And they heard the sound (the voice) of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day . . . Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?" (Genesis 3: 8, 9).

But Adam and Eve were hiding from God. They were ashamed, confused, and defeated. They had chosen to disregard the Word of the Lord to them and consequently were embarrassed to meet with Him face to face. They were beginning to reap the bitter harvest of their attitude that chose to ignore the very clear warning of the Word of God to them. They were beginning to realize that their once close personal relationship which they enjoyed with the Lord had been sacrificed to their disobedient self-will.

"Close personal relationship." That had been God's goal in first creating man and then in sharing with him in the Garden of Eden. It is still God's goal that He be able to establish close personal relationships with us, relationships in which He can communicate His Word to us.

It is through His Word. as He shares personal fellowship with us, that He seeks to help us to really get to know Him, His will, His nature, and His desires. He especially does want to reveal Himself to us. Without that level of true personal communication there can be no real or deep personal fellowship. Without that level of personal sharing there can be no continuation of this crucial relationship.

It was to maintain His close personal fellowship that the Lord Jesus Himself spent so many long periods of time in prayer with His Father. He wanted what His Father wanted, to be one with one His Father in all things. If that was true of the Lord Jesus, how much more should it be true of us? How much more do we need to spend time with God, listening to Him as He seeks to strengthen our relationship with Himself?

God also wants His people to be able to freely communicate with Him, so that in a spirit of true fellowship we can express our deep longings and our heart's desires. But, that level of prayer and fellowship is being hindered because we have failed to develop the lines of such personal communication in our delinquency in not giving quality time allowing the Lord to speak His Word to us.

Until we see the vital importance of setting aside quality time on a regular basis to give close attention to the Word of God, we will be reluctant to commit ourselves to any real depth of fellowship and personal relationship with the Lord.

The Lord Jesus has reminded us of just how crucial it was for Him to always keep open the lines of real personal interaction with His Father, and by this means permit His Father to continue to reveal Himself and His will through His Word:

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15: 9, 10).

The Lord Jesus defines relationship in that very significant manner: "Abide in My love!" "Abide in Me, and I in you" (John 15: 4). But it is virtually impossible for us to continue to abide in Him unless we are maintaining the closest possible attention to everything that He is attempting to say to us in His Word.

He also assures us, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15: 7). For us to be able to continue to abide in Him, His Word must continue to abide in us. For us to be able to have His Word continuing to abide in us, we must continue to receive His Word in all its fullness as we prayerfully read it, study it, even as we continue to value it more highly than anything else that could occupy our attention.

We need to think very carefully about the implications of that promise of the Lord Jesus which we just quoted: "You will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you!" Yes, it is recognized that the promise is totally dependent on meeting the conditions that are spelled out in the two statements that precede it: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you!" That is, If you allow Me to make My relationship with you, and you yourself are committed to make your relationship with Me, all that I require it to be, then the resulting potential glory will extend far beyond your most ambitious desires!

We need to remind ourselves that this includes us being transfigured into the same image, the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Himself! Being transfigured from glory to glory! It also includes us becoming so totally transparent as earthen vessels so that the glory of the treasure which God has placed within our hearts will radiate from within us to be seen by everyone around us!

This includes the revelation that God has "shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4: 6).

As we abide in the Lord Jesus and His Word abides in us all of our deep desires are transfigured so gloriously in such a way that, above all else, what we desire is that which always pleases and glorifies the Lord Jesus!

This happens, because His Word is completely embraced by us. His Word is willingly and fully received by us because we have come to value His Word above all else. We have such a deep love for the Lord Jesus that we always warmly welcome every word that He says to us, making that word a part of our lives. In fact, we find that we cannot get enough of His Word, it is so precious to us.

Think for a while of some of the most awesome statements that the Bible has to say about itself, statements that are fully inspired by the Holy Spirit!

"The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4: 12).

"So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55: 11).

"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible"(Hebrews 11: 3).

This strong assurance that the Word of God is so vitally alive and so dynamically powerful comes to us from many sources which the Lord uses in the Scriptures. It is quite obvious that all of these witnesses speak with one voice: The Word of God will always accomplish the goal for which God Himself spoke His Word.

Powerful! Dynamic! Alive! Effective! Fruitful! The Word of God is everything that God says it is. This being the case, we will once again pursue the question: Why do so many Christians respond to the Word of God in the way that they do? They are people who claim to love and honor God, and yet they still live as though His Word is really not that vital to them in their daily lives. Is this attitude caused by ignorance? Is it due to poor spiritual vision? Could it be that it is self-centered willfulness that is the problem?

It is so difficult to understand, because the results of this attitude, whatever it is that lies behind it, mean that all of those Christians are choosing to live as spiritual paupers. They receive so little when God wants them to be able to live in all of the fullness of spiritual life and vitality. The power to so live is in His Word.

"By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, That through these you may be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1: 4). If only every Christian would live by this assurance!

Paul writes, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1: 18).

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes"(Romans 1: 16). The power of God to salvation to everyone who will believe the Word of God.

Paul writes to Timothy: "That from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus"(2 Timothy 3: 15).

As Paul continues, he is emphasizing the dynamic power of the Word of God: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work"(verses 16, 17). The Word of God is profitable, that is, it has the power to produce what it offers.

Not only is the Word of God the power of God unto salvation, but the Word of God is the power of God that is applied by the Holy Spirit to bring every Christian to spiritual maturity, to make us all that God wills us to be according to His perfect plan for our lives, so that we can be "presented perfect in Christ!" The Word of God is also the power of God in equipping the Christian for the service to which God calls us.

"That the man of God may be complete!" Paul takes up this very theme as he writes to the Ephesian Christians about God's perfect plan for His redeemed people: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists"(Ephesians 4: 11).Each of these three, apostles, prophets, evangelists, were appointed to their responsibility in the service of God so as to proclaim the Word of God.

Then Paul continues, "Pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying (the building up spiritually) of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"(verses 11, 12).

This demonstrates the power of the Word of God when it is faithfully taught and explained, when it is carefully read and diligently, prayerfully studied. Through the power of the Word of God, God moves to reach His glorious objective that is so decisively stated in these words: "Till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness if Christ."

That goal is achieved in the lives of those Christians who willingly and completely bring themselves under the power of the Word of God, as they give themselves to the prayerful reading and diligent study of that Word.

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" (Colossians 1: 27, 28).

All of this is accomplished as the Holy Spirit guides and equips those people who are His instruments whose responsibility is to share the message of the Word of God. Paul went on to add: "To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily"(verse 29).

As we have been considering some of the many things that the Bible teaches about all that is accomplished through the power of the Word of God, we again are forced to try and understand the attitude of so many Christians today. Could it possibly be that there really are those Christians who have no strong desire to be "presented perfect in Christ"? That it is this fact that explains their unwillingness to faithfully give themselves to the disciplined and prayerful reading and study of the Word of God? That they have no inclination to seek to so grow in their Christian lives so that they will measure up to the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ? Surely that cannot really be the case?

But still this nagging question troubles us. Why? Why are there so many Christians in whose lives the Word of God is relegated to a place of low priority and little importance? This appears to be true not only of many Christians, but, what is even more disastrous, it is also true of far too many who are charged with the leadership responsibility of nurturing other Christians, of teaching them the Word of God, of helping them to see the amazing reality of all that the Word of God can mean in their lives if only they would saturate themselves in the Word of God.

How each and every one of us need to humbly, sincerely, and prayerfully search our own hearts. Can we really join with Job and say, "I have treasured up the words of His mouth more than my necessary food?