The Sword and the Spirit

[HKHaugan]

The Sword and the Spirit

 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Timothy 3:16).”

 When people get a gift-wrapped present, some rip itright open to get what’s inside. Others do it more moderately and of course, some carefully open and save the wrapping and the ribbon for later use. The same is true with Scripture. There are those who open and kind of scan it. Others pick their favorite passages, take out what’s comfortable and peruse the rest. Then there those who try and get as much as they can out of it. They may even start at the beginning and read it all. It reminds me of the Parable of the Sower about the farmer scattering seeds. Some feel on the path, some in shallow soil, some among thorns and some on good soil. The last yielded the most benefit.

 That’s precisely what Paul’s intention was when he lifted up the importance of Scripture for Timothy. To say something is God-breathed is to make it the guide for our ambition, our life’s goals and our self-fulfillment. Therefore, does what we think, say and do meet its standards? Look at its premise:

 The One God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose image we are created. As His image we have a mind, heart and spirit. Our mind is used to discern the Father’s will as revealed in Scripture. Therefore, the mind is for belief. Letting God get His mind around our understanding and reasoning. That means the heart is for having a relationship with His Son Jesus, the place of self-conscious identity and relational need. It follows then that our spirit is inspired by the Holy Spirit to build that relationship and motivate into action what our mind and heart process through Scripture. We mine it, milk it and make it central in our life.

 So, when Jesus took on a human body, what was in Him was the exact image of God (John 1:1, 8:58, Heb.1:3). He was the Word in the flesh. His mind had one purpose, to believe and know His Father’s will. His heart loved and relationally served His Father and He offered Himself relationally to the world of people. His Spirit was the Holy Spirit, the power, presence and motivator of God’s love in all that He did. Jesus lived a perfectly balanced human life as only God in man could. Jesus was a man of His Word.

 There are three parts to Paul’s teaching: consistent with the Trinitarian nature of God. First, “All Scripture is God-breathed…” His mind. Second, “…and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” His heart. Third, “…so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work…” His Spirit.

 So, Scripture is a peek into the mind of God. It reveals what He has given us to experience Him relationally through Jesus. For instance, when John says Jesus is the Word, He is saying three things. Jesus is the verbal expression of God. He is the living example of God in action. He is the living intention of what God created us to be like forever.

 What Scripture contains is the history, the plan, the structure and the Person to accomplish His purposes which are spiritual, personal, relational, all three embodied in one Person. He centers His purposes in the person of Jesus His Son. Interestingly, Paul speaks to Timothy about ‘the man of God’ and what he should be like. But that’s every believer, isnt’t it? No one is excluded. If we are God’s person, the Scripture is personal for each of us. It is a gift to be unwrapped, opened, read, prayed over, tasted and digested.

 And the Word comes with a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who is always present to draw each unique individual into its nourishment. It speaks personally to everyone according to the individual personality willing to receive the Counselor who gives it meaning. See the Cross in this? The written Word from above inspired by the Spirit from above to be practiced and shared laterally in the world around us. This puts flesh on Jesus’ call to take up our cross and follow Him.

 “For 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 (Heb.4:12).”