What the Word Is

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12 – ESV)

In this verse there are two action verbs, in the present tense, which means they are this continuously, as regarding the Word of God. The first verb talks of what the Word is and the second speaks of what the Word does.

The first verb is living – the Word discerns all things because of what it is, it is living. It has the life and power of God in it. When a man speaks the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, it has the same power as it had when the Holy Spirit brooded over the darkness and said, “Let there be light.” The Word of God brings the convicting power of the Lord. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Two other words give us a description of this living.

Active – energes (Grk.), full of energy, powerful. It is effective (Isaiah 55:9-11). Its effectiveness may not be immediately evident to us, but as we mature we will understand it is always so, we will see it being effective in changing lives and also in hardening hearts. It will be a surgeon or an executioner, as we see while progressing through Hebrews 4:11-16. It will perform surgery and bring new life, or it will be the death sentence to the rebel. The Word of God either heals or it hardens, and it never fails to do its intended work.

Sharper – tomoteros (Grk.) makes it comparative, not just sharp but sharper. In other words, it is not like a Roman short sword, it is more precise than that. It is not only effective it is precise. It not only gets the job done, it gets it done exactly right. It goes as deep as it needs to, it hits the root.

This is what the word of God is; it is living, and therefore effective and precise, and that is why it is able to discern all things.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©