The Blade and
the Rock
By Rusty Crozier
We
live in a world of words. We see words everywhere in almost every language. We
defend countries and cultures with words. We have wars with words. We mumble them, yell them, scream them, whisper
them and withhold them. We express concern and condolences with words. We use
words to express the deepest feelings we have. We think words. We speak words.
Words are an integral part of the fabric of human existence.
It is no surprise to me that God’s own Son, Jesus, is presented to us as The
Word. John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the
beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” It really shouldn’t surprise you
either, as I have written to you about this before, and it is a very familiar
passage in the Bible.
What surprises me however is how we have grown
to misuse the words of God to justify our own existence outside of the things
that make God happy. We have come to a place in the world where many use God’s
word (described by God himself as a two-edged sword so sharp that it divides
between spirit and soul) to carve out comfortable places for themselves. These
comfortable places are grounded in misguided thinking and not on the real
teachings of Christ.
Christ addresses this ‘Word-crisis’ in
Matthew chapter seven. He says, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to
you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit
you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad
fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good
fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who
says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many
miracles?’ Then I will
tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore
everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a
wise man who built his house on the rock…”
You know the rest. A house on the rock does not
move. A house built on shifting sand will fall in the time of storms and
floods. Cutting my lawn the other day, I rediscovered this truth in a big way.
Riding my cool lawn tractor with 28 horsepower and its 54” cutting deck I was
in a great frame of mind. Until I hit the rock, that is! I soon discovered that
3 blades of solid steel, sharpened on both ends, were no match for the ROCK! In
milliseconds those blades were bent, dulled, distorted and utterly useless for
cutting grass.
God’s word is not to be used against God, to
justify our own desires and feelings. Nor is the two-edged sword of Scripture
intended for the purpose of ‘moving God’ the Rock. God’s word was written for
us. It brings salvation to those who hear it, and submit to its Truth. It was
never meant to be changed in order for us to re-form our perception of who God
is and thereby malign what is truly holy.
Psalm 119:9-11 says, “ How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I
seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have
hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” May I
suggest that you take up the cause of reading God’s word with the sole purpose
of knowing Him, and that as you come to know Him, the truth about you and the
world we live in will gently be revealed.
