Words (reprinted)
Words are God's primary means for communicating truth to his creation. There is a movement away from words in recent times, a movement to images and music and experience. While all of these are powerful in effecting emotion, it is the word of God that communicates the life changing truth that saves us.
I am not suggesting that we ought not communicate with creativity or visually. I desire that students come to worship and experience God. However, Jesus said that those who worship the Father must worship him in spirit and TRUTH. Truth is communicated with words. Let us not neglect the public reading of the Word of God. Let us be diligent in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. For it is the Word of God that judges our hearts.
It is true that we are more and more a visual society. Pictures and movies are powerful communication tools to pluck the heart strings of this people. This is all the more reason for to teach the truth with words. People need to understand who they are worshipping. People need to understand the truth before they can accept it.
Our ears have become dull to words. We use them so wastefully. There has been no economy in our use of language. We are deaf then to the Words of God unless the Spirit of God makes our hearts alive to listen and be changed.
I am not suggesting that we ought not communicate with creativity or visually. I desire that students come to worship and experience God. However, Jesus said that those who worship the Father must worship him in spirit and TRUTH. Truth is communicated with words. Let us not neglect the public reading of the Word of God. Let us be diligent in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. For it is the Word of God that judges our hearts.
It is true that we are more and more a visual society. Pictures and movies are powerful communication tools to pluck the heart strings of this people. This is all the more reason for to teach the truth with words. People need to understand who they are worshipping. People need to understand the truth before they can accept it.
Our ears have become dull to words. We use them so wastefully. There has been no economy in our use of language. We are deaf then to the Words of God unless the Spirit of God makes our hearts alive to listen and be changed.
posted by goz at 7:03 AM
3 Comments:
"Word's are God's primary means for communicating truth to his creation" Is this true? It seems that words are actually used to explain or interpret what he's done or will do. Word's are a means to communicate truth, not the truth itself, correct?
Does "Word of God" equal "Bible"? Often times when "Word of God" is used in the Scriptures it is not referring to Scripture at all.
I must say I concur with BAB. Words are symbols just like symbols are symbols. I agree (or would reword it as) there are no other symbols LIKE words, but they are symbols nonetheless.
The WordS of God are powerful only because they are His. As is anything else He does or creates. The Bible is only powerful because it is "sourced" and "powered" by the Spirit of God.
So I'm curious (after already spinning my angle above), why do you say "Words are God's primary means for communicating truth to His creation"? Mainly, why you wrote "primary"?
Hey brother, I agree with your estimation on society's abandonment of the proper use of words... but realize that postmodernity has come to DISTRUST words (thank you Derrida & co.) as part of a fundamental shift from absolutism to subjective experience (or we might say from truth to love [or pseudo-love]). Anyway, I'd like to push back a little on your singular definition of "word". The person, Jesus Christ, is called the Word; and yet He has no syllables, vowels, or paper upon which He is written. He is the Word who speaks words... and He is the Word when He does not speak words. I wonder if your investment into words as we understand them inidicates something about where your feelings lie on a TRUTH---LOVE spectrum? ...no judgments...just thoughts meant to spark reflection for all of us. Peace in Christ, Goz, - J
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