God-Talk (Word-centered Theology)

by Ethan Seifried on March 11, 2011

 

The first chapter of John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was in the beginning with the Father and that all things were created through him. Jesus is called the Word because he is the fulfillment of all God’s previous words to his people. He is the exact nature, personality, and being of the Father in human form, and we can know him through the eyewitness testimonies contained in the Bible. The Bible is also commonly referred to as “The Word” because it is God’s revelation concerning his Son Jesus (the Word). Therefore, as we apply this truth to our lives, four implications come to the fore: 
 
1)   Love, Read, Meditate on, Savor the Word: The Bible is God’s love letter to his people, not a rulebook. It is the story of an adulterous people (Israel) constantly prostituting themselves out to foreign gods. But God pursues. Though we continue to run to other sources of truth and life, making train wrecks of our lives, God beckons us back to him and his Word. Here is a story of a long suffering, magnanimous, infinitely patient and forgiving God who answers each of our adulterous trysts with, “I love you. I still love you.”
2)   Learn/Memorize His Word: The sermon was almost titled “The Grammar of God” for a reason. For anyone who ever learned a language, you know grammar is annoyingly difficult. If you know vocabulary you can get by, but you cannot become fluent and carry on a meaningful conversation. Theology is the language of God (God-talk, right?). How well do you know His language? Many people say, “I know God loves me, I don’t need to study the Bible. I’m a Christian.” This statement is much like someone going home to one’s spouse and saying, “Babe, we’re married. You said yes. I don’t need to spend time with you. I don’t need to talk to you.” How well do you think that would go over? But no one who is married would say that because we love and cherish our spouse! Asking, “How often do I need to read the Word and pray” is seriously like asking one’s spouse, “How often do I really need to talk to you and spend time with you.” Such actions would belie our lack of love, and we would have to ask ourselves if we were ever truly in love.
3)   Let the Word Change You, Not Vice Versa: We can do two things when we read the Bible: exegete or eisegete. We can read out of it (pull the meaning out) or read into it; one is true worship of God, the other idolatry. When we make scripture say what we want it to say, when we say, “You can rise above all your problems and live in total victory,” Jesus responds with his resounding words, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:20). Much like the idols that Israel made for themselves, we set up our own idols, and then try to O.K. them with God after the fact, rather than allowing God to speak to us. We make God in our own image. Let the Word change you, not vice versa.
Give the Word to Others: Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, now go!” There’s an important principle here: To the extent that we are giving others God’s word, we can speak with authority. This is why Paul can say, “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:17). Because he’s not saying his own words, he is commissioned by God to speak Christ. Paul knew that he would be held accountable in the sight of God for whether he preached Christ in sincerity or not. He knew that he and his glory would soon pass away and all would be left is the Word of God (1 Peter 1:24)—that the peddlers of God’s word are touting their own glory. He knows that if you don’t give Christ to others, then you give them nothing.

The first chapter of John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was in the beginning with the Father and that all things were created through him. Jesus is called the Word because he is the fulfillment of all God’s previous words to his people. He is the exact nature, personality, and being of the Father in human form, and we can know him through the eyewitness testimonies contained in the Bible. The Bible is also commonly referred to as “The Word” because it is God’s revelation concerning his Son Jesus (the Word). Therefore, as we apply this truth to our lives, four implications come to the fore: 
 
1)   Love, Read, Meditate on, Savor the Word: The Bible is God’s love letter to his people, not a rulebook. It is the story of an adulterous people (Israel) constantly prostituting themselves out to foreign gods. But God pursues. Though we continue to run to other sources of truth and life, making train wrecks of our lives, God beckons us back to him and his Word. Here is a story of a long suffering, magnanimous, infinitely patient and forgiving God who answers each of our adulterous trysts with, “I love you. I still love you.”


2)   Learn/Memorize His Word: The sermon was almost titled “The Grammar of God” for a reason. For anyone who ever learned a language, you know grammar is annoyingly difficult. If you know vocabulary you can get by, but you cannot become fluent and carry on a meaningful conversation. Theology is the language of God (God-talk, right?). How well do you know His language? Many people say, “I know God loves me, I don’t need to study the Bible. I’m a Christian.” This statement is much like someone going home to one’s spouse and saying, “Babe, we’re married. You said yes. I don’t need to spend time with you. I don’t need to talk to you.” How well do you think that would go over? But no one who is married would say that because we love and cherish our spouse! Asking, “How often do I need to read the Word and pray” is seriously like asking one’s spouse, “How often do I really need to talk to you and spend time with you.” Such actions would belie our lack of love, and we would have to ask ourselves if we were ever truly in love.


3)   Let the Word Change You, Not Vice Versa: We can do two things when we read the Bible: exegete or eisegete. We can read out of it (pull the meaning out) or read into it; one is true worship of God, the other idolatry. When we make scripture say what we want it to say, when we say, “You can rise above all your problems and live in total victory,” Jesus responds with his resounding words, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:20). Much like the idols that Israel made for themselves, we set up our own idols, and then try to O.K. them with God after the fact, rather than allowing God to speak to us. We make God in our own image. Let the Word change you, not vice versa.


4) Give the Word to Others: Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, now go!” There’s an important principle here: To the extent that we are giving others God’s word, we can speak with authority. This is why Paul can say, “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:17). Because he’s not saying his own words, he is commissioned by God to speak Christ. Paul knew that he would be held accountable in the sight of God for whether he preached Christ in sincerity or not. He knew that he and his glory would soon pass away and all that would be left is the Word of God (1 Peter 1:24)—that the peddlers of God’s word are touting their own glory. He knows that if you don’t give Christ to others, then you give them nothing.