Our Day | Page 3

nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John
6:63.
The words of God are living words. When God spoke in the beginning,
"Let there be light," lo, the light sprang out of the darkness. There was
power in the word spoken to bring forth. "Let the earth bring forth
grass," was the word of the Lord: and the earth was carpeted with its
first rich greensward. So through all the work of creation, the creative
power was in the word spoken.
"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of
them by the breath of His mouth." "He spake, and it was done; He
commanded, and it stood fast." Ps. 33:6, 9.
Even so, when this word speaks instruction to man, there is creative
power in the word, if received, to work mightily in the soul that is dead
in trespasses and sins. Man must be born again, be re-created. That we
know; for Christ says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born again ["from above," margin], he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John 3:3.
And the word of God--the Bible from heaven--received by faith, is the
agency by which this new birth "from above" is wrought. This is the
declaration of our text: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."
1 Peter 1:23.
[Illustration: HEALING THE CENTURION'S SERVANT
"Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." Matt. 8:8.]
The Word That Works Within
Not only does the word of God give the new birth, making the believer
a new man,--the past forgiven and a new heart within,--but the word
that re-creates abides in the believing heart that studies it and clings to
it, to work in the life with actual power that is not of the man himself.
To the Thessalonians, who had "turned to God from idols to serve the
living and true God," the apostle wrote:
"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye
received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the
word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe." 1 Thess. 2:13.
The word itself works within, and works effectually. There is nothing
mechanical about it. The mere letter profits nothing. The Bible on the
center table, unstudied and unloved, has no magic power. But God
promises to abide by His Spirit of power in the heart that listens to His
voice and trembles at His word. Jesus Himself tells us the secret of this
power of the word to work in the believing heart:
"If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love
him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John
14:23.
No wonder, then, that believing and receiving the word brings divine

power into the life, making it possible for transformations of character
to be wrought, for victories to be won and obedience rendered to every
command of God.
Simply believing God's word touches the current of everlasting power,
even as the trolley arm of the electric car reaches up and touches the
current of power flowing through the wire overhead. The faith that
takes the living word brings the power divine into the heart to move all
the spiritual mechanism of life's service.
The Word Our Safety and Defense
When Christ came to live as our example in the flesh, and to give His
life a sacrifice for sin, He, the divine Son of God, made Himself like
unto His brethren. "I can of Mine own self do nothing," He said. John
5:30. Tempted and tried, He found His defense in the Holy Scriptures.
When Satan came to tempt Him to sin, the Saviour said, "It is written."
He clung to the sure defense. Again the tempter came. He was met with
the word, "It is written again." The third time it was the same weapon
of defense, "It is written." Matt. 4:1-11.
Christ found safety only in the Scriptures of truth. So the Bible is the
Christian's shield against the enemy's attacks. As Jesus studied the
Scriptures and kept the words ever in His heart for a defense against
temptation, so must every Christian study and meditate upon God's
Holy Word if its counsels and precepts are to be his defense in the
moment of sudden temptation to sin. "Thy word have I hid in mine
heart," said the psalmist, "that I might not sin against Thee." Ps. 119:11.
It was the only way for Christ, our Pattern; it is the only way