315. The Word of God Divides and Discerns
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
We have the Word of God that is quick, powerful, and sharp. This is what it is. The promise for us is what it does: the Word divides soul and spirit and it discerns the intents of the heart. Essentially the Word of God tells us the truth, and it reveals to us what is really going on contrary to our flawed perception of things. What we see can be deceiving; what God reveals gives us the truth.
First, we can count on the Word to divide soul and spirit. The soul is sinful, corrupt, deceitful, and fatally flawed. It sees only through the physical eyes of the body and it cannot see God or believe Him. The spirit, on the other hand, is where the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer; it always tells the truth, reveals righteousness and purity, opens the eyes of faith to see the spiritual kingdom where God reigns. The words of Jesus are spirit and truth. And the Spirit, who enters through the Gospel, guides us into all truth, and the truth sets us free. The Spirit uses the Word of God to separate truth from lie, wheat from chaff, kernel from husk. He convinces us of the truth, even truth that at times appears contrary to sight. These are the eternal things of God, like, love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, goodness, kindness, salvation, eternal life, and many other spiritual blessings (which, by the way, we are looking for in this blog post). These truths are separated from the deceptions and lies that come from the soul, originate from Satan, are delivered by the World, and resonate with our sinful flesh. Thank God for the Word that unveils truth to the eyes of faith. By the power of the Word and the Spirit we are enabled to see the difference.
Second, we can count on the Word of God to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. It reveals the conflict between God’s will and my own will. It discovers selfish and godly motivations. Why do we do what we do? Where do these thoughts come from? Am I motivated by love of self or love of God and others? I thought I did a good thing, but the Word shows me it was really selfish. The Spirit and the Word show me that, leading me to repent and believe the Gospel. The Gospel empowers me to decide and do the right thing for the right reason. Thank God for the promise of the Word that discerns my own thoughts better than my own sinful human reason. How often my own thoughts and intents lead me astray, while the Word is a light unto my path.