Recently, during our services and raps we have considered the value of a godly vocabulary. Couldn't it be considered that just as the physical body of a person is indwelt by spirit, words are also like a shell and indwelt by the immaterial? Let's take our time and think about this.
First, words are powerful and very significant for the quality of our lives. It is obvious that God has designed man unlike the rest of His material creatures to live by words. Wasn't it God who ordained for Adam's world to be defined by words when Adam gave names to the animals? The first Adam gave names to animals and the last Adam, Christ, revealed to us God's mind. We are students of that mind by the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; John 14:16, 17).
These spiritual words are spoken, listened to, understood, mediated on, collected, remembered and imagined. They are essentially the building blocks of our immaterial world. What if our vocabulary is extensive, but lacking in spiritual content? What if our vocabulary is thin, but power-packed with meaning? A simple man may build his life on a few principles that are true and dependable and discover the qualities of words such as LOVE, TRUST, KINDNESS and GRACE through Jesus Christ. Surely, the fishermen who followed Christ discovered the meaning of words that impacted their lives so powerfully that they became the multi-dimensional expression of those words.
The Pharisees of Jesus' day, on the other hand, could not grasp what He was really saying. We have seen this happen personally -- perhaps more than we realize in our own hearts -- and with others. The shell of the word is not a guarantee that we understand the content of the word. Because people use the word "God" does not mean that they have recognized the content of that word. Only the Spirit can show us what that word means. The Holy Spirit teaches the humble (Psalm 25:2). Could the word "love" actually be seen to be a big "rip-off" after all? Yes, of course.
George Orwell's book 1984 makes reference to man's use of language to his own advantage. Could the descriptive metaphor "wolves in sheep clothing" be also used for words? Couldn't a word appear to be something that it isn't? Is the word "love" packed with a wolf nature? Can words be deceitful, misleading and untrue though on the surface they are shining? What if God is using all this to so we desperately run to Him? Pontius Pilate asked Christ the question, "What is truth?" It is our calling to want to know it. Not on the surface, but in reality.
Our only hope in all of this is to listen with humble hearts to what God says to us and do it (John 13:17; Matthew 7:24). The words of God are more than shell - they are Spirit and life (John 6:63). "Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because you can not hear my words" (John 8:43).
Think of the emptiness of human hearts watered with the emptiness of words. This is a recipe for deep discouragement.
Rather, let us think of how high our thoughts and hearts can soar when God puts the meaning of His words in us. What communication will we have with each other? Loving communication. What will be the nature of our self talk? Edification in reality. How will we counsel ourselves? On the basis of Christ. This is happening in God's assemblies around the world. No wonder the Spirit-filled meeting hall takes hours to empty. No wonder rap sessions lead to more rap sessions. No wonder people are filled and satisfied with God in their hearts. He is speaking to us. Is this a Word of God revival?
This whole world is to be understood through the last Adam, Jesus Christ. He is the one who speaks not only with words, but with power (I Corinthians 4:20). The spiritual content of words is what people are hungry for. Full churches are evidence of hungry souls feeding on living, memorable, useful, biblical, satisfying words. It is no surprise that when we have found these words they are the joy and rejoicing of our hearts (Jeremiah 15:16).
Praise Him!
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