The implanted word is able to save our souls.
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21
Here is our eternal promise in receiving the implanted word in our hearts, the salvation of our souls. Wait a minute, I thought my soul is saved? Well, it is saved in the fact that if we die, our soul ascends with our spirit, but it is not saved, at least mine isn’t yet, into the freedom and wholeness of Jesus Christ in submission and rest in the truth of Jesus Christ. It is not yet fully saved, that’s a better word, in perfect love’s freedom from all fear. It’s not yet saved in not loving my soul even to the point of death. I can see things but can’t hold them with my soul. I can confess through the Father that Jesus is the Christ and then deny I ever knew Him in the insanity of betrayal to a servant girl. But when the act happens, what saved Peter from his actions of denial was remembering the Lord’s word, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Luke 22:61
Our reading scripture aloud, and listening to the word of God read, brings the opportunity for the word of God to become implanted and the fruit of salvation to be fully realized and enjoyed in all that the Father has accomplished in the Son and His resurrection. Jesus’ intercession is the word made alive again, remembered in the moment of failure, or recalled in a moment of testing, it becomes the sword of the Spirit and the salvation of our souls.
Acts 5 – 11
We are in the largeness of the church’s expansion, with the Holy Spirit so present in power that we begin with a couple’s death because they lied about their offering to the Lord. Appearing to man as having given it all when they kept back a portion for themselves. Keeping back was not their sin, it was their hypocrisy. Chapter five is the apex of an expansive powerful demonstration of the resurrected Christ, with persecution, and utter abandonment of teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Chapters six and seven are the church taking center stage in the temple, and then the great persecution that results in Stephens calling out the hypocrisy of the Sanhedrin resulting in his death inside glory.
Chapter eight is about the church being scattered and preaching the word resulting in Samaria hearing the word. Chapter nine is about Paul’s conversion and Peter raising Dorcas from the dead. This positions Peter for Cornelius’ vision in Caesarea to send for Peter who will discover along the way through a vision and submission to the message of Christ to the rest of the world, resulting in the Gentile baptism by the Holy Spirit and then the elders of the church accepting God’s gift and what will become the greatest missionary movement with Barnabas and Saul.
Hebrews 7 – 13
Chapters seven through ten are the unfolding of the Melchizedek priesthood that God has sworn to Jesus in an oath, that is better in every way. Better blessings, a better hope, a better covenant, established on better promises purchased with the better sacrifice of Jesus, offered through the eternal Spirit without spot to God. Chapter ten brings us into the application from verses nineteen on and then into Chapter eleven and the receiving through faith. Chapter twelve is our chastening by the Father to become a partaker in His holiness on Mount Zion as Jesus’ voice that is shaking heaven and earth. We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and grace by which we serve God acceptably with reverence and fear. Chapter thirteen brings us to practical applications of the glorious gospel of the Son of God.
James 1
Joy in trials, patience into perfection, knowing we are never tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He himself tempt anyone. It’s our lust that leads us off into temptation that brings sin to death. But there is an answer His word is implanted in our hearts giving us a new script to imitate, a new image to become, into Christ’s likeness as we behold Him in His word.
1 Samuel 10 – 17
We begin with Saul being anointed king of Israel by Samuel the prophet, and then introduced to Israel and proclaimed king. Saul saves Jabesh Gilead and wins the hearts of Israel. Samuel addresses Israel as their last judge regarding his conduct and their new relationship with their king that they have chosen and desired. If they fear the Lord and obey His voice, the king they have chosen will continue as they follow the Lord. A sign from heaven is given, and the people realize their sin in asking for a king, Samuel comforts them and promises he will never stop praying for them.
Chapters thirteen through fifteen are Saul’s attempt at serving the Lord as king. He has a lot going against him, though. He is man chosen and therefore man fearing. Saul disobeys the Lord three times until finally the Lord rejects Saul as king and searches for another king after His heart, not the people’s wishes and fears. He finds David in chapter sixteen, Samuel anoints David, and David begins his psalmist ministry to King Saul as he is now being tormented by a distressing spirit. Chapter seventeen David kills Goliath while delivering cheese to the army for his father.
Psalm 138 – 143
All our psalms this week are penned by King David. They bring His hallmark trust and dedication that the Lord is all things. Psalm 139 is a classic of God’s knowing us and pursuing us from before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Let courage come and renewed thirst and hunger for the Lord as you read these Psalms from the man God found who was after His heart.
Daniel 4 – 9
We begin with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel’s interpretation, and the Lord’s demonstration of humbling the mightiest man on earth until Nebuchadnezzar comes to know that “Heaven Rules.” Then God restores Nebuchadnezzar to his kingdom, such relevance for the nations today. Chapter five is about his son Belshazzar in arrogance at a feast definite, until the man’s hand comes and writes his future on the wall. Daniel again brings interpretation and God fulfills His word. Daniel six is about jealousy and plots, Daniel holds his place in prayer being “his custom since early days.” Rich with promise to the life of a devoted worshipper of God, who has built the habit of prayer into the fabric of his life.
Daniel seven and eight begin Daniel’s visions of the kingdom and events leading into the last days. They leave Daniel weakened, troubled, faint, sick, and astonished. Visions from heaven can be overwhelming and undoing to the one seeking God’s working in glory. Daniel will recover in chapter ten when the Lord strengthens him next week. In Chapter nine, we see Daniel’s prayer for Israel to return to Jerusalem after the seventy years that Jeremiah had prophesied would occur first. This is a masterful prayer of identification and repentance as Daniel acknowledges Israel’s sin as his. This is followed by Gabriel coming with more skill to understand and the seventy weeks determined for Israel and Jerusalem.
