GROWTH THROUGH THE WORD

GROWTH THROUGH THE WORD

In Hebrews 12: 5 the word for “rebuke” is the same as that used in connection with the Holy Spirit in John 16: 8, where it is evidently to bring a charge home to the world. It means that the word of God exposes to me what would be a weight or a sin. We have in the race to lay aside everything that impedes our progress, we lay it aside in order to run the better. When the word convicts us we see what is unsuitable: he that hateth the light does not like to have his deeds “reproved” (the same word) (John 3: 20). “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Revelation 3: 19); He takes pains with us, I might say, as we value it - we who live are always delivered unto death, that we may live more! Growth is through the word. The presentation of truth when effective exercises the soul, it is like a tree growing, pushing the soil on ^[p. 464] every side to make room for its roots, just as leaves and branches monopolise the air. You will find that when you are advancing divinely in the word your soul is made conscious of your need of that which the word presents to you, and as you accept it in faith you are brought under the power and control of it. It becomes the engrafted word. If you are not subdued by it, it is merely conviction and not faith. It has not gone beyond your own mind, for faith carries you to God.