Able to Save (1)

All Scripture isgiven by inspiration of God… 2 Timothy 3.16

The implanted Word
The Apostle James wrote of the Scriptures that they are “able to save your souls” (Jms. 1.21). This is, by any standard of literature, a remarkable claim. Let’s not pass lightly over it.

How is a book, even the divinely-inspired Bible, able to save someone’s soul?

Soul and salvation were concepts with which James’ readers would have been quite familiar. As we have seen, the soul of a person is that immaterial, unseen aspect of our being – comprised of mind, heart, and conscience – which gives shape, direction, and motive power to every aspect of our lives. Souls in their natural estate are corrupted by sin and focused on merely self-serving ends. This is not to say that nothing good comes from the soul of one who has not come to salvation. After all, the works of the Law are written on our hearts, and this, together with the steadfast love of God, exerts a powerful influence on the minds and consciences of every person.

Salvation is that condition of blessedness which many have come to know through faith in Jesus Christ. By salvation we enter the promises of God’s covenant, and begin the glorious adventure of growing into Jesus Christ day by day. The knowledge of what Jesus has done for us – how, by His life, death, and resurrection He has overcome the power and effects of sin – is revealed to us in the Word of God, the Scriptures. As we embrace what God reveals, we receive the precious gift of salvation, which is to know God, and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent.

But for our soul to come to salvation requires an operation of God’s Spirit, by which He implants, to use James’ term, the Word of God into our souls; thus, the Word and Spirit together bring life where previously only spiritual death had obtained (Jn. 6.63; Eph. 2.1-9).

Only God’s Word
How is this possible? How can a word of any kind accomplish such dramatic, comprehensive, transformative, and lasting effects on the unseen and spiritual aspects of a person’s life? Only because this is no ordinary word; it is the very Word of God.

The Bible, with which we are all familiar, goes by various names within its own pages: the Word of God, the Law of God, the sacred writings, the Scriptures, the oracles of God, and the mouth of God are just a few. All these terms intend the same referent – the words, paragraphs, chapters, and books which comprise what we know as the Bible, the Holy Scriptures.

The Word of God in the Gospel – which is the theme of all Scripture – is able to save our souls precisely because it is the Word of God, living, powerful, able to penetrate to the unseen depths of our being, and to unleash holy spiritual power according to the saving purpose of God.

We cannot talk ourselves out of sin into forgiveness and eternal life, and no amount of coaxing, cajoling, or threatening on the part of others can accomplish this conversion, either.

We need a work of God to save us, and that work comes in the form of His preached Word, wielded by His Holy Spirit, which enlightens our mind, refurbishes our heart, reorients our conscience, and plants itself firmly in our soul. With a kind of holy spiritual violence (Matt. 11.12), the Spirit of God wields the Word of God to transform our thinking, kindle new and holy affections, and shake-up our priorities according to the Kingdom agenda of our Lord.

As a result, as the Word of God thus begins to dwell in us richly, we are saved, and enter a new phase and condition of life – eternal life, a relationship with God through Jesus Christ which makes all things new, beginning with our soul.

The Word of God is able to save our souls, and doing so, to renew and transform every aspect of our lives.

Living and powerful
The writer of Hebrews explained that the Word of God is living and active, and able to penetrate to the very depths of our being and perform spiritual surgery on our souls (Heb. 4.12), as we have seen. We do not know precisely how this occurs, but those who have experienced spiritual surgery understand exactly what it means to have the living Word of God implanted in their souls. Over the centuries, multiplied millions of people have borne testimony to the reality of this experience and of the power of this Word, which can only be a power from God.

This Word, implanted in our souls, is breathed into us by God as surely as it was first breathed into print through the prophetic and apostolic authors God chose to use as His faithful scribes.

The Word of God, the Bible, is, in many respects, a lot like many other books. But in this one most important way, it is altogether unique: It is the life-giving, soul-transforming power of God for salvation.

For reflection
1.  In what ways have you experienced the indwelling power of the living Word of God?

2.  Briefly describe your present practice of letting the Word of God become more deeply “planted” in your soul:

3.  Are there any areas of your approach to reading and studying Scripture in which you would like to see improvement?

Next steps – Conversation: How can we know whether the Word of God has truly planted the seed of the Gospel in our souls? How should this affect our thinking and outlook on life? Our attitudes, feelings, and hopes? Our values and priorities? Talk with some Christian friends about these questions.

T. M. Moore

To learn more about understanding and using the Bible, enroll in the course, Introduction to Biblical Theology. It’s free and online, and you can study at your own pace or with friends. To learn more and to register, click here. This week’s study is Part 5 of a series on The Word of God, and is available as a free download by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.