The Sword of the Spirit (2)

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4.17

A Word for judgment
The Bible has been given to us, in the first place, to lead us to deeper levels of faith, so that we might serve the Lord by making sound judgments. That word – judgment – doesn’t sit well with many believers: Aren’t we supposed to resist the temptation to judge others?

Well, no.

Jesus commands us to judge with righteous judgment, and the Bible is the primary source the Lord has provided for equipping us to think, feel, value, speak, and act in righteous ways (cf. Jn. 7.24; 2 Tim. 3.15-17). God intends His Word to penetrate the very depths of the human soul, exposing the darkness of sin and unbelief, cauterizing the wounds of death and transgression, and performing spiritual surgery for the renewal of every aspect of human life. Then it can do the work of bringing forth faith in greater measures, for joy, rejoicing, and a life of obedience.

But this work begins in judgment. The Spirit of God, Who is our Teacher, wields the Word of God to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16.8-11). He opens the Word to us so that we might be convicted of the sin in our lives, and in the world around us (Ps. 139.23, 24). He convinces us from the Law and all the Word of God concerning what true righteousness requires (Rom. 7.12). And He warns any who may balk at being so judged that judgment from God awaits all who hesitate to follow the path of righteousness (Heb. 12.3-11).

The Word of God is a two-edged Sword, in the first place, for judgment. And that judgment must begin with us, the beneficiaries of God’s covenant and members of His household.

Exercise all vigilance
Before we can be effective in fighting the good fight of faith in the world, we must learn to be effective in fighting it in our own lives. The law of sin continues to work within us (Rom. 7.18-25), inclining us away from God’s will to our own selfish desires; the sinful world confronts us daily with all manner of enticements (1 Jn. 2;15-17); and, of course, the devil and his ilk are always prowling and stalking about, looking for ways to overthrow our faith and render us ineffective in the spiritual warfare (1 Pet. 5.8, 9).

We are continually under attack by spiritual forces seeking to capture the moments and opportunities of our lives for their own evil purposes (Eph. 5.15-17). Thus, we must exercise all vigilance, as we read and study the Word of God, against sin making any gains in our own souls, our own lives, and our own communities.

We must examine ourselves daily in the light of God’s Word, listening as we read and meditate, for the Spirit to speak to us and to reveal any thoughts, affections, or priorities which are out of line with the Kingdom of God. Confession and repentance are the daily responsibility of all who follow Christ, and one of the first fruits of reading and hearing the Word of God; but we will not be likely to engage either of these disciplines until we learn to listen to the Spirit.

We must allow the Spirit to judge not only our thoughts, affections, and priorities, but also our words and deeds, every one of them, in the light of the Word of God. As we discover areas where our speech or works are not in line with the teaching of God’s Word, we must confess our sin, repent of any wicked practices, and hurry back to the path of the Lord, revealed in His Word (Ps. 119.59, 60).

We must be continuously vigilant over our soul and life, looking to and listening for the Spirit to use God’s Word to expose our sins, and convict us of them.

Stimulating one another
But we must also exercise accountability with one another, being bold and loving to discourage one another from sinful practices and to encourage one another in love and good works (Gal. 6.1-10; Heb. 11.24). Growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord is a community effort; each of us must find study partners and soul friends whom the Spirit can use to convict, instruct, encourage, and edify us in our journey with the Lord.

Wielding the Word of God involves wielding it on ourselves first of all. Do not read or study the Bible merely for information or insights concerning the needs of others. Let the Spirit drive His Word deep into your soul, and wield it in every area of your life, and you will be equipped to serve the Lord with that Word in every area of our life.

Our place in the front lines of the spiritual warfare will always be compromised until we learn to fall on the Sword of the Spirit and let it judge us, correct us, heal us, and direct us in the paths of righteousness which Jesus has trod before us (1 Jn. 2.1-6).

For reflection
1.  Why is it important that Christians be ready to judge?

2.  What does it mean to judge with “righteous judgment”? How does that relate to our everyday lives in the world?

3.  Meditate on Psalm 139.23, 24. How might you practice this as an aspect of “beginning here” in exercising righteous judgment?

Next steps – Conversation: How would you describe the role of confession and repentance in your life? Talk with some other believers about how you can encourage one another to be more consistent in coming under the judgment of the Sword of the Spirit.

T. M. Moore

You can learn more about God’s covenant and why it’s so important by ordering T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store (click here). For a deeper study of God’s covenant, order the workbook, God’s Covenant, from our online store (click here).

To learn how God’s covenant defines the shape of Scripture, and guides our approach to 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 2 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.