“The Man On Top of the Mountain Didn’t Fall There”
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For me, I don’t think it is possible to have real, effectual faith unless one knows what God has said on any given subject.
I believe that must be the import of the Scripture, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17, KJV) We capitalize the word, Word, concluding that it means “the word God has spoken,” but we also consider it, without consistently training our souls, to be advice and instruction closed up in a book, reference material, available for correction and reproof. It is that.
Again, however, without consistently training our souls, we grow lax. Here is just one of so many indications that we have, in this case, we share with the Lord Himself, a task, a purpose, an assignment:
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)
The words read by Jesus in the synagogue (“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me …), taking upon Himself the fulfillment of them (Luke 4:18) were given to us, delivered to us, given for us to hear the Father’s Voice, speaking His own heart in this passage, but echoing the words in Isaiah, defining our fast and our fasted lifestyles. That is the hearing that helps me. It personalizes things and makes them serviceable.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
There is no Word (no Biblical, Scriptural word,) but what God has spoken. If He speaks and I hear it, even off the printed page, then I can have fullness of faith in what He has said.
And so, we fight …
This is important to warriors. If we don’t know of a certainty that men and women – children, too – are meant to be set at liberty, released from all spiritual and emotional captivity, which is our part, then we will leave them where they are. In the most difficult cases, we won’t go the distance.
We have police officers, soldiers, good politicians, public defenders, even economists, who serve and strive to set at liberty those that are bound. Some of them can do with authority, with the stroke of a pen or with the back-up of a ready weapon, amazing feats of liberation.
We, those of us who minister to God and on behalf of others at the Throne of Grace, have only the Word of the Lord. And our faith and compassion. It is enough.
Swiss Longsword
Rama, by permission, Wikipedia
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