Episode #69: Cut It Out
“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
When my oldest son was younger, he studied martial arts. He was on the demo team with his martial arts school. They would travel and perform at different venues. One of my favorite things to watch was his sword form. He would perform a routine with a sword that had one sharp edge and one flat edge. The students were taught to keep the flat edge facing them so they wouldn’t cut themselves with their own sword. The sharp edge was to stay pointed away from them and towards the opponent.
The Word of God is compared to a double-edged sword. It has a dual purpose. One side is used to defend us from the enemy. But there is also a second edge that faces us no matter how we hold it. This edge is not used to cut us down, but it is used to cut out those things that are not desired by God. When we read something in His word that seems to pierce us, that’s the work of the word revealing in us what needs to be removed or sacrificed. When that is revealed to us, let us be a people who are obedient to let whatever it is be removed.
Let Us Be A People 