It should come as no surprise to anyone …that the ‘world’ remains skeptical to believe the Bible is God’s ‘living word’ to us. Many will easily dismiss it, roll their eyes at those who do claim to believe in it, usually wanting to point out how it’s nothing but a collection of fables written by flawed men and ‘full of contradictions’.

What can be surprising though, at times… is how many who profess to be a part of Christ’s church/body…tend to underestimate God’s word, simply based on their lack of hunger and interest to spend time feeding on it. But then, Jesus did point out how “Satan comes immediately…to snatch that word from our hearts lest we believe and are saved” (Mark 4:15; Luke 8:11-12).

That would be the same ‘word of God’ that we are told is ‘living and powerful/active’, in Hebrews 4:12. This would also be the same ‘word of God’ that Paul declares “works effectively …IN those who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).

And this would also be the same ‘word of God’ that we are told is instrumental in the cleansing or the ‘sanctifying’ of the ‘church’ …which is the ‘ bride of Christ’ who is supposed to be getting ready for an upcoming ‘wedding’ (Eph. 5:25-26). You might take a quick peek at Rev. 19:7, and underline that part about ‘getting ready’.

Please know, this is not a message intended to ‘guilt’ anyone into reading their Bibles more regularly; far from it. I do believe, however…that if more professing believers knew and understood the power and effectiveness that God’s word has…they would be making time to devour it for themselves. And it wouldn’t be simply because it ‘taste good’ either.

It was Peter who encouraged believers everywhere…as ‘newborn babes…to desire the pure milk of God’s word so they could grow’ (1 Peter 2:2). Multiple translations include the idea that it is one’s ‘salvation’ they are growing in, which is interesting. But if you scroll back a few passages, you’ll read where Peter mentions in that first chapter that we ‘purify our souls by obeying the truth (of God’s word) through the Spirit’, which should produce a ‘fervent love for one another from a pure heart’ (1 Pet. 1:22).

Find yourself having challenges ‘loving’ one another lately? Might be time for another ‘can, or 2, of (spiritual) spinach’ [for Popeye the sailor fans], given the ‘fruit’ Jesus told us would mark those who are the true followers of Him. (John 13:34-35). And dare I point out there is a huge difference between the ‘love’ the world tends to offer up (‘good ole boy’ love) versus the ‘God kind of love’ as described in 1 Cor. 13.

But let’s go back to 1 Peter 1:22 where he makes it known how one ‘purifies their soul’. This is no small thing, believe me. You might also reference 2 Cor. 7:1, because this seems to be an important matter to the early church writers, this idea of us getting ‘cleaned up’, or ‘sanctified’, which is just a fancy word for being made pure and holy, and set apart. Paul even mentions in Hebrews 12:14 that ‘without this sanctification (or holiness)…that NO ONE…will see the Lord”.

Now I’m about to wade into a ‘touchy’ or ‘sensitive’ area here, so consider yourself warned. The past few days, we’ve been studying how man-made doctrines can actually ‘nullify’ God’s word, or make it ‘non-effective’, as Jesus pointed out in Mark 7:13. That is kind of what I was trying to point out in yesterday’s message using the various puzzle pieces as an illustration. If you have been taught to believe…that the moment you ‘gave your life to Jesus’…that you were now ‘eternally secure’…and that nothing could ever change that status of you being ‘saved’…then all this other ‘chatter’ about needing to follow and obey Jesus as He leads us to be sanctified…sounds more like a ‘holy option add on’, but has zero bearing on one’s ‘salvation’.

And if that is the case, then what you probably just ‘heard’ me say in that last paragraph… is me suggesting one has to ‘work, earn, or strive’ to clean ourselves up in order to be ‘saved’, which is not what I am suggesting at all. We are incapable…of ‘saving ourselves’; period. But it does make room to ask ourselves…can we just sign on to have Jesus as our ‘personal Savior’…without submitting to His lordship? (Luke 6:46). Or as I’ve heard it phrased before, One cannot make Jesus their Savior and yet reject His Lordship’.

I’ll be honest with you though…trying to decide and determine who is ‘saved…or not’…is way above my pay-grade. That is why I lean more towards asking people if they are ‘abiding in Jesus’, because if you are…what more ‘secure’ place could you be in? I do know that ‘many’ will come in that day…assuming they were ‘saved’…only to find out they were not (Matt. 7:21-23). Which leads me to an interesting parable told by Jesus in Matt. 22:1-14.

Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a wedding that a certain king was arranging for his son (2). This king sent out servants to ‘call…those who were invited to the wedding’; and interestingly…we are told they were ‘not willing to come’ (3). More servants were sent out to inform those who were invited that the dinner was being prepared and admonishing them to come; but they ‘made light of it…and went their own way’ (5). It seems as if they all had ‘excuses’, also found in Luke 14:18.

We then read how the king became furious (7) and displayed his anger in a shocking manner, which you can read through there on your own. But then, another invitation was sent out to many who missed the first invite, it seems; but they came, as we are told the wedding hall was filled with guests (10). And then here comes the king to mingle among those who were invited and showed up, but he spots someone in the crowd who was not… properly dressed’. He even refers to this person as ‘friend’ (11-12), asking what was the meaning of showing up dressed as he was. Again, I’ll let you finish reading what transpires next, but be prepared…it is a chilling read.

The parable ends with this comment made by Jesus: “Many are called, but few are chosen” (14). I’m not going to pretend that I personally have the full understanding or ‘revelation’ of the exact meaning of that statement, but I certainly would not advise anyone to dismiss it either, as being ‘non-consequential’ or irrelevant.

I will say though, with full confidence…that if we are not ‘abiding in Christ’ (John 15:1-8; 1 John 2:3-6)…then it is highly unlikely that we are being ‘sanctified’ by His Spirit. And that might be…problematic for many…who find themselves traveling a wide path with plenty of company to make them feel…secure. (Matt. 7:13-14).