The
Word
Is God
by Dean Wall
Copyright © 1992 Dean Wall * All rights reserved.
Dean Wall * Box 33233 * Denver, CO 80233-0233 * USAAll scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
Dedication To my friend John Martinez,
who liked this message and encouraged me to print it,
and Julie Hardy, who typed the manuscript,
and to all those who love the Lord Jesus,
but have been trying to live standing on a slippery foundation.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus Christ is a person. Real Christianity is not just a set of rules or principles, but a vital relationship and fellowship with God. The most precious thing you can have in this life is fellowship with Him. I encourage you to develop your relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ. He is alive and very real right now!
In writing this book, I do not desire to take anything away from the glorious Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. My purpose is to emphasize the utter dependability of what the Lord has said, and His continued willingness to stand behind it.
God authored the whole Bible, not just one verse. We must study the entire Bible to get the complete picture. This message is an important part of the picture.
This is one of the most important messages you will ever read. It will change your life. Then share it with someone!
JOHN 8:31-32
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
THE WORD IS GOD
JOHN 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.In John 1:1 we read, ". . . and the Word was God." We know God never changes because of what the Bible says in Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8.
MALACHI 3:6
6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change;HEBREWS 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.Since the Bible says, "The Word was God," then the Word still is God.
Before we go further we should define the word "God." God is not actually a name, but a description. You might call me Preacher, but that is not my name -- my name is Dean. Preacher is a description of what I do.
"God" is also a description. Different names are recorded for Him throughout Scripture. But we call Him "God," because that describes what He really is -- He is God.
"God" means supreme authority or ruler. We could put it this way: the Big Boss -- One with absolute, supreme authority with no one over Him. That is a description, like preacher. "God" is a description, a title, not a name.
If you lived where they believe in multitudes of gods, the concept of "God" being a description might be easier for you to understand. Yes, there is only one true and living God. However, even Jesus quoted Scripture saying, "You are gods."
JOHN 10:34
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, `I said, "You are gods"'?The Lord is God. But John 1:1 says, ". . . the Word was God."
It is simple to understand. Unless God denies His nature and changes His character, His Word is supreme. He is not a liar. Therefore, whatever words He has said are "god" in the sense that they have supreme authority.
In a sense, God voluntarily subjected Himself to what He said.
This written Word has the authority of the being of God Himself, unless He becomes a liar. Jesus said satan was the father of liars (John 8:44). So if God lied He would come under the dominion of satan. We know God will never take that step.
REVELATION 19:13
13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.The Word and Jesus are closely related. His name is called The Word of God. Jesus is called the Word throughout the Bible. Jesus said He had been given all authority in Heaven and Earth. So His Word has all authority in Heaven and Earth.
The Word is God. What do I mean by that? I mean the Word is the supreme and final authority. It is the supreme court of the universe. It is the highest authority in existence.
I mean that God keeps His Word! He is not a liar!
God Is Sovereign
PSALM 115:3
3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.PSALM 135:6
6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.In order to understand the sovereignty of God, we need to know what sovereignty means. Sovereign means one who exercises supreme authority, and has freedom from external control. One who is sovereign is above everything and can do as they please.
In the beginning was God. He was sovereign and could do as He pleased. He could have done, or said, anything. He could have created man or not created man. No one could, or did, force Him to say, or do, anything. Whatever He said and did -- He chose to say and do.
In the beginning there was a sovereign God. Then He began to say things. No one forced God to say anything. He gave His Word. After He said those things He was no longer free to do just anything. Unless He acted in line with His Word He would become a liar. He could still do anything He pleased, but if it was not in agreement with what He had already said, then He would become a liar.
An example is: after the flood God promised never to destroy the earth with another flood. What if He did? God would then become a liar because He already said He would not.
If God ever told one lie He would come under the dominion of the father of liars. So, God obeys His Word.
God Has Settled It
Once God has said something, that settles it forever!
The statement, "You never know what God will do," is a lie. While it is true that we do not know everything that God will do -- we do know He will do everything that He said. So, concerning many things, we do know what God will do.
PSALM 89:34
34 My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.Alter means change. God said He will not change the words He has spoken. They will be the same tomorrow as they were yesterday and as they are today. God will never break His Word.
PSALM 119:89
89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.Did forever end yesterday? Will it end tomorrow? No.
Forever God's Word is settled. That means it is established. Where? In Heaven. In Heaven Jesus and the angels are not asking, "Oh Father God, is it your will for this person to be saved?"
Things are already settled in Heaven. They know exactly what the will of God is. In Heaven they know what God's plan is, and what His desire is for you. In Heaven they know. They are not having to hold conferences to figure it out.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not having to get together and talk things over to decide whether to do something or not. "Should we let John Doe prosper or not? Should we let his wife be healed, or is it better for her to stay sick?" They are not having such conferences in Heaven, because the Word is established. It is settled there, and they know exactly where they stand.
Do you know where you stand? You can and will after you read this message because God's Word is settled for eternity.
This message is important because you must base your life on God's Word, in order to have a solid foundation.
PSALM 138:2
2 . . . For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.This was written in Hebrew to the Hebrew people. To understand what it means, we have to understand what it meant to them. To the Hebrew mind the name was sacred, the name was identified with the person. The name was synonymous with the person's self. God's name corresponds to His character, His reputation, His self.
God has magnified His Word above Himself. What does that mean? He places the words He spoke (which we have in the Bible), as the supreme, ultimate authority. That means He will do what He said He will do -- no matter what.
Logos Or Rhema? Some people might respond that the written Word of God -- which they identify with the Greek word logos -- is not God's direct message to you, and that you have to wait for God to "speak" a particular word to you personally before it comes alive and applies to you -- which they identify with the Greek word rhema.
While it is true that we must be led by the Spirit of God, Who certainly can emphasize certain Scriptures to us, we must be careful not to detract from the written Word of God.
It is also true that God's Word must become a living reality in your heart, in order to bear fruit in your life -- not just remain as ink on the paper of your Bible.
But, the wrong emphasis causes people to just wait for God to do something, instead of taking initiative themselves by reading, meditating, and speaking God's written Word, so that it lives in them. In other words, do not use this as an excuse to sit around lazily waiting for God to "speak" His Word to your heart before you will believe it. Believe it right now! Because you believe it -- feed on it by reading and speaking it. Then it will become a living reality to you and work in your life.
Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is alive -- and uses the Greek word logos. So, anyone saying the written Word is just a dead letter has to be in error.
A full discussion of these two Greek words is certainly beyond the scope of this book. All I want to establish here is that God's written Word is alive, powerful, true, and worthy of trust. It is God's message to you -- and you can base your life on it!
Why Preach This?
This needs to be preached so we can know the truth and walk in faith and victory. Most people have thought, "Well, I guess it will happen if it's the will of God." I remember thinking like that. I read and studied the Bible and still did not know better. It is still that way with most Christians. They are not sure what the will of God is.
Most Christians think, "If it's the will of God, maybe He will bless me. If it's the will of God I will get something, if not I won't get anything." Do you know anyone who believes like that?
All Should Be Saved
1 TIMOTHY 2:4
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.2 PETER 3:9
9 . . . not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.These two Scriptures state plainly the will of God is for all to be saved. Are all people being saved? No.
Why not?
Because they are not following God's plan of salvation. They are not receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So they will go to Hell when they leave Earth. Is that the will of God? NO!
Do you think God rejoices when people plunge into the darkness of Hell? Do you think He watches hopefully for us to do something wrong so He can send us to Hell?
No, never in a million years!
I thought that way before I got acquainted with Him. If I know anything now about God's character, I know that He acts the very opposite. It must tear Him up on the inside every time someone goes to Hell. When you love humanity enough to suffer and die in their place, you will never rejoice if they go to Hell.
Yet they still do. Why?
God desires for all to believe, but if they do not, He cannot deny Himself. He cannot allow Himself to become a liar. He said "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." So if they do not call on the Lord and follow the instruction He gave, there is nothing He can do to save people, without becoming a liar.
When people reject God's Word they reject His help and blessing. It is the same with healing, prosperity, and all the blessings of God. It does not depend on whether God likes the color of your hair. It depends on your response to the Word of God.
God's Word is settled. He spoke it and it will never be taken back. It is still in force.
No Matter What
2 TIMOTHY 2:13
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.What is He talking about? God is faithful to keep His Word because He cannot deny who He is -- the Truth. He is not a liar.
"He cannot deny Himself." God put His Word out. For Him to deny it now would be to deny Himself. To do anything other than what He said He would do, would make Him a liar.
God sticks by His Word whatever happens. God will act on His Word even if it causes everyone to think He is not a healing God.
Did He not let Kathryn Kuhlman die sick in the hospital? She was the most famous person of her time connected with the healing power of God. Why did that happen? Why did God allow it? (He allowed it because she allowed it -- just like you and I allow things in our lives.)
You would think if God had any intelligence He would not let someone like that die sick. Since we are trying to get people to believe in healing, according to His instructions, it seems counter-productive and detrimental. Especially when the whole world knows about it. So everybody says, "Well I guess it does not work. God may heal some, but He sure does not heal everyone. If He heals all, then she would have been healed."
If God really is for healing, why would He let a famous healing evangelist die sick? Why would He do something that seems so stupid? Because He does not have any other choice. (Except to deny Himself and become a liar.)
God has placed His Word even above His own feelings. God is surely smart enough to realize that a world-famous healing evangelist dying sick in the hospital will set back His program.
Do you think God is that smart? Then why would He let it happen? The same reason He will let you die if you do not follow His Word. The same reason He will let your marriage break up, or let you be poor -- because He cannot deny Himself.
Either we follow the directions of the Word of God or we will not get what it promises.
But if we do follow the directions of the Word of God -- we can have whatever it promises. It does not matter what God thinks, it does not matter what the devil thinks, it does not matter what anyone thinks -- you can have what the Bible promises.
God has exalted His Word above Himself, above His name, above His reputation. His Word is forever settled. You do not have to wonder whether it is the will of God for you to be prosperous and healthy. When the Word says it is, it is!
God will be faithful to His Word. No matter what, no matter who, no matter where, no matter when.
Even if you are a world-famous television preacher, you could be dead before the end of the week if you do not follow the instruction of God's Word. No matter who you are, or what you have done, you can get what God says -- if you will receive it the way He says to receive it. If you don't, you won't.
How Do You Receive From God? You receive from God by faith, that is, by accepting what God said, and acting on it. Whatever God has said, you can believe -- because God cannot lie. When you believe it, you must acknowledge your choice by the words of your mouth.
ROMANS 5:2 NKJ
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand . . . .ROMANS 10:10 NKJ
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.You Can Be Rich
2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.Since the Bible says Jesus became poor that you may be rich, you can be rich. It does not depend on whether God likes your looks, or whether you were born at the "right time" or "right place." God does not have anything else to say. He already said what He meant and will not change. He will never say, "I do not feel like letting them be rich today."
God had eternity to think about this before He gave His Word. He determined what He wanted to say before He said it. He is not like people who say things and regret it later. He knew what He was saying, meant it, and it became eternal, universal law.
Years ago I was deeply in debt. Money was always such a problem. I wished I could pay my bills. I thought it would be so nice if God would bless me financially. But I thought God only meant for some to be blessed financially. I did not know He would do it for me.
God gave His Word so you and I can know He will do it for us -- if we will believe it.
Do Not Believe A Lie
I used to read Scripture promises, yet inwardly I still thought maybe they were not God's will for me. Have you ever thought like that? I did, and I was sincere.
That is the tragedy. The devil sometimes gets the most sincere ones, especially when they are ignorant.
Did you know everything about the Word of God immediately when you were born again? Of course not! So you were ignorant. But, if you were like me, you were sincere. I loved the Lord with all my heart. I was ready to live in a mud hut in a jungle, go anywhere, or do anything for the Lord.
The most sincere are most open to this. They are willing to do whatever the Lord wants. So they may accept the devil's lie if they are deceived into thinking it is from God.
Those not so sincere do not pay attention anyway. They will not believe God wants them to be broke. They do not care much about what God thinks. But those who really love the Lord are easier targets for the enemy.
The devil tries to deceive you into thinking that what he wants for you is God's will, by saying things like, "You never know what the Lord wants. His ways are so high above you they are past finding out. You might go to Heaven and you might not. Just wait until you die to find out. You might be one the Lord will heal, and you might not. If you do not feel anything, you are not one the Lord picked to heal. Look at your pocketbook. Is there any money there? Then you must not be one the Lord picked out to bless."
If the devil deceives you into believing a lie: you get the results of that lie. Not the results of what Jesus Christ did. Not the results the Word of God will produce. You get what satan desires in your life when you believe his lies.
How do you know something is a lie? You know by the written Word of God! If it doesn't agree with God's written Word -- you know it is a lie. That is why God gave you His written Word -- so you could know the truth, act on it, and live in freedom.
God is not making anyone sick. He never made anyone sick. The devil does it and tells you it was God. It is not God's will for anyone to be sick or poor. I can say that because the Word of God says it. If it is not true -- God is a liar.
God's Reputation
We may think, "I told all my friends Jesus is my Lord. I said He takes care of all my needs. They would believe me more if I drove something better than that old clunker. And if I did not have those bill collectors coming to my house everyday. Why doesn't God do something? It would be so simple for God to help me!"
The answer is: God has already done something. Whether you and I tap into it or not is another question. We must actively receive what God has provided. But if we don't receive, even at the risk of us "spoiling" His reputation, and making Him seem like a bad guy, God will stick with His Word.
The world believes wrongly about God because of the testimony of Christians. They think God is a bad guy because that is what they have seen in the way God took care of His children. For example, some church building may be wiped out by a flood and the preacher says on the TV news, "We don't know why God did this to us, but He must have had a reason."
So what else can the world think except that God is bad? John 10:10 says the devil, not God, is the one who destroys.
At the risk of everyone believing a lie and going to Hell, God will stick with His Word. Even at the risk of a thousand years passing with people being ignorant and thinking God is a bad guy. (God really is the most perfect, loving, kind, generous individual imaginable.)
Have you ever thought how simple it would be for God to appear on international television telling us what the truth is. He could just appear in the sky and yell out "do not listen to those preachers at so-and-so church." How easy it would be for God to straighten things out. Why doesn't He?
God says in His Word that we receive by faith and if He started doing it another way, He would make Himself a liar. He says in His Word that we are saved by receiving Jesus as Lord and if He were to do it another way, He would have lied.
At the risk of everything, God will stand by what He said, because He is not a liar -- no matter what, no matter who, no matter when. No matter how many thousands of years it takes or how many people go to Hell, He will not change into a liar for you.
A Firm Anchor
HEBREWS 6:17-19
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast . . .When you swear an oath that is the end of all questioning. What does immutability mean? Absolutely unchanging.
This is saying it was the plan and the will of God to give us a firm foundation to live on. Something circumstances, people, winds of doctrine, and problems cannot change. Something absolutely unchanging. Something God Himself will not change. So there can be no question about God's will.
God placed His Word above His name. He will stick with it even at the risk of His reputation. That gives us a strong consolation, an anchor of the soul.
When the storms of adversity beat us in the face, with trouble on every hand, we can stand on God's Word, knowing Heaven and Earth may pass away, but His Word will stand forever. That gives us an anchor, something to hang on to.
An anchor is something you throw off your ship when you want to stay somewhere. In a storm, you do not want to crash into rocks so you put your anchor out to stay put. The water may be splashing into your eyes. You may be cold and numb and may not feel or see anything. However, it does not matter, because the anchor will hold you steady. God's Word is our anchor in the storms of life.
Jesus Is Surety
HEBREWS 7:22
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.God has sworn (verse 21) that Jesus is the surety of His covenant. That means if He lies, Jesus goes to Hell. Jesus is the surety.
Have you ever borrowed money on a car or house? What happens if you do not make the payments? They take it away from you. It is the surety that you will pay them. If you do not pay they take your property.
It's as if the Word of God is a rope we are hanging onto that is hooked around the throne of God. If the Word fails then Jesus comes off the throne. Why? Because He is the surety.
God is faithful and true. He will let you be destroyed for lack of knowledge if that is what you choose. But He will let you have everything His Word says you can have, if you get into the Word and find out how to receive it.
God no longer has any other choice. He already made the choice and He chose to bless everyone. On what basis?
By Grace Through Faith
ROMANS 4:16
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed . . .GALATIANS 3:22
22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.God chose to make His blessing available to everyone on the same basis so He could not be accused of playing favorites. ". . . it is of faith . . . so that the promise might be sure to all . . . ."
Everyone can receive the promise!
God set up His plan of receiving by faith so it could be by grace. So He could say, "OK, everyone can have everything."
It does not matter what your age, color, size, nationality, or background. It does not matter who you are or what you have done. Whether you have been a murderer or the most upstanding citizen -- it does not matter. You can and must receive from God by faith. If you don't you won't get anything. If you do -- you will.
God's promises are sure to everyone. God's Word will work as quickly for someone in Africa as it will for someone in America. God's Word will work as quickly for a billionaire as it will for a destitute person. God's Word will work for anyone, anywhere, anytime.
God's feelings have nothing to do with it, because the Word is God. He has exalted His Word above His name. If we do not believe it, we will go to Hell. If we do not believe it, we will stay sick. If we do not believe it, we will stay poor.
Yet, if we do believe God's Word and receive Jesus, we know we will spend eternity in Heaven. We know. I do not ever worry about it anymore. If the devil ever tries to bother me I just tell him, "God cannot send me to Hell. If He did He would be a liar. I acted on God's Word and received Jesus as my Lord."
Does God really want us to think, and talk, like this?
YES!
Ephesians 6:17 teaches us to speak God's Word as our spiritual weapon. The word translated word in that verse, is the Greek word rhema, which means the spoken word.
God also said to come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), and to hold fast our confession of faith (Hebrews 10:23). He has not changed His mind since He spoke His Word. He still thinks the same way.
The Word Is True
God's Word is absolutely true. It gives you a solid backbone to stand up against the devil.
To say the Word is God means God's Word is the supreme authority. The written Word of God has more authority than any being, any situation, or any problem. Because God said it, that is the way it is.
God was sovereign and He did as He pleased. This Word lets us know the choices He made. He revealed them so we would have strong consolation. So we can know where we stand -- and stand up like men and women of God against the devil. That makes our Father happy.
We know what God will do. He will do what He said!
Read the Bible. Find out the Truth. Believe it!
Go to Believers Book List
Go to Believers Home Page