Day 6: Responding to the Four Words of God

The four Words of God demand a response from us. Our response can take different forms. We can respond in our hearts, our minds/thoughts, our spirits, and our actions.

Here are some specific ways we can respond to each of the four Words.

Respond to the Infinite Word by DESIRING Him

Jesus asked those who wanted to follow Him, “What do you seek?” (John 1:38). He asks the same of us today.

If we do not yet desire God, we can at least desire to desire Him. God calls us to seek Him above everything and everyone else.

Respond to the Inspired Word by READING and PRAYING

The more we read the written words of God in the Bible, the more we’ll see the interconnectedness of different parts of the Scriptures.

In the general revelation of the Infinite Word, the elements of creation reinforce and rely on one another. Similarly, God’s special revelation of His Inspired Word contains elements that are beautiful and true on their own—but even more so when seen in connection with the rest of the elements. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

We’re not only called to read and believe God’s Word, which we’re told is “living and active.” We’re called to pray to its Author. We’re to talk to and listen to God in real time. Praying nurtures our relationship with God. When praying, we should embrace both form and freedom.

An excellent way to respond to the Inspired Word is simply to talk to God using the words of the Bible—for example, make Psalm 16, 86, or 143 your own prayer.

Respond to the Incarnate Word by IMITATING Him

We cannot imitate Christ unless we have been identified with Him. If we try to be like Jesus in our own strength, our efforts will fizzle.

Identification is the key to imitation, and we cannot identify ourselves with Christ except through the work of God (see Ephesians 2:9).

Respond to the Indwelling Word by LIVING in His Power

Here are 3 principles and 4 lifestyle practices to help you live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Principle 1: Replace Rather than Extinguish Sin. We cannot extinguish our sin or worldly thoughts by willpower. Neither can we get rid of our sins and sinful habits without replacing them with something else. We replace the pull of this world with the love of Christ. We put sin to death, and we fill the void with holy living. We will still experience that downward pull sometimes, but we can repeatedly replace it with a better good—with better habits and patterns in our lives.

Principle 2: View Temptation as Training. If there is anything in this world tugging at us, tempting or distracting us away from Christ, we can let it become a reminder to desire and pursue Christ more.

Principle 3: The Spiritual Life Is His Life in Us. It’s a life made possible after we have died to ourselves. It’s a life of walking by the Spirit rather than the flesh, of abiding in Christ.

Lifestyle Practice 1: Live a Lifestyle of Praise. Because of God’s Spirit in us as believers, we can become people of gratitude rather than people with a deficiency mindset.

As gratitude becomes a way of life, we can offer thanksgiving to God even amidst difficult or confusing circumstances. In doing so, we affirm our trust that He does all things well and for our good, and that He will redeem what He allows.

Lifestyle Practice 2: Live a Lifestyle of Discipline. God deals with us as a Father. And like earthly parents discipline their children to teach them how to live in the world, so the heavenly Father disciplines us so that we may share in His life (Hebrews 12:10). Sharing in His life is the end goal. The pain of discipline is worth it because it shapes us for holiness.

Lifestyle Practice 3: Live a lifestyle of obedience to God. We obey God not out of dry duty but out of personal devotion to—love for—Him as a Person. Our biggest regrets in life will not be the times we suffered, but the times when we disobeyed. In the long run, obedience to Christ is always worth it, because it is always for our good.

Lifestyle Practice 4: Live a lifestyle of fearing God above all else. If we claim to love God, but we fear something more than God, our priorities are out of order. If we truly love and desire to please Him more than anything else, we should likewise fear the divine displeasure above anything else.

A reminder as you finish this reading plan: Here’s how the four Words of God are connected:

The INSPIRED WORD

reveals that the INFINITE WORD

became the INCARNATE WORD

to become the INDWELLING WORD.

As we walk through this fallen but soul-forming world, God speaks to us through the wonder of His four Words, which together prepare us for our eternal home. The only proper responses to these four gifts are to know Him experientially, personally, and relationally; to love Him; to trust Him; to obey Him; and (as a result) to glorify Him.

Day 6 Scripture Readings:

Psalm 19
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Hebrews 12:1–2

Call to Action

Was this plan helpful? We adapted its content from Think on These Things, produced by Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries. Purchase it and similar resources at http://reflections.org/shop.