B457 5/23/71
© Project Winsome International, 1999

"OUR HOPE: JESUS SEES IT ALL"
Dr. John Allan Lavender
Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and Spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

The first-century Jewish converts were tempted to practice a religion of Jesus plus. They had become so comfortable and dependent on the external rituals of Judaism, they found it difficult to place full trust and hope in Jesus only. To be on the safe side, absolutely sure they were covering all the religious bases, they were seriously considering what they might add to that which Jesus had done for them on the cross.

This is not only unnecessary, but impossible. Nothing can be added to Christ's work on the cross. Everything necessary for the salvation of sinners has been done. All we can do is take the life He offers. Rejoice in it. Grow in our knowledge and appreciation of it.

The ancient Israelites missed the rest God prepared for them in the Promised Land because of the twin sins of disobedience and distrust. We Christians face the same problem. There is a Canaan for Christians called the abundant life. It not only includes peace with God, but an experience of the peace of God. However, if you fail to trust and obey Christ fully, you will miss out on your promised land just as those Israelites missed theirs. Therefore, strive, not in the sense of working for salvation, but of maintaining eternal vigilance against the tempter's snare, to enter that rest (4:10).

Learn from the sad experience of those who died in the wilderness of unbelieving self-sufficiency. Follow the heavenly Joshua as He leads you into the promised land and on to claim all of the Christian's Canaan. Thus the book of Hebrews speaks to us today.

We are urged to be diligent. To hasten to enter that rest and know the peace of God, lest we be swayed by such an example of disobedience. Jesus knows our heart. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (4:12,13).

Many commentators take our text to be a kind of parenthetical statement which is foreign to the author's main argument, as if this is a strange place for this passage concerning the power of the word of God to occur. However, if we can grasp the full significance of this phrase, "the word of God," we will see this tiny paragraph as the next natural step in the author's thrilling unfolding of the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.

A Word About The Word
Scholars differ as to the true or full meaning of the phrase, "word of God." Some take it to be the gospel. The Good News. The inspired and authoritative word of hope that God, who hates sin, loves sinners and has taken the initiative to open a way whereby sinners can come back into relationship with him.

Others take the phrase to mean the whole process of God's revelation of Himself through creation, the scriptures and incarnation. Still others say "the word of God" refers to all Holy Spirit inspired words of insight, whether they come from laymen or clergymen, prophet or pastor, teacher or evangelist. They argue, and quite accurately, that God has revealed many wonderful things about Himself through sermons, songs, poems and books. Certainly none of us would argue the fact that gifted, Spirit-filled men and women have been used of God to punch holes in the walls of our ignorance, helping us to see through to some great truth which lifted us to new levels of spiritual life and understanding.

Other scholars hold "the word of God" to mean the Bible. Quite probably this is the most common use of the phrase. When folk talk about Bible study, we often hear them speak of getting into "the word." There's validity here, for the Bible is God's written word. It does not merely contain the word of God. Or merely become the word of God. It is the written word of God. The Bible is God's revelation of Himself in language, even as creation is God's revelation of Himself in space, and Jesus is God's revelation of Himself in human flesh.

Christians love this book. Preach this book. Probe this book to find the spiritual treasures hidden in it. Having said that, we must remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life" (John 5:39,40). In other words, we must never permit the Bible to become an end in itself.

The same is true of all God's channels of self-revelation. Sometime ago Lucille and I visited Muir Woods, the beautiful redwood forest near Santa Cruz, California. It was an inspiring experience. Some of those majestic trees are incredible. They were well developed over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was on earth. Frankly, we were both overwhelmed. Lucille, in her own way, expressed this. I found myself quietly singing, "Great is thy faithfulness_, Oh God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee." A deep sense of tranquility and trust surged through us as we stood beneath these noble giants. But with all their grandeur and beauty neither Lucille nor I worshiped them. Instead, we were drawn by them to worship the God who created them!

The same stance should be maintained in our use of scripture. I spend a great deal of time in the Bible. During a typical week when I have a full preaching and teaching load, I will spend up to forty hours in study alone. But, as I pour over this Book, seeking to extract the wonderful truths God has put in it, I do not view the Bible as an end in itself. It is a means to the end -- the Lord Jesus, Himself.

Again and again, I see the loving Father there. My face and heart are lifted to Him and I say "Thank you, Father, for yourself. For the knowledge that in having you I have all I need and more besides." At other times it is Jesus who leaps out of these pages with fresh meaning. I find myself saying, "Jesus, thank you for loving me, accepting me, saving me and bringing healing to my heart and life." Often the Holy Spirit captures my attention and I quietly pray, "Thank you, blessed Holy Spirit, for making Jesus and the loving Father so real to me!"

The Bible is not the center of our worship. God is! This book leads us off from itself to its Author. It is in Him we rest, not in it. This is something we must remember as we move toward the goal of spiritual maturity. The challenge is to be Bible Christians without being Biblicists. We must learn to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), so as to not become wooden literalists who limit the power of Scripture to speak to our time. Bibliolatry is just another form of idolatry, and it has the same deadening effect upon our spirit.

Now, if those who say Hebrews 4:12 refers to the Bible are correct, then what we have here is a profound statement about the Old Testament. For, when the book of Hebrews was written, the New Testament did not exist. Of course, there are many wonderful and precious truths in the Old Testament, but Hebrews is not about the Old Testament. It is about Jesus. The opening paragraph says, "God, who in times past, that is, Old Testament times, spoke through (Old Testament) prophets, has at long last spoken (notice the allusion to the word) through His Son!"

Hebrews is about Jesus. That's one clue. But the clincher for me is the double reference to the personal pronouns "his" and "him," in 4:13. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." The references are clearly to a person. Putting all the above mentioned evidence together, I'm convinced the phrase "word of God," as used here, is a reference to Jesus.

Jesus is "the word." It is Jesus who is "living and active." Who cuts to the very core of our being. Who scrutinizes the thoughts and motivations of our heart. From whom nothing is hidden. Before whom we all stand open and bare. Jesus sees it all. And it is Jesus with whom we all must ultimately deal. Jesus is "the word."

If you're still not convinced, consider a parallel passage from the Gospel of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1a, 11-14, emphasis mine).

The parallel between those things said about Jesus in the first chapter of John and in the first two chapters of Hebrews is absolutely staggering. This "Son" of God spoken of in Hebrews 1:2,5 and John 1:14 first parallel, is the One described in Hebrews 1:2 and John 1:3 through whom creation was accomplished, second parallel. In a third parallel, Hebrews 1:3 says He "reflects the glory of God," and John 1:4,14 says He reveals the light of God's likeness to men. In a fourth parallel Hebrews 1:4,6 declares He was superior to angels, and John 1:1 declares He was God Himself. For a little while according to Hebrews 2:7, He was made "lower than the angels," and in a fifth parallel John 1:14 says, He "became flesh to dwell among us," that He "might taste death for every one" (Hebrews 2:9) and give men the "power to become children of God" (John l:12) which is a sixth parallel). We could go on, but as you can see, the unity of the two passages is unmistakable.

In John, the personal pronouns "He" and "Him" are clear references to Jesus, the living Word. The personal pronouns "His" and "Him" in Hebrews 4:13, repeat the emphasis. To me, the evidence is overwhelming. The writer of Hebrews is saying "the word of God" is Jesus!

Some commentators divide verses 12 and 13. They argue the former speaks of the Bible and the latter of Jesus. But the central message of Hebrews is Jesus, not the Old Testament. The whole thrust of this book is to point out who Jesus was, what Jesus did, and how far superior Jesus is to anything the Old Testament reveals.

To preach the word is to preach Jesus. To know the word is to know Jesus. To be known by the word is to be known by Jesus. To lead people into the word is to lead people into Jesus. To probe the word is to probe Jesus -- His length, breadth, height and depth -- the wonder of this One to whom all things are known, and with whom all men must ultimately deal (4:13).

Jesus Reveals Us To Ourselves
Jesus, the word of God, is "living and active" (4:12). What a thrilling statement about the present ministry of Christ among us!

Earlier I wrote briefly of the "heart as the control center of life." To grasp the full wonder of the Word's, that is, Jesus' current activity on our behalf, further development is in order. Now I recognize that no man-made diagram is ever fully sufficient for illustrating Biblical insights. However, the following diagrams have proven helpful to me in understanding the work of Christ's Spirit in each of us.

All of creation has a body. That is, everything in the created order has certain physica1 properties and characteristics which distinguish it from every other thing. The body of gold is different from the body of granite. The body of an apple is different from that of an orange. The body of a cat is different from the body of a cow. In the following graphic we will use a simple circle to illustrate that which is common to all creation -- a body.

In addition to a body (figure 3-A), which is common to all, much of creation has a soul comprised of mind, emotion and will (M-E-W in figure 3-B). The Greek word translated "soul" (4:12) is "psuche." It means physical life, or life principle. All living things possess "psuche." At the subhuman level, this physical life force is controlled by instinct (inner circle in figure 3-B).

For instance, if you have a pup at home, that lovable creature has soul. He has a mind and can be taught certain things. He also has emotions, and can show affection by the wag of his tail. Or fear by a growl, a bark, or whimper. Within limitations, he also has a will. He can decide to go across the street. Lie down under a tree. Chew a bone. Or chase a cat.

When we move to the level of man (figure 3-C), we discover he alone is a tripartite being comprised of body, soul and spirit. All 1iving things have "psuche," or soul. Man alone has "pneuma" or spirit. Man, as God meant him to be, was controlled by the Holy "pneuma" or the Holy Spirit. The creation story records how God gave man a body. He also equipped him with a soul, a mind, emotion and will. Then He gave man something He gave to no other creature: "pneuma" or spirit,. He breathed on him and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). A spiritual being in the truest sense, controlled by the Holy Spirit. In that moment he was after the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).

The book of Genesis goes on to say something terrible happened (Genesis 3). An alien force came into this paradise in which man was in perfect harmony with his God, his neighbor, his environment and himself. Man chose to exercise his soul qualities of mind, emotion and will in such a way as to become his own god.

The Holy Spirit left him (figure 4-A). Ego gained control and man died. How did he die? Obviously, not physically. According to the narrative, Adam lived on for hundreds of years. Man retained physical life, but died spiritually (darkened area in the center of figure 4-A). The Holy Spirit of life and light had left him.

Fallen man (figure 4-A) resembles man, but he's a far cry from man as God meant man to be (figure 3-C). When you take God out of man, he ceases to be truly human. He may look like a man, but he is only a very clever animal, controlled, not by instinct (figure 3-B) or the Holy Spirit (figure 3-C), but by ego, and fallen man's egocentric desires (figure 4A).

This is a simplified explanation of what's wrong with the world today. All around the world there are millions of people controlled neither by an instinctual interlock with the Creator, nor by a voluntary interlock with God wherein they deliberately choose to let Him guide their lives. Rather, millions of people are controlled by their own selfish desires. The result is havoc throughout the earth.

Hey, There's Hope!
Notice the cross between figures 4-A and 4-B. The good news is that God has taken the initiative to correct the problem. Immediately after the fall of man, God developed His plan of redemption (Genesis 3:15). This was reinforced by God's covenant with Abram (Genesis 12:1-4) and His historic dealings with Isreal, the womb out of which the Messiah would be born. Finally, the Lord Jesus came into the world (Mt. 1:1-25). Through His life, death and resurrection, Christ made rebirth possible. When one comes to Jesus and is born again, the Holy Spirit returns (figure 4-B). That person is given a new life principle. He and God are linked again. He has the possibility of becoming the person he was meant to be.

His ego and the residual influences of his Adam nature remain (thickened area in the center circle of figure 4-B). However, for the Spirit-filled person, these are controlled by God. Life, which when dominated by ego turns inward (figure 4-A), turns outward again (figure 4-B), and begins to have meaning, joy and power.

But, as I've said, Satan is a wily fellow. He is constantly on the attack. Hour by hour, day by day, he lays temptation in our path. Ego is constantly trying to reassert itself. When it succeeds, we fall. We are saved-sinners. The Holy Spirit remains with us, but we push Him aside, permitting ego to become ascendant (figure 4-C). In this state, as you may have experienced, life turns inward again (figure 4-C). It becomes joyless, burdensome, and devoid of power. It takes God in man to make true man. It takes Christ to make a Christian. If Christ is not in control, we are not the persons, disciples, witnesses we are meant to be!

The Christian life is a constant, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day vacillation between Holy Spirit control (figure 4-B) and human spirit, or ego, control (figure 4-C).

The problem with many Christians today, possibly even yourself, is an inverted Holy Spirit/ego relationship. We assert self, rather than let God control. Life turns in on itself. Becomes drab, draining and dreary.

Perhaps you're asking, "What has this to do with 'the word of God'"? Everything! Jesus, the living Word divides between bone and marrow. Between soul and spirit, that is, between "psuche" and "pneuma." Jesus sees it all! He deals with the totality of our being. Physical. Mental. Spiritual. As a result He is able to help us discern the difference between ordinary living (figure 4-A), and life as God meant it to be (figure 4-B).

Furthermore, Jesus, the living Word of God is not only sharp, but sharper than a "two-edged sword"(4:12). Today we might say "sharper than the sharpest scalpel." By His very person, Jesus judges, that is, points out, emphasizes, makes obvious, our true spiritual condition.

To the unsaved person, one who has physical life but is spiritually dead (figure 4-A), Jesus, the living Word of God, comes and reveals that person's need to be born again, invite the Spirit of God into his life, and be infused with life and light from on high.

To the saved-sinner who is in relationship with God, but out of fellowship with Him (figure 4-C), wandering in the wilderness of unbelieving self-sufficiency, instead of claiming the abundant life Christ offers, to this defeated, joyless, powerless person, Jesus, the living Word, reveals the crux of the problem. He penetrates the innermost parts of our being, "piercing as far as the division of soul (psuche) and spirit (pneuma), (and is) able to judge (our) thoughts and intentions" (4:12). He isolates the sub-conscious motives and drives which get us into trouble. "Here is where you ail," He points out.

Perhaps it is our thought patterns which He reveals as being out of kilter. Maybe He lays a finger on wrong attitudes which are hindering us, emotions which are unhealthy. More than likely, it is our will He isolates as being at fault. "The problem, My child," He says, "is that you've asserted self. Reverse the process. Confess your sin. Repent. Let the Spirit take control. In time, He will bring order out of the chaos you create for yourself."

This is good news, if you want to grow! It means there is hope for even the weakest, most fragile sinner-saint. If you permit Him, Jesus will show you the broken circuits of your spiritual life so you can correct them. But, if you don't want to grow, this is scary business. In fact, this is scary business, period. Many of us do not really know ourselves, and don't want to. We're afraid of what we might learn. But that's no way to live. Our peace of mind will be a fragile thing if it's based upon our ability to play a clever game of cover-up. To kid ourselves and others.

None of us has any greater talent than the talent to kid ourselves. Over and over this comes crashing home to me with bruising force! How does the Bible put it? Oh yes, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving [kidding] our-selves"(1 John 1:8). We rarely deceive others. They can see right through us. We deceive ourselves. In that sense, we're all hypocrites! Except the few who know they're hypocrites. And my! How difficult for us to recognize and admit that truth.

Insight can be a scary thing unless it's acted upon. But, if it is acted upon, it can produce growth. And that's the whole point of Hebrews. That is the relevance of "the word of God" to our promised peace with God and our sharing the peace of God.

The challenge of the book of Hebrews is grow, Christian, grow. It says "the word of God" does not make a flesh wound. It cuts deep, to the very core of infection, and excises that which is keeping us from growing. It penetrates through all the masks and guises we use to hide from ourselves and others. It lays us bare so we can discover what is keeping us from peace with God or sharing the peace of God. But, if we act on what "the word of God" says to us, we will have mental, spiritual, sometimes even physical healing. For when acted upon, "the word of God," that is, Jesus, produces life. When ignored, He announces judgment.

It Is Impossible To Escape Him.
We either grow with Christ, or we grow away from him. One of the two. It's impossible to escape Jesus. And that's bad news or good news, depending on you.

A plane was on an overseas flight. About halfway through the journey, somewhere out over the ocean, the pilot flicked on the intercom and said, "Folks, I have some good news and some bad news for you. First, the bad news. Our entire navigational system has gone out and we don't have the slightest idea where we are. Now, for the good news. We've had a tail wind and are ahead of schedule!"

Well, Hebrews announces both good news and bad. The good news is that sometime, somewhere, each and every one of us must confront Christ. He is absolutely inescapable. Verse 13 concludes with the sober words, "him with whom we have to do." There is no way around Jesus. This One who knows all, and sees all, one day will judge all.

If you're not a Christian, are running away from him and continue running, (figure 4-A), you shall meet him one day at the Great White Throne when his only option will be to say to you, I'm sorry, but I don't know you (Matthew 7:23). That's bad news.

If you are a Christian, are running from him and continue running (figure 4-C,) you'll meet him one day at the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account of the empty hands which will be the product of your wasted years. That's bad news.

Jesus, the living Word of God has come. He cannot be avoided. God in Christ cannot be trifled with. A lot of people presume to judge Jesus. They look at him, evaluate him to determine whether or not they believe or trust him. Hebrews 4: 13 declares we don't judge him, he judges us! The One who now saves, will, and does, judge! So stop playing games with Jesus. Tell it like it is. He knows it all anyway, and understands.

Jesus sees it all. He isn't like we mortals who only look on outward appearances. He sees the totality of our beings (1 Samuel 16:7). He looks on "the heart" (4:12). He knows the worst in you is not the only true thing about you. You are not good or bad, but both good and bad. You are not weak or strong, but both weak and strong. You are not loving or lustful, but both loving and lustful. Jesus knows that! He not only knows what you do, but why you do it. Not only what you are, but all the influences with which makes you what you are.

Jesus sees it all. He wants to help and heal you. But, until you trust his love enough to be honest with him, you will never discover how great is his love, or how complete is his forgiveness.

Which brings us to the good news. While it's true you cannot escape "Him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13), if you face him now, in time, you need not face him in eternity. If you are not a Christian, and are running from God (figure 4-A), stop running! He who is the life, will give you his life and make you truly alive. Now. Today.

Becoming his child simply means admitting you're a sinner, believing in him (John 3:16), and receiving him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12). If your commitment is sincere and your invitation genuine, he takes a permanent residence in your heart.

If you are a Christian and have been running from God (figure 4-C)-stop running. Jesus, who sees it all, will point out the center of your problem and teach you how to deal with it. 1 John 1:9 promises that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Confession is acknowledging that we have allowed our ego to overrule the Holy Spirit. As you appropriate God's promised forgiveness, you consciously give back the control of your life to God. Through the Holy Spirit, He will take control again and fill you with power. So, bit by bit, the vacillating process between self-control and Spirit-control swings more and more in the right direction.

There will be times when you slip back under ego-control and stumble and fall. The old nature still asserts itself. In this life, you will never cease to be a sinner-saint to some extent. But Jesus will increase your spiritual perception. He will show you how to more quickly recognize when you've moved out of fellowship with Him, so that, through confession and repentance, you can restore that fellowship again.

This is the way to discover what God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness are all about. One of the desperate hungers in each of us is for someone to really know us. Both good and bad. Weak and strong. Someone who knows both the cruddy and beautiful things about us, yet loves us, accepts us, and forgives us.

This is what Jesus does! He sees it all. That's our hope. If He only saw part of it, He wou1d make the same faulty judgments we humans make. Leaping to conclusions based upon fragments of information. Jesus isn't like that. He sees it all. Therefore, His judgments are fair. His justice is just. Meeting Him will be bad news or good news, depending on us. Bad news for those who ignore Him. Good news for those who heed Him.

One Saturday afternoon I called on a man who regularly watches our television program. He had phoned in, asking that I stop by. Upon meeting George, I liked him instantly. For years he had struggled with concern about the assurance of his salvation. Never really knowing for sure if all was right between himself and God. "I have trouble believing God accepts me," he said.

Driving to his house, I sang a little song which had been running through my mind for weeks. "Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so." If you're too old to sing that, you're too old! It is one of the most profound theological statements you're ever likely to hear. If you are a Sunday School teacher, a parent, or grandparent, if you have any relationship with children, any influence over young people, make that message clear. Again and again. "Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so." You can't do it too often. What youngsters are told about themselves strongly affects what they become.

I had a young friend in the Midwest. From the time that lad arrived in this world, his mother told him he was a bad boy. "You're bad!" she would scream at him. What am I going to do with you? Naughty boy!" After twenty years of that, he wound up in prison. A murderer. He had lived out the prophecy of his mother. He became what she told him he was.

On the other hand, boys and girls, men and women who are repeatedly told, "Jesus loves you, Jesus loves you," begin to believe it and act on it. In the process, they are freed to become the persons they were meant to be.

Well, as I visited with my new friend, George, I quietly prayed, "Lord, show me how to help this man." The Spirit triggered my memory, and I felt led to share a little-known verse of that beautifu1 "children's" hymn--

"Jesus loves me when I'm good,
When I do the things I should.
Jesus loves me when I'm bad,
Though it makes Him very sad." But either way, He loves me!

When the Spirit hit George with that wonderful truth, a smile crept across his face, a light came into his eyes. "Oh!" he exclaimed, "that's wonderful! And it's so simple."

It is simple. Profoundly so. Yet, the Good News for saved-sinners is this: Rejoice! Good or bad, Jesus loves you. Accepts you. Has already forgiven you. And now, wants to cleanse you. Free you. Heal you. Be one with you.

Let Him!

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