Daring to Live by Every Word

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the American Declaration of Independence, claimed to be a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The problem was, he didn’t always like what he read in those teachings. He also “didn’t always agree with how the Bible was interpreted by Biblical sources, including the writers of the four Gospels, whom he considered to be untrustworthy correspondents. So Jefferson created his own gospel by taking a sharp instrument, perhaps a penknife, to existing copies of the New Testament and pasting up his own account of Christ’s philosophy.” In essence, he created his own Bible!

Jefferson elected to not include miraculous events, such as the feeding of the multitudes with only two fish and five loaves of barley bread, or anything that he perceived as “contrary to reason.” His idiosyncratic gospel concludes with Christ’s entombment but omits His resurrection.

The Jefferson Bible is an example of “Scripture by subtraction.” It’s where people keep what they like and throw out what they don’t like. Jefferson saw no problem doing this, and many Christians don’t have a problem doing this today either.

The Inspired, Unchangable Word

There is danger in this approach to Scripture! Because God’s Word is divinely inspired, it is not like a mere human piece of literature that we can tamper with or adjust to suit our purposes. We don’t change or twist it to meet our culture or the political correctness of contemporary times. If there’s a conflict with culture or with our lifestyle, the Bible wins. It is the deciding rule and standard for all beliefs. Isa. 8:20. We don’t push it aside for higher criticism, for our own personal theories, or even for a church’s traditions or interpretations. Why? Because it came by inspiration of God, and God does not change. See 2 Pet. 1:20, 21; Mal. 3:6.

So how should we approach Scripture? The Bible tells us we are to tremble before the Word of God. Isa. 66:2, 5. We are to receive it with all readiness and search it daily. Acts 17:11. We are to receive it because it is, in truth, the Word of God. 1 Thess. 2:13. We are to receive it gladly. Acts 2:41. We are to keep it, follow it, bend to it, revere it. 1 John 2:5. We are to treat it as precious. 1 Sam. 3:1. We are to allow the Word to try our souls and purify our hearts. Ps. 105:19. We are to hide the Word in our hearts, cherish it in our innermost being, protect it as our most sacred possession. Ps. 119:11. It is to be our measuring tool for truth, and we are to trust it implicitly. Isa. 8:20; Ps. 119:42. It is to be our sustenance, the food of our soul, the life of our very being. Matt. 4:4.

Handing Over All the Keys

A few years ago, my family and friends got together to help build me a small cabin on our family property, a small oasis where I could rest and work in between my travels in ministry. Even as the foundation of my new home was being laid, I was determined that this place was going to be dedicated to God. As the floor, then the rafters and walls began to take shape, I prayed, but I also wrote Bible verses all throughout the walls and rafters. By the time my cabin was completed, more than 280 Scripture references were hidden within its small wooden frame.

You have a home as well. It is the framework and structure of the life in which you live. Have you dedicated all the rooms of your home to Jesus? Is the Word of God central in your life?

Imagine with me that Jesus is knocking on the door of your home. In fact, you don’t have to imagine because the Bible tells us that He really is. Rev. 3:20. With joy, you invite Him inside. “Make Yourself at home!” you cheerfully tell Jesus as you invite Him into the living room. You then motion to a comfortable chair. “My Bible is on the table in case You want to read. Now, You relax here while I go do my own thing.” Then you turn and go to some private room and close the door.

However, Jesus doesn’t knock on the door of your home simply to stay in the living room. And so He begins to roam around the house, knocking on different doors, opening drawers, and looking in different rooms.

“You mean, You want to go in my kitchen and my office? You want to go in my bedroom too?” you groan as you reluctantly open the doors. “Oh, Jesus, don’t look in my closet! And please don’t go down to the basement. It’s such a mess.”

“You said to make Yourself at home,” Jesus responds. “Did you really mean it?”

As this illustrates, daring to live by every Word begins by giving Jesus full access to every part of our lives. It means surrendering every room in our life and heart to Him. We say, “Jesus, this house is Yours! This life is Yours! Make Yourself at home! I give You everything that goes in my food pantry and on my table, everything I put in my closet or hang on my wall, every dollar in my savings account, every internet hour, every Sabbath evening, everything I read on social media, everything I watch on my computer or television, everything I listen to on the radio, every item on my agenda, every meeting, every task in ministry, every plan for my future, every relationship, every hope, every dream, every secret. Jesus, You can have my all!”

The Scripture-Guided Life

What does it mean, then, to live by every Word? In essence, it means that we measure our life against the standard of God’s Word. Then we pray, “Lord, change me! Show me how to align my life with Your Word!” It is bending to the Word in humble submission and obedience rather than seeking to bend God’s Word to suit our own human desires and preferences. Of course, this doesn’t just happen in our own strength. We need divine power combined with human effort. But God will send the Holy Spirit to help us if we earnestly seek Him.

God tells us in the Bible, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. So true love for Jesus in the heart will impact every corner and every area of our lives in very real, practical, everyday sorts of ways.

Here are four practical areas where we can worship God by daring to live by every Word:

Our Daily and Life Decisions: Are these based on biblical principles, or our own feelings and desires? See Matt. 4:4; Prov. 3:5, 6; 14:12; 11:14.

Our Attitudes: What are our thoughts and the motives of our actions? Are we looking at life through the lens of God’s Word, or through our own human mindset? See Phil. 2:5; 2 Cor. 10:5; Phil. 4:8; Ps. 19:14; 119:165; Isa. 55:8, 9.

Our Lifestyle: Does our lifestyle (from how we spend our money to what we do for fun, to what we eat and how we spend our time) glorify God, or is it more about glorifying self? See 1 Cor. 10:31; 6:19, 20; Rom. 13:14.

Our Life Vision and Goals: Do these reflect heavenly goals, or earthly goals? See Matt. 6:33; Heb. 11:16; 2 Cor. 5:18.

Daily we should align our decisions, attitudes, lifestyle, and goals with Scripture. If we find that they do not align, we need to be willing to make some changes. If we read the Bible but don’t follow it or apply it to our daily life, it is like we are building a house without a foundation. Luke 6:49. Such a life will not survive the spiritual storms of life. Remember, it is not about how many Scriptures you know, but how many you actually live.

As one author wrote, “It is one thing to treat the Bible as a book of good moral instruction, to be heeded so far as is consistent with the spirit of the times and our position in the world; it is another thing to regard it as it really is—the word of the living God, the word that is our life, the word that is to mold our actions, our words, and our thoughts. To hold God’s word as anything less than this is to reject it.”

Melody Mason is author of the books Daring to Ask for More and Daring to Live by Every Word. She travels around the world inspiring thousands through revival and reformation initiatives and prayer conferences. Her heartfelt messages have always been “less talk, more prayer” and “more time in God’s Word.”

Let us not reject God’s Word by picking and choosing which parts we will live by. Rather, let us live “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matt. 4:4.