The Power of Words

Lately I have considered the power of our words.  My first thought of all, was how Christ is the Word.

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.

John 1:1-3

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  For of His fullness we have all received and grace upon grace.  For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

John 1:14,16-18

The Word is eternal, self-sufficient, uncreated, powerful and authoritative.  The Word is the Creator; the Word gives life and Light.  The Word, which was spirit initially, has taken a physical form, dwelling among a fallen humanity originally created in the image of God as the peak of His glorious creation.  The original glory of humanity was forfeited in the Fall, but Christ exhibits an even greater glory than has ever been seen - the glory of God Himself.  The Word is also described as being full of grace and truth.  This grace is without measure, for just as God is eternal and infinite in His fullness, so is His grace.  The power of God's grace in the Word, who is Christ, is powerful enough to effect a change in sinful individuals who, as a result, repent and receive salvation.  God's power as the Word, Christ, is limitless.

My second thought was the Scripture as the Word, breathed out by the Spirit of God.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.  

2 Samuel 22:31 NIV

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Ephesians 6:17 NIV

What are words but breath exhaled over the vocal chords, shaped and formed into consonants and vowels with the aid of the mouth.  If the spoken Word at Creation, "And God said . . .", was powerful enough to create everything from nothing, then it is effective enough for all of our living, physical and spiritual.  And what is the Word of God, but that which He spoke and is, of His grace, recorded accurately for our benefit and accountability.  

He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB

Scripture also calls the Gospel, or God's commands, the Word of God and the word of truth.

 

But [Jesus] answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Luke 8:21

The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:7

So, it stands to reason, therefore, that since the Word of God is so powerful as to create everything into existence, to give life and rescue those who are spiritual dead by effecting a salvation by grace through faith - that words incite action.  Our words have impact on those who hear.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29

I confess that oftentimes I speak without regards to the person listening.  Sometimes the words I say, or the words others say, do not impart grace, but on the contrary suck the joy out of someone else's heart.  When believers speak, we must be conscious of those who are listening and guard our tongues.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.

James 1:26

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; 

The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 13:3

But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Matthew 12:36

Whoa, that's convicting!  Sometimes the words we say can create a joy vacuum, or can convey critical or judgmental thoughts.  There have been many nights in my short life, where I have lost sleep over the words that have been spoken to me by believers and non-believers alike!  The power of our words can hurt, heal, encourage, edify, teach, rebuke, correct, discipline, nag, complain, reveal anxiety, reveal evil and malicious intents, and even tear down our homes without the use of our hands!  (Prov. 14:1)

For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

Matthew 12:34b

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 intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

How easy it is for a woman to let her feelings, emotions and thoughts create a flood of words, of which we may or may not realize their potential effects on those who hear.  How often do we "vent" or "collect" our thoughts verbally, audibly, with little regard for the person listening, while they provide a ministry to us in their listening!  How much more relieved do we feel, as women, when we've unloaded all our thoughts onto some unsuspecting listener and call it fellowship?  

What we need is heart transformation, heart transplantation.  If our hearts are changed, if we see the glory and beauty of the holiness of God, repent in utter humility (I preach to myself also!), then grace will be given to us to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corin. 10:5)  Our hope, as we obey Christ, is that the abundance that will flow from our hearts over time and practice will be full of the same grace and truth as the Word who is Christ.