The Word in Action

1 Corinthians 4: 20, For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. KJV

Acts 1: 6 - 8, Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV

When Jesus came to earth, He preached the gospel of the kingdom; and as the people heard His teachings and believed on Him, He began to demonstrate the power of the kingdom of God. Likewise, the Word of God gives us the authority to exercise spiritual dominion on the earth. However, why did Jesus give us both the Word and authority? Well, if someone makes a promise to you when you're in need, but they have no power to help you out, what will it profit you?

The Father has given us, his children the Holy Spirit to help us in serving His purpose on the earth. Remember, Jesus said, "Father, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Once we receive power from the Holy Spirit, we are able to live the Word of God first; and then we are empowered to demonstrate the power of God. It is through the demonstration of God's Word that His love is displayed to a lost world. Consequently, we become a witness of Christ to the lost.

The Bible is a book of love in action. God sent His Word to build faith in the hearts of people to be able to receive the power and blessings of His great love. Love isn't a feeling; it is a fruit of God's Spirit at work in our hearts. Love is a word of action. For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only-begotten Son. If we are only hearers of the Word, but not doers of it, then according to the book of James, we deceive ourselves. Therefore, Jesus has given us the authority through His Word to fulfill God's will on the earth and to put the Word of God into action; this is why we have the book of ACTS. It's a book about the Acts of the Apostles under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  

Are you a student of the Word? Do you operate under the authority of the Holy Spirit to show God's love to the lost and hurting? Let us not love in word only, but in deed. When men see our good works, it will bring glory to our heavenly Father. Apart from Him, we can do nothing of eternal value. Ask the Holy Spirit to use you to touch the lives of others through the Word in action. LOVE!

The Word Became Flesh,
Pastor Asa Dockery