Scripture and the Church

'Anything Fragile, Liquid, Perishable, Or Potentially Hazardous?'

By Dr. Paul M. Elliott
We hear this question each week as we ship Biblical resources around the world. In physical terms the answer is always "No." But in spiritual terms, it is a different matter...

From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

We hear this question each week as we ship Biblical resources around the world. In physical terms the answer is always "No." But in spiritual terms, it is a different matter...

Always the Same Question

Each week we ship Bibles and Biblical resources to readers and listeners on every continent. In this age of global terrorism, clerks must always ask the same question at the post office counter: "Does your package contain anything fragile, liquid, perishable, or potentially hazardous?" Of course the answer is always, "No" - humanly speaking.

But in spiritual terms, it is a different matter.

Not Fragile, But Surely Precious

Our shipments sent around the world each week do not contain anything fragile. Indeed, "the Word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:25). But our packages do contain that which is precious. By that Word we "have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises [literally, promises obtained at infinite cost], that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).

The Blood of Christ and Living Water

Our shipments sent around the world do not contain any physical liquid, but they speak to souls of Christ's blood which was the purchase price of those great promises. "And this is the promise He has promised us - eternal life" (1 John 2:24). "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

Our resource shipments also speak of the living water that our Savior offers to thirsty souls. As Jesus said to the woman of Samaria as they stood at Jacob's well, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:13-14). This is God's great promise to all of His chosen ones in Christ, including a future generation of the nation of Israel who will turn to their Messiah:

Yet hear me now, O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

'For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring; they will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.'

One will say, 'I am the Lord's'; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will write with his hand, 'The Lord's,' and name himself by the name of Israel. "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.' (Isaiah 44:1-6)

Seeds and Soils

Our shipments sent around the world do not contain anything perishable in worldly terms, but they do contain precious seed - the Word of God - which can either bear much fruit or wither away. As Jesus said,

Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew 13:3-9)

"Hazardous" Truth

Our shipments sent around the world do not contain that which is potentially hazardous in the world's terms, but the Word of God, used by the Spirit, will destroy the bondage of sin and death:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Encouraging Reports

We are encouraged by reports received from readers and listeners around the world such as these:

I write to express my gratitude for the Bible study materials and love that you have provided. Words do not seem enough to say how much I appreciate them. May God who is the ultimate in rewarding man bless you abundantly for the Kingdom's cause. - Bible student in South Africa

Just a note to say I really appreciated and benefited from your articles on the false 'hermeneutic of trust'. - Seminary professor in Kenya

I want to thank all of you at TeachingTheWord, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...for the sound Biblical and spiritually uplifting content in these days of apostasy and heresy. May you be filled with all the fullness of God, to the blessing of your souls and the encouragement of the saints, and above all to the glory of our great God and Saviour. - Reader and listener in the United Kingdom

Thank you for your help in my attempts to reach out to Jehovah's Witnesses in my family. The online and printed materials have been very helpful. All of this has made me dig into the Word more myself, and God's truth is answering many of my own questions as well. - Reader and listener in Canada

Thank You For Your Prayers and Support

Thank you for your prayers and financial support which make it possible for us, by God's grace, to carry on this worldwide outreach to His glory. Please continue to pray with us for the spreading of the Word and the preparation of hearts, in faith that God will use His Word as He has promised:

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:6-11)

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