The Litmus Test – by Toni Babcock

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever," (Isaiah 40:8 KJV).

Do we stand with the Word of God? How Christians regard the Word, maintain the Word, and proclaim the Word is a litmus test for all discerning believers. It is also the fulcrum whereon a whole system can discover itself; the pivotal question being: "What have we done with the Word, and with Jesus Christ who is the Word? Have we given Christ all the glory, and allowed His Word to set us free?"

The Apostle John reminds us Jesus is the Word (John 1:1). His life and power permeate the Word. It is "…quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart," (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). 

Every Christian would benefit by asking the Holy Spirit to reveal their true relationship to the Word of God. May God put our faith to the test. Do we sharpen the Word by acknowledging sin and dealing with it, or do we dull the Word by ignoring it? What is our primary authority? The Word of God or something else? God would have us beware of any authority that might usurp the authority of the Word by adding to, or altering the meaning of the scriptures. 

We owe it to Jesus Christ and His gospel to stand up for the primacy and the authority of the Word of God, and to avoid any spiritual entanglement that would usurp the Word, shackle the Word, subvert the Word or wrest the Word within the framework of our religious allegiance. 

Toni helps with our FaithWriters for Kids site. She authored The Stone Writer. Contact