God's Words are spirit and life, as Jesus declares in John 6:63, setting them apart from human words. They originate from a Spirit Being, infused with divine Spirit to produce godly, eternal life when understood and applied by those empowered by God's Spirit. These words are dynamic and powerful, actively working within us to foster spiritual growth and transformation. Unlike the flesh, which yields nothing but death, God's Words emanate from a divine source to generate life. They nourish like bread, communicate transformative ideas, and empower us to produce the life God lives, ensuring ongoing spiritual creation when we guard our hearts and align with His truth.

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Metaphors of God's Word

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God has supplied His Word as a precious gift, a source of reliable knowledge about Him and His way of life. Without the Bible, we would be lost in a sea of information, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood or discern what is truly important. In John 6:63, Jesus Christ declares that His words are spirit and life, setting them apart from all other words. Unlike human words, His words originate from a Spirit Being and carry a supremely spiritual nature, infused with His Spirit to produce godly life and, ultimately, eternal life when understood and applied by those who possess God's Spirit. This life-giving quality requires a connection at both ends of the communication process, where the receiver, empowered by God's Spirit, must put these words into practice to bring about transformation. Jesus emphasizes that His words are not focused on physical matters but on spiritual lessons and creation, aiming to shape us into His image. His words are dynamic, lively, and powerful, far beyond mere ink on a page. They actively work within us, whether we are aware of it or not, to create spiritual growth. As a life-giving force, God's Word contrasts sharply with the flesh, which produces nothing but death, while His Spirit and words emanate from the same divine source to generate life. This ongoing spiritual creation is the greater part of His plan, supported by the physical environment He has provided, ensuring that His words continue to produce life in those who receive and act upon them.

Words of Life, Words of Death

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

God's Words are a powerful force, embodying Spirit and Life, as They breathe vitality into our existence. As Our Elder Brother declares, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). This profound truth underscores the transformative power of divine communication, nourishing our spiritual health through the continuous intake of life-giving words. The Scriptures affirm that faith itself is cultivated by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17), revealing how God's Words sustain and strengthen our spiritual journey. Moreover, the power of the tongue, as guided by divine wisdom, holds the potential for both death and life, for those who cherish it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). Thus, we are called to guard our hearts with diligence, ensuring that the symbols and words we feed our spirits align with the life-giving essence of God's eternal truth (Proverbs 4:23).

The Fruit of the Spirit

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The value of Scripture lies in the fact that the great God, the sovereign Governor of all creation, has chosen to write His law and instruction to humanity, revealing Himself and His purpose in the common tongues of people worldwide. The more plain the Word and law of the Almighty, the more becoming the divine Author and Lawgiver, and the more profitable for mankind. His Word becomes like bread that can nourish every palate. God says through Jesus that His words are spirit, and they are life. Words carry the power to communicate ideas from one mind to another, to instruct, encourage, inspire, create, or destroy, and to motivate a person to change, to stop, or to move. The power of words is almost limitless. God is concerned about our minds because what goes into them will determine what we produce with our lives. If we do not have the right material to base our thoughts on, we cannot produce the right things. Without God's Spirit, we are limited to producing only within the capabilities of the human spirit, coupled with corrupting influences. But with access to the Spirit of God, we are empowered, with His help, to produce the life He Himself lives—eternal life.

A Primer On Spirit

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God's words are spirit, carrying an invisible, immaterial force that influences and motivates. Jesus Christ declared that the spirit is what makes alive, emphasizing that His words, when believed, become spirit influences leading to salvation. These words, though unseen, hold powerful effects, communicating concepts that can inspire, exhort, inform, or even depress the hearer. They plant thoughts from one mind to another, energizing and shaping thought processes with the potential to create faith, love, hope, determination, and repentance. God's Spirit, distinct in its holiness, exudes purity, cleanliness, and righteousness, always aiming to liberate and produce life on the God level. Unlike other spirits, God's Holy Spirit, the essence of Their minds, Their thoughts, and Their character, never seeks to enslave but to share and build up. To grow in the quantity and quality of this Spirit, one must spend time with Them, immersing in Their Book and praying, thereby imbibing the essence of Their mind and ensuring the influence remains good and pure.

Appearing Before God (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

God's Word, when spoken, carries a power that ensures its fulfillment, whether through an instantaneous act or a prolonged process. Often, as seen in the time between rain falling and bread being eaten, God's Word works through many elements and much time, yet it never fails to achieve its purpose. His Word does not return to Him void, meaning it is never empty, useless, or spoken in vain. Every command from God is fulfilled, and His utterances are never without effect.

The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's words are spirit and they are life. The words that Jesus Christ speaks are spirit and they are life. Words are spirit. His word is truth. His word is spirit. His message is the gospel the good news of the Kingdom of God the good news of God's purpose the good news of why people were born the good news that Christ died for sins the good news that God is reproducing Himself the good news that He is creating people in His image and how He is doing it and that news is spirit. It is life. Jesus Christ's testimony is the spirit. The gospel is the spirit the heart and core the essence of the mind of God as it pertains to man. The gospel is a means by which God exercises His power to save men. The good news is words that carry with them the power to move people and their lives in the direction of salvation if they believe them enough to unleash their power by using them. People are largely responding to words. Words are spirit and they impel people in their direction if they choose to submit to them. God sends forth His Word and it does not come back to Him empty. His Word is like a fire penetrating purifying consuming evil right out of the heart. His word is like a hammer. His message does not lull men to sleep in their sins but it crushes the heart and brings it to repentance. His Word convicts. His Word converts.

The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's words originate in His mind as spirit and convey life. Every word of God is pure. The words of the Lord are pure words tried in a furnace of earth and purified seven times. Thoughts and words are spirit. The Lord's thoughts are holy thoughts and holy words. His ways are higher than human ways and His thoughts higher than human thoughts. Ways are the product of words and thoughts. A word is a symbol of a concept. Words are the essence of one's mind. They communicate concepts and produce powerful effects that can inspire, encourage, exhort, inform, create faith, love, hope, determination, courage, endurance, enthusiasm, morality, and ethics. Psalm 104 states that God sends forth His spirit and things are created. This process mirrors how a person plans with thoughts formed by words in the mind and then sends them forth in activity to build. Jesus stated that it is the spirit that quickens and that the words He speaks are spirit and life. God's spirit always produces life. The spirit of the mind of God passes into the mind of a person who hears His word and believes, joining with the spirit of man and bringing life so that the person passes from death to life. If a person keeps His saying that person shall never see death. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes one free from the law of sin and death. Jesus spoke the words given by the Father who dwelt in Him and performed the works. The Father enables through His spirit. God works in a person both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The Father directly interfaces with the mind to reveal Himself, His ways, His purpose, His plan, His mind, His attitude, His perspective, His character, His love, His power, His mercy, and His forgiveness. He transfers the essence of His mind into the human mind. When a person obeys, that person gives permission for this transfer to occur. The Holy Spirit is the essence of God's mind and an emanation from it that influences directly and personally.

Words Versus Images

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Spiritually, relying on images leads to shallowness of thought at best and idolatry at its worst. Virtually everything we know about God comes through words.

The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Being 'in Christ' does not refer to location, but instead our 'concern with' or 'involvement with' Him—and He with us.

The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

There are varieties of spirit, motivating people to 'go with the flow' and conform to a sheep-like mob psychology. Satan's spirit encourages sinfulness.

Life in the Church

Sermon by David C. Grabbe

Outwardly, many members in Sardis bore Christ's name, but like the apparently religious Pharisees, they were in reality hypocrites, full of dead men's bones.

Image and Likeness of God (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The numerous figures of speech describing God's body parts substantiate that God has shape and form and occupies a specific location.

Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 6)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Christ emphasizes that the internal, weightier matters, which change the heart, take precedence over external ceremonial concerns that don't change the heart.

How Does God Help Us? (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The trials we go through are part of His providence, putting us into humility and determining what really motivates us.

Unity (Part 4): The Voice of God

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The voice of God, whether expressed through thunder, events of His providence, handiwork of creation, or the preaching of His truth, is recognizable to His flock.

Separation and Oneness With God

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Since the beginning, God's purpose has been to bring all things into harmony with Him, giving mankind a respite from the heaviness of a sin-laden world.

Seeking God in the Mundane

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Pentecostalism, with its sensationalism, is dangerous to a true believer. God is more interested in quietness and meekness than in bombastic displays of power.

God's Powerful Gospel

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The true gospel includes the complete revelation of God of His plan to reproduce Himself. If a gospel does not produce repentance and faith, it is false.

Defining Logos (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The 'word of the Lord' came (appeared) to Abraham, suggesting that the Word (dabar, the Hebrew equivalent of logos) is a Being, the 'Lord God.'

Eating: How Good It Is! (Part Four)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

John 6 has always been a difficult chapter to explain. However, Jesus' teaching is clear. Here is what it means to us.

Eating: How Good It Is! (Part Three)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

We are what we eat. The same can apply spiritually to what we put into our minds. God wants us to desire His Word with the eagerness of a baby craving milk.

The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Five)

Sermon by David F. Maas

If we stockpile God's Word into our nervous systems, even though our outer man is decaying while our inner self is being renewed, we will nurture our spiritual legacy.

Four Views of Christ (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The dominant emphasis of Matthew is the kingly qualities of Jesus as a descendant of the royal house of David, representing the Lion of Judah.

Mightier Than the Sword (Part Six)

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Rousseau's malignant ideas have metastasized into a virulent cancer of collectivism, socialism and Communism, the centralization of power.

Our Trusted Source of Truth (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The veracity of the Scriptures is something we can take to the bank, in essence our only protection against the torrent of deception we face today.

A Cure for News Depression

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The overwhelmingly depressing news must be counterbalanced by edifying news, namely God's Word. The Scripture, with its life-giving words, provides hope.

Maintaining Good Health (Part 7)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jeremiah compares studying and meditating upon God's Word to physical eating, enabling a person to receive spiritual energy, vitality, and health.