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Hebrews 4:12 states, "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
There are three things to focus on in this passage:
- "The word of God is living and active." This means that the word of God, including that found in Scripture, still speaks to us today. Even though it was written in a time long past, it still is relevant to us now. When we hear the stories of the Israelites and others, if we really pay attention, we see ourselves. That is why the sermon is a key part of our worship. It doesn't just tell us what Scripture was saying to people way back when; it also helps us see what Scripture is saying to us today.
- "The word of God is... sharper than any two-edged sword." As we hear in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2 at the end of Peter's speech, the people listening were "cut to the heart". Scripture is meant to help change us. It is not always something that is 'safe' to us, as we might have it be, but it is meant to transform our lives and our very being.
- "It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." As I have said before, Scripture is not a tool to condemn others, but instead a tool to condemn ourselves. Scripture often reveals those things about ourselves that we don't always want to hear, but if we can listen, we will find that we will be the better for it.
If we can look at Scripture through the lens of this Scripture in Hebrews, then it can begin to transform us. That is, after all, why God came into this world as our Lord Jesus Christ in the first place.