Wednesday 17 October 2012

Engrafted, Engraved, and Entrusted


From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Cor. 2:14)
Engrafted Word – “…and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21) In Acts 2 we are told when they heard the Word they were “pricked” in the heart. The word “pricked” from the language means to pierce or to cut into. When a plant is grafted the branch is cut to the heart and that to which it is engrafted is also cut to the heart. This enable the sap to flow freely between the two parts grafted. As the Word is pierced or grafted into the heart it brings the flow of saving faith unto the saving of the soul. James says to receive grafting with humbleness; that is, do not obstinately strive to resist the flow of saving life.
Engraved Word – “…ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” (II Cor. 3:3) The message of Christ was clearly manifested to others by the outward lives of the church in Corinth. This was done not by simply reading the words written on a page; the message of the Gospel was lived out in the pages of their lives because of the Word that the Spirit had engraved upon their heart. It was not simply a form of masking religionism; it was truth from the heart.
Entrusted Word – “…the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (I Tim. 3:15) The Word of God grafted in unto salvation and engraved upon the heart by the Spirit is committed for guardianship unto the church which belongs to God. Unbelievers and false brethren have no part in this matter because they have not the Word in them. It is the church’s duty to guard the truth by being the very foundation and strong supporter of that truth. God has empowered His church to withstand the gates of hell, because it is built upon the chief Cornerstone.

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