It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63.

Scripture is not a chain of ideas expressed and put together by a committee of scholars. The Word is a communication from God to man. It is a divine message. It came not from any human source, but from God.

Therefore it is the voice of God to us. The phrase "God spake"—or its variations—is used thousands of times in the Bible. When God spoke, that word created the world. When God spoke, the heavens were made and man came into being. When God spoke, He revealed Himself and His will to man. We have the only word that saves, that heals, that transforms men. It is the Lord Himself who comes to us in His Word. When God affirms His love for us we know it to he true.

It is crucial that we believe His Word. Our belief determines our attitude and the way we live. Because the word of God must be believed, it also must be applied. The word is not separate from the Person of God. The two always come together. The Holy Spirit makes personal to us God's messages and God's promises. We know that God addresses no ordinary word to us. Therefore, it is imperative that we listen and obey.

There is a parable of a scientist speaking to a man dying of thirst in the desert. While the man's lips and throat are parched, the professor proceeds to lecture the thirsty man: "Let us consider the properties of water. Water is a colorless liquid, which, on being raised to a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade or 212 degrees Fahrenheit, becomes what is called vapor. If, however, on the other hand, the temperature is lowered to zero degrees centigrade or 32 degrees Fahrenheit, lo, it is ice. In the final analysis, it is discovered to consist of two portions of hydrogen to one of oxygen, hence arises the designation, H₂O." But the man who is dying of thirst cries out: "For the love of God, please give me a drink."

God did not write a manuscript on religion and send it down to us. His Word and promises involve the giving of Himself. God offers us the Water of Life. He gives Him to us not for debate or doubt, but for life.