ADVENT DAY 7 (I Have Been Given the Word of God): Living By the Word

There's a passage in the first chapter of the book of John that can remind us of the power and authority of God's Word, and how Jesus Himself was and is the Word who became flesh. We can find these words:
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the living Word, and because He lives, the Scriptures can come alive to us. When we dedicate ourselves to learning, knowing, and growing in the Word, our lives reflect the presence of Jesus, the Word who became flesh.  A critical component of knowing and following Jesus is to absorb His Word into our consciousness.  We can commit ourselves to more than just reading the Word or even conducting Bible study or a Bible reading plan - we have to consider how to apply what we have learned and allow the Holy Spirit to give us specific action steps, so that we may be obedient.

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It's Day 7 of our 25-day spiritual "Advent-ure" on Faith Radio, and we examining what Jesus has done for us - we have been forgiven, and we have access to a variety of spiritual blessings. We grow in the Lord as we spend time with Him in prayer, fellowship, and reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God - the more we know, the more capable we can become in applying His truth. So, our Day 7 theme is, "I have been given the Word of God." Our theme Scripture is Hebrews 4:12, which states:
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Later in the chapter, we can find these words:
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We know that one area of the world in which the Word of God is producing fruit is the nation of China. We hear and see reports about how, even in the midst of persecution, Christian believers are growing strong.  

The Christian Post recently published a story about a new Pew Research study that seems to indicate that the Church's growth in China is waning.  But, someone who should know has openly questioned the findings.  The article quotes from David Curry, President and CEO of Global Christian Relief, who wrote in a recent op-ed on FoxNews.com: "A recent Pew Research Report measuring religion in China suggests that Christianity in the country has stagnated and is perhaps even in decline...," adding, "But to borrow from Mark Twain, such suggestions seem greatly exaggerated. In fact, many of us who are advocating for persecuted Christians globally believe the Christian community in China might even be growing..."

According to the article:

The Pew study cited a survey by the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), which claimed about 23.2 million adults in China self-identified as Christian in 2010, whereas 19.9 million identified as Christians in the 2018. Both Curry and Pew Research noted such figures might be unreliable, however.

Curry suggests that "according to the analysts within Global Christian Relief, and our many contacts on the ground in China, only about one in five people are self-reporting."  Based on his comments, a "reluctance" to "identify as Christian" could certainly skew the data. He commented to The Christian Post about President Xi's impact on the Church:

"Part of that scenario is to try to minimize faith in general, but Christianity specifically, in large part because there are so many Christians, and this is why the number of Christians is significant," Curry explained. He speculated that the number of Christians in China is somewhere between 100 million to 120 million people, which is more than the approximately 98 million members of the CCP.

Curry concludes his Fox piece by saying, "It’s easy to believe the latest bleak reports, which make for great headline fodder. But the truth is, those of us who want to see a growing, thriving Christian presence in China do not have compelling reasons to despair and perhaps even have reasons to rejoice."

In the fires of persecution, the Church is growing in China and other nations of the world. Their devotion to Christ and reliance on His Word are certainly contributing factors.  The presence of the seed of God's Word, as Jesus teaches us, can produce enormous fruit, as long as our hearts are committed to Him and not distracted or disillusioned.  Because, as Jesus teaches in Mark 4, if pressures of this life are allowed to weaken the seed, then we will not bear the fruit that God desires.  So, we have to keep our hearts focused on Him and make sure we are open to the work of the Word inside of us. 

Anxiety and discouragement are powerful forces that threaten the production of fruit. Complacency is another enemy of a productive, vibrant Christian life.  Paul speaks about "pressing on" in the book of Philippians, and we have to maintain our sense of devotion to the Lord daily.  But, we can be certain that if we make the Word of God a priority, that living Word can produce living fruit and make us more alive to and through the Lord who lives in our hearts.