Hebrews 4:12-13
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV)
Think about a sword so sharp it pierces through the thick, hard part of your bone, into the tender, living core of the bone called marrow, and then separates them. Think about being totally exposed, naked, no way to cover yourself or hide.
These are graphic images. In these verses, we find an intense warning that we cannot hide faithlessness or disobedience from God, because His Word pierces through the things we do and say, and sees what is in our heart. The Bible is not just a bunch of wise words to live by so we can be better people and things will go well for us. It is the personal, powerful word of God. We don’t just sit down, read, and study the Word. The Word searches us too, and at times it crushes us. It splits us open and exposes all of the secret thoughts and the real reasons why we do what we do. It cuts away everything we look like we are on the outside and reveals what is underneath it all. In one sense, this is terrifying. There are things in all of our hearts and minds we would be ashamed for other people to know, even though those people are sinners like us. Then, to think about Holy God knowing every selfish desire, lustful thought, hateful feeling, moment of unbelief… It’s a scary reality—naked, exposed, no place to hide. But, in reality, this is God’s grace on display. The Word of God cuts deep, shows us the fullness of our sin, and traces it back to its root—unbelief. This happened for each of us at the point of salvation, showing us our need for a Savior. Now, as we stay in the Word of God, this will continue to happen. We want this to happen. We want these areas exposed and dealt with so we can grow more in Christ’s image.