We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Hebrews 6:12, NIV)
Faith and patience inherit the promises of God. Faith and patience are both the result of an intimate relationship with the Word of God. A person who is actively pursuing God’s Word in their life will demonstrate faith and patience; they will experience God’s promises in God’s perfect time.
Laziness is identified as the contradiction of faith and patience. A study of the word lazy reveals that this word comes from a Greek word, nothros, which is derived from the word for an illegitimate son. Laziness with the Word comes from a lack of understanding regarding your identity in Christ; its roots lie in feelings of illegitimacy. A person who is lazy with the Word is a person who lacks knowledge or understanding regarding their spiritual identity.
An erroneous view of who you are in Christ is directly related to your use of the Word. Far too many Christians do not occupy their rightful position as sons and daughters; as a result, they live as illegitimate children. A person who is insecure in their spiritual identity is usually under condemnation when they read the Word of God. They do not see the Word of God as His love letter to them. They do not comprehend that the Word of God is written to two different groups of people: the righteous and the unrighteous. They do not recognize themselves as righteous in Christ; consequently, they have trouble distinguishing between the two. They will apply things that are addressed to the unrighteous to themselves because they do not understand who they truly are in Christ; they do not rightly divide what is addressed to the spiritual person from what is addressed to the carnal. For instance, they will fear judgment even though God has said that their sins are as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12). People who read the Word of God in this manner will eventually discontinue their reading.
The Bible informs us that the just will live by faith; however, if we do not believe that we are just, then why would we believe that we should live by faith? An understanding of who we are is vital. We must see ourselves in Christ in order for us to live a life that is connected to the Word.
Laziness with the Word can also be the result of misunderstanding the function of the Word. As Christians, we must recognize the Word of God for what it is—it is our life.
They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess (Deuteronomy 32:47, NIV).
The Word of God is our spiritual life! Do we classify it with such magnitude? Is it essentially significant to us? The Word of God is visibly overlooked in the world; but unfortunately, it is overlooked in Christianity, as well. Many times Christians try everything but the Word to solve their problems when the Word is in fact the only answer. The Word will take us into the life that we long to live and it will enable us to maintain that life. Without the Word, we will simply exist and we will do so miserably. If we do not recognize the value of the Word, then we will not employ it in our lives. God has told us that His Word produces faith; this faith will keep us out of sin, it will bring about the promises in our lives, it will defeat Satan’s attack, it will give us the victory, and it will produce spiritual fruit in our lives. What else could we possibly ask for? All throughout Scripture, He reiterates the importance and value of the Word. We need to cling to the Word so that we can walk by faith and wait patiently for all of the blessings that God has in store for us!
