The Artisan Post

There are Four Words key to life.

Four Words that help unravel origin, meaning, morality, destiny, and identity.

We all wonder about where we came from, why we are here, who we are in the process, where we are headed…and more.

Here are Four Words to help unlock much of our questioning…

1. The Word Spoken

God spoke and all the created universe including our world came to be.  A vast array of beauty on display as an ‘Open Book’ of creation before us.

“The LORD God merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed a word and the stars were born…. For when He spoke the world began.”

Psalm 33:6, 9

This tangible created world is where we, as His created beings, live…

…and engage our senses…

seeing, hearing, and touching reality.

Awakening in us a sense of purpose and wonder at what we experience.

Towards something and Someone greater?

Our current reality, forming the stories we live in.

Engaging our body, our strength.

But why?

2. The Word Written

Intertwined with the ‘Open Book’ of creation in which we live, came the Written Book of Instruction, the Overarching Story or Meta-Narrative, the BIBLE, the Word Written, giving meaning and reason to our existence – our current reality – and giving connection to all our stories.

The Written story to go with our daily lived-out experience of current reality.

Inspired by God, written by men.

“All Scripture (the written word of the Bible) is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16, 17

To engage and inform our minds, our intellect,

of Someone greater who made us and all things with purpose.

From it we learn how all things came to be, where things went wrong, how things will be made right, how we might live, and what future awaits us.

And quite distinctly who we are and whose we are in the stories of the Story as it all continues to unfold.

But why?

3. The Word became Flesh

In a world where much has gone wrong, something had to be done to make things right.

And so it came to pass.

The Author and Designer of both the Creation Book and the Written Book, entered the Story Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Word became flesh.

Jesus entered humanity.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”

John 1:14

When sin and evil entered the created world – this ‘Open Book’ of creation – all seemed lost. 

But God did not abandon what He created.

He too entered in… to save and to conquer.

Upon careful reading of the Word Written, we begin to discover the purposes of God, including how the Author of the Story, the Author of life itself, enters the Story in the person of Jesus Christ to seek and save those who are lost and destroy the works of evil.

“The reason the Son of God (Jesus) appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

1 John 3:8

Displaying Christ as King, Saviour, and Lord, the One to follow because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Giving His life as a ransom for many, at the cross of Calvary.

Claiming those who are His own.

Leading a Way out of the mess of this life.  Showing us how to live a new life which begins here and now in our current reality…towards life eternal.

Engaging our hearts, our emotions…our soul.

But why?

4. The Word in-to us

In essence, for our salvation and God’s glory.

For any of the Word to make sense to us…

– the Word spoken, the Word written, and the Word become flesh –

it needs an Interpreter…

…to make the Word available in us and understandable to us…unto salvation!

One Who could help it make sense to us.

One Who would soften our hard hearts, and bring light to dark places, even deep within us.

This Interpreter, this Illuminator, this Helper….. is the Holy Spirit of God.

Leading us and guiding us, through this life, even through the rough spots.

Increasing our understanding and embodiment of our part in the Overarching Story.

“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:8-11

Furthermore, that we in turn would share these Words with others…

With every tribe, nation, people, and language!

Four Words unlimited….in-to us and in-to any language!

Revealing to us the key to Life.

Transforming us……body, mind, and soul.

But WHY this way?

We may still wonder the bigger question of why. Why did God do it this way?

We may never fully know why God caused His Story, the Meta-Narrative, to unfold this way…through the WORD – spoken, written, become flesh, and in-to us.

Four Words key to Life. And yet all culminating as ONE.

But this we do know. He is Creator, and we are but creatures. And access to full answers may never be ours. But what has been revealed through the Word Spoken, the Word Written, the Word become Flesh, and the Word in-to us, is sufficient for all we need in this life, and into the next.

Perhaps in part, some of the reasons might be…

…to expand His family, to share an eternal splendor, to spread the good news of His reigning power over all including the defeat of evil, and to display His grace and a deep love for His people unto salvation…ultimately for His glory and His Kingdom.

Life-long, life changing

When wrestling with the origin and meaning of life, these Four Words are key to our understanding.

Remove any one of the four and you’ll be left wanting.

Increase in your understanding of each of the four, and you’ll increase in wisdom, joy, and knowledge beyond this world.

Helping unravel our origin, meaning, morality, destiny, and identity.

Don’t take my word for it.  Explore the Four Words and discover it for yourself. It’s a life-long mission.

These Four Words will change your life…because indeed within them they hold the key to life…now……and life everlasting.