The Invisible Word: Faith in the Unseen, Good without Display, Works Unpictured

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• The visible is always changing, but the Word remains the same.
• Our faith in God, therefore, depends on the Word of God, and not on the form of God — for no one has ever seen God, but His Word has been heard, and many have heard it.

Blessed are they that believe the invisible Word of the Testimony: the testimony of Jesus Christ. That “God was manifest in the flesh, seen by angels, preached unto the world, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” That “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, and herein is manifested the love of God toward us.” This is “the testimony of Jesus — the spirit of prophecy.” Whoever believes the Word of the prophecy, believes the Spirit of God.

• 1 Timothy 3:16 — “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
• John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
• John 1:14 — “And the Word was made 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.”
• 1 John 4:9 — “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”
• Revelation 19:10 — “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
• Revelation 12:17 — “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
• 1 Timothy 3:16 — “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
• John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
• John 1:14 — “And the Word was made 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.”
• 1 John 4:9–10 — “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. ¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
• Revelation 19:10 — “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
• Revelation 19:10 — “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
• 1 John 4:2–3 — “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth to that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
  ³ And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
• Acts 10:39–41 — “And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
  ⁴⁰ Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
  ⁴¹ Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.”
• Philippians 2:6–8 — “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
  ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
  ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
• Hebrews 2:14–17 — “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
  ¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
  ¹⁶ For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
  ¹⁷ Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”
• 1 Peter 2:22–24 — “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
  ²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
  ²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

John 20:29 —
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

The visible is always changing, but the Word remains the same. ↑

• Isaiah 40:8 — “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
• Matthew 24:35 — “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

The Word is invisible, without form, and immovable.

• John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
• Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

When God speaks, it stands forever.

• Isaiah 55:11 — “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
• Psalm 119:89 — “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”

Through the Word God created all that is seen and unseen.

• John 1:3 — “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
• Colossians 1:16 — “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
• Hebrews 11:3 — “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

The Word is invisible, and God is invisible and infinite.

• 1 Timothy 1:17 — “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
• John 1:18 — “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

Our faith in God, therefore, depends on the Word of God, and not on the form of God — for no one has ever seen God, but His Word has been heard, and many have heard it. ↑

• Romans 10:17 — “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
• John 1:18 — “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
• 1 John 1:1–3 — “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
  ² (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
  ³ That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Therefore, we cannot limit the Invisible to a form or image, smell or taste, which are seen with the eye or sensed with the other faculties.

• Deuteronomy 4:15–16 — “Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
  ¹⁶ Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,”
• John 4:24 — “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

He who does not understand the Word when God speaks, to him that Word is like thunder: he hears only a mighty rumbling, yet understands nothing.

• John 12:28–29 — “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
  ²⁹ The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.”

Thus, we can serve God through faith in that invisible Word — faith that brings forth works that cannot be pictured — and just as the Word is invisible, so those works are visible only to the Lord, and to the one to whom we do them, if he wishes and is able to see.

• 2 Corinthians 5:7 — “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
• James 2:18 — “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
• Matthew 6:3–4 — “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
  ⁴ That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

For God alone sees the inner thoughts of men’s hearts in better resolution than men see the lines of their faces taken by HD camera with retina colors. Likewise, He can see works of faith done in secret.

• 1 Samuel 16:7 — “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
• Hebrews 4:13 — “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
• Matthew 6:4 — “That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

Goodness cannot be portrayed in a picture and then set on display.

• Micah 6:8 — “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Goodness is an invisible image hung in the heart that believes in the Word of God and in the works of God done through that Word.

• Romans 2:15 — “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”
• Romans 10:10 — “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Good works are done in secret, and God, who sees in secret, rewards openly.

• Matthew 6:4 — “That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
• Matthew 6:6 — “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

“Let not your left hand know what your right hand does,” said Jesus.

• Matthew 6:3 — “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:”

May you have the blessed Holy Spirit within you, and may the Word of God always come forth from your mouth just as God has spoken it, while you are quietly adorned with good works which I cannot see, but only God. Amen.

• Ephesians 5:18–19 — “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
  ¹⁹ Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
• Colossians 3:16 — “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
• 1 Peter 3:3–4 — “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
  ⁴ But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”