About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

Aligning Our Emotions With Scripture  

Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 when in Matthew 4:4 He said this: "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"  In Deuteronomy 8 God commanded the Jews to remember how He miraculously led them out of Egypt and fed them while in the wilderness.  The text states that the time spent in the wilderness was a test of their trust in God, and, was meant to show them that they do not live by miracle bread alone.  They were to obey the Word of God, as in digest it into their being, and then live accordingly.

When Jesus said that we must live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; the word "mouth" is translated from the Greek word "stoma."  Stoma had a figurative usage back then that meant a "sword," as is seen in some New Testament passages.  Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword.  Although our English word "sword" is translated from a different Greek word than "stoma" in this verse, the point is clear.   This sword, God's Word, pierces and slices right into our most innermost being.  Understanding that God's Word is a sword tells me that it is capable of penetrating the core of who we are.  It brings our thinking processes, our emotions, and really, all of who we are, into alignment with God's will.  God's Word, whether written in the Bible or spoken by His Spirit, is just as important to our total health as the food we eat.  When we neglect God's Word, we fail to mature as healthy Christians; something that I believe is evident in our Biblically illiterate western Christian world today.        

The emotions and convictions of our hearts must be aligned with the written Word of God, not our fallen sin influenced reasoning processes.  As Christians we can get pretty emotional about our convictions, and there is nothing wrong with that, but, our emotional appeals must be based on Scripture and nothing else.  The reformers of the 1500's said it right.  It is "sola scriptura" - Scripture alone.  Our emotions must be in alignment with the Bible, and if allowed, the Bible will not only shape our thoughts, emotions, and convictions, it will transform our lives into the mature believers we are meant to be.