Joy in being Exposed!

joy (Small) “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 whom we must give account.”  Hebrews 4:12-13

I am studying the Book of Acts with a group of women this Fall.  When I read this verse this morning I immediately thought of how I am getting to see it realized and lived out before my eyes in that group. I can sense it being realized in my own life but am doubly blessed as I witness this word being made flesh in the lives of others.

As we journey with Peter and Paul and learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts are being exposed!  Being exposed normally carries a major negative connotation — something to be avoided at all costs.  With this group of committed women we have grown in trust and feel safe enough to unmask ourselves– to unveil our thoughts and intentions in pursuit of seeing Christ more revealed!  That is the two-edged sword of the Word at work!  It is the Holy Spirit who is animating the written Word in our hearts.

The main character in Acts is the Holy Spirit–the third person of the Godhead.  We are becoming more familiar with how He works as an agent accomplishing God’s will on earth.  When I ran across this quote from A.W. Tozer this morning, I knew it was to help me marvel at His work in our lives.

An attribute to appreciate about the Holy Spirit is His penetrability.  He can penetrate hearts, minds–achieve complete penetration of and actual intermingling with the human spirit.  He invades the human heart and makes room for Himself without expelling anything essentially human.  The integrity of the human personality remains unimpaired–only moral evil is forced to withdraw when He penetrates.