Where In The Bible Will I Find:

The Word Of God Revealed Only Through Preaching?

The Hebrew writer said, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." (Heb. 11:4). How does a man speak, being dead? Every time the story of Cain and Abel is told we are reminded of the faith of Abel and the unfaithfulness of Cain.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Abel's faith was shown in his obedience to God's Word. By faith, he offered to God that which God had specified, his faith caused him to obey God. This is teaching us that we too must not only hear God and believe Him, but we must also OBEY Him by doing things exactly as He has specified.

Abel, being dead, still speaks to us through the Word of God. The Word of God is revealed to us through the preaching of Jesus and His apostles. They no longer preach in person on the earth today, but every time we read the Bible, or hear a gospel sermon, God's Word is being revealed through preaching.

Listen to Paul: "But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching…" (Titus 1:3). It is through gospel preaching that the Word of God is revealed. God, in earlier times, spoke to the prophets and heads of families directly, but during the life of Christ on earth, God spoke through His Son Jesus (Heb. 1:1-2). We hear God's Word today ONLY through the Bible. God no longer speaks directly to anyone on earth.

Does this make God's Word any less powerful today then when He spoke direct to the people? NO! God's Word is just as powerful today as it was in the first century. "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation…" (Rom. 1:16). "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matt. 24:35).

It is a wonderful blessing to hear the Word of God. We should take every opportunity we have to read and study the Bible, and hear the gospel preached for this is the ONLY way the Word of God will be revealed to us. After hearing His Word we must believe and OBEY His Word. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him" (Heb. 2:1-3).

God Spoke His Word to His Son (John 14:10), Jesus spoke these Words to His apostles (John 17:8), His apostles spoke these Words to the whole known world at that time (Rom. 10:18), and gospel preachers are commanded to speak these same Words today (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16).