6 Functions of the Living Word of God

If you read the Bible with an open heart, you find it isn’t merely a book consisting of letters on a page.

Hebrews 4:12 says:

“The word of God is living and operative.” 

The Bible, God’s word, is living. And because it’s living, it’s active and can do many things for us. It carries out some particular functions that are necessary for our Christian life.

In this post, we’ll look at some verses and notes in the New Testament Recovery Version to see just six of the many wonderful functions of the living Word of God.

The importance of knowing the function of an object

Let’s first discuss what we mean by function. The function of an object is the intended purpose of that object. For example, we know the function of a microwave oven is to heat food, so we use it for that purpose. 

But let’s imagine we don’t know what a microwave is. After punching some buttons and watching it run, we end up feeling frustrated because we don’t know what it’s used for. We figure it’s a great place to store things and put things in it. Although a microwave can be used that way, it certainly isn’t the way it was intended to be used. 

The same is true with the Bible. We can spend a lot of time reading it without receiving the intended benefit from it.

For example, the Bible certainly inspires and comforts us in times of trouble. It also conveys the highest standard of ethical and moral principles, and it relates interesting stories and history about God’s people. But if we focus primarily on these things, although we get some benefit from reading it, we miss the intended purpose of God’s Word. 

So now let’s discuss six functions of the Word of God.

1. It testifies concerning Christ

In John 5:39-40, Jesus said to some Jewish religionists:

“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

One function of the Word of God is that it testifies concerning Jesus Christ. The Scriptures reveal not the tenets of a religion, but many different aspects of the wonderful person of Christ. 

But this verse shows us that it’s possible to miss Christ when we read the Bible. Note 1 in the New Testament Recovery Version on John 5:39 explains:

“To ‘search the Scriptures’ may be separated from ‘come to Me’ (v. 40). The Jewish religionists searched the Scriptures but were not willing to come to the Lord. These two should go together; because the Scriptures testify concerning the Lord, they should not be separated from the Lord. We may contact the Scriptures, yet not contact the Lord. Only the Lord can give life.”

The religious people Jesus was speaking to searched the God-given Scriptures, but they missed the One the Scriptures testify of. He was standing right in front of them, but they were unwilling to come to Him.

When we come to read the Bible, we want to see Christ in the Word. We want the Scriptures to even testify to us personally of the Lord and show us more of His wonderful person. So we shouldn’t come to the Bible in a cold way apart from the Lord. As we approach the Bible, we should have the realization that we’re approaching the Lord Himself. When we open our Bible, we should open our hearts to the Lord so we can see Him in His Word. 

What this means for us: Since the Scriptures testify concerning Christ, we should focus on Him when we come to the Bible. We shouldn’t separate coming to the Lord from reading the Word of God. Before we read, we can come to the Lord by praying a simple prayer like: “Lord Jesus, I don’t want to miss You in Your Word. I come to You right now. Show me more of who You are on every page.”

2. It makes us wise unto salvation

Second Timothy 3:15 says:

“And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The Bible also functions to make people wise unto salvation. The way of salvation isn’t according to our concepts or ideas. So apart from the Word of God, how could anyone know God’s way of salvation? Only what’s revealed in the Bible can make us wise unto salvation.

What this means for us: This verse was written to Timothy, a young believer who knew the Scriptures from his earliest days. Timothy is a good pattern for us to follow. Whether we’re a new Christian or a mature believer, regularly reading the Bible makes us wise. It helps us know how to be saved by believing in Jesus initially, and it continues to make us wise as we walk the path of God’s complete salvation in our Christian life.

3. It causes people to be regenerated

First Peter 1:23 says:

“Having been regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.”

God’s word is the incorruptible seed of life so it can function to cause a person to be regenerated. Note 2 on this verse in the New Testament Recovery Version says:

“A seed is a container of life. The word of God, as the incorruptible seed, contains God’s life. Hence, it is living and abiding. Through this word we were regenerated. It is God’s living and abiding word of life that conveys God’s life into our spirit for our regeneration.”

When we share the gospel with others, through God’s living word His life is conveyed into their spirit so they can be regenerated, that is, born again. That’s what happens when someone gets saved. 

What this means for us: If we’ve already been regenerated, it’s important to realize God’s living word can generate life in others also. If our unbelieving friends are receptive, we can read the Bible with them—not to teach them, but to allow the living and abiding word of God to be conveyed into their spirit. We can pray that they would be regenerated through our speaking God’s Word to them.

4. It’s the believers’ spiritual milk

First Peter 2:2-3 says:

“As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

Another major function of God’s living Word is to nourish the believers. 

After babies are born, their immediate need is to be nourished. They need milk to live and grow. 

In the same way, once we’re born again as a child of God, we need to grow in the life of God. Note 4 on verse 2 in the Recovery Version explains:

“To grow is a matter of life and in life. We received the divine life through regeneration, and we need to grow in this life and with this life by being nourished with the milk conveyed in the word of God.”

Life grows by being nourished. When we receive spiritual nourishment from the Word of God, we grow in the life of God. 

This is why our most important need is to come to the Lord daily in His Word. We need to receive spiritual milk. Then, just as a baby grows by eating, we’ll grow in God’s life. 

What this means for us: Like a newborn babe longs for milk, throughout our Christian lives we should hunger for the milk of God’s Word. We certainly should study the Bible, but we need to spend time in the Word of God each day to receive spiritual nourishment. This will cause us to grow in a normal, healthy way.

5. It’s the believers’ bread of life

Matthew 4:4 says:

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.’”

The Word of God is also our spiritual bread of life. 

We shouldn’t live our lives simply existing on physical food. As believers, we also should live on the Word of God as our spiritual food. 

And just as we never graduate from eating physical food, we can never graduate from enjoying God’s Word each day as our spiritual bread. As we see in the account in Matthew 4, even when the Lord Jesus lived on earth He lived on God’s Word. 

What this means for us: No matter how long we’ve been saved, we need to “eat” God’s Word as our spiritual food daily to be healthy, normal Christians. Just as eating physical food is enjoyable, receiving the Word of God as food will feed us and be our enjoyment. The words of Jeremiah 15:16 will become our experience: “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became to me the gladness and joy of my heart.” 

6. It makes the believers complete

Second Timothy 3:16-17 says:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word also has the function of completing the believers, equipping us for every good work. It does this by teaching, convicting, correcting, and instructing us.

The correction doesn’t come from mentally examining ourselves according to an outward standard. It comes when we contact the God-breathed Scripture with our spirit. Note 4 explains what correction in verse 16 means:

“Setting right what is wrong, turning someone to the right way, restoring to an upright state.”

How many times, even in the course of a single day, we need to be set right and turned back to the Lord and His way! Thank the Lord, the living Word of God can function this way to correct us when we’re veering off course.

What this means for us: We need the Word of God to teach, convict, correct, and instruct us in order to complete and equip us. Since the Scripture is God-breathed, we need to exercise our spirit by praying when we read it. As we come to the Bible, we can pray, “Lord, I want Your Word to be profitable to me today. Correct what needs to be corrected in me. Make me more complete today than I was yesterday.” 

The living Word of God is truly marvelous! It does so much in us and for us, so we should build up the habit of reading it daily. If you live in the US, we encourage you to order a free New Testament Recovery Version that will open up your understanding of God’s Word.