Not only are the Scriptures the perfect Word of God—true, reliable, objective and solely authoritative—they are do-able. Though our view of Scripture is often distorted because we consider its teachings to be inapplicable, irrelevant, impractical, idealistic, unattainable, and especially unfathomable to uneducated minds, in reality, the Word of God is simple… and we can do it.

The Scriptures are simple and do-able because Adonai Himself has made His Word accessible. Not only are His commands not beyond our effortless reach, but they are near and even planted inside us. Mosheh states this unequivocally according to D’variym 30:11-14,

For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too extraordinary for you, nor is it far off. It is not in the heavens, [leading you to] say, “Who will go up for us into the heavens, and get it for us, and cause us to hear it—that we may do it?” And it is not beyond the sea, [leading you to] say, “Who will pass over for us beyond the sea, and get it for us, and cause us to hear it—that we may do it?” For very near to you is the word (haDavar), in your mouth, and in your heart—to do it.

We have the Word, and we can hear it—but most of all—it can be done. We can do it when it says to love Adonai our God with our whole being (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30). We can do it when it says to serve one another, and consider each person more important than ourselves (Galatians 5:13, Philippians 2:3). We can do it when it says to be and make disciples of Messiah (John 15:8, Matthew 28:19-20). And we can do it when it says we should no longer be bound to sin, but slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18)!

This is why Ya’aqov can confidently exhort us to

…be receiving the ingrafted word that is able to save your souls, and become doers of the word, and not hearers only, [thereby] deceiving yourselves. Ya’aqov 1:21-22

Because Adonai has made His Word accessible to us, it has the power to save and transform. We are therefore being profoundly self-deceptive—rejecting the very Word that defines our own salvation—when we hear the Word of God, yet fail to do what it says. Such inaction proclaims that the Word cannot be done—that it is neither truly ingrafted, nor capable of telling us who we are as disciples of Messiah. For the sake of our identity in Messiah (not to mention the salvation of our very souls), we must actively receive the Word that has been implanted in us, becoming deliberate and dedicated “doers” of the Word.

The Master teaches us in Luke 8:21 that only when we hear and do the Word of God can we become members of His family. God’s Word is not only near to us, teaching us the essence of our identity in Messiah, but this closeness and membership in God’s household means that we have a responsibility to live according to His Word. It is not too extraordinary for us, and it is not far off. It is not too high, too distant, or too foreign to our inner selves; and no one has to go get it, then bring it to us, and make us hear it so that we can obey. We can do the Word because Adonai Himself has brought it near, and no obstacle in heaven or on earth exists—except the ones we create ourselves—that can keep us from doing His Word.

If our purpose is to become useful, effective disciples of Messiah, then we must devote ourselves relentlessly to His ways. If we desire to walk in the footsteps of Messiah, then we must not live according to what we have been told the Word means, nor according to what we have convinced ourselves that the Word says. Rather, we must wholeheartedly dedicate ourselves to the fully accessible, the astoundingly simple, the surpassingly supreme—and the totally do-able—pure and perfect Word of God.

It is written, “Not upon bread alone does man live, but upon every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Matit’yahu 4:4

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