The Word of God changes people's lives because it is alive and powerful, bringing faith and transformation as the Gospel is proclaimed.
Scripture calls the Word a twoedged sword that pierces the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Les Feldick shows this power at work: in morally corrupt Roman cities, Paul simply preached Christ crucified and idolaters became believers, and today people are still totally transformed by hearing the Word. The change is evidenced by a new lifestyle — old things passed away and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Hebrews 4:12 — Describes the Word as quick (alive) and powerful, piercing to the heart — showing the instrument God uses to convict and change a person.
Romans 10:17 — Explains the channel of transformation: faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 says, 'For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' The Bible therefore presents the Word as living and piercing — able to reach the deepest part of a person. Romans 10:17 says, 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' Saving faith is produced by hearing the Word preached. First Corinthians 1:18 connects that message specifically to power: 'For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.' Finally, 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes the result: 'Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.' The Bible's own testimony is that the Word produces faith and makes a person new.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Word of God is alive and powerful — the sword the Spirit uses. He points to Hebrews 4:12 and says the Word is able to separate between soul and spirit and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart (Clips 1, 2). He looks back at the Apostle Paul moving into morally rotten Roman cities with no pleasant appearance and nothing physically going for him, yet when Paul preached Christ crucified, people turned from their idols and became believers who were willing to be martyred by the hundreds. All of it, Les concludes, was the power of God when the Gospel was preached (Clip 0). Les insists the gospel of the cross hasn't lost its power one iota; in recent months people have watched a portion of his program, and the Lord has entered their lives, transformed them, and totally changed the direction of their lives. That is not Les Feldick — it is the power of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit (Clip 3). God has placed the Word in human hands and usually uses one human instrument to lead another to salvation, so Les wants every believer to get skilled in the Scripture and be able to show others what the Word really says (Clips 4, 5). And he looks for the evidence: a genuine change in attitude and behavior. If a professing Christian sees nothing wrong with doing everything the world does, Les says he has to doubt anything has happened, because if we are the work of a creative act of God, old things are passed away and everything becomes new and different (Clip 6).
God did not leave the Word in the hands of angels but in the hands of people, and Les says He has almost always used one human instrument to lead another human to a knowledge of salvation (Clip 4). That is why Les urges every believer — not just preachers or seminarians — to study and understand the Scriptures, so that when an opportunity comes you can show someone what the Word really says (Clips 4, 5). Yet the changer is not the messenger. Paul himself had no pleasant appearance and nothing physically going for him; the transformation in those corrupt Roman cities came from the power of God when the Gospel was preached (Clip 0).
Les says the first thing he looks for is a change in attitude and behavior. He questions professing Christians who see nothing wrong with doing everything the world does, because if the person is the work of a creative act of God, then old things are passed away and everything becomes new and different. When he sees that change and sees it is genuine, he knows the person has experienced what it is to be born again (Clip 6).
Scripture describes the Word as quick — that is, alive — and powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart (Clip 2). Les ties this to the same spoken Word by which God brought the universes into being; when God speaks, things happen. Faith comes by hearing, and we cannot hear until God speaks the Word (Clip 1).
Power of God in Preaching
Les marvels that in morally rotten Roman cities, Paul simply preached Christ crucified and people turned from idols to a faith so strong they would be martyred — showing that the Word preached changes lives through God's power, not the preacher's appearance.
The Word as Sword and Creator
Les explains that the Word of God is the sword — alive and powerful — and that God works through His spoken Word; faith comes by hearing, and hearing begins when God speaks the Word.
Hebrews 4:12, Soul and Spirit
Les reads Hebrews 4:12 and emphasizes that the Word of God is alive and powerful enough to separate between soul and spirit and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Power of the Gospel Today
Les shares recent testimonies of people who merely watched part of his program and the Lord transformed them — totally changing the direction of their lives — demonstrating that the gospel of the cross hasn't lost its power.
Human Instruments
Les teaches that God has placed the Word in human hands and usually uses one person to lead another to salvation; believers should become skilled in Scripture to show others what it really says.
Every Believer a Student of the Word
Les urges every believer, not just preachers or seminarians, to study and understand the Scriptures, echoing the desire to get the Word into the hands of every plow boy.
Changed Lifestyle as Evidence
Les says he looks for a change in attitude and behavior as the first evidence of conversion — old things passed away and all things become new — and doubts a profession if no change appears.
What Peter Really Preached in Acts 3 — Israel's Call to Repent
Now the Word of God isn't some mishmash floating around up there in the ethereal. The Word of God is something that the Almighty God has spoken, and the Old Testament prophets were constantly saying that. The Word of the Lord, Ezekiel, will say over and over, the Word of the Lord came to me. And what did Ezekiel do? He believed it. He wrote it.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The verse that defines the Word's life-changing power — alive, sharp, piercing to the heart.
Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The verse Les cites for how faith is created: through hearing the Word.
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
The cross message itself is called the power of God — the power that transforms listeners.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Describes the outcome of the Word's work: a new creature with old things passed away.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Les says God has placed the Word in human hands and almost always uses one person to lead another, so he encourages believers to be skilled in Scripture and show others what it really says (Clips 1, 4).
Les says there must be a change in attitude and behavior. If a professing Christian sees nothing wrong with doing everything the world does, he doubts anything happened, because old things are passed away and all things become new for someone in Christ (Clip 6).
Les is emphatic that the transformation is not himself — it is the power of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. He shares examples of people watching part of a program and being totally changed by the Lord (Clip 3).
Watch the Teaching: Why God's Strength Is Made Perfect in Weakness — 2 Corinthians 12:9