Rhema: The Living Word

GSWMI Global Communion Service 

July 2021

Rhema: The Living Word

The logos is the general word of God that communicates his ability to do something or his general will on a matter while a rhema is the word the Holy Spirit quickens to a specific person for a specific situation

Logos: The Greek word, most often translated “word,” means “the entire communication process.” One example of logos is the Bible, the Word of God. We are to prayerfully meditate on the Bible, which allows God to speak to us through Scriptures, which in turn ignites our hearts (Luke 24:32). 

Rhema: This Greek word is most often translated “word” or “saying” and means “spoken word.” The Spirit’s voice in our hearts is one example of rhema. 

Rhema in the believer’s reality is when verses leap off the pages of Scripture and into our hearts, as this is the Holy Spirit speaking to us, applying the verse directly to our lives. In the Bible, rhema refers to speaking, regardless of who is doing the speaking. It can be God, the Holy Spirit, or ourselves speaking faith filled words to one another or someone else speaking faith filled words to us . In each case, it is Rhema.

Rhema—A Spoken Word

The Greek word rhḗma simply means “any spoken word.” In the New Testament, there are two different Greek words used to identify words from God: lógos and rhḗma.

Logos is used in John 1:1 (NKJV). “In the beginning was the [logos] Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NKJV).

Rhema is a spoken word. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the [spoken] word of God” (Eph. 6:17 NKJV).

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He countered each temptation by speaking a “rhema” word. In Matthew 4:4, He said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every [spoken (rhema)] word.’ “ Jesus spoke the written Word He needed for the situation. So a rhema word can be the spoken Word of God.

We need the written Word as our foundation, but we also need the spoken Word (rhema) for direction. We have the written Word, to stand on. We have rhema, the spoken Word, so we know what to do and where to go.

When the Holy Spirit speaks to you, He quickens a Scripture verse or specific direction to you—a specific word for a specific time and purpose.

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).

In John 6:32-33, in response to the Jews, Jesus said, “…Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” Then in the forty-ninth verse, He buttressed this point: “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” Here, He was talking about Himself—the Living Bread.

The Word of God is the bread which came down from heaven. Jesus explained to His disciples that the bread He was talking about was Himself: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Then the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:17 reveals that “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”

If we’re one bread with Him, it then means we have the same life, because we’re born of the Word (1 Peter 1:23), just as He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Colossians 1:18 says, “And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church….” The head and the body share the same life. If we share His life, then we also share His health, prosperity, strength and glory.

No wonder we’re called associates of the God-kind; that’s what we read in our opening verse. 1 John 4:17 says, “…as he is, so are we in this world.” Thus, we must walk as He walked: in glory, righteousness, strength, dominion, and everlasting triumph, for we’re sharers of His life—partakers of that one living bread—the Lord from heaven. 

In Luke 4:4, Jesus said, “…man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Also, in John 6:35, He said, “… I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst .” A symbolism to this effect is seen in Luke 9, when Jesus multiplied five loaves of “bread” and gave to His disciples to feed the multitude with.

The bread is symbolic of the Word of God that He gives us, which we, in turn, should “give” or share to others. As we distribute the bread (the Word), as we share the Gospel with others, and bring more souls to the Kingdom, there’s multiplication. Acts 6:7 says, “ And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith .”

As you win more souls, the Word of God increases, because the Word goes into every man’s world. If there were five hundred people that received the Word, they’d take the same Word to five hundred worlds, and the cycle continues.

Do you want the Word of the Lord to increase? If your answer is “yes,” then sow it into the hearts of men; “distribute the bread.” Recall that as the disciples distributed the bread to the multitude in Luke 9, the bread kept multiplying.

This was the Lord’s idea and expectation when He gave the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20. He told us to take the Gospel to every man’s world, and make students of those in our environments. Therefore, preach, teach, share the Word in such a way that others would receive, and become effective preachers and teachers of the same Word. Hallelujah!

When the Bible says, “…no word from God shall be without power…” it’s actually referring to the rhema-word from God and not the logos. Logos is the revealed Word of God that expresses His thoughts, character, plans, purposes and personality. But rhema is the active word from God, to a specific person, for a specific purpose, at a specific time. So, put in the right context, the Scripture above denotes, “No rhema from God shall be without power.”

In other words, every rhema-word to you, it’ll change your situation. This is the reason some people wonder why they quote Scriptures in the face of adversity and nothing happens. Things don’t change because they fail to realise that it’s not just the quoting of Scripture that produces results. It’s receiving rhema from that Scripture you’re quoting that works. You make war by rhema. That’s what you use to cut the devil down and cause him to bow before you.

So, when you’re facing challenges, begin to meditate on God’s Word that addresses your peculiar situation. Keep talking the Word until it becomes rhema to you. Remember, no rhema from God is void of power; and as a child of God, you can receive rhema. Jesus said, “He who is of God hears God’s words…” (John 8:47); in other words, he receives God’s rhema. Charge your spirit by speaking in other tongues and declaring God’s Word. That way, your spirit will be fine-tuned to God’s frequency and you’ll receive rhema.