HOW A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD GIVES POWER TO HIS WORD IN US
INTRODUCTION
In the 1960s through the 1980s, and today as well, there was and is an emphasis on the power of our words, specifically the need for us to speak the Word of God. This turns out to be both a good thing and not so good thing many times.
When people would believe and speak what the Word of God said they often got what they desired. While others would think there was some sort of magic power in the spoken word itself without realizing there must be a relationship between them and the power behind the Word of God, namely, God Himself. As a result of not having a proper relationship with God, many were confused, hurt, and disillusioned when what they said did not happen.
I do not find in the Bible that we are given the right to speak anything we want to speak without a relationship with God. Or that we can indulge the flesh for anything without God’s input on it. Suppose one wants a million dollars and he believes if he says it often enough God is required to give it to him. Or he wants a certain type of car or house and expects God to give it to him simply because he said it.
If one is abiding in God and His Word abides in the person, there may be times when God, by His Spirit, may lay it on the heart of the person to ask for something beyond the ordinary. This has often happened and still does today,
The key is to have an ongoing, intimate relationship with the Lord and a familiarity with the Word of God, specifically the New Testament promises!
FOUNDATIONAL NEW COVENANT TRUTHS
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him, who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
OUR TEXT: Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
GOD CREATES WITH HIS WORD
We see this illustrated in Genesis 1 where He spoke and the world came into existence.
Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Let’s walk through the times when God spoke in the creation and various things happened which shows us the power of His Word.
Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
Genesis 1:6 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
Genesis 1:9 “Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.”
Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.”
Genesis 1:14 “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;”
Genesis 1:20 “Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”
Genesis 1:22 “And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
Genesis 1:24 “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.”
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:29 “And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you, it shall be for food.”
Jesus is the Word. The Father decreed it and the Word spoke it into existence.
John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
Colossians 1:16-18 says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him, all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
Creation reveals the triune Godhead, three personages in a relationship in total agreement. When one speaks or acts they are all involved.
God’s Word in us is powerful.
John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words I speak to you are spirit and they are life.”
John 14:10 says, ‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”
John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
The power of our words on the Human level.
Prov. 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
Prov.10:19-21 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.
Prov.11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Prov.12:6 The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,” But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
Prov.12:13-14 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble. A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
Prov.12:18-19 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Prov.12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.
Prov.13:2-3 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Prov.14:3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Prov. 15:1-2 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
Prov.15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Prov.15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so.
Prov.15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, But the words of the pure are pleasant.
Prov.15:28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
Prov.16:23-24 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth And adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Prov.18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.
Prov.18:6-8 A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.
Prov.18:20-21 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips, he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Prov.21:23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue, Keeps his soul from troubles.
Prov.26:20-22 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.
New Testament Statements
Matt.12:34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Mark 7:17-23 “When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Basic Principle
Romans 6:9-10 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
Applicable to Everything else.
Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Other New Testament Statements.
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
1 Thessalonians 4:18 “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
How to Speak to one another in the Church.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
Meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.
Good reasons to speak the Word of God.
Matthew 8:7 “The Centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”
Matthew 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment.”
Acts 4:29-33 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
Acts 14:3 “Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”
Practical applications to real-world situations.
- What does the Word of God say about it?
- What are the limitations of this promise?
- Read – re-read – meditate on it until it gets down into your spirit. James 1:21-22 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,”
- Bathe the Word in prayer. Fellowship with the Lord. The more in step we are with Him, the more consistent we will see answers to our prayers along with needs being met.
When your prayers or confessions are not answered.
Right relations in the home.
1 Peter 3:7 “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Humility.
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Resist Satan.
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
Faith or Presumption?
Presumption is presuming God will do something rather than knowing it from His promises. Faith knows He will because He specifically said it.
Abide in the Vine.
John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” This a relationship
REMINDER–
God is Sovereign.
God is all-knowing.
God has a plan & purpose.