Identity in Christ

The Power of Voice

In our last episode we looked at our position, or standing, to act in conjunction with the promises of God. Today we will investigate how we go about co-laboring with God. The best place to start is usually the beginning.

We are created in the image of God
- He is creative
- He spoke the world into existence

And God said, “Let there be light; and there was light.”

Genesis 1:3 AMPC

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27 AMPC

The beginning is “God said,” which tells us a few things immediately.

The spoken word is important
The spoken word has power
We are to imitate God, so we are to speak His word

The lips of the wise disperse knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; not so the minds and hearts of the self-confident and foolish.

Proverbs 15:7 AMPC

Is there one more wise than God? Is there one more creative than God? Is there one with more knowledge than God? If we want to operate in wisdom and disperse knowledge, we must depend upon and draw from God. We are not to use our own wisdom which is foolishness compared to God. We are not to be arrogant and think that we know all; again, foolishness compared to God.

[This is] because the foolish thing [that has its source in] God is wiser than men, and the weak thing [that springs] from God is stronger

than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25 AMPC

Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly

discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise.

For this world’s wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own]

craftiness; and again, the Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 AMPC

With our privileges come responsibilities
- Again, a matter of standing
- Is our behavior drawing us closer to God, or is it driving a wedge into the relationship?
There are two parts to which we need pay attention
- The decisions we make
- The actions we take
- Our actions reveal what is in our hearts
- We will find we have much to repent for as the things of our heart are revealed

“You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the

superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man

out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every

idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be

condemned and sentenced.

Matthew 12:34-37 AMPC

We speak positive and/or negative
- Blessing and/or cursing
- Guiding us into our future
- Determining our judgment and eternity
Consistency of speech and action is needed throughout our days and life

The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and

intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for

out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 AMPC

We must create the abundance of our heart, from which the mouth speaks
- It is our responsibility

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is

pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything

worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

Philippians 4:8 AMPC

This is where the mind is involved and where the beginning of proper decision making occurs
- This is where a great part of the victory is won
- The battle always involves, and often begins in, the mind
- Then come the actions based upon the decisions that were pondered and made

Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being)

will be with you.

Philippians 4:9 AMPC

Our actions often include our words, even if only to explain our actions
- They can be for good or evil
- They reflect the love or hate in our heart
  - The forgiveness or unforgiveness we have for others
  - The forgiveness or unforgiveness we have for ourselves
  - The forgiveness or unforgiveness we have for God
- God does not need to condemn anyone
  - We do it to ourselves with our own tongue
- God seeks to redeem us and to restore us to a proper relationship with Himself
- God is love
  - God spoke the creation into existence
  - God spoke good things to it
  - Evil, however, demands an answer
    - God responds with the necessary justice
  - Evil is not to be tolerated, for if it is, it will only grow in scope and in power
    - Christ Jesus even responded harshly at times to those who were opposed to what God was wanting to do
    - Even those times were motivated by love
      - Protection for those He loved
    - Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd
      - He warns us of the false shepherds and wolves
        
        Those who would prevent us, or even lead us away, from the love of God
        
        He always speaks truth in love
      - With our rights, privileges, and favor which we receive from God, comes the responsibility to act and speak properly, in love
        
        Paul teaches this in his writings

Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God’s love for us).

1 Corinthians 16:14 AMPC

Love is not exclusive to our speech, to the use of our tongue
- But it is essential in our determining to do the right things after making the correct decisions
We ought to be declaring and decreeing the good things of God over our lives, our households, our cities, states, and nations
- Authority in our calling
- Privilege in our being children of God
- Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done

Jesus, in teaching His disciples how to pray, and now us through the Gospel According to Matthew, had us declare with words

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our

debtors.”

Matthew 6:12 AMPC

Again, it’s a matter of position
By our speech, we set the condition for the forgiveness of our sin
By our decisions and actions, we determine our own level of forgiveness by God
- Remembering, of course, that the forgiveness was freely offered by Him and not coerced by us
Example: Disciples’ Prayer
- Forgive us as we forgive
  - What are we saying?
    - We are putting conditions on our own forgiveness
      - Should motivate us to be forgiving
    - Power of the tongue
    - We speak evil and good
      - Now, as children of God, we are responsible for choosing how we speak
    - The twelfth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans is filled with examples of how we ought to live as followers of Christ
      - We are constantly instructed to choose good over evil
      - In the final verse we are told to overcome evil with good

Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good

Romans 12:21 AMPC

This chapter is talking about our decision making and behavior
Paul is not referring to the evil that may happen to us, but what our reaction will be – as in other times we have a choice
It is in consistently choosing the good, that we defeat evil, not allowing it to rise up in us
Verse 14 deals with one such choice

Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.

Romans 12:14 AMPC

We speak both blessings and curses
We need to choose which purpose our speech will serve

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

Proverbs 18:21 AMPC

The Epistle of James warns of the dangers of a loose tongue.

Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or a great forest a tiny spark can set ablaze.

And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and

setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man’s nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna). For every kind of beast and bird, of

reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius (nature). But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a

restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and the Father, and with it we curse men who

were made in God’s likeness! Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren ought not to be so.

James 3:5-10 AMPC

One part of spiritual maturity is learning to control the tongue and what is spoken with it. The thought of “biting one’s tongue” ought to become more common as one matures in Christ. We ought to consider the words in chapter one of the same epistle.

Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get

angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant

outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your

hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

James 1:19-21 AMPC

Summary
- God spoke creation into existence by faith
  - God’s spoken word is important
- We were created in the image of God
  - Our spoken word is important
- We are to grasp and value the knowledge and wisdom of God
  - The knowledge and wisdom of man is foolishness to God
- With our privilege and standing comes responsibilities
  - Our decisions and actions reveal what is in our heart
- We speak positive and/or negative
  - Our tongue blesses and/or curses
  - It ought not do both
- We must create the abundance in our heart from which the mouth speaks
  - It is our responsibility
- The mind is the main battleground
  - It fills the heart with love or hate, forgiveness or unforgiveness
- We determine the level of our forgiveness or judgment
  - It’s in our prayers: forgive us as we forgive
- We must choose good over evil
  - Not allowing evil to rise within us
- In the power of the tongue is life and death
  - We must choose whether we speak blessings or curses

What are some practical ways to accomplish this?

Episode 13 of “Being Disciples” podcast, Clothed in Christ
- The armor of God has a speech component to it
  - Belt of Truth: speaking God’s truth
  - Breastplate of Righteousness: speech that is righteous
  - Feet Shod: preaching the gospel of peace and salvation
  - Shield of Faith: declaring the promises of God
  - Helmet of Salvation: declaring one’s faith in the salvation provided by God
  - Sword of the Spirit: Declaring the Word of God in power
  - Praying Always: prayer in line with the will of God
- The mountains or giants that are obstacles in our lives need to be spoken to according to God’s word and will
  - Of course, we need the faith in our heart from which to speak

And Jesus answered them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been

done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever you ask for in

prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.”

Matthew 21:21-22 AMPC

We need to speak our faith
- Speak to the mountain
- From the heart, the tongue speaks
Pray the future, not the present
- Christ:
  - Praying for Peter not to be sifted
  - Praying for us in the future
    - John 17, High Priestly Prayer
  - Paul:
    - Praying for the Ephesians (1:17-23)

As we end this segment, as Paul prayed for the Ekklesia at Ephesus, I pray for you now.