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Grace is not a concept. It is a person the Lord Jesus Christ. And grace takes you from where you are to where God wants you to be from bondage to the devil, to a place of liberty, where you revel in becoming and being a child of God. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you, bearing witness with your spirit that you are a child of God. He also leads you in paths of righteousness through the word of God. It is why the psalmist declares “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. [Psalms 119:105]
The trustworthy prophetic Word –
A deeper understanding of the Spirit’s enabling will come to you by the knowledge, understanding and application of how He leads you through the prophetic word. It is the lamp, the light that shines in you.
Light in a dark place –
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you would do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. [2 Peter 1:19] You will do well if you give attention to the word is how one translation of this verse puts it. And to do well is the desire of every person in Christ, to hear these words from the Master, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’.
The reliability of the prophetic word –
The apostle Peter describes what the prophetic word is not, in order to establish it’s reliability and apply it in life’s circumstances that appear gloomy and confusing to bring light and clarity.
1. Not myth or fiction –
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus, but we were witnesses of His majesty. [2 Peter 1:16] Information technology is what drives the world today, even the Christian world. And people like to hear what stimulates their senses. Easy listening is becoming the theme of the day, seeing more and more people drifting away from sound doctrine, not wanting to be probed and challenged by the truth in all it’s fullness.
It is what the apostle Paul warns –
For the time is coming when the people will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. [2 Peter 4:3,4] These verses above seem to be written for such a time as this.
The easy way –
Taking the easy way out has indeed become the order of the day. Going to a person to be prayed over is easier than studying and spending time with God to get answers to questions, and find healing and restoration. Cults are another dangerous dimension, luring people by giving empty promises, and ultimately taking them into darkness for they always add something extra to the holy word of God. It is never the Bible alone. But you do not need extra books. And it will do you good to pay attention to the word, to receive discernment from the Spirit in order to avoid them.
A relationship –
Christianity is a personal relationship with God in Christ, as He walks with you and talks with you and tells you, you are His own. And what a joy it is to tarry and spend time in sweet fellowship with Him day after day. The Son of Man is the perfect and complete revelation of God. He is the Living Word and therefore a lack of root in the word of God will see you fall prey to wrong doctrine that leads you astray. Myths and stories cannot save you, only Jesus can, and only His word can transform you.
2. The Jewish flavor –
The extensive interest in Jewish history and the nation of Israel that is prevalent these days can make Jewish myths and stories very attractive and believable. Paul addresses this in his letter to Titus “Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth”. [Titus 1:13,14] The Jewish history that is narrated in the Old Testament is a sign pointing to Christ, the Cross and the new covenant. We live now in the freedom of the new dispensation where through the Cross there is no racial divide between the Jew and gentile. When you are in Christ, you are a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come.
3. Speculation that breeds doubt, not faith –
The world today is one where the media in all it’s forms is able to wield a powerful influence in society, throwing up a lot of opinion about anything and everything that need not necessarily be true. The apostle Paul gives sound advice in his letter to Timothy “So that you may charge certain persons not to teach a different doctrine, not to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith”. [1 Timothy 1:3,4] Speculation will lead you to double mindedness. A double-minded person is unstable in all his ways, and therefore unable to receive anything from God. It is why Paul cautions against it. There are certain issues in life against which the Bible brooks no argument. And you will do well to take heed and accept the word of God as the final authority. There are people specifically called by God and blessed with debating skills who can answer complex questions with godly clarity. But if it is not your calling, take care not to venture into it. The word of God is living and active, sharper than a double edged sword, able to bring a transformation that nothing else can bring. And you will do well, if you pay attention to the word.
4. Ungodly conversation –
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths (grandmother’s tales). Rather train yourself for godliness. [1 Timothy 4:7] It can happen even in the name of prayer. As you gather together to share and pray, what happens before and after it is so very important. And bad company corrupts good character. Let your house not be a place of gossip where people come and dump foul smelling trash. Rather let it be a house filled with the fragrance of Christ and His life giving word. People can come to your home, but you must be in control and be submitted to the Holy Spirit. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. [2 Timothy 2:16] Thus, four things to be avoided are –
– Myths and fiction
– Jewish myths
– Speculation
– Ungodly conversation
The place of experience –
Personal experiences are very powerful, but they can also be very subjective and vary according to your personality. Thus examine whether they are confirmed by the word of God, and if they contradict the scriptures, pay no heed to them.
Blessed are those –
He is known now as the “doubting Thomas”, for he needed the experience, to see and touch the risen Lord in order to believe. Lord Jesus removed his doubt, giving him the experience. But He also says this about you and I – Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. [John 20:29] The key word is “believe” or having faith. It comes through the word. The word is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The word of God is the evidence of a mansion prepared for you in heaven. You believe because it is written in the Scriptures. God’s word is eternally, immutably true. It is only in receiving the prophetic word to you that doubt arises.
How is the prophetic word of God confirmed ?
It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Spirit distributed according to His will. [Hebrews 2:3,4]
– It was spoken by God
– Confirmed by those who heard
– Attested by miracles and signs
– Attested by the Holy Spirit in you
The Holy Spirit lives in you validating Scripture. And it is why you will do well to pay attention to the word of God.
The nature of the prophetic word –
No prophecy of scripture comes from some one’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. [2 Peter 1:20,21] It’s origin is from God and it’s interpretation is also from God and the word of God itself will explain and give all understanding about the prophetic word that comes to you.
Day of Pentecost – Prophecy of Joel:
When the Spirit was poured out on the 120 who were gathered together in prayer in the Upper Room they started to speak in new tongues. It amazed and perplexed the onlookers and some others mocked thinking that they had drunk too much wine. But Peter then stood up to preach with boldness, explaining all that was happening through the prophetic word of Joel “And in the last days it shall be the Lord declares, and I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”. [Acts 2:1-36]
Light of the prophetic word –
The entrance of the word gives light. And as the people listened to Peter’s interpretation of the prophetic word they were pierced in their heart. 3000 were saved that day as the light of the gospel entered their lives. [Acts 2:37-41]
Giving your attention –
It is listening to the word, [Luke 4:20] Opening your heart to receive it, [Acts 16:14] and, Paying attention, meditating upon it day and night. [Hebrews 2:1, Psalms 1:2] Prophecy is the revealing of God’s mind concerning you, in His word. And the one who wrote it is in you. He will show you, guide you, in order to make it your experience. Therefore until the morning star rises you will do well. Go from where you are to where God wants you to be. When you take heed, give your attention to the written word that He has already given to you, the prophetic word of God. It is the light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star rises in your heart, until you see the Eternal Word face to face Amen.
