God Will Confirm His Words

The book of John opens with John the Baptist stating this is who I am and this is who Jesus is. Then Jesus says this is who I am. In John 8, Jesus talks about who He is and almost point for point confirms what John the Baptist said about Him.

John 3—John the Baptist’s statements about Jesus    John 8—Jesus’s statement about who He is

Jesus came from heaven, we are from Earth (31)	I am from above, you are from below (23)
Jesus is above all (31)	I am judge (23, 26)
Jesus tells what he has seen and heard	I have much to say and judge, I declare God’s word (26)
We do  not believe Him (32)	We do not believe Him, specifically the Pharisees (13)
God gives words to those He sends (34)	I declare what I have heard from him  (26, 28)
God gives a limitless amount of His Spirit (34)	I am not alone (29)
If you obey the Son, you’ll have eternal life, if you do not obey, the wrath of God remains on him (36)	If you believe in me, you’ll live; if you don’t, you will die in sin (24)

Jesus confirms the words John spoke about Him. Remember that John said, “[H]e whom God has sent utters the words of God” (3:34)? Guess what, when we speak the words that God gives us, He will confirm them.

Now, we do need to be careful. This doesn’t mean we speak every thought that pops into our head and declare it as the word of the Lord. Be careful about this. God gives a stern warning about speaking presumptuously in Deuteronomy. “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him” (Dt 18:20-22).

However, when God does give us something to say, do not be afraid to say it. God will confirm His words. His words will accomplish everything He intends and will not return to Him empty (Isa 55:10-11). They will leave a lasting effect on the listener. When God declares something, it will happen (Isa 48:3). He teaches us what to say. “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen as one being taught” (Isa 40:4). 

How do we know the difference between our words and the words of God? Get to know His voice. Spend time in the Word and in prayer. Test what you hear. “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good” (1 Th 5:20). Make sure it aligns with Scripture. God does not contradict himself. If it doesn’t match with Scripture, toss it. If it does, I find it helpful to write down the reference next to the word.

Spend time with other believers who hear God’s voice well. This is probably the best way to learn. When we are with other believers, we can learn from them and learn to hear God’s words. We can test things out on each other and together discern if it aligns with God’s Word.

You will begin to know your Father’s voice. The sheep know the Shepherd’s voice (Jn 10:3-5). Soon it will become second nature and you will just know that it is God’s voice. It isn’t always something you will learn over night. Maybe you’ll have a burning bush moment like Moses did but for many of us, we learn God’s voice by being in His presence. We learn His voice by practice. If you hear something and it doesn’t sit right with you, it’s likely that isn’t God’s voice. If you hear something and it touches your heart so deeply, there’s a good chance it is God’s voice. But again, test everything with the Bible.

 

“Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there” (Isa 48:16). God is not silent. Quiet yourself and be still and listen. This takes practice. In our busy world it is hard to still ourselves. But keep at it. God loves talking with us and wants to talk with you. He loves you so much and wants to tell you this and more.

Intro to the book of John

There are several pivotal moments in the book of John where the story takes a step up from the direction it was previously going. Each moment allows a new theme to spring forth and the following section shows the outworking of this truth. This first post is going to be more of an introduction to the next several posts about the book of John.

The book of John is introduced by establishing Jesus as the Word, as Light, and as Life. Immediately following this John the Baptist is introduced. The first few chapters have introduced Jesus and have given a flavor of his teaching and actions. This section is introduced by John the Baptist declaring that Jesus is the Christ and is closed by John declaring Jesus’ fame must increase and his must fade into the background (chapters 1-3). His ministry as the forerunner of Christ is coming to a close. It is at this instance that we reach the first pivotal moment.

John is still baptizing people, and some of his disciples are upset because Jesus and his disciples are baptizing more people. John reminds them that he already said he was not the Christ but he is the one who comes before him. John knows who he is. He knows his role and his identity. In ancient times, a herald would run ahead of the parade declaring that the king was coming and prepared the people for his arrival. He would raise excitement and anticipation so they would expectantly look for the king’s coming. John is the herald that runs ahead declaring the king is coming (1:23). He is the best man in the story not the groom (3:29-30). John recognized his role was to prepare the way for Jesus. Now that Jesus had arrived, his role was coming to an end.

John explains that Jesus comes from heaven and tells us about what he has seen and heard. When we believe him, we have eternal life and become ambassadors of the Word. God sends us and gives us His words and His Spirit. We tell others and the cycle starts over for as they believe, they become ambassadors speaking out the words of God that the Spirit gives us.

John the Baptist then gives this testimony about Jesus: “For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit” (3:34). In other words, God gives words to those whom He sends. He gives an unending amount of the Spirit. He isn’t going to take away the Spirit or the words He’s given to those He sends. God even promises this in Isaiah 59:21. “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord, “My Spirit that is upon you and my words that I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth or out of the mouth of your offspring or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring from this time forth and forever more.”

John is establishing who Jesus is. He is establishing his identity. Right after this, the book of John launches into a time of establishing Jesus’ authority as the Word of God.

... For the sake of brevity this is coming later...