Do You Speak for God?

God speaks to us in the Bible through persons that He has chosen to speak for Him. In the Old Testament, the prophets speak for God. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks for God (Hebrews 1:1-2). Because of His love for us, God chose to come and live among us in the flesh and to communicate with us directly in the person of His Son, Jesus. This is the miracle of Christmas! Is it possible that we, too, might be able to speak for God?

It may seem presumptuous of us to think that we could speak on behalf of God. However, it turns out that we are, indeed, called to do so. Jesus came to teach us about salvation and to serve as our example for godly living, but He also came to give us our marching orders. He gave His disciples these instructions: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15). Jesus thus delegated to His disciples the authority to speak for God. As modern-day disciples, we are also called to speak for and witness for God in our daily lives.

Jesus never promised that spreading God's Word would be easy. He warned His disciples that many people would reject their preaching and that they would be persecuted for their beliefs (Matthew 10:16-18, Mark 13:9, Luke 21:12-13, John 15:18-21). But Jesus also comforted and encouraged them, telling them that the Holy Spirit would be with them to help them: "On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:18-20). Jesus also promised them that they would ultimately be rewarded with their salvation from sin and death if they remained faithful to Him in the face of rejection and persecution (Matthew 10:22, Matthew 10:42, Luke 21:16-19).

We will hopefully never have to experience the degree of persecution that the early Christians had to endure. However, God still expects us to spread His Word to nonbelievers and, as His witnesses, to also defend His Word in our time. Our challenge is great, because we live in a time when the forces of disbelief, secularism, and moral relativism are strong. God's Word, however, is true, unchanging, and for all time. He does not compromise with us, and He does not authorize us to change His Word (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Psalm 111:7-8, Proverbs 30:5-6, Isaiah 5:20-21, 1 Peter 1:24-25, Revelation 22:18-19). Those who are disciples of Jesus must summon the courage to respectfully defend God's Word against those who reject it or seek to modify it to suit their own selfish and sinful purposes. Like the early disciples, we may not always succeed in spreading and defending the Word, but we must try. We also "speak" for God when we follow Jesus' example in our lives, so that others can see Him in us and be moved to believe and become disciples. If actions speak louder than words, loving others may be the most effective way we communicate for God.

Do you try to declare and defend God's Word in your life? As Christians, we are called to be God's witnesses when we interact with others. The Disciple Group encourages you to include in your prayers a request for the courage and the divine inspiration to help you unashamedly speak for God. Never forget Jesus' words: "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).