Communicating Your Faith
That the communication of your faith may become effectual by
the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. [Philemon 6]
I believe every born again Christian desires to communicate the gospel in a greater and more effective way. We have books, CDs, classes, and programs teaching us the concepts of sharing our faith more effectively so that we can lead more people to Christ. And yet to the objective observer, it appears that in spite of having access to all these resources, the church as a whole is having very little effectiveness in the world today. Why is this? I truly believe that the above passage from Paul's letter to his friend Philemon gives us the answer. The communication of our faith becomes effective when we begin to acknowledge every good thing that is in us in Christ Jesus.
Most of the evangelistic resources available to us are focusing on what the Christian should be doing to "share their faith" through acts of service, passing out tracts, knocking on doors, telling people about how great their church is, or leading a person down the Romans' Road of the gospel. Very few resources on evangelism focus on how having a revelation of and acknowledging who you are in Christ as being the springboard to effective communication of your faith, which, not surprisingly brings us back to the answer why most Christians are so ineffective. Their actions have little life in them because they are not standing upon this foundational truth. Instead, their works and efforts, although born out of a sincere desire to help, are like clanging cymbals and tinkling bells to ears and eyes of those who are able to see deeper. This is not a criticism of these tools. Rather, these tools can be effective AFTER we have laid the foundation of who we are in Christ.
Effective communication of the gospel begins with this simple truth: Christ in you, the hope of glory [Colossians 1:27] and continues with acknowledging every good thing that Christ has done for you through His atonement. It's not that we're going to have eternal life as if it's in the sweet by and by. We have (present tense) eternal life--right now in this present world. This is why my book By the Grace of God I Am What I Am is so vital to the Christian. It teaches what happened when you were born again, where it happened, your new identity in Christ, and the importance of knowing who you are in Christ. By taking the truths of your Christian identity, you can begin using the tools offered by these other resources to be effective in leading people to Christ.
The Power of Words
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. [James 3: 6]
Jesus taught us in Matthew 12:34: For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Your identity in Christ is based on what comes from your heart—and therefore from your mouth and your behavior. We also see in Proverbs 23:7: For as he thinks in his heart, so [is] he. Although the context of this verse isn't referring to us as Christians specifically, but the general inference is significant. For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.
And from 2 Corinthians 4:13: We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore I have spoken. We also believe, and therefore speak.
The fruit of our hearts is therefore reflected in our speech and manner of life. Just as living holy lives is important to our "witness and testimony", and in limiting the devil's access into our lives, our speech and words are equally important. Not only must we walk the walk, but we must also talk the talk. Anything less is either hypocrisy or double-mindedness.
Proverbs 18:20-21 says: A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
This is a strong indictment on the power of our words. Anyone who denies that words have no power—either in the natural or supernatural realms—have never experienced the pain from a poisoned tongue, or the life-giving power of words filled with love. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 12:37: For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
A reflection of our position of righteousness in Christ depends mainly on what comes out of our mouths, because as the Lord taught, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The Lord's words here are not a supposition of what should happen. Rather, He is saying that whatever you believe in your heart (and the abundance thereof) will definitely come out of your mouth. Again, as much as our actions, the fruit of our lips provide an accurate reflection of what is in our hearts.
The Lord also taught the same principle when He said, He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [John 7:38] The Bible says that the living water the Lord is referring to is the manifestation of the Spirit, of which part of this manifestation involves our words.
Furthermore, the Bible teaches that there are two types of righteousness—either of the law or of faith as it is written: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. For Moses described the righteousness which is of the law, That the man who does those things must live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise, Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach, That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed. [Romans 10: 4-11]
The Bible clearly says that we who are righteous by faith must speak, but what do we speak? The word of God in faith that comes from believing in your heart.
We must speak words of faith. When we speak words of fear, poverty, sickness, weakness, condemnation, and unrighteousness, we are in essence sending an invitation to spirits operating in these powers to come to us. If you say you are sick, then you will be sick. If you confess your fears and dwell on them, they will come upon you. If you speak condemnation on yourself, condemnation will come to you. If you say you are unrighteous (a sinner) then you will never conquer sin. We must remember the passage from Proverbs, which says that not only is life contained in the power of the tongue, but death as well.
Words of fear, sickness, etc. are not from God—but are lies from the devil himself. If we give in to the lies of the devil, we are placing our faith in him, rather than in God. We are taught to neither give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27) and to resist the devil and he will flee from you. [James 4:7] This truth is more strongly illustrated in Ephesians 6:16: Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. The devil will always throw temptation, fear, sickness, and torment your way and without the shield of faith, these things will manifest in your life.
I know the story of a Christian woman who was obsessed with the fear of being raped. Each day the bondage to this fear continued to grip her—even forcing her to work from her home in fear that she would be attacked if she left the house. This fear had completely consumed her life, virtually making her a recluse. Not only did this bondage of fear ruin what was once a normal life, but to make matters worse, the root of this fear eventually came upon her. Late one night, a man broke into her home and her greatest fear had come true.
Similarly, by teaching that we can never have true victory and complete deliverance from sin, many Christian men are still struggling with addictions to pornography, gambling, and alcohol.
By the same token, our words of faith have greater power than words of fear, etc. If you believe the word of God that says, By His stripes we [are] were healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24), and speak these words, you are walking by faith—and not by sight or circumstance (2 Corinthians 5 7). Therefore, you believe in your heart that you are healed—and consequently, words of faith and wellness come out of your mouth. In the same way we speak words of faith concerning healing, we are to also speak words of edification. In Ephesians 4:29 we are commanded: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Our righteous communication not only edifies us, but also ministers grace to anyone who hears you. So let us also remember that what we speak to others can amount to prophesying to them.
The nightly news is a perfect example of fear and unbelief mongering. In the name of informing the public, they plant seeds of fear, disease, poverty, and all things of unbelief into the hearts and minds of people. Your words too can have the same effect. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man. [Colossians 4:6]
Additionally, don't claim possession to disease, fear, weakness, or circumstance. When you say "My diabetes…" you are taking possession of something God hasn't given you. Instead, speak faith to your circumstances by using the word of God. Jesus gave us the example how we are to fight the devil and it is with His word in faith. The Lord said, Have faith in God. For truly I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he said. Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. [Mark 11:22-24]
Too many Christians have been taught to tell God about all their problems and ask Him to do something about them. What the Lord is teaching here and throughout the Bible is that He has given every believer power, and the authority to use this power, to do the works of God on earth; and it is our responsibility to use this power. Therefore, we shouldn't tell God about our problems; we should speak to our problems about the power God has given us in Christ.
Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't ask God for wisdom concerning a problem, for this is taught in the word of God. What I am saying is that we need to remember that God is for us, and therefore on our side when it comes to our problems.
We are to resist the devil in the same way as it is written, Submit yourselves therefore to God; (You) resist the devil and he will flee from you. [James 4: 7] This passage is teaching that once you are submitted to the righteousness and grace of God in Christ Jesus, you are given power to resist the devil, and it is entirely your responsibility to resist him; and when you resist the devil the way the Lord Jesus did in the wilderness, by using the word of God, the devil will flee from you—not from God.
Many Christians have failed to understand that God and the devil are no longer at war with each other. Jesus defeated Satan and his demons on the cross and stripped the devil of his hold and power on people, and made a public display (through the resurrection and His appearances afterward) and mockery of the devil to all the world (Colossians 2:14-15). Therefore, the devil can only make war with people through deception and temptations to yield to sin; and as the Bible says, we have been empowered to resist the devil by using our authority as ambassadors for Christ, and he will flee from you.
Finally, in relationship to who we are in Christ, the communication of our faith and sharing the gospel becomes more effective and powerful by first acknowledging our true identities in Christ as it is written: That the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. [Philemon 6]
As I stated previously, the foundation of your life in Christ begins with knowing and acknowledging your identity in Christ—every good thing in you in Christ—which will allow you to reap all the benefits, blessings, and power of God, and use them to His glory. During this glorious journey, the devil will come at you with all he has; and by having your house built upon a rock, you will be able to weather any storm, flood, or winds by speaking the word of God, acknowledging the Christ in you, the hope of glory, and emerging victorious in any circumstance. Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ… [2 Corinthians 2:14]
This is why our words are so very important, and why it grieves the Lord when He hears His children magnifying sin and their old sinful nature (by saying they're a sinner) instead of acknowledging and speaking of every good thing that is in them in Christ Jesus.
The Great Commission
Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me, even so I send you. [John 20:21]
Many Christians view the Great Commission in very narrow terms, in that it is limited to verbally communicating the gospel message or sharing their faith with a lost person. However, when the Lord commissioned us to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) He clearly meant for us to do it the same way He did. According to the Bible, the ministry of the Lord Jesus was three-fold: to preach, to teach, and to heal, as it is written: And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. [Matthew 9: 35]
When His earthly ministry and purpose was fulfilled, the Lord, before ascending to the right hand of the Father in Heaven, commissioned His disciples to continue what He had begun. The Lord's own words prove that our commission and purpose is the same as His—which was to be a revelation of the glory of the Father in the earth in order to bring the good news of reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). When the Lord said, As my Father has sent me, even so I send you. [John 20: 21] He was telling all of us—not just the eleven apostles—to continue doing the same work that He did until He returns. Let's examine the words of the Lord written in the gospel accounts and also in the Acts in order to get a clear picture of our mission.
Matthew's gospel account (28:18-20) has the Lord saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Mark's account reflects the same command, and also describes the signs of having this power. And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. [Mark 16:17-18]
Luke's account speaks of the foundation of our preaching (repentance and remission of sins), discloses the promise of the Holy Spirit, and commands that they should wait for it. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high. [Luke 24:49]
John's gospel cites the Great Commission with greater brevity. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. [John 20:21] Earlier, he uses the words of the Lord in chapters 13-17 as it relates to the power and authority we have in His name. In John 14:12 Jesus said: Truly, truly I say unto you. He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. The commission given to Peter in John 21:15-17 should apply to our walk as well. When the Lord told Peter to feed His lambs and sheep, He was simply repeating what He'd said in Matthew 28:20: Teaching them (feeding sheep) to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
The Book of Acts summarizes what the Lord said pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3) and then re-affirms the promise of power through the Holy Spirit—power to be witnesses of Christ: But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. [Acts 1:8]
When we examine the words of our Lord, we conclude that we are to do the following:
- receive the promise of the Father (the baptism and power of the Holy Spirit) [Acts 1: 4, 5, 8]
- preach the gospel to every creature [Mark 16:15]
- teach them all things Christ has commanded [Matthew 28:20]
- be witnesses of Christ to the uttermost part of the earth [Acts 1:8; Luke 24:48]
- do the works of Christ (cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, restore the blind, etc.) [John 14: 12; 20: 21; Mark 16: 17-18; Matthew 10: 7-8]
- baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. [Matthew 29: 19]
As Jesus demonstrated, the gospel isn't only preached and taught—it is shown and revealed through signs, wonders, and miracles as it is written, And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him. [Luke 8:1]
Later .. realizing the enormity of need and His own physical limitations (Matthew 9: 37-38), the Lord anointed the twelve disciples with power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick… And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere. [Luke 9:1-2, 6]
I went into much greater detail in the previous teaching "The Work of Faith with Power", but I want to mention this before you begin making a false assumption. You must read and comprehend the Great Commission and receive it on both a personal level, and on a corporate level.
On a personal level, you must know that you personally have been given the Spirit of God and all His power—the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20) so that you can not only have personal relationship with God, but also fulfill God's purpose in revealing Himself to the world in the same way He did through His Son Jesus.
On a corporate level, which is the body of Christ, the church has been given this power collectively so that God can be revealed in greater manifestation than through one person alone. (Ephesians 1:23) No man is an island, and no man, other than the man Jesus, is God and Savior.
Personally, and when there is no one else present to join in faith, one person has the ability (provided he is operating in perfect faith) to accomplish everything the Lord Jesus did. (1 Corinthians 12: 7) However, it is far better to have a corporate body of like-minded believers to reveal the glory of God in its entirety, and the way God intended it.
The Gospel is Good News
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. [James 1: 17]
Let me ask this question: Which of these two statements is better news?
- "Jesus came and died so you won't go to hell."
- "Jesus came and died so you could have relationship with God and partake in the promises and blessings He promised to Abraham."
While both statements are true and represent Truth, the latter statement reflects a much more positive offering than the former. However, many Christians and Christian churches view the gospel as a means of escape from eternal punishment, instead of a glorious reconciliation with our Father in Heaven, which in turn, equates to the abundant life here on earth that was promised to Abraham and his descendant, which is Christ (Galatians 3:16). And being in Christ, and also being heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, we have access to all the benefits God promised to Israel upon the fulfillment of the law (Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Galatians 3:13).
This is what the gospel is, brothers and sisters—it's the good news that we have an infinite amount of love and blessings from God, which are contained in His will and testament; and these things are available to us in this life—and not only in Heaven. Yes, we have a place reserved for us in Heaven—a glorified resurrected body and a mansion to live in while we are in the fullness of His presence.
However, once we are saved, we do not die and go to Heaven. We have a mission—a co-mission—to accomplish; and therefore, we need to focus on the beginning of a glorious relationship with God in this present evil world, so that He can bestow His immense love upon us, and make us fruitful manifestations of His love to those whom do not yet know Him.
And lest anyone think I'm overly focused on the blessing of God rather God Himself, let me remind you that God has commanded us to remember His benefits and by remembering these benefits, we are "blessing" Him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me; bless his holy name. Bless the LORD O my soul and forget not all his benefits: who has forgiven all your iniquities, who has healed all your diseases, who has redeemed your life from destruction, who has crowned you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who has satisfied your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. [Psalm 103:1-5]
I put this passage in the past tense because this word spoken by David became flesh when Jesus was conceived and born into this world. While David looked ahead at what Jesus would accomplish, we look back and remember ALL His benefits, and therefore, can communicate them to others so they too can partake and taste of the Lord's goodness as the Bible says, O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man who trusts in him. [Psalm 34:8]
