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Faith confession – declaring God’s promises even in the midst of difficulties and pains – is a powerful scriptural and spiritual weapon for our daily victory in life.   Believing, confessing and declaring God’s Words and promises over your life and circumstances will give you victory always – no matter how bad things may seem.

Yes. The WORD works.

Here are some specific things that happen when we continue to declare God’s Words and promises in faith over our lives.

1. WE ENCOURAGE OURSELVES.

There always comes a time in life when our situations are best understood by us only. Things would be so messed up that even our closest allies and friends may not fully comprehend how to help. This was what happened to David in Ziklag.

Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.

They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.

When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more.

…David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God. – 1 Samuel 30:1-6

David had taken his men to battle with another country. When they returned to Judah, they discovered that the Amalekites had invaded their land and overrun it, captured the people and destroyed the city. Even though David’s family also suffered in the attack, his soldiers were so bitter about their own losses that they wanted to kill him.

If there was a time David needed someone to encourage him, it was this moment. But instead, his men, who should have encouraged him planned to get him stoned.

David was endangered. He was overwhelmed with the pain of the moment. But he found encouragement in the LORD. He encouraged himself.

When it seems that we are overwhelmed with circumstances, one thing that can bring us encouragement is declaring what God has said.

As we speak the WORD to ourselves and declare it, somehow, we’ll find encouragement and strength to face what’s happening and overcome it.

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2. THE WORD CREATES AND RE-CREATES

The Bible tells us that Christ is the WORD of God made flesh (John 1:14). That is, the spoken WORD formed flesh and made His dwelling among men.

The WORD of God has creative powers. As we declare the WORDS in faith, over time, those words create the realities we declare.

For instance, as you continuously declare God’s WORDS of healing, over time, those Words would create the healing reality over your body, and if there is a dead cell or tissue, the WORD recreates them.

This doesn’t have anything to do with how you feel.

Our relationship with God is not based and judged on feelings. I could be feeling awful and unspiritual, but it doesn’t change the authenticity of the WORD that I declare.

Sometimes I feel that my prayers and declarations aren’t getting above the ceiling. I feel I need to shout a bit more or look more spiritual and pious. But in reality, those are what they are – feelings. They don’t have anything to do with the WORD of God. The WORD still works at the right time despite my feelings.

In fact, don’t let your feelings decide how you handle the WORD. Let the WORD take care of how you feel

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3. THE WORD GIVES LIFE AND SCARES DEATH

The scripture clearly says that “our words can get us killed or get us to live” (Proverbs 18:21). As we declare the WORD constantly, we invoke the life of God and scare death away. See what the following scriptures say:

Proverbs 15:4 (AMP): A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

1 Peter 3:10-12 (AMP)

10 For “The one who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not], Must keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from speaking guile (treachery, deceit).

11  “He must turn away from wickedness and do what is right. He must search for peace [with God, with self, with others] and pursue it eagerly [actively—not merely desiring it].

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4. WE ARE JUSTIFIED OR CONDEMNED BY OUR WORDS

Jesus said in Matthew 12:37, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

The word Justified is dikaiósis in Greek. It is the same word used in the law court to declare someone completely free and absolved of any offence.  It means…

• To render righteous or such he ought to be.
• To show, exhibit, make clear, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered.
• To declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous.
• To set one free from all accusations.

While the word condemned is from the original Greek word katadikazō which means to…

• To give judgment against one, to pronounce guilty.
• To condemn.
• Declaring someone guilty of an offence and accusation.
• To imprison someone

Jesus is simply saying that it is from what you say that you will be either guilty as the devil accuses you and imprisoned, or be free from all accusations and live a free life. That is why it is important for us to constantly declare God’s promises instead of our fears, from time to time.

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5. GOD WILL DO WHAT HE HEARS YOU SAY

The Bible says:

So tell them, “As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say”  – Numbers 14:28

If you read this scripture from the beginning (vs.1 -44), you’ll realize why it is very important to speak and declare positive things despite the seeming danger and obstacle that you confront. As I said some time ago…

 When we make positive declarations of faith, we are not denying the facts on ground, instead, we are confronting the facts with God’s Words.

So child of God, look at God’s promises for your life and continue to make positive declarations of faith in them. The WORD you declare will produce victory, protection, healing and continual breakthrough for you and your family.

Open your mouth wide and declare God’s words, morning and night, with confidence and authority. Surely this year is a year of total victory, divine empowerment and breakthrough for you, in the name of Jesus Christ.

It is my joy in this chapter to discuss both the concept of acting the miracle of sanctification in the everyday and God’s means of grace that lead us to the pursuit of practical maturity in the gospel. There are three major points that I want to unpack for you by looking at selective texts from both the Old and New Testaments.

First, God’s action for us and in us through Christ is the foundation underneath our pursuit of practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. John Piper set in context in his chapter the God-centered foundation underneath sanctification, and I think it might be helpful for me in this chapter to reiterate that truth briefly so that I clearly articulate that God’s means of grace and our pursuit of holiness by his means of grace flow from God’s great work for us and in us through Christ.

Second, God uses means of grace by which to enable us to pursue practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to consider four means of grace: (a) the Word of God, (b) preaching to yourself and meditation, (c) fervent prayer, and (d) suffering.

Third, both God’s action for us and in us through Christ and his means of grace will in fact lead us to practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1) God’s action for us and in us through Christ is the foundation underneath our pursuit of practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28–30)

As Piper clearly states in his chapter, God’s design for our holiness began when he predestined us to be conformed into the image of Jesus. Paul supports this by stating that those whom God predestined to be conformed into Jesus’s image actually experience conformity, because God’s predestination of us into his image also results in our effectual calling to faith in Jesus, in our current justification before God by faith in Christ, and in our future glorification. However, in order to avoid misrepresenting the practical pursuit of sanctification, I shall reiterate the God-centered foundation of sanctification.

Paul asserts in verse 28 that “all things” work together for the good for those who love God. Then, in verses 29–30, he provides five reasons why: (1) God foreknew us (verse 29); (2) God predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son (verse 29); (3) God effectually called us to faith in Jesus (verse 30); (4) God justifies us (verse 30), and (5) God will glorify us (verse 30). For our purposes, I’ll simply unpack foreknowledge and predestination.

God’s Foreknowledge (Romans 8:29)

God’s foreknowledge is debated. Some argue that Paul means that God’s predestination is based upon the foreseen faith of those who would believe. Thus, according to this reading, God’s choice to save some is based on his foresight that some would choose him. This concept of foreknowledge does occur in the New Testament in a couple of contexts where one makes a decision based on information known in advance of that decision, so that the information foreknown actually helps one to make the appropriate choice.

For example, in Acts 26:5, the Pharisees foreknew Paul before he came to Jerusalem after his conversion. In 2 Peter 3:17, Peter gives his audience information about the false teachers in advance so that they can respond to them in the appropriate way with their foreknown knowledge when the false teachers seek to deceive them.

But, in my view, the above reading of foreknowledge in Romans 8:29 does not take seriously the force with which Paul discusses God’s sovereignty in both the immediate and the remote context of Romans, and it does not take seriously the Old Testament roots underneath Paul’s view of God’s foreknowledge. When the concept of foreknowledge is applied to God and to his election of a people for his redemptive purposes, it does not refer to God’s choice unto salvation based on the foreseen faith of those chosen.

Rather, God’s foreknowledge refers precisely to his predetermined decision to set his covenantal love upon a people for his glory. This understanding of foreknowledge is supported by texts in the Old Testament, in early Judaism, and in the New Testament. Because of limited space, a few texts from the Old and New Testaments must suffice.

“Those whom God predestined to be conformed into Jesus’s image actually experience conformity.”

Several Old Testament texts speak of God’s knowledge as God’s covenantal love. Genesis 18:19 states that God “knew” (chose) Abraham. (Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptural translations are my own and from the Greek and Hebrew texts.) In Amos 3:1, the prophet states that God “has known” (sets his covenantal love on) Israel, and Jeremiah 1:5 states that God says that before Jeremiah was in the womb, he “knew” (chose) him. Deuteronomy 7:6–7 nicely expresses what these texts mean by God’s foreknowledge, even though the verb “foreknow” doesn’t occur:

The Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which he swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (NASB)

The most helpful examples for Paul’s definition of foreknowledge are from the text of Romans. First, the immediate and remote context of 8:28–30 is strongly God-centered. That is, God’s action for God’s purposes is emphasized. In Romans 8:3 Paul states that God condemns sin. In 8:11 God raised Jesus from the dead, and God resurrects those who believe in Jesus. In 8:29 God calls. In 8:29 God predestines. In 8:30 God calls. In 8:30 and 33 God justifies. In 8:30 God glorifies.

In 8:31 God is for “us.” In 8:32 God did not spare his son but offered him for “us.” In 9:11–13 God loved Jacob and hated Esau so that God’s electing purpose would stand apart from their works. In 9:17 God raised up Pharaoh to destroy Pharaoh. In 9:22–24 God created vessels of wrath and vessels of destruction. In 9:24–25 God calls Jews and Gentiles to be vessels of mercy. In 11:1–24 God hardens some Jews so that they will not be saved and includes some Gentiles within his saving purposes. In 11:33–36 Paul praises God for his incomprehensible ways.

Second, Paul uses foreknowledge and predestination together (Romans 8:30). At first, this might seem to suggest that foreknowledge and predestination are two distinct divine prerogatives in Paul’s understanding of salvation. However, since Paul mentions predestination and election elsewhere in Romans (for example, Romans 9:10–24) and in his letters (for example, Ephesians 1:3–14) without mentioning foreknowledge, the two concepts (though not synonymous) are closely related, so that one implies the other. Thus Paul can speak of God’s election of Jacob and Esau without using the word foreknowledge in Romans 9:11–12, and he can speak of his foreknowledge of Israel in Romans 11:2 without using the word predestination, because the two concepts are closely related.

Predestination to Conformity into the Image of Christ (Romans 8:29)

Furthermore, notice that after Paul mentions foreknowledge, he asserts that God predestined us to be “conformed into the image of Jesus Christ.” The verb “to predestine” (Greek proorizō) in verse 29 occurs elsewhere in the New Testament, and every occurrence refers to God’s predetermined choice to do something apart from anyone’s foreseen faith (for example, Acts 4:28 refers to God’s determining the choices of Herod, Pilate, and the Gentiles to do precisely what he wanted them to do with regard to Jesus’s death; 1 Corinthians 2:7 refers to God’s predestination of his divine wisdom; and Ephesians 1:5 and 11 refer to God’s predestination of some to be saved in accordance with God’s good pleasure).

The term predestine, as Paul uses it in Romans 8:29–30, means that God chose or determined some people to be saved, for God’s purposes, to be conformed into the image of God’s Son, Jesus, before the foundation of the world. This interpretation is supported by Paul’s statements that God predestined some humans to be conformed to the image of Jesus in verse 29, and in verse 30 that God’s predestination results in the effectual calling of sinners to believe in Jesus Christ, in the justification of sinners, and in the future glorification of believers.

But the major point that I want you to notice in these verses for our purposes is in verse 29, namely, that God’s action of predestining some to be conformed into the image of Jesus results in their conformity into Jesus’s image, and their conformity into his image is the direct result of God’s foreknowledge and of his choice to predestine them.

But what is conformity into the image of Christ? It means to become like Jesus in spiritual maturity. For example, in Romans 12:1–2 Paul urges Christians not to be conformed to the present evil age but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, and in verse 29 Paul states that God predestined some humans to be conformed into the image of his Son. Quite simply, this means that God predestined some to be conformed into the image of Jesus, which results in their lives of obedience to Jesus.

To state the point another way, Paul refers in 8:29 to predestination unto salvation, which includes spiritual transformation by faith in Jesus through the power of the Spirit, and this spiritual transformation results in a changed life of obedience for all of those whom God has predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. I think this is one reason that Paul emphasizes ethical exhortations in Romans 12:1–15:12.

Ephesians 1:3–5

Paul emphasizes this foundational act of God elsewhere in his letters. For example, in Ephesians 1:3 Paul asserts that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and then he asserts in verses 4–5 that:

1. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless (verse 4).

2. God predestined us in love for adoption to be his sons through Christ (verse 5).

The holiness of the believer is not optional! Instead, it is the reason for which Paul states here that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 2:4–6

Ephesians 2:4–6 makes a similar point: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and he raised us up and he seated us in the heavenly places in Christ.” And in 2:10 Paul states that those whom God made alive were in fact created in Christ Jesus to walk in good works.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

That God’s action is the foundation underneath our pursuit of holiness is further evident in 2 Thessalonians 2:13:

But we always give thanks for you, brothers, who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

Paul’s point here is that God chose us to be converted. Paul’s soteriological package includes both justification and sanctification, although Paul would distinguish between these two soteriological realities (compare Romans 3:21–4:25 with Romans 6:1–23). God’s sovereign election of us unto salvation includes our sanctification. That is, it includes our holiness.

1 Peter 1:3–5

This sort of language isn’t unique to Paul. Peter likewise makes the same points about God’s action in and through Jesus as the foundation underneath our pursuit of sanctification. In 1 Peter 1:3–5 Peter praises God for his great work of salvation:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who caused us to be born again according to his great mercy for a living hope through the resurrection from the dead to an incorruptible, unfading, and undefiled inheritance, which is being kept in heaven for you who are being kept by the power of God for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

After these remarks, Peter exhorts his audience, in 1:13–16, to be holy since God is holy, and this exhortation basically dominates the entirety of 1:13–5:10. So 1 Peter 1:3–5 asserts: praise God because he has saved you. Then 1:13–5:10 commands believers to be holy because God is holy.

2 Peter 1:3–11

That the foundation of holiness is God’s action for us and in us through Christ is also evident in 2 Peter 1:3–11. Here, Peter asserts that since God’s divine power has given us everything for eternal life and godliness, we therefore should make every effort to add to our faith moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, and godliness. But how does understanding God’s foundational action underneath our pursuit of holiness practically apply? Quickly, I offer three points of practical application.

(1) God chose us or predestined us before the foundation of the world to hear the gospel, to believe the gospel, and to obey the gospel. (2) Unless God worked for us and in us through Jesus and through his Spirit, we would never have believed the gospel, and we would never desire to pursue maturity in the gospel. We would never desire holiness. (3) But since God has chosen all Christians to be in Christ, to hear the gospel, to believe the gospel, and to obey the gospel, all Christians have the moral capacity with God’s help to obey the gospel by the power of the Spirit and to grow daily in sanctification and to pursue it with great intensity.

2) God uses means of grace by which to enable us to pursue practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I will spend the rest of this chapter discussing this truth. To reiterate my earlier points regarding God’s foundational action, God predestined us to be holy. Yet he does not leave us to ourselves to pursue holiness.

“The holiness of the believer is not optional!”

Instead, he predestined us to be conformed into the image of his Son; he gives us the faith to believe the gospel; he enables us to obey the gospel, and he gives us means of grace by which to obey it. There are many means of grace, but I want to focus on four that the Spirit uses to enable us to pursue maturity in the gospel.

The Word of God

First, the Word of God is a powerful means of grace that enables us to pursue maturity in the gospel. We see the power of God’s word in creation in the first words of Scripture, in Genesis 1:1–3. As the rest of the narrative of Genesis 1–2 demonstrates, God created the heavens and the earth by his word.

We also see the power of God’s word in that it gives physical life. When Lazarus died, Jesus (the living word of God) spoke the word of God to Lazarus’s dead body when he commanded him to come forth from the tomb (John 11:43). He raised Lazarus from the dead by his powerful word (John 11:44).

The power of God’s word also becomes apparent in that it gives spiritual life. In Romans 10:17 Paul says that “faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” In Ephesians 1:13 he asserts that when the Ephesians heard “the word of truth,” the gospel, they believed in Jesus.

God’s word is also a powerful means of standing firm in our Lord, Jesus. According to Ephesians 6:10–17 God’s word is a means by which we stand firm in Jesus and fight against the Devil. Notice that Paul mentions standing firm or withstanding four times (vv. 11, 13, 14 [stand], and v. 13 [withstand]), which I think is another way of exhorting the Ephesians to fight against the Devil in light of Paul’s remarks in verse 12 that we do not wrestle (“fight”) with flesh and blood. In verse 10 Paul explicitly exhorts them to fight against the Devil, when he commands them to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (another way of saying “stand firm”), and in verse 11 when he exhorts them to put on the whole armor of God.

What is the armor of God? I think it’s both the gospel and the Scriptures, because Paul commands the Ephesians in verses 14–15 to stand firm by girding up their loins with truth and by putting on their feet the gospel of peace, and because in verse 17 he commands them to receive the sword of the Spirit, “which is the word of God.” So I think that the gospel and the Scriptures are in fact the armor of God that Paul exhorts the Ephesians to put on.

But why does Paul command the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord Jesus and to arm themselves with the word of God in the gospel and in the Scriptures? He tells us in verses 11–12: “So that you may be able to stand against the wicked schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” As a result of his remarks in verses 11–12, he exhorts them again in verses 13–14 to take up the whole armor of God, so that they may be able to fight against the Devil.

God does not leave us to ourselves to pursue holiness.

Paul makes clear that sanctification is a fight and that God gives us the gospel and the Scriptures as means by which he enables us to fight for sanctification and to win the battle. So let’s apply this practically.

(1) Read the Scriptures regularly. If you don’t read the Word of God, you don’t stand a chance of successfully fighting against the Devil, against sin, or against your flesh. (2) Be intentional about reading the Word of God. (3) Pray the Word of God for your lives. Pray through the psalms; pray through Romans, pray through Galatians; and ask the Spirit as you do so to apply the truths of God’s Word to your soul. (4) Incorporate singing the Word of God into your devotional lives. (5) Memorize the content of the Scriptures. (6) Study the Scriptures. (7) Wrestle with them and chew them so that you digest them into your soul. (8) Be intentional about applying the Scriptures to your life by looking for ways to live out the text in community with other people.

Preaching to Yourself and Meditation (Psalm 42)

Second, preaching to yourself the truths of God and meditating upon the truths of God are means by which God enables us to pursue maturity in the gospel. A great example of preaching to oneself is Psalm 42.

Psalm 42 is a song of hope mingled with despair. The psalmist expresses despair in verses 1–4 and 7–10 and hope in verses 5 and 11 in the midst of despair. The psalmist preaches to himself in verses 5 and 11 and exhorts himself to hope in God. Since the psalmist’s hope in God occurs in the context of his preaching to himself, one could argue that a means by which he hopes in God in the midst of his despair is by reminding himself of the God who has saved him and whom he believes will save him. Verses 5 and 11 support this.

Notice verses 5 and 11: “Why are you in despair, O my soul, and why are in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. . . . Why are you in despair, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

Application: preach to yourself the gospel and the Scriptures every day. Yes, you should listen to biblical preaching on a regular basis. But you should also preach to yourself individually. When you doubt God’s love for you, preach to yourself Romans 5:6–11. When you forget God’s faithful provisions for you, preach to yourself verses that speak of God’s faithfulness. When you are tempted to lust, preach to yourself verses that exhort you to flee from lust.

When you sin, do not despair and do not give up, but preach to yourself verses that exhort you to repent of your sins and verses that talk about the forgiveness of sins found in Jesus if you repent. When you feel condemned, preach to yourself that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). When you struggle with pride, preach to yourself verses that emphasize the humility of Jesus (such as Philippians 2:6–9).

If you struggle with racism, preach to yourself verses that emphasize Jesus’s death for the nations (such as John 3:16 and Revelation 5:9–10). Preach to yourself verses such as Ephesians 2:11–22 that emphasize God’s work of reconciling Jews and Gentiles into one new man through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Preach to yourself verses that remind you of the priority of taking the gospel to the nations (for example, Matthew 28:16–20). And then look for practical ways by which to act out those verses in reality by intentionally reaching out to others from different races and ethnicities.

If you struggle to love your enemies, fight against hate by preaching to yourself verses that remind you to love your enemies and then look for opportunities to display love to them. We should do this because God uses the Scriptures and the gospel as means by which to enable us to pursue holiness and because we so easily forget the truths of the gospel. Thus we need to remind ourselves of things that we’ve forgotten (for example, see 2 Peter’s numerous statements about reminding God’s people of what they already know).

Fervent Prayer

Third, fervent prayer is a means by which God enables us to pursue maturity in the gospel. Paul was a prayer warrior! For example, in Ephesians 1:18–19 he says: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of your calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 3:14–19 says,

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

In Philippians 1:3–4 Paul says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.” In Philippians 1:9 he says, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.”

Read, pray, sing, memorize, study, contemplate, and apply the Word of God.

In Colossians 1:9 he says: “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you.” In 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 he says, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 he exhorts the church to pray without ceasing.

Why this emphasis on prayer in Paul’s letters? I think the answer is that Paul believed that prayer is a means by which God granted maturity in the gospel. For example, prayer is a means by which Christians understand the wisdom and revelation of God (Ephesians 1:15–23; 3:14–20). Paul prays that God would give to the Ephesians a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowledge (Ephesians 1:18), that he would enlighten the eyes of their hearts so that they would know “the hope of his calling, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of his power in us who believe in accordance with the working of his strength” (vv. 18–19), and he states that this is the same power that God worked in Christ to raise him from the dead and to seat him at his right hand in heaven above everything (vv. 20–23).

In 3:14–20, Paul prays that God would grant the Ephesians to be “strengthened with power through his Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in [their] hearts through faith—that [they], being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and that [they] may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Prayer is a means of being strong in the Lord and overcoming the schemes of the Devil (Ephesians 6:10–18, especially v. 18). In Ephesians 6:10–18 Paul urges the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord and to put on the entire armor of God (the gospel and the Scriptures) so that they would be ready to fight against the Devil and his schemes of evil, and in verses 18–19 Paul exhorts them to pray “at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication” and to keep alert with all perseverance as they make supplication “for all the saints.”

He also asks the Ephesians in verse 19 to pray for him so that he would boldly proclaim the gospel. Thus in Ephesians 6:10–19 prayer is connected with standing firm in the Lord (verse 10), with perseverance in the faith (verse 18), and with faithful gospel proclamation (verse 19).

But what types of prayers are God’s means of leading us to the pursuit of maturity in the gospel? We should pray God-centered prayers, Christ-explicit prayers, Spirit-filled prayers, and Scripture-informed prayers. The exaltation and the glory of God in Jesus Christ should be the goal of our prayers, the empowerment of the Spirit should be the nature of our prayers, and the Scriptures and the gospel should be the guides of our prayers.

If you want God to answer your prayers with regard to sanctification, pray Scripture. Pray Romans 5:6–11. Pray Psalm 42. Pray John 3:16. Pray the prayers of Paul in his letters. Pray the psalms. Pray Galatians 5:22–26. Pray that God would work the truths of the gospel in your lives and in your hearts through the power of his Spirit.

Suffering

Fourth, Paul’s suffering was a means of his sanctification. In 2 Corinthians 4:1–5:21 Paul asserts that he and his fellow missionaries suffered severely for the gospel, but they did not lose heart (they did not give up), because God was using their suffering to work in them an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison to their earthly sufferings. As a result of God’s suffering, Paul delighted more strongly in the treasures of the glorious gospel of Jesus.

Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 supports that suffering for the gospel is a means by which God enables us to pursue maturity in the gospel. Here, Paul speaks of his thorn in the flesh. In verse 7 he states twice that God gave him this thorn to “keep him from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,” of which he speaks in verses 1–6. So here Paul explicitly connects suffering for the gospel with humility, which supports that his suffering served as a means by which God kept Paul humble. God gave him this thorn (which may have been suffering for the gospel; see v. 10) to keep him from being arrogant about the revelation of Paradise (2 Corinthians 12:1–6).

The New Testament also teaches that God uses the various sufferings of life as means by which he enables us to achieve maturity in the gospel. In Romans 5:3–5 Paul states that God uses any sufferings that we experience (not just suffering for the gospel) to help us mature in Christ. He says there that suffering produces “endurance, character, and hope, and hope will not disappoint.”

James makes the same point in James 1:2–4 when he asserts that we should rejoice when we experience various trials, because such trials will produce steadfastness in the faith, and steadfastness in the faith as a result of trials will result in blamelessness before God (maturity in the gospel) (1 Peter 1:3–12 supports that suffering various trials is a means by which God strengthens our joy, our hope, and our love for Jesus Christ. See also examples in Acts, where the apostles’ suffering for Christ motivated them to proclaim the gospel even more boldly [Acts 4, 8–9]).

Examples of Suffering as Means of Grace

I have seen God use suffering as a means of grace to increase holiness in the lives of so many Christians throughout my brief seventeen years of being a Christian. Because of limited space, two examples must suffice. First, in 1996, when I was seventeen, my dear friend Merri-Kathryn Prater sustained a severe brain injury due to a tragic car accident.

Prior to her accident, I was not a Christian. Jesus used the faith of her family and their suffering as means by which he drew me to himself in faith. When my friends and I visited Merri-Kathryn in the hospital, her mother, Ella Prater, and her father, Willie Prater (deceased since May 2012), would comfort us by pointing us to Jesus. They prayed with us, and they would invite us to sing hymns with them in the lobby of the hospital.

During this experience, for the first time in my life I began to see Christianity lived out in a radiant way through the Prater family to the point that I began to desire and love their God. Consequently, a few weeks after Merri-Kathryn’s death, God brought me to faith in his Son. In addition, he also strengthened Ella’s and Willie’s confidence in God’s comprehensive sovereignty over all things, including his sovereignty over their daughter’s death. Ella delights in his sovereignty with joy! Through Merri-Kathryn’s death, Jesus strengthened the faith of so many saints at our church, and he used Merri-Kathryn’s life and death and the faith of Ella and Willie as means by which he strengthened the church’s faith, joy, and confidence in his sovereign plan.

Unfortunately, this was not the last time that my home church witnessed this sort of tragedy during my teenage years. My pastor, Michael Caudill, and his wife, Alice Caudill, suffered the death of their sixteen-year-old son. He collapsed and died at baseball practice. This devastating tragedy, of course, sent shock waves throughout our church in Hindman, Kentucky, and throughout our small community. But God used this tragedy as a means by which he deepened the love, joy, and faith of Pastor Caudill and Alice. Their love for Jesus was great before their son died, but their love for Jesus and his gospel is even greater now, because God used this tragedy as a means by which he strengthened their joy, faith, and hope in Christ.

Here’s the application: when you suffer, of course, ask Jesus to take it from you, but also ask him to use it to keep you in the gospel and to serve as a means by which he will enable you to pursue conformity into his image.

3) God’s action for us and in us through Christ and the means of grace that he gives to us will in fact lead us to achieve practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Because of God’s work in us, Christians will experience spiritual progress with God’s help. Some Christians may experience rapid progress, and others may experience slow progress in maturity. But Christians can and in fact will experience maturity in the gospel, because God has worked in us through his Spirit to achieve this end.

Maturity in the Gospel Is God’s Will for Christians

Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8:

This is the will of God: your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you know how to control his own vessel in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like Gentiles who do not know God, that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you, for God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards no man, but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (NRSV)

Pray God-centered, Christ-explicit, Spirit-filled, Scripture-informed prayers.

In Galatians 5:16–26 Paul warns the Galatians not to practice the lusts of the flesh or else they will fall short of inheriting the kingdom of God. But he urges them to practice the fruit of the Spirit (see also Ephesians 4:1–6:9 and 2 Peter 1:3–11 where Paul exhorts Christians to pursue obedience in the gospel), which gives the impression that they can walk in the power of the Spirit with the help of the Spirit.

Actively and Aggressively

Because of God’s work for us and in us through Christ and because of God’s means of grace, Christians should pursue practical maturity in Christ with great intensity by fighting against the Devil and the flesh. As Paul states in Philippians 2:12–13, we should “work out our salvation with fear and trembling because God is the one who has worked in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Christian obedience is God’s “work” first and it’s our work too, because of God’s work in us. His sovereign work in us does not cancel our need to work out our salvation or to pursue him with great intensity. Instead, his work in us propels us to do so; that is, we should wear ourselves out intensely pursuing God through various spiritual disciplines and means of grace because he has worked in us.

We should not passively sit back and allow the Devil and the flesh to defeat us or to strip us of the freedom, the joy, or the victory that we have in the gospel. But we should actively and aggressively use the spiritual resources and means that God has given to us so that we can both pursue and experience maturity in the gospel.

Christians should not live a defeatist lifestyle. We can overcome the sins of racism, sexual immorality, lust, and more with God’s help because of his work in us and for us through Christ as we rely totally on him and as we use his means of grace by which to do so. With God’s help and by his grace, we can act out the miracle of sanctification in the everyday!

We live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The word ‘Proceeds’ is simple present tense not past tense.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deut 8:3, Mt 4:4)

The past tense of the word ‘proceed’ is ‘proceeded’

‘Proceeds’ is simple present tense of the word ‘proceed’

(Some Bible versions use the word ‘comes’ but the original word is ‘proceeds’)

In the above mentioned verses (Deut 8:3 Mt 4:4), God did not make a mistake by using the word ‘proceeds’ neither did the scripture (Bible) writers make a mistake.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan, Satan took a verse from the Bible and said,

‘If you are the Son of Man, command that these stones become bread’ (Mt 4:3)

Whose mouth did the above word proceed from – God or Satan? Satan! Reason Jesus answered

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ (Mt 4:4)

Satan takes Bible verses and speaks them out of his mouth.

We live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, meaning that we live by every word that is presently (now) coming out of the mouth of God.

There are 3 categories of people in accordance to the verse;

1. Those who live by bread alone
2. Those who live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God
3. Those who live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds (present) out of the mouth of God

(This teaching is not of those who live by bread alone)

Majority of today so-called-Christians live by word that proceeded out of the mouth of God – they live by what God spoke in the past not what He is saying now. What does this mean?

This means that their ‘god’ spoke in the past but today he is silent or dead. That is not the True Living God Jesus Christ.

A dead person cannot speak so it is with dead ‘gods’. Because you are living, every day words are coming out of your mouth and so it is with God ‘I AM’ – every second minute He is speaking.

The question is; how do you know you have/are serving Jesus Christ? If He is speaking to you now (present). And because He is speaking every minute to us, we live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth.

The scripture (Bible) contains word that God spoke in the past. Its only when God takes His word from the scripture and He Himself speaks to you that you can live by it.

And if you look carefully, the word in the scripture was mostly spoken to others not to you. You cannot take what God spoke to others and speak it to yourself and live by it – you are a thief. Even Jacob and Isaac never spoke their father’s (Abraham) blessings to themselves.

See Incantation – speaking Bible verses to yourself is witchcraft (next)

Many people live by the scripture (Bible) without knowing that Bible contains word that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God and that Bible only testifies of Him, Jesus Christ. This means you must go to the One Bible testifies of, Jesus Christ, for Him to speak presently to you for you to live.

Reason I taught you that Bible is dead, Jesus Christ is alive – He is risen.

Scripture (Bible) is a book to teach, rebuke, correct and train you in righteousness not to speak to you for it has no mouth

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Jesus Christ has mouth thus He speaks reason it is Him through the Holy Spirit to teach us the Bible not the Bible to teach itself to us as written

John 16:13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. See clearly from this verse that Holy Spirit speaks.

If the Bible is the one that speaks to you, the Bible is your ‘god’. If Jesus Christ is the One who speaks to you, Jesus Christ is your God. If its money that speaks to you, money is your ‘god’. Who speaks to you?

When Jesus Christ speaks to you presently what is in the Bible and even beyond, because He is Life, you live. But if you take what is in the Bible, speak it to yourself, the Bible itself is dead (contains past) thus it cannot give you life but death. Many people are in hell because they thought Bible will give them life.

Many people calling themselves ‘Bride of Christ’ today are dead. A dead person is ‘past’, a living person is ‘present’ (now). Reason signs miracles and wonders are history, of the past not present with them.

What’s the difference between the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and the Pharisees, elders, scribes, Sadducees?

Jesus disciples lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of Jesus every minute while the Pharisees, elders, scribes, Sadducees lived by scripture, scroll – words that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God.

And that is the difference between religion and the Bride of Christ, between religious people and those who walk in the spirit.

When God speaks now to a religion person through His servant saying e.g., ‘you will die if you do not do this and that’, the religious runs to scripture quoting Bible verses then they die. Why?

Because they are living by the word that proceeded (past) to others out of the mouth of God not what God is saying now.

From the deliverance of the children of Israel in Egypt to the Promised Land, they lived by the word God was speaking through His servant Moses then Joshua.

If they did not live by every word coming out of the mouth of God, when Moses instructed them, they could have disobeyed and asked like today religious, ‘where is it written in the Bible’. When told to kill a lamb, take blood and put it on the doorposts and lintel they could have asked Moses, ‘where is it written in the scroll’

Living by word that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God not by every word that proceeds (presently) is disobedience and rebellion; the result is death – hell.

Korah and his company chose not to live by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God and the earth opened and shallowed them alive to hell (Numbers 16). Look at entire Bible and see what happened to people who chose not to live by the word issued at that moment from the mouth of God like Saul, etc.

When the children of Israel needed water, God spoke a word at that moment and their thirst was quenched

When the Egyptians came after them, God spoke a word at that moment and delivered them from Egyptians forever

When they needed meat, God spoke a word at that moment and quails come to them

When they had no food, God spoke a word and manna was with them until they entered the Promised Land

In the words that proceeds (presently) out of the mouth of God is where your provision is for today. Many people lack provision today because they live by the word that proceeded (past) hear God not or other things speak to them like humans, education, etc.

Provision for the children of Israel was in the wilderness not Egypt. If the children of Israel obeyed not the voice of God to come out of Egypt, they could have perished in lack. If they could have chosen other ways to seek for their provision they could have perished in lack. Evaluate yourself.

In every situation of the children of Israel, God spoke a word at that moment and they lived. And so it is today, in every situation God is speaking a word out of His mouth for you to live. He only wants your obedience.

Not only in situations but God was giving direction to the children of Israel by word from His mouth. And so it is today, God is issuing direction to every person today out of His mouth but only few people hear His voice.

If the children of Israel did not obey the voice of God issuing direction each moment, what could have happened to them? They could not have reached the Promised Land. Many people will not inherit heaven because they are disobedience to every word coming out of the mouth of God giving them direction now.

Many people today, their direction is given by money, friends, relatives, world, world education, search for bread, desires and lusts of world but not by God. Many people jobs and so called ‘careers’ are a result of world education not God but they claim it is God which is a lie! Did God speak a word from His mouth for you to go for that job or career?

Before God came to me, I lived life like many people today – after jobs, money, world education, businesses, etc. When I met Jesus Christ, I realized though these things appear good in the eyes of men they were not from God to me and not God’s Will for my life. If I could have died then, I could be in hell today.

When I met Jesus Christ, He spoke a word, I left everything, obeyed His voice and followed Him and today I live by the word that proceeds out of the mouth of God to me not by what I think, want, what seems good or what the world dictates. Back then I really lacked, was not content and stingy but now I never lack, with extra to help the needy and am content.

And God has taught me never to do anything because it seems good or I have thought of it without me hearing His word. If I ask you, you will tell me doing business is good but is that the Will of God for your life. If you do business and it is not God’s Will, you will be in hell. Many people are doing will of the world, people not the Will of God and the result is hell.

I will teach you about thoughts of a human and why you are not supposed to go by them but wait for the Word of God to you (later).

Tell Jesus Christ to speak a word now on your life, disease and sickness, your situation, breakthrough, provision, family, etc and obey

Walking in the spirit is living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God

Jesus is Coming

Repent Repent Repent

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

The Bible is a living book. But, is it living to you?  Specifically, do you let the word of God dwell in you in such a way that you experience its vital functions changing you inwardly?

Colossians 3:16 says,

 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.”

Such a rich indwelling of God’s word will greatly affect your Christian life. It will fill your heart with grace—the enjoyment of God.

And it will do so much more…if you “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

In this post we’ll consider eight vital functions of the Word of God that you can daily experience by letting His Word dwell in you richly. Then we’ll mention some practical ways to let God’s word dwell in you so that you enjoy these functions in your daily life.

Eight Vital Functions of the Word of God

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is “living and operative.” That means it’s “vital”—its functions are of  life–the divine life. And our receiving such a living and operative word is essential to our growth in God’s life.

Realizing these eight vital functions of the word of God will give you eight reasons to let His word dwell in you in a rich way.

1. Enlightening

First, God’s word enlightens us.  When the word of God comes, the first thing it does is bring light into our inner being. Consider God’s first speaking in the Bible,

 “And God said, Let there be light…” (Gen. 1:3).

 When God speaks, first there is light. When we let God’s word dwell in us, we will be inwardly enlightened. This was the testimony of the psalmist who said,

 “The opening of Your words gives light, imparting understanding to the simple.” (Psa. 119:130)

2. Nourishing

Second, the word of God becomes food to nourish us. This means that while God’s word is enlightening us, it also nourishes us.

In Matthew 4:4 the Lord Jesus said,

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.”

 By this word the Lord Jesus was indicating that He as a man took God’s word in the Scriptures as His food and lived on it. We should follow this pattern.

We should have the attitude of the Lord Jesus toward God’s Word, and consider it as food to nourish our inner man. In this way God’s Word will nourish us to live the Christian life.

3. Quenching your thirst

Third, the word of God quenches our thirst because it is the water of life.

Isaiah 55:10-11 says,

“For just as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and does not return there, until it waters the earth and makes it bear and sprout forth…so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me vainly, but will accomplish what I delight in, and will prosper in the matter to which I have sent it.”

These verses indicate that God sends His word to water His people to accomplish His purpose in them.

So when we receive God’s word into us, it waters us and  “makes us bear fruit and sprout forth.” That is,  it sanctifies us, transforms us, and conforms us to Christ’s image (Rom. 8:29).

 4. Strengthening

Fourth, the word of God makes us strong in our spirit and also in our soul. By such a strengthening in our spirit and soul, we will also be healthy in our body.

In 1 John 2:14 it says,

“…I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one.

Being strong is connected to having the word of God abide or dwell in us.  When we let God’s word abide in us, it becomes the best cure for our spirit, soul and body. It really strengthens us and heals us.

5. Washing

Fifth, the word of God washes our inner being organically and metabolically.

Ephesians 5:26-27 says,

“That He [Christ] might sanctify her [the church], cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

As we let the Word of Christ dwell in us, the washing water of life in His word cleanses us inwardly, metabolically removing all our spots and wrinkles, so that we might be beautified to be Christ’s bride.

6. Building

Sixth, the word of God builds us up. As believers in Christ, we are the many members of Christ’s Body, the church (Rom. 12:4-5). As such, we all need to be built together. But our natural, peculiar disposition, often makes it  difficult for anyone to deal with us, much less to build us together with our fellow members.

However, the word of God can touch us inwardly and make it possible for us to be built up in the church. Acts 20:32 says,

“And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up…”

When we let the word of God dwell in us, it will cause us to grow up into Christ, the Head of the Body, joining us together with His other growing members and causing us to be built together as His one  Body (Eph. 4:15-16).

7. Completing and perfecting

Seventh, as members of Christ’s Body, we all should function. But in order to function, we first need to be perfected by the Word of God. When God’s word nourishes us, we grow. Then through the growth, the functions come forth.

Second Timothy 3:16-17 says,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”

 The nourishment we receive from the word of God completes us and perfects us as members of the Body. By letting the word of God dwell in us, we are not only nourished for our growth but perfected in our function.

8. Edifying

Finally, we also need to be edified, or built up in a personal way, to make up the lack in our virtues.

For example, we may be short of such virtues as patience, wisdom, humility, or kindness. As the word of God dwells in us, it edifies us in the matter of virtues.

The more we let the word of God dwell in us, the more virtues we will have. Our kindness, patience, wisdom, and humility will all be increased by the word of God dwelling in us.

How to let the word of God dwell in you in a richer way 

We need to let the word of Christ  make its home in us, giving it the full liberty, freedom, and right in our being. Here are some ways to give God’s word more room within you.

1. Feed – First, take the Word as your daily food to nourish you each morning (Jer. 15:16; 1 Tim. 4:6). You can do this very effectively by pray-reading or praying over two or three Bible verses with spontaneous prayers of thanksgiving, praise, or petition.

2. Read – Spend regular, daily times to read  through the Bible (Acts 17:11). It is good to read through the books of the New and Old Testament consecutively, according to a schedule. ReadHisWord.com has been a useful tool to keep me on track.

3. Sing – Sing the Word as the psalmists and early believers did (Col. 3:16). You can sing hymns full of Scriptures or turn the verse you’re enjoying to song. Hymnal.net is a great resource for this.

4. Speak – Find some like-minded companions with whom you can speak the Word–mutually teaching and admonishing one another  (Col. 3:16).

In response to this word it’s good  to pray,

“Lord, I offer my whole being to You and Your word. I give You access to every part of my inner being. Lord, make my inner being a home for You and for Your word. Lord, I choose to let your Word dwell in me richly so that all of its living functions can operate in me to carry out Your will.”

If the points in this post have encouraged you to let the Word of God dwell in you, please share your appreciation in a comment.

References and Further Reading:

• This post was inspired by The Functions of God’s Word presented in the Life-study of Colossians, Message 64, by Witness Lee.
• Here are a few songs and hymns to strengthen the point of this post:
  • Let the Word of Christ dwell in you
  • My heart is hungry, my spirit doth thirst and view lyrics
• Photo credit: mimicry at Morguefile