by Steven Chan
God has spoken to man and yet many are either ignorant that He has spoken or doubt that He has indeed spoken. God is the Creator of the Universe and our Maker.
1. We can know that God exists although we have not seen Him.
a. The Bible says in Rom 1:19-20 that man is without excuse for not knowing He exists:- “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead…”
b. Psalms 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” The wonderful way in which this world is constructed so that life on earth can be sustained and the incredible design of man himself for life are clear and unequivocal testimonies to the existence of God the Designer/Creator. This universe and our own existence cannot possibly be products of accidents! It cries out to the fact that an Intelligent Being, God, designed man and this Universe.
c. Indeed, the Bible says, only a fool will say that there is no God: Psalms 14:1
2. God has not remained silent; He, indeed, has spoken to man. Heb 1:1-2: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”
3. Jesus Christ, His Son, has passed on His Word to His apostles: John 17:8: “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me”.
4. The Holy Spirit ensured that all truth is revealed to the apostles. After His ascension to the Father, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help the apostles remember all that Jesus had said to them: John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”; and also to guide the apostles into all truth: John 16:12-13: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.”
5. So, the Apostles went everywhere preaching the Word of God: Mark 16:20: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs.” “
6. God’s Word has been authenticated or confirmed as true, by the signs performed by the apostles: “And so we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place…” (2 Peter 1:19).
7. Today, we need to pay attention to God’s Word: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb 2:1-4)
8. God’s confirmation of the fact that Jesus Christ is His Son as well as God’s confirmation of the authenticity of the Word preached by the apostles via the signs performed by the apostles, have now been written down so that subsequent generations will be able to read, know and understand God’s Word:-
a. John 20:30-31: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
b. Eph 3:1-5: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles– if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets…”
The truth was revealed to His holy apostles– and that’s why when the apostles wrote their epistles or letters to the churches, their words were regarded as the Word of God itself:-
i. 1 Cor 14:37: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”
ii. 1 Thess 2:13: “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”
9. With the passing of the Apostles, there’s no more revelation from the Holy Spirit other than what has been revealed through the Apostles and that have been written down for our learning:-
a. Gal 1:8: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”
b. 1 John 4:1, 6: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world…We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
c. Rev 22:18: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;”
10. Today, we need to preach the Word of God boldly so that people will know that God has spoken and that they will know God’s love for them as well as accept His offer of salvation :-
a. 2 Tim 4:1-5: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
b. Rom 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”
c. John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
d. Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
