Speaking for God

I was attending a Bible school that offered High school matriculation. We had to attend chapel every day. During chapel, someone would get up and say, “The Lord told me.” One day, I too decided that I had an inspiration. Instantly, a voice within me said, “Sit down, I did not tell you anything!” My face must have turned red because I felt hot and my conscience accused me of lying. Never again did I dare to take it upon myself to speak for God.

I began to dive into the Scriptures and learned quickly that God had already said everything He wanted to say to me. He began speaking through prophets and finally through Jesus, His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). The Son delegated the Holy Spirit to inspire specific witnesses to produce the New Testament (John 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:13). All Scripture was inspired of God and His Spirit (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 3:16). More than 500 eye-witnesses confirmed Christ’s Message for me (I Corinthians 15:6). And any spirit that denies that Jesus was a real human being and that He had come from God, in my behalf, is not of God (I John 2:22-23). No one has the authorization to add or subtract from the Scriptures that deal with my salvation (Revelation 22:18-19).

What then is my role as a Christian and a witness for Christ? I am pledged to adhere to the accuracy of interpreting the Scriptures. For that purpose, I have acquainted myself with Hebrew, Greek, and other languages to gain insight into what the message of the Bible is all about. The way the Bible depicts the nature of man and the nature of God has convinced me that it represents absolute truth. Particularly, untrue is the concept that grace has turned a sinful person into a saint and that God will not hold that person accountable for his or her deeds. I am concerned, and so should every Christian, with what the translators and the interpreters have done and are doing to change and make Scriptures fit our age and our needs. Jesus had this to say, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:18-19). If we should think that grace has nullified the Law, the Apostle of Grace had this advice, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31).