GOD HAS SPOKEN
Can you imagine how discouraging it
must have been in ancient times when men called on their idols and received no
response? One of the best-known examples of such unresponsiveness of men's
false gods involved the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal—the fertility god of
One of the most profound propositions in God's holy book
is the opening statement in the book of Hebrews. "God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, has
in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds, who
being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and
upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down on the right hand
of the majesty on high" (Heb. 1:1 -3).
The remainder of this great chapter tells us why God has spoken through
his Son and not through angels or
through anyone else. Our brief lesson today is based on this very simple and
yet profound truth: "God Has Spoken."
President Ronald Reagan communicated by handwritten
letters with thousands and thousands of Americans—not just political or social
or financial leaders—but with ordinary Americans like you and me. Can you imagine
what it would be like to receive a personal letter from the president of the
Do you recall what occurred on the
mount of transfiguration? Our Lord Jesus Christ took three of his disciples—Peter,
James and John—and brought them to a high mountain. He was then transfigured or
transformed before their very eyes. His face shone as the sun and his clothing was
as white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the mount. Luke
says Moses, Elijah and Christ were talking about Christ's coming "decease"
(literally, his "exodus") (Lk.
It is true that God has spoken in times past in various
and sundry ways, but that is not true any more. He now speaks unto us through his
Son. There are several conclusions we can draw from Hebrews 1:1-3 and from the
events surrounding the mount of transfiguration. While the Law of Moses came
from the very mind of God, it was limited in its duration and is no longer binding on
anyone. When the cloud overshadowed Moses and Elijah and left Jesus standing
alone, God said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear
him." Was that not God's way of saying: "The law and prophets have been
removed and we must hear Jesus Christ and him alone?" If that is not the message
the Holy Spirit intended for us to learn, what was he teaching us? In my judgment, the lesson of this great
event would be difficult to miss. But let us examine other passages to see if we
have misinterpreted or misunderstood the meaning of the transfiguration.
The author of Hebrews affirmed:
"For if that first covenant has been faultless, then should no place
have been sought for a second" (Heb 8:7). I am aware that the word
"covenant" does not appear in verse 7, but the inspired author had
used the word in verse 6. What else could he have had in mind by using the word
"first?" He concludes that paragraph by arguing: "In that he
says, A new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and
waxes old is ready to vanish away" (Heb.
But just in case someone might need more evidence, let
us briefly examine a portion of Hebrews 10. This chapter declares: "For
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins" (Heb. 10:4). Under the new covenant, God provided through the death
of Christ the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. The author of
Hebrews quotes Christ as saying, "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it
is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and
offering and burnt offering and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O
God. He takes away the first that he
may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ one for all" (Heb. 10:7-10).
It seems to me it would take an enormous amount of help
not to understand the meaning of this passage. The sacrifices and burnt
offerings of the Mosaic covenant had their place in the lives of the Jewish
people. They were ordained of God. But they were not the final arrangement God had in
mind for the human family. That first covenant God made with his people served its
purpose (Gal.
There are preachers and theologians
who pretend that the Holy Spirit speaks directly, supernaturally to them. In fact,
it is almost impossible to listen to the preachers on Trinity Broadcasting Network or
those on the Inspiration channel without hearing some evangelist boast of having
received direct revelation from God. They usually say: "The Lord spoke to me in a
dream" or something similar. This very day as I was preparing this lesson,
I listened to a preacher on the Inspiration channel. He was discussing the book
of Revelation. He said he was sitting at his desk when the Holy Spirit told him
to get his pen and pad and write exactly what he was told. He said he wrote word
for word the Holy Spirit's revelation. He included the words of the Spirit as an index in
his commentary on the book of Revelation. There are serious problems with that
preacher's words.
If the Holy Spirit spoke directly to him, as he claimed,
should not his words be included in the next edition of the scriptures? Do we
want to ignore the very words of the Holy Spirit? Besides, if the Holy Spirit
spoke directly to him, why would he consign the Holy Spirit's words to an
appendix rather than to the front of the book? Should he not give the Holy Spirit's
words a more prominent place in his commentary? You cannot be unaware of the
enormous amount of energy capable and dedicated scholars have devoted to
interpreting the book of Revelation. But if that preacher on television were telling
the truth that the Holy Spirit had spoken to him about the meaning of that book,
our struggles to understand the book should be over. All we need to do is to
consult the index to his commentary on Revelation.
True Bible believers know that God
has revealed in his word all that men need to know to be saved and to stay saved. Is that
not exactly what Paul told Timothy? The apostle admonished his young friend:
"But continue in the things you have learned, and have been assured of,
knowing of whom you have learned them; and that from a child you have known the
holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through
faith that is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, completely furnished unto
all good works"
(2 Tim.
Do you believe the scriptures furnish us unto all good
works? There are sectarian and cultic groups in the
If you have ever believed the
scriptures are incomplete, the apostle Peter's words in his second epistle should
correct that false view. Please listen. "Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his
divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue" (2
Pet. 1:2-3).
If the apostle Peter had the authority to say, "God...has given unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness," those who pretend to
receive a modern revelation from God commit a grievous blunder. The simple and
indisputable truth is: We have in the Bible all we need and we need all we have.
I have some questions I must ask you about the
completeness and finality of the scriptures. Does the word of God tell us why
we need to turn to the Lord for the forgiveness of sin? The book of Romans
describes men's moral and spiritual condition when we are separated from God. Paul
affirms that both Jew and Gentile are under sin. He then appeals to many Old Testament
passages to develop his theme. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no,
not one: there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open grave; with their
tongues they have used deceit; the poison of serpents is under their lips:
whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed
blood: destruction
and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of
God before their eyes....For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"
(Rom.
Since sin cannot enter the heavenly home, does the Bible
give us the necessary information about getting rid of our sin and having the
promise of eternal life? Our Lord told Nicodemus, a prominent ruler among the Jews:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved" (John
The book of John equates belief with obedience. If there
is no obedience, there is no faith. The King James Version reads: "He who
believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he who believes not shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abides on him" (John
But what does it mean
to obey the gospel? Does it mean simply repeating the so-called
"sinner's prayer?" Let us examine the conversion of Cornelius to
ascertain the
place of prayer in the life of an alien sinner. The book of Acts describes
Cornelius, a Roman soldier, as "a devout man, and one who feared God with all
his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always" (Acts
10:2). For what was
Cornelius
praying? Was he praying for the forgiveness of sins? If he were, his prayers were not answered.
And yet in a vision he saw an angel who told him, "Your prayers and your
alms have come up for a memorial before God." Cornelius apparently was praying
for the Lord to show him how to be saved. The angel instructed Cornelius: "Send men to
Joppa, and call for one Simon, who surname is Peter: he lodges with one
Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell you what you ought
to do" (Acts 10:3-6).
The apostle Peter received a vision telling him to go to
the house of Cornelius. When Peter arrived at the house of the centurion, the
apostle opened his mouth and said: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no
respecter of persons: but in every nation he who fears him, and works
righteousness, is accepted of him" (Acts
The Holy Spirit sent Peter to the house of Cornelius to
tell him what he ought to do (Acts 10:6). What did the apostle Peter tell
Cornelius he ought to do? He commanded him and his household to be baptized in the
name of the Lord (Acts
If you have not obeyed the gospel, will you not this
very day confess your faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your alien sins and be
baptized for the remission of sins? The Lord will forgive you and add you to
his church (1 Cor.
Winford Claiborne
The
International Gospel Hour
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