CHAPTER 5 SAY IT
Paul tells us in Ro.10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." That verse has two requirements - belief and confess. We have to actually verbalize our acceptance of Christ's gift of salvation. "It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Ro.10:10). We are expected to actually call on the name of the Lord (Joel 2:32). We must ask before it is given (Matt.7:7). In Jer.33:3 the Lord says, "call to Me and I will answer." "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven (Matt.10:32 & Lk. 12:8). We know that God lives in those who acknowledge Him (I John 4:15).
It seems clear we must verbalize our confession both to God and to men. The Greek word for confess, or acknowledge which is found in Ro.10:10, Matt.10:32 & Lk.12:8 is homologeo. This word clearly indicates an audible confession. The same word is used in II John 7 which says, "many deceivers who do not acknowledge (homologeo) Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the anti-Christ." (parenthesis added)
Is verbalization a kingdom principle established by God, or is it merely one of His commands to us? I believe that it is a kingdom principle followed by God Himself from the very beginning. We know from John 1:1-3 & Heb.1:2 that Jesus is the Word and that all things were made through the Word. But was that Word written, or was it verbal? We know that His written Word is here with us now, but in the very beginning we find the answer to our question in Gen.1:3,6,9, 11,14,20&24. Therein we find that "God said."
No wonder God's Word is called power (Heb.1:3). The literal Hebrew in Gen.1:3 doesn't say "let there be light." It is more emphatic than that. "Let there be light" almost sounds like a plea. What God said was "Light be!" That was not a request, it was a command - a statement of fact. Scientists say that the universe is constantly expanding. Should that be true I would not be surprised, for I am sure that God's initial command is still reverberating throughout the very ends of space. To confirm His covenant with Abraham, God did not write a contract; rather, He swore by Himself, His spoken word was sufficient (Gen.22:16). Moses, while imploring God not to bring destruction upon the Israelites, reminded God of His verbal covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Ex.32:13).
His promises to Israel were verbal (Deut.7:8, Nu.13:1 & 14:30). The very first promise of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was verbal (Gen.3:15) Please do not misunderstand what I am about to say. No part of God, or no command of His is any less important than any other part. However, it is interesting to note that the Old Covenant, the old law, was written (Ex.34:1, 32:15, Deut.10:4, Hab.3:4 & Gal.3:24); whereas, as we have just seen, the promise of Jesus was verbal. We know that we have been released from the written law and are now under the guidance of the Spirit. We have been redeemed from the law (Gal.4:4) for now we know that righteousness cannot be obtained through the written law (Gal.2:21). God clearly tells us in Gal.3:5 that we receive the Spirit not because we obey the written law, but because we believe what we have heard. In order to hear something there must have been something spoken.
There can be no question that the written code is no longer for us. In Col.2:14 we are clearly shown that "He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code with its regulations that stood against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross." Again, please remember that I am not attempting in any way shape or form to disparage the written code, the ten commandments, the law. However, we are clearly shown, in numerous Scriptures that the obligation to love as Christ commanded carries a greater burden, ie. it requires a deeper commitment on our part than did the old law. The point is, God has placed a greater emphasis upon His verbal expressions than his written commands. We are shown in II Cor.3:7-9 that the ministry of the written law was glorious, but we are also shown that the ministry of the Spirit is more glorious. The law was not less glorious; rather, the ministry of the Spirit is more glorious.
It is true that we have a written Bible, but we must remember that in Matt.4:4,7&10 Jesus spoke the written Word in order to stop satan. Throughout the rest of His earthly ministry Jesus brought power to what we see as the written word by speaking it. The verse that seems to jump out at me with the same authority as Gen.1:3 is John11:43 wherein Jesus said, "Lazarus come out." No doubt, no hesitation, just authority and power: "Lazarus come out" (In fact, I believe that there was so much power present when Jesus spoke those words that if He had not qualified His statement by limiting it to "Lazarus" alone, every body buried in that area would have risen.) This was also true in Mk.5:41 with the daughter of the synagogue ruler, "little girl, I say to you, get up" (emphasis added). See also the story of the widow's son in Lk.7:14, "young man, I say to you get up" (emphasis added). All verbal all with power!
Words are important, and Jesus did not want to waste them on the evil spirit in Mk.1:25, or listen to what the spirit had to say. Again, with power and authority He said, "be quiet ... come out of him." It would appear that our words to each other are also important, for we are to "speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" (Eph.5:19). We are reminded in Eph. 4:29 and Col.4:6 that our conversation is to be filled with the Word and not useless or unwholesome words. His Words are beneficial to us; they strengthen us and build us up (Acts 20:32). None of the words of wise men are crooked or perverse; indeed, the mouth of one who has wisdom detests wickedness (Prov.8:7-8). If we speak the Word to each other, we will be in His will.
If verbalization is important for us, as this would indicate, then His Word would tells us why. It does. From Gen. cha. 1 we know that God's Word brought forth life. In Prov.18:21 we are told that "the tongue has the power of life and death." In Ps. 141:7 the entrance to the grave is called the "mouth." In Nu.14: 3 the Israelites said "Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?" They confessed their lack of faith, and in vs. 28, after repeated confessions of this type, the Lord honored their confession. "As surely as I live ... I will do to you the very things I heard you say" (emphasis added). The Israelites failed to realize that reckless words can pierce like a sword (Prov. 12:18). By Deut.2:14 God's oath was complete: "that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them."
They didn't confess faith based upon God's promises, they confessed doubt based upon what their physical senses told them at the moment. That should also tells us that faith does not come from seeing miracles (see Neh.9:17). Just prior to their complaining they had witnessed the plagues against Egypt, the pillar of fire & smoke, the crossing of the Red Sea, and manna from heaven; yet, they did not have faith in God's promises. They became ensnared by the very words that came out of their mouths (Prov.6:2). What came out of their mouths made them unclean (Matt.15:11).
We are told in Prov.13:3 that "He who guards his lips guards his soul." In Prov.18:7 we are told "a fool's mouth is his undoing and his lips are a snare to his soul. These Scriptures point to the fact that there is a definite relationship between the words we speak and the condition of our soul. We are shown that an evil man is trapped by his sinful talk but that a righteous man escapes trouble (Prov.12:13). Righteousness comes by faith. We know that faith comes from hearing and that for things to be heard they must be spoken (Gal.3:6, Ro.4: 19-22, Heb.11:4, 11:7, Phil.3:9 & Ro.1:17). A relationship between our faith, our speaking, and our soul is indicated. That relationship is clearly set forth in I Pe.1:9 wherein we are told "for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your soul." Confession, or verbalization which is contrary to God's Word can ultimately be detrimental to the salvation of our very souls.
Verbalization in line with God's Word is an indication of our faith. Contrast Abraham's reaction to that of the Israelites when God said, "Look at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them ... so shall your offspring be" (Gen.15:5). Did Abraham question God? No, he believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Gen.15:6, Ro.4:4 & 23-24). Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, did not have this kind of faith and He made the mistake of verbalizing that fact (Lk.1:18). As such, he was silenced until what had been promised came true, thereby preventing any further verbalization of unbelief on his part (Lk. 1:20). Christ has clearly told us that "... by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned" (emphasis added Matt.12:37).
By being careful of what we say with our mouth, we are protecting ourselves from calamity (Prov.21:23). David realized that our words can condemn us. Concerning his enemies, he asked that their heads "be covered with the trouble their lips have caused." (Ps.104:9, see also Prv.18: ). David prayed, "set a guard over my mouth O Lord; help watch over the door of my lips" (Ps.141:3). No wonder James spent so much time on the need to tame the tongue (Ja.3:1-12). Therein we are told that no man can tame the tongue. We know that "the tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell" (Ja.3:6). All is not lost however, because while no man can do it, we have the living water flowing from us (Holy Spirit), and now the Spirit can put out that fire (John 7:37-39). As such, we have a spirit of self-control and can now harness that tongue (Gal.5:22 & II Tim.1:7). Out of the overflow of the heart our mouth speaks (Lk.6:45). God's spirit of truth now lives in us (John 14:17), and that should be what comes out of our mouth. On the otherhand, we are shown that a deceitful tongue actually crushes the spirit (Prov.15:4).
Verbalization goes to the very essence of the teaching on releasing the power of God which He has given us through His name (John 14:12, Mk.16:17 & Matt.28:18). Mk.11:22 tells us to have the faith of God. Verse 23 continues by telling us to say to the mountain, "go throw yourself into the sea." We must not doubt in our heart, but believe what we say will happen. To continue with this idea, Jesus tells us that we will receive what we ask for in prayer if we believe that we have received it when we pray (vs. 24, I John 5:14, John 16:23). Those verses told us to believe, ask, and ask according to His will. If I ask according to His promises in the Word, I am asking according to His will.
The point is, we must ask - we must verbalize. Not because He doesn't know what we need, for He "knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matt.6:8). In Lk.11:2 He tells us that when we pray we are to "say" the prayer. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them (Ps.145:19). "The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them: He delivers them from all their troubles" (Ps.34:17). Verbalization is a kingdom principle. This is not to say that someone who cannot speak or someone who is deaf cannot be saved. That is sheer nonsense. We are merely establishing the importance which God places upon speaking His Word.
Jesus Himself was commanded by the Father to say certain things. He was directed to verbalize (John 12:49). We find that when Jesus gives us an illustration of the faith we are to have, He makes it a command that we actually speak to the mountain in order for it to be removed into the sea (Mk.11:23). Jesus spoke to the fig tree and He spoke to the wind in order to change the physical circumstances which existed at the time (Mk.11:21, Matt.21:19, Lk.8:24, Mk.4:39 & Matt.8:26). Jesus' private prayer life was no exception either, for we see in Heb.5:7 that He offered up prayers with "... loud cries and tears..." We see very clearly that Jesus worked through words, and that the Father also worked through verbal expression (John14:10)
I believe that we receive a direct benefit from everything which God has us do; therefore, aside from the fact that verbalization is something which God Himself did, and that He directs us to verbalize, is there another reason why we should verbalize? Recall for a moment Eph.5:19 wherein God tells us to speak to one another in hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. If we do that we are speaking the words of God to one another, and when we speak, we also hear. When we hear the Word of God, our faith grows Ro.10:17. When we pray to Him using the Word we know it will work, for the Word does not return to God void (Is.55:11). God also tells us to include praise to Him in our prayers (Phil. 4:6). Since He inhabits the praise we offer up to Him, He is present in our very words (Ps.22:3). These are merely a few of the powerful added benefits of verbalization.
Since we now know that we are to verbalize, and some of the benefits derived therefrom, does it matter how we verbalize our prayer requests? I John 5:14 and John 16:23 say to "ask." The Greek word used there is aiteo, which literally means "demand." This does not mean demand in the obnoxious or spoiled brat sense of the word. Rather, it means to ask out of respect and reverence with an expectation that your request will be granted. We are not to approach the throne as a sniveling beggar pleading and tugging at the hem of God's robe.
Through the Spirit we are to go boldly to the throne (Heb.4: 16). When we do, we should remember that we are speaking to our daddy and Father (Ro.8:15), realizing that we have fellowship with the Father (I John 1:3). We have been washed in Jesus' blood and are now kings and priests (Rev.1:4-16). We are new creations in Christ Jesus, having been born of incorruptible seed (I Pe.1:23), the very workmanship of God (Eph.2:10). We are the body of Christ (I Cor.12:27 & 6:15). We are sons of God (Ro.8:14 & I John 3:1). We are the righteousness of Jesus (Phil 3:9 & Ro.4:22). We are the aroma of Christ (II Cor.2:15), our prayers are as incense unto the Father (Rev.5:8). Does a prince beg from the king? It is true we accept the Lord our Savior with humility as a child knowing that we are nothing without him (Matt.18:4) but we are to exercise the power and authority He gave us, knowing who we are in Him.
Look at the story of the Canaanite woman and Jesus in Mk.7:24-30. Verse 26 says "she begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter." Did Jesus heal her daughter when she was begging? No, she was ignored at first. In fact, Jesus told her He was sent only to the Jews and it would not be right to take from the Jews and give to her. Yet He had already talked to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:6) and had healed the Centurion's servant in Lk.7:1-10. It was not until she spoke boldly in vs.29 and exercised her faith that her daughter was healed.
Concerning the question of how often we are to ask, look at two stories which on the surface might be taken to mean that we keep asking God over and over and over again. The story of the widow in Lk.18:1-8 is used many times to say we keep going back to God over and over trying to talk Him into something. It is as though He will give in to us and grant our request because He gets tired of our asking. Jesus told the parable of the widow to "show them that they should always pray and not give up." However, in the literal Greek the words translated as not give up say not lose heart. There is a big difference between not `losing heart' over a situation when asking God to resolve it, and getting so frustrated that we ask over and over and over. Furthermore, the unjust judge is the one who gave in because she either did, or would come back over and over. Our Father is not unjust. Jesus specifically says in vs. 7 that the Father will not keep putting off His children.
Return to the story of the neighbor in Lk.11:5-10. Verse 8 says "because of the man's persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs." The Greek word for "persistence" is aneu noos which means, "without bashfulness", or boldness, or importunity. This is not persistence in terms of continuous asking, but persistence in terms of not moving once having asked and asking boldly. Furthermore, even if the word aneu noos meant `continuously,' the neighbor was seeking assistance for the benefit of another person, not himself, and there is a big difference between intercession for others, and seeking things for ourselves.
Jesus specifically addressed Himself to the question of excessiveness in prayer in Matt.6:7. Speaking negatively of the pagans He says, "they think they will be heard because of their many words." Look at the story of the prophets of Baal in I Ki.18:16-40. In verse 27 Elijah actually taunts them because they thought they could get an answer from their god by shouting louder and longer. Jesus tells us in Mk.11:24 that we are to believe we have received when we pray the first time. Begging doesn't bring results every time. Faith expressed in prayer and praise by righteous sons of the Most High God who know that God dwells within them, and that He is Love and that He is greater than the power and principalities of this world, is what moves mountains.