Peter wrote, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God…”

There is a false notion around that no one should ever speak with authority. That is, anyone who uses “Thus says the Lord,” (or any other linguistic formula that links what someone is saying to the person of God) is automatically to be dismissed as proud and puffed up as to their own importance. Such a view only shows how inexperienced that one is in hearing and handling the word of the Lord. Jeremiah, as but one example, tried to hold back from relaying what the Lord was saying but could not do so.

For anyone to accuse anyone who truly speaks the word of the Lord of being proud or puffed up points to a tangled web of false ideas. First, their whole concept of spiritual knowledge must be based in their own personal opinions and not upon personally-received (from God) revelation, inspiration and discernment. As a result, Jim’s “truth” is no better or of no more worth or value than Joe’s “truth” and Mike is then free to pick and choose whichever one he likes best. This is the fruit of relativism that has been imported into “church,” “Christian” and religious circles.

But when someone else comes along, speaking the truth he has received from the Lord and speaking it in the name of the Lord, the option of choosing which “truth” one prefers is gone. It is replaced with the simple question: Is this what the Lord is saying or not? Gone is the risk-free dismissal of another man’s opinion – it is replaced with the certain knowledge that if one dismisses an instruction or insight from the Lord, the result is likely to have dire eternal consequences and bring forth, at the least, stiff corrective discipline from the hand of the Lord.

In order to dodge the issue and the weight of possibly disobeying the Lord, many look to the age-old tactic of dismissing the message by attacking the messenger. Any perceived flaw or undesirable personality trait in the speaker is suitable grounds upon which to dismiss anything and even everything that person says. If one can (in one’s own opinions and to one’s own satisfaction) dismiss or do away with the messenger, then the message conveniently goes away too. This relativistic philosophy, called lawlessness (doing what is right in one’s own eyes) in the New Testament, is indeed very effective at dismissing truth and will uphold one’s life for a time – until the last day when God judges all men for what they have done. On that day, the emptiness and impotence of this philosophy will be quite evident.

There is another group who hold to the idea that only pre-approved (by men) “men of God” can speak forth God’s words with authority. Peter said anyone who speaks should speak with the authority that comes from God. Men, in direct disobedience to rather clear statements in the New Testament, have constructed “chain of command” authority structures (“theocracies”) within the “church” that mirror the world’s authority structure and have taken away the right of anyone to speak the words of God. In the “church,” only those who, after asking permission from the “pastor,” speak in support of the “church” and the Nicolaitan abomination men have constructed in the name of Christ are “true prophets” – all else are labeled “false prophets.” How convenient.

Christ’s sheep hear Christ’s voice. When Christ speaks through someone – whether that be through an ancient, gentle servant of the Lord, a fiery, uncouth messenger or an immature, ignorant child in the faith – those who truly belong to Christ will hear His voice and will move to obey His commands and directives. Those who do not belong to Christ will not know what the right thing to do will be and will filter as much information as they can attain through their intellect, emotions, personal desires and agendas and through their own preconceived paradigms and presuppositions and then will do (or advocate for) whatever seems right and best in their own eyes. Righteousness (what is right in God’s eyes) still has nothing to do with lawlessness.

Modern “Christian” religion (churchianity) has drifted far from these simple truths and instead preaches contradictory, confusing principles of “delegated” versus “plenary” authority just so that some man can imagine himself superior to another. The simple truth is that God is to be obeyed no matter who it is that He chooses to deliver His message. Anything else is mere deception, the work of the devil.

Let he who has ears hear.

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