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How God Speaks Today

Good morning. Today I want to talk about a question that matters more than most people realize: how does God speak to us today? We live in a time when there are endless voices. News outlets, social media, podcasts, opinions, and religious claims all compete for authority. Many people sincerely believe God speaks to them through dreams, impressions, visions, or inner voices. But sincerity is not the same thing as truth. The only way to answer this question correctly is to let God speak for Himself through His word. The writer of Hebrews begins his letter by addressing this very issue. In Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, he says that 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. That statement establishes both continuity and finality. God has always spoken, but He does not always speak in the same way. And now, in these last days, He has spoken through His Son. Jesus is not simply another messenger. He is God’s final spokesman. During His earthly ministry, Jesus made this clear. In John chapter 14, He told Philip that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father. The words He spoke were not His own, but came from the Father who dwelt in Him. To hear Jesus is to hear God. John begins his Gospel by calling Jesus the Word. From the very beginning, Jesus is identified as the living declaration of God. Later John says that no one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son has declared Him. When Jesus lived among men, He revealed God’s nature, God’s will, and God’s character perfectly. Paul reinforces this by saying that Christ is the image of God. If someone wants to know what God is like, they must look to Jesus. After completing His work on earth, Christ ascended and sat down at the right hand of God. From that position, He reigns with authority. Before His ascension, Jesus declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. That authority has never been revoked. Hebrews also reminds us that God spoke differently in the past. He spoke to the patriarchs like Noah and Abraham. He spoke through prophets such as Moses. Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed His will in portions. Promise by promise and prophecy by prophecy, God was building toward something greater. The prophets themselves did not fully understand everything they foretold. Peter tells us that they searched diligently into these things, which were ultimately revealed for those living in the Christian age. Those earlier methods served their purpose, but they were never intended to be permanent. With the coming of Christ, God’s revelation reached its intended fullness. After Christ ascended, His message continued through the apostles. Paul said that they were ambassadors for Christ, speaking as though God were pleading through them. He made it clear that the things he wrote were the commandments of the Lord. Jesus had promised the apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth, bring His words to their remembrance, and testify of Him. Those promises were given specifically to the apostles so that Christ’s message would be delivered accurately and completely. Today, the Holy Spirit does not speak through new revelation. He speaks through the word He inspired. Paul calls Scripture the sword of the Spirit. It belongs to the Spirit, but it has been placed in our hands. Paul told Timothy that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. That statement settles the matter. God has given us everything we need. God is still speaking today. He is speaking clearly. He is speaking authoritatively. And He is speaking through His word. The question is not whether God has spoken, but whether we are willing to listen. https://granbychurchofchrist.com/libr...