By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

Hebrews 1: 1-3 “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, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Discovering the true identity of Christ goes beyond reading the Gospel stories; it is more like taking a deep dive into the heart of His identity. The Book of Hebrews is an exciting adventure, revealing detailed aspects of Jesus’ life. It’s not just about salvation and the new covenant; it covers angels and their roles. The book unfolds the ongoing work of Jesus, the power of His blood, and the importance of spiritual growth.
Think of the Book of Hebrews as your guide to understanding Jesus better. It doesn’t stop at His resurrection but explores what happened next and why it matters. It emphasizes how essential it is for us to grow spiritually. The book also highlights the incredible significance of Jesus’ sacrifice and how it influences us. The Book of Hebrews is like a treasure trove of wisdom. It gives you a full picture of what it means to be a Christian, it lights up your path on this amazing journey of faith.

The above scripture reminds us that Jesus Christ is God’s voice on earth. This unique position wasn’t available to just anyone in the Old Testament. Back then, understanding the mind of God relied heavily on the prophets. Only the prophets possessed the spirit of God to function in this capacity. The rest of the people depended entirely on the messages delivered by the prophets.

Today, something important has changed for us. Thanks to Jesus, believers now have direct access to God’s thoughts through the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that every believer can now hear God’s voice. This is because, through Christ, we’ve been renewed and transformed into spiritually reborn beings filled with the life and spirit of Jesus. As His followers, we not only hear His voice but also personally know Him and willingly decide to follow Him. This marks a significant shift from relying on prophets to having a direct, close relationship with God through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”
Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

JESUS IS GOD’S VOICE ON EARTH TODAY
Today, Jesus serves as God’s voice on Earth. This implies that nobody should teach or convey anything that contradicts what our Lord has said, as that wouldn’t be in alignment with God’s voice. Luke 9:35 affirms that Jesus is appointed as God’s spokesman. The passage recounts a voice from the cloud proclaiming, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” So, how does Jesus communicate with us in the present day? His primary mode of communication is through the written word, the holy Scriptures. In essence, Jesus is the embodiment of the Word made flesh.

John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…..14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

1 John 1:1 “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.”

We learn more about Christ by spending time studying the Bible. The scriptures share valuable insights about Him.
Everything God planned for humanity comes together in Christ and is revealed in the Bible. He talks to us through His Spirit, helping us understand what’s written in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit is like a guide, showing us the meaning behind the words in a way that makes sense to us.

John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

Luke 24:44-46 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”

Christ is not only alive but actively communicating through His Spirit, consistently revealing the truth to us because He embodies the truth. When the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth, it means you are hearing from Him. This happens through teachings that are inspired and align with the Scriptures because the spirit and the word are in harmony. Additionally, His Spirit communicates through a gentle inner voice, speaking directly to your heart. Everything He communicates is in accordance with the Scriptures; if it deviates from them, it is not from Him. As the living word, He communicates through individuals whom He inspires to convey His messages. A reliable way to verify His voice is by ensuring that it aligns with the Scriptures. It is essential to note that conformity to human traditions or popular practices doesn’t authenticate the message as coming from the Spirit of Truth. The speaker’s name or title doesn’t guarantee the divine origin of everything they say. Learning from the example of the Berean Christians, who examined the Scriptures to validate teachings, is a valuable practice.

Acts 17:11-12 “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.”

Miracles and supernatural acts do not always prove that the person doing them is of God either.
Acts 8:9-11 “But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.”

TEST ALL SPIRITS
Test every spirit and don’t be swayed by the supernatural. As advised in 1 John 4, “beloved, don’t readily believe every spirit; instead, test them to discern whether they are from God, recognizing that numerous false prophets have emerged in the world.”

Here’s how you can test them:
1. Do they teach about Christ? Evaluate whether they focus on Christ Jesus as Lord and savior and on the matters of the kingdom of God, as opposed to worldly concerns such as wealth. Confirm that their teachings emphasize that Christ came in the flesh as a man to redeem mankind (John 6:27 ).

2. Do they teach from the scriptures?  Assess whether they teach from the Scriptures. In Acts 17:2, Paul’s approach involved reasoning with people from the Scriptures, emphasizing the necessity of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.

3. Do they exalt Jesus?  Genuine servants of Jesus give all glory to Him. Acts 3:11-13 exemplifies this, where Peter and John deflect praise, attributing the healing to the God of Abraham and glorifying His Son Jesus, distancing themselves from any personal power or holiness.

4. Are the fruits of the spirit evident in their lives? Examine the fruits they exhibit. Look for evidence of the fruit of the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh. Consider whether their actions reflect greed or selflessness. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul encourages followers to imitate him as he imitates Christ.

5. Do they follow the Holy Spirit? Consider who they are following—whether they are following the world or the Holy Spirit. Luke 6:43-44 explains that one’s character and actions serve as indicators of their true beliefs, much like how the fruit of a tree identifies its nature. 

6. Do you have inner Peace? Pay attention to your own sense of peace or disquiet. If you have an uneasy feeling about them, even if you can’t pinpoint the reason, it’s worth considering. Luke 1:79 speaks of the guiding light that brings peace to those in darkness.

Following these guidelines helps us stay grounded in truth and connected to the genuine message of Christ.

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of the Living Word Church, New Jersey.