In Hebrews 1:1-2 the Bible says, "God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us BY HIS SON." In years gone by, people of God have seen times of God speaking directly to them. Patriarchs and prophets often listened to God s voice and then relayed His will to man.
When we consider those times, we wonder; Does God try to talk to me? Is He interested in talking to me? Is it possible that God is talking and I m just not listening? In answer to these questions, it can be said with absolute certainty, God is talking to you! You may not be listening. But He is talking to you. The question then follows; How is He talking to me?
The passage cited above says that in the last days, God speaks to us through His Son. In John 12:49-50 Jesus explained, "For I have not spoken of myself but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." Therefore, when we consider the life and teaching of Jesus, we know that his words were God s words, to you and me.
But when Jesus left this world, did God stop communicating with man through His Son? Positively not. In John 14:25-26 Jesus explained how this line of communication from God, through him, would continue through the Spirit guided Apostles. He said, "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Jesus continued in this line of thought in John 16:13 where he said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come." We continue to see, God speaks to us through His Son. While Jesus was on Earth, he spoke as the Father guided him. When he left this Earth, the Spirit came down and guided the Apostles in a continuation of what had begun to be revealed through Jesus.
Now we need to understand the link between what the Spirit revealed to the Apostles and how God speaks to us today. In I Corinthians 2:13 the Apostle Paul said, "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth..." Therefore, what the Spirit revealed to the Apostles, they in turn wrote to man. This conclusion is enforced by Ephesians 3:3-4 where Paul said, "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I WROTE afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)."
In times past, God spoke directly to man. Now He has revealed His word trough His Son. Jesus passed it on to the Spirit, who revealed it to the Apostles and others. These wrote it down, which record we now have in the New Testament. The result of this work is described by Paul in II Timothy 3:16-17 where he says, All scripture is given by INSPIRATION of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "
God is talking to you! He speaks to you through His Son. These words do not come by his voice, but by the written page, His holy word. Today you have access to this word by reading the New Testament scriptures. But is this the only means of communication from God to you? Many claim that God has spoken to them directly through dreams and new revelation. But we have already leaned that the time of direct communication is over. Take time and consider more of what God says about this.
What about these people who claim to have dreams and visions from God? In Jeremiah 23:28 the Bible says, "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully... Take note of the verses that follow in Jeremiah and you will see that God is displeased with their dream telling. The reason being, it was by this means that God s people were being led astray. In Jeremiah 23:32 it says, "Behold, I AM AGAINST THEM THAT PROPHESY FALSE DREAMS, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them..."
Very obviously, God is not pleased when we listen to dreams instead of his word! Consider that in Job 4:12 Eliphaz the Temanite spoke to Job. Eliphaz claimed to have a vision, given by God. He followed a dream in his discourse. But in Job 42:7 the Lord spoke to Eliphaz and told him he was wrong. Eliphaz had a dream. He trusted the dream. And God said he was WRONG! Surely you can see that we must not put confidence in those who claim visions, as though they speak God s word.
Dreamers are not the only ones deceiving people. Others claim to have additional revelation from God, beyond what is revealed in the Bible. Many sources such as the Book Of Mormon, the writings of Ellen G. White, The Watchtower Bible And Tract Society and others are claiming to reveal truth beyond the message of the Bible. These claim that the Bible is good, but not enough. We are told we need their revelations to make our life for God complete.
Is the Bible really insufficient? Do we need more? In II Peter 1:3 Peter said, "According as his diving power bath given unto us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness..." In Acts 20:20, 27 Paul said, "..I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you...For I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD." According to the Spirit guided Apostles, the word they spoke, the New Testament, contains everything you need! You don t need the Book Of Mormon! You don t need others today who claim inspiration. You need the Word of God as revealed in the Bible!
In Matthew 15:8-9 Jesus well said, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men/" To render acceptable worship to God, you don t need the doctrines of men. You need to accept only God s word. God has revealed His word through Jesus, through the Spirit, to the Apostles, written in the New Testament. God is talking to you! Are you listening?