In the Christian life, God’s Word has priority. Our faith collapses unless it’s based on something solid. The Bible fits the bill.
Romans 10:17 outlines the pattern for spiritual growth: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” First the Gospel, then listening, and then believing. The Bible comes first.
But sometimes, our faith precedes the Scriptures.
“The church is the New Jerusalem.”
That’s what popped into my head years ago as I sat back to hear the church worship team rehearse for a Sunday night service. I was a custodian at Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach, CA, and after completing most of my work, I took a breather. Listening to the band, I felt peaceful and relaxed.
I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular when out of the blue, that sentence arose in my mind. It was almost audible. I accepted it half-consciously and then jerked awake! “Wait, what?” Is this true? How could I verify it? By going to the Word.
Revelation 19:7-8 identifies the saints as the bride of the Lamb. (The book of Revelation symbolizes Jesus Christ as a lamb.) “‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Then in Revelation 21:9-11, the apostle John recounts the following: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.”
Did you catch that? “I will show you the bride of Christ.” “He showed me the New Jerusalem.” The angel didn’t slip up; he showed John that the bride is the city.
But didn’t 19:7-8 identify the bride as the church? Good observation! Yes, it did. So which is correct?
Just use the transitive property. You remember that from high school math?
If A = B and B = C, then A = C.
If Church = Bride and Bride = City, then Church = City. Simple logic: the church is the New Jerusalem!
I didn’t reason through all these verses when I heard that statement. I just believed it. In my heart, I knew it was true.
But I had to make sure; I had to test that word with the Word. And that’s always a safe thing to practice.
If you don’t, you might confuse your ideas with God’s voice. And even if you did hear from the Lord, how would anyone else know? They didn’t hear Him; they just listened to you tell them what you heard. And that’s not enough. No disrespect, but they need more.
So give it to them. Take the time to dig into the Bible. Test what you hear; the Scriptures will confirm a thought from the Holy Spirit. It will also clarify what fails the test.
Again, God didn’t inundate me with all these verses from Revelation; the Spirit just spoke one sentence. I didn’t doubt it, but I wanted back up. And in searching through God’s Word, I found it.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you seek to grow as a follower of Jesus:
- Base your life and ministry on God’s Word. Give it priority.
- Don’t dismiss “Wordless” experiences out of hand. You may hear a thought, an explanation, or maybe some direction. You’d like to believe that it’s from the Lord, but you’re uncertain.
- Double-check those ideas. Compare them with Scripture. If they can’t pass the test, let them go. If they do, great! You heard Jesus!
- Know the Word and grow in the Spirit. They go together, they work together. You don’t have to choose one over the other. You need both. And God delights to give you both.
So as you follow Jesus, count on the fact that He will talk to you. And trust Him to substantiate everything He tells you. You’ll know and you’ll grow!
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