03 Oct What Would Jesus Say?

How do we know if what we are hearing is from God? How do we know it’s not just a figment of our overactive imagination? Or something we made up?

We are told to test the spirits to see if they’re from God (1 John 4:1). Perhaps the best way to do this is to ask another question – Is this something God would say?

But how do we know if it’s something God would say?

Most people believe in God. Statistics put it up there in the 90-95% range depending on what part of the world we’re in. Belief in the concept of God has never been the issue. Instead it’s always been; ‘What God is like?’ All religions are offered up in answer to this question. How do we know someone we can’t see?

God solves this problem by allowing us to see him. Jesus is presented as the invisible God made flesh (Colossians 1:15). A living walking embodiment of God’s nature.

So in testing a revelation to see if it’s from God, we could ask, Is this something Jesus would say? Is it consistent with the teachings he gave and the way he treated others? Does it align with the truths that he spoke of and the things he did? Ultimately does it echo the heart of a God who lay down his life for others?

It’s not the only way to test a word. But if the revelation doesn’t first pass through this filter, we can say definitively that whatever we hear, no matter how inspiring or spectacular, isn’t sourced in the heart of God.