Your Just Like Your Father

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." (Ephesians 5:1) This literally means that believers are to act like God Himself in the same manner that Jesus, the Son of God did as we will see shortly. Now for many, this may seem difficult to believe or it might even seem absurd, but there lies the problem, not agreeing with God's Word. Jesus tells a parable that reveals why many people have such a difficult time believing God's Word. He teaches us a parable that we have entitled "The Parable of the Soils." In it, He reveals some important information by asking two questions, "...Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13) So, why is this parable so important for believers to understand?

Jesus starts the parable by saying, “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." (Mark 4:3) To get a better understanding of this parable, we must first "listen" with our spiritual ears. Simply listening with our natural ears will not open our spirits to what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us. In Jesus' explanation of this Parable, He tells us, "The sower sows the word" that is, the Word of God. (Mark 4:14) Simply put, to sow is to scatter (seed) over the ground for growing. In this Parable the ground in which God's Word is to be sown, is the human heart, that is, man's spirit. There is an important reason why sowing God's Word is so vitally important, "that you (all believers) may be filled with the knowledge (complete, concise, full knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." (Colossians 1:9)

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle James tells us,  "...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul." (James 1:21) So we can see, the more a believer sows God's Word, that is, speak or confess it with the mouth, the more they become imitators of God, as we saw in the above verses. The Apostles Paul also says, "...being transformed into the same image (of the Lord) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) Unfortunately, for many believers, they are quick to gloss over this highly important point in this particular Parable. Let's look at why this is so.

In Genesis chapter one we see the account of creation. Nine times we see, "God said...and it was so." (Genesis 1:3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 20-21, 24, 26-31) In the earth ministry of Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus tells us, "...Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19) "...I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." (John 8:28) "...I always do those things that please Him (the Father)." (John 8:29) "I speak what I have seen with My Father..." (John 8:38) "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50) Without doubt, Jesus was imitating God, His Father in His words and actions. Do you see the pattern here? "God said...and it was so." Jesus only spoke the words of the Father and I might add, it too, was so.

It is no different for the believer. Believers are to be imitators of our Heavenly Father just like Jesus was during His ministry on earth. This is one of the most important areas for the believers life, sow (speak) God's Word continuously. Moses went to Pharaoh a number of times and spoke God's Word to Him in saying, "The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you saying, Let My people go..." (Exodus 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, ) If we fully read this account, we will see that Moses continually spoke God's Word, the Word eventually prevailed over the circumstances and the children of Israel were released from their bondage. (Exodus 12:31) But it did not stop there. Not only were they released from bondage, they also left Egypt with their possessions, all of the Egyptians wealth, (Exodus 12:31-36) and the entire nation of Israel had perfect health. (Psalm 105:37)

God tells Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8) Notice, the first thing that God tells Joshua concerning His word is, "This Book of the Law (God's Word) shall not depart from your mouth..." God commanded Joshua first and foremost to continuously speak His Word. Why is that? Paul tells us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) We are to speak, that is, confess God's Word because it causes faith grow. Paul does not say that faith comes by having heard the Word, but hearing and hearing and hearing, etc. the Word of God.

God also gives us a wonderful promise concerning His Word. "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) What a wonderful promise! We also see, "The Word of God is living and powerful..." (Hebrews 4:12) God's Word is as powerful today as it was when He first spoke it. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8) So, we have a choice. We can confess God's Word continuously, have our faith built up, see the salvation of the Lord, and live in victory triumphing over the circumstances, or we can confess the problems of life, muddle our way through life and literally let the problems squeeze the life out of us.

Let us look at God's Word spoken through Solomon and Jesus and learn, "You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth." (Proverbs 6:2) "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) In other words, the words of the flesh have no intrinsic value because they do not produce life. In fact, as we saw in Proverbs, negative confession literally snares us, traps us, and produces death.

I want to encourage and challenge you today to speak by declaring the  following verses over yourself daily until your faith rises up, "I declare that I will not let any corrupt word proceed out of my mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And I will not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom I am sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:29-30) Corrupt words do not only mean obscene or filthy conversation, but any words that do not produce good fruit. Yes, corrupt words from our mouth will grieve the Holy Spirit. So, let us begin to speak edifying words by also doing as Paul tells us, "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Exercising an attitude of thanksgiving in all things will aid us in promoting healthy, edifying, good fruit bearing words, that is, confessing God's Word, because it always bears good fruit. Let us be imitators of God as His dear children.