Language

When I was younger in my walk with Christ, I used to wonder why I was held out from mainstream religion. It wasn't as popular a position then as it is now. But then later, in my mature years, as I was introduced to “Christian Speak” through the interaction with others on the internet, I began to understand somewhat better. God puts everything in place to His good purpose. I don’t feel the need to waste time explaining why I know this must be said so I’m going to get right to the point. God is gracious and able to speak to whomever He calls in the way each can hear. This is the bottom line truth underneath what I am about to expound on so keep this in the forefront of your mind. But know this, when I asked for a Scripture to confirm what I am going to address here, my Bible fell open to 1 Corinthians 14:11-19:

(14:11) If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me. (14:12) So also ye, since ye are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the church. (14:13) Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret. (14:14) For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. (14:15) What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (14:16) Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest? (14:17) For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. (14:18) I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all: (14:19) howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

You’re wondering: why is she telling me this? I know this Scripture, it’s about not speaking in tongues unless there is an interpreter. But do you understand that this is as much about spiritual language as it is about the differences in worldly language? Only the Holy Spirit can understand the heavenly language so God speaks to those whom He calls in the way each can hear and there are three major distinctions of spiritual language:

Secular wisdom spoken via spiritual language
Spiritual wisdom spoken via secular language
Spiritual wisdom spoken via spiritual language

New Agers speak in a spiritual language but the message is shallow, based in “self-awareness” and entirely of this world. This is why “spiritualism” and the language that expresses it, is not necessarily founded in the higher truth from the Living God merely because the root word is “spirit”. Do not forget that Satan knows spiritual language too and the Great Deceiver is a gifted and convincing orator. But the Living God knows that some ears are trained up and already in tune with the truths delivered with Biblical language and so there are those appointed to employ this vernacular to reach out to those who can hear it. And that’s all fine and good.

But our gracious Father also knows that most folks not only do not understand Biblical language, more often than not they are put off by it and can quickly miss the call because of the confusion and discomfort it causes them. Some fundamentalists believe this to be a litmus test. They pour out their righteous words on the unsaved and when the litany of “Thus sayeth the Lord” or “Let us stand in the gap for him” pings off then this person may be deemed unsanctifiable. Or with great good intentions they will feel obligated to first save and then bring the sheep into the fold by indoctrinating in the proper language of God. Sometimes the sheep appear to get it, sometimes they fall away for no other reason than they find it to be emotionally binding but not particularly applicable to them or their everyday lives because they never feel fully comfortable or adopted in.

The pitfall, and where many fail in their vigor to win more souls to Christ, is believing there is only one way to say it, one way to do it, i.e., force feeding and/or what is tantamount to nothing more than emotional blackmail. “Be like this, talk like this, do this, or burn in hell.” Those who speak spiritual wisdom in a secular voice are less likely to fall into this pit but they also can be somewhat judgmental about those who do harvest many souls with a more religious voice. Either point of view pretty much overrides and excludes the power of the Holy Spirit does it not? And furthermore, neither language, whether spiritually laced or in plain common parlance is correct when administered outside of knowing that either way is only useful because it is the way appointed individually. The gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 delineate great diversity not rigidity.

(12:1) Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant. (12:2) Ye know that when ye were Gentiles [ye were] led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might led. (12:3) Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit. (12:4) Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (12:5) And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. (12:6) And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. (12:7) But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. (12:8) For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: (12:9) to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; (12:10) and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues: (12:11) but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will. (12:12) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.

If we are going to be truly effective for the Kingdom, we must first grasp how big our King truly is. And it’s not likely that is even possible, but we can, at the very least, embrace that we don’t even know what or how much we don’t know yet. That’s how big big is when we are referencing Christ. Once we wrap our brains around how little and ignorant we are by comparison, we suddenly find that our data base, the knowledge we depend so heavily on, needs to be updated daily. This leaves little room for the spirit squelching rules of legalism because the guidelines God lays out for us, as we step out daily in faith as His disciples, will never fall within the boundaries of human concept or design.

How can we even dare to presume we can do otherwise than simply listen, obey and trust? Go where and how He leads. Pay attention when He is trying to tell us something even if it doesn't align with what we think we already know.