This is the third part of a short series on our capacity in Christ to impart life and blessings to others through our words. I want to say again that because, as believers, we have been given authority to represent or re-present Jesus to the world, our words are much more than sentiments hoping that God will be kind to someone. Our words literally direct the power of heaven because we have been commissioned to go and do what Jesus did. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (Jn.14:12-14).

Jesus modeled the life that every believer is capable of living by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. Remember when he told Philip that if anyone had seen Jesus he or she had seen the Father. That is the definition of representation. The question then is simply how did Jesus operate as a representative of the Father while he was on the earth in the flesh. We know he lived a perfect life and loved everyone. But most of his representation was accomplished through his words as he directed the power of heaven.

When he said, “Be healed,” the power of heaven was released into a person’s body and God’s will was done on earth, in that body, as it is in heaven. He released the freedom of heaven by his words when he commanded demons to “Come out!” He overcame untimely death with his words when he commanded the dead to “Come forth.” He stilled storms that were putting lives at risk when he declared, “Peace, be still.” The words of the Son of Man who was representing the Father directed the power of heaven. Jesus had been given a commission by the Father. He spoke of that commission when he said, “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon be because he has anointed me to preach good news …bind up the broken hearted…set captives free” (Luke 4). Where there is an anointing there has already been an appointing or a commissioning. God doesn’t commission men and women without giving them authority and power to carry out the assignment. Jesus understood his authority and the Father’s willingness to back him up and so he fulfilled his commission, primarily through the words he spoke – prayers, declarations, and commands.

We are now the representatives of Jesus and have been given a commission to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus has commissioned us to go and do what he did in his public ministry as the Son of Man. We too are to heal, to bless, to set free, to calm the storms of life, and so forth just as he did. Like Jesus, we will do most of that through our words as we direct the power of heaven and the presence of God into the lives and situations of others.

Now…like all things in the kingdom, our words must be accompanied by faith in order to move heaven. We should have faith in the authority of our words because of what Jesus has done for us and because the very presence of God lives in us as the Holy Spirit. Peter tells us, “Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Pet. 4:11). Peter’s command suggests that our words should be purposeful and intentional and that we should be aware of the authority attached to them. When we say to someone, “The Lord bless you,” we should fully expect a blessing to be released to that person because we have directed that blessing. When we say, “Be healed,” we should fully expect the power of the Spirit to be released and for healing to occur because we have directed that healing. When we command, “Come out,” we should fully expect the angels of God to enforce our command because our words direct the power of heaven.

If the tongue has the power of life and death and we are to be dispensers of life, then we can expect God to make good on our representation of his Son as we administer his grace to those we encounter. This position is, of course, a great privilege and a great responsibility. We should not be a people who are careless with words or a people who feel that our words are merely sentiments. We are to be intentional dispensers of life – God’s love and blessings – in this world and he has appointed us and anointed us to do so. When we speak, we must speak as we believe Jesus would speak in that situation and have faith that the Father will move to re-present his son through us. Have faith that he will and see what happens. Our words of faith that reproduce what Jesus did while he was on this earth bring glory to both the Son and the Father and all of heaven is poised to do just that. Speak life and expect heaven to move. Be blessed as you bless others.