7. WORD-GIVEN LIKE HIM

In His intercessory prayer Jesus said of the disciples,

John 17:8 "For I have given to them the words (Greek: rhema) which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me."

Jesus gave to the disciples the fresh communication He was given by the Father. The Greek word 'rhema' denotes that which is spoken. The disciples were treated as "friends" and Jesus shared with them the "now" intimate words of the Father. Hearing the spoken words of the Father brought the response of faith in the disciples. It still does:

Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

It was hearing the living, spoken word, the 'rhema' of God, that made them:

Receive as from the Father.
Know that Jesus was from the Father.
Believe that Jesus was sent from the Father.

Giving to them the spoken word of the Father, the 'rhema', brought them into intimate nearness to the Father. His sent ones are as He was. Peter and John answered the Sanhedrin,

Acts 4:20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Paul testified that he was told by Ananias,

Acts 22:15 "For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard."

Sent ones are to hear what we can call the "now" word of God, for those to whom they witness. Having the 'rhema' (spoken word) of God is essential to kingdom warfare.

"The significance of 'rhema' (as distinct from 'logos') is exemplified in the injunction to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17 ). Here, the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in the time of need," W.E. Vine

The sword of the Spirit which is the word (rhema) of God. What an all-sufficient weapon it is! The word of the living God. It was the weapon with which Christ defeated Satan in the wilderness test. By the same weapon we too may overcome. When Jesus was tempted by Satan to move away from dependence on the Father by the act of self-gratification of turning stones to bread, He answered,

Matthew 4:4 "... It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Kingdom sons are sustained by their dependency on the living, now word that proceeds from the mouth of God. As His sent ones we are to hear the now word, live by it, declare it, impart its life to others, put the enemy to flight with it. Be word-given for the now, like Him, for "as" He was sent, "also" we are sent.