In the Holy Bible, God shows us the power of the Word. What we speak with our tongues has power to change our lives and other peoples’ lives. In Proverbs 18:21 we read, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” So to gain power and faciliate the work of God in our lives, we must guard our tongues very closely. The tongue is the instrument of change, but the tongue is also the tool of the mind. If our minds are filled with Christ (1 Cor 2:16), then our tongues will will reflect the content of our thoughts. One particularly powerful instrument of the mind is the “I am” statement. Jesus gave us seven I am statements in the Bible: “I am the resurrection,” “I am the good shepherd. ” “I am the gate,” “I am the way, the truth and the life.” “I am the vine,” “I am the bread of life,” and “I am the light of the world.” These affirmations cement the truth within ourselves and to others. What we say matters because mysteriously, the Word is an active instrument that creates reality. Truth and thus reality functions from the spoken word. God created the world through the word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3). We own what we say. If we confess to following Christ, we own that witness. If we deny Christ we own it too: “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Mat. 10:33). Christ made 7 “I am” statements because that is who Jesus is. Jesus is the gate, and the way and truth and life; Jesus is the light of the world, and so on. Who are you? What do you claim about yourself?
