The Tongue of a Disciple

“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of a disciple, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back.” (Isa 50:4-5)

What is a “tongue of a disciple”?

The tongue is the agent of speech. Speech is the agent of communication. Communication is the divinely orchestrated transference of thoughts, which are the influence upon the thinking of men. And the essence of all of life is in a man’s thinking. “As a man thinks, so is he.” As Bill Johnson would say it, “a renewed mind is a transformed life.” Our thinking patterns determine our living in this world.

The tongue is the release of what has been put in a man’s heart.

The tongue is the agent of communicating that which you are inside. Jesus said, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Watchman Nee said, “If you want to know a man, hear him speak.” Jesus dwells in our “hearts by faith” so He should overflow out of our mouths. The tongue of a disciple is the transference of that which a disciple has learned from God Himself. Disciple means learner.  This tongue is an automatic gift from God when we have learned from Him.  We must come to God.

We need to understand this, “The tongue of a disciple is the transference of what JESUS has taught us, and this, by revelation of Himself.”

Notice what is connected with the tongue of a disciple, “He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple.”

To ever speak as a disciple, it is a prerequisite that we hear as a disciple. The ear comes first, the tongue comes second and all of which comes from being with God Himself. We must hear Him! Hearing God is the transference of Himself into us. Madame Guyon said, “God longs to communicate Himself to us.” T. Austin Sparks said, “God speaks Himself.”

It is hearing God that makes us like Him. “…all we need for Life and God-likeness through the knowledge of Him…” It is a revelation of God, given by God, that makes us like God. There is no other way–no other way to obtain the transference of God into us than our hearing of His speaking. Gen 2.7 shows us life entering into man through what comes from God’s mouth. Prov. 2 tells us that coming forth from His mouth is “Wisdom and Knowledge.” 1 Cor. 1 tells us that Jesus is unto us Wisdom. He is the speaking of God. Jesus Christ is formed in us, as Paul prayed for the Philippians, by the transference of Christ from God’s mouth. This is revelation. Revelation from God, may not make us incredible information retainers or full of wisdom that confounds all our hearers.  What we know it will do is this; make you just like Jesus inside.  For His words are Spirit and life.  The mind set on Him is life and peace.  The Holy Spirit’s results are the character of Jesus. We will find Christ’s formation inside of us by this means.

This is written to us as a daily thing, “Morning by morning.” Morning implies first place, discipline and diligence. His voice is the first priority. Robert Gladstone said, “If we don’t live by revelation we don’t live.” God tells us that, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that cometh from the mouth of God.”

Be with God to hear God. Hear God to become like God. Become like God to transfer God into others. The disciples were with Christ. Andrew Murray said, “the presence of Christ was the training of the disciples.” This is so true that they took notice in Acts that the men, “had been with Jesus.” Peter tried to disguise himself from the little girl who asked him if he had been with Jesus, by changing his speaking.

We are His spokesmen. We are His medium to the world. Our eyes should glow God and our mouths should deliver God, because we have been much with God; hearing Him and receiving Him into ourselves. Leonard Ravenhill said, “to be much for God we must be much with God.” The prophet speaks of the need to “listen.” This implies the stillness before God. This is the ceasing of our outflow to receive His inflow. Zech 2.13 says, “let all the people be still, before the Lord. He is coming from His mountain…” The disposition of a spiritual man is, stillness in His presence and fixation upon Him alone. This is the place where God, “opens your ear.” All our ears are shut until God opens them. They are only opened in humble stillness in His presence fixed upon Him…listening.

Notice that the outcome was, “I was not disobedient nor did I turn back.” Absolute dedication and consecration with a zeal to obey radically is the simultaneous installation of God inside of us performed only by His speaking.

Lastly, notice the purpose for the tongue of a disciple is for other people. “That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.” Isn’t that just like Him who lays down His life? Isn’t that in accordance with Him who is absolutely selfless in love and calls us to be the same? We are to encourage each other while it is called today. Not just with nice flowery words, but with messages, no matter how small, that have come forth from the counsel of the Most High. We must speak to the thirsty heathen with words dripping with the fountain of living water.  With an increase of revelation comes and increase of obligation because of the divine transformation.