There are many people who have written on this subject. I am not going to say anything they haven't already said, with great wisdom. Before we get started I wanted to list one person in particular who has the clout to talk about hearing from God and acting on what God says. His name is Bill Hybels, Pastor of Willow Creek Church in the Chicago area. Bill wrote a book called The Power of a Whisper. He has waited 30+ years to write the book so that He could back it up. Check it out here.
[Part 3 of 3]
Test what you've heard with the Word.
God never speaks outside the boundaries of His Word. God has limited Himself by His Word. When Jesus was being tempted in Matthew 4:1-11 he said the phrase "It is written..." Jesus, being fully man and fully God was limited to the Word of God. God has voluntarily limited Himself to His Word. In other words, God will never tell us to do something that steps outside the boundaries of His written Word.
When God speaks to us, we must test it with His Word. We must make sure when God whispers to us (as mentioned in part 2) to test the whisper with His Word. We must differentiate between self and God. Sometimes it can be hard but if we want something bad enough, we can believe God is leading us to act on something when that is not the case at all.
If there's ever a doubt about the response to a whisper being outside the limits of God's Word, don't act. Seek guidance from a Pastor or trusted friend who is a step ahead of you in their Christian walk. Why a step ahead? So they can impart their experiences, knowledge, and wisdom to you. Remember, God also whispers through other people! God will never lead you to hurt someone or sin against Him in anyway. Many people have done stupid things in the name of God. Trust me, those people will get what they deserve. The wisdom of God will lead us to test what we've heard with the Word.
Some things don't need testing. Let's say your out working in your yard and you see a neighbor who needs help. You don't need to grab your Bible and see if you can find a passage to confirm helping your neighbor. "Love your neighbor as yourself" will suffice. Some things are common sense spiritually.
When there's a question: Test what we've heard with the Word!
To Recap: God is always speaking. When we hear Him, we must respond. After all, that is what listening means! God speaks through Sinai experiences (sometimes) and whispers (most often)! Test what you've heard with the Word!
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Test what you've heard with the Word.
God never speaks outside the boundaries of His Word. God has limited Himself by His Word. When Jesus was being tempted in Matthew 4:1-11 he said the phrase "It is written..." Jesus, being fully man and fully God was limited to the Word of God. God has voluntarily limited Himself to His Word. In other words, God will never tell us to do something that steps outside the boundaries of His written Word.
When God speaks to us, we must test it with His Word. We must make sure when God whispers to us (as mentioned in part 2) to test the whisper with His Word. We must differentiate between self and God. Sometimes it can be hard but if we want something bad enough, we can believe God is leading us to act on something when that is not the case at all.
If there's ever a doubt about the response to a whisper being outside the limits of God's Word, don't act. Seek guidance from a Pastor or trusted friend who is a step ahead of you in their Christian walk. Why a step ahead? So they can impart their experiences, knowledge, and wisdom to you. Remember, God also whispers through other people! God will never lead you to hurt someone or sin against Him in anyway. Many people have done stupid things in the name of God. Trust me, those people will get what they deserve. The wisdom of God will lead us to test what we've heard with the Word.
Some things don't need testing. Let's say your out working in your yard and you see a neighbor who needs help. You don't need to grab your Bible and see if you can find a passage to confirm helping your neighbor. "Love your neighbor as yourself" will suffice. Some things are common sense spiritually.
When there's a question: Test what we've heard with the Word!
To Recap: God is always speaking. When we hear Him, we must respond. After all, that is what listening means! God speaks through Sinai experiences (sometimes) and whispers (most often)! Test what you've heard with the Word!
