I felt compelled to write this rambling response to a friend on facebook today asking about the sufficiency of God's word. My response is pretty much what you see below with little editing. Let me know what you think. God bless!
I am charismatic I am a very conservative one. I do not speak in tongues, and I am appalled at much of the garbage and heresy that is credited to the Holy Spirit in this day and age. That said I do believe that some do speak in tongues, God does speak outside of but never against His written word, and that miracles do happen.
I believe that God's word is sufficient in all things. No one ever needs anything more than is revealed and taught there. However, I see no exegetical proof(I did not say inference, or evidence, but proof.)that can be construed to make me believe that a Sovereign God can not choose to speak and act directly in His creation today.
Again, there never need be any prophecies spoken over people or special "Words from God" anymore. Nor any other miraculous sign done. Nor had there ever been a "need", all were and are now works of God by His grace for the furtherance of His glory. However, I can not see Biblical exegetical proof that God does not ever move in this way anymore.
In fact I have seen and testify that He indeed does move in these ways today.
Before I go on though, please know I understand this is a hot button issue with many and I understand your trepidation due to the garbage I spoke of above. Please know I may disagree with you but I by no means feel you are heretics or lacking in anything God has for you at this time. I pray you feel the same for me. We are all desperately in need of His grace for every breath and for our eternal salvation. I write this for things to chew on not divide on. God bless!
To start. Is not answered prayer the most common example of God's specific will being revealed to His saints? This is indeed mandated in scripture that we pray and the answers while rarely verbal communication are undoubtedly communicated to His saints one way or the other. Often the answers we receive are specific and as such can not be anything but special revelation.
Of course that does not absolve us of determining if the answer we have received is in line with the guidelines given us in scripture. That is where so many go astray. They believe their answered prayer or word from the Lord is exactly that while never matching it with what scripture says in regard to that issue.
Yet, I've seen and heard "Words of Knowledge" spoken. I've heard from the mouth of a recent convert in Africa specifically how Jesus came to him in prison in a vision calling this man from Islam. The specific words Jesus spoke to this man were practically scripture as Jesus told him to, "Follow me and you will have eternal life."
I know a pastor who is not a wild, name it and claim it pentecostal, that says he felt compelled by God to write letters to at least three different people that were pages long that spoke directly to sins and struggles in these peoples lives that he knew absolutely nothing about when writing them. However, when they all approached him later in varying emotional states everyone of them said that the letters were exactly true.
This pastor was adamant that he wasn't comparing his letters with scripture. However, each of these letters was used by God to bring people to Himself in repentance and/or closer fellowship. Each one drove the recipient back to scripture and/or fellowship in the local body.
I do know also of friends who have had what they call "prophecies" spoken over them. While I am always skeptical on hearing anyone say things like this, I have also heard the testimony from the mouths of these people declaring the fulfillment in their very lives regarding these "prophecies".
My pastor who recently retired after nearly 30 years of pastoring has told stories of divine direction. One very specific story was of how he was directed by God's spirit when leaving a campground to return home from a time of prayer and study.
My pastor was ready to turn left and head home as he planned. However, he felt compelled for reasons he couldn't explain to turn right instead and drive up mountain. In short he found an older couple on the side of the road who had prayed for God's intervention as their car had died a long way up the road. They were stopping now to die in the snow drifts. My pastor stopping was answer to prayer.
One man who was legally blind from Macular Degeneration was healed at a Men's retreat of ours. I know this man and know he couldn't drive and needed glasses to even see a few feet in front of his face who now sees clearly without glasses and drives again.
He didn't even get healed from a laying on of hands. He was simply praising God during a worship time at the retreat and he all of a sudden realized he could read the exit sign fifty feet at the back of the church.
In fact the same pastor who wrote those letters I told of above was there and even didn't believe him until he did an impromptu eye exam on this brother. He nor I nor anybody in my or his church are wild pentecostals and are even skeptical when things like this happen. That said my friend is walking proof to this miracle.
I could go on and on. However, I just wanted to give some examples of God speaking and moving outside of the pages of scripture today. Again, while I know He has never had and never will have any obligation to move outside of His word He has never bound His sovereignty by His word to not do so.
If we are honest I think we'll see He does indeed move outside of the bounds of scripture today. However, He never moves in ways contrary to scripture. We need to test all things as commanded by the scriptures to see if they are true.
Much of the garbage attributed to the Holy Spirit these days is appalling and I understand why many I believe see these travesties and then happily adopt a cessationist position as a response.
I am tempted often to do the same. However, I am compelled by what I see in scripture to believe that we need to combat the heresy of the heretics with scripture. Not abandon the truth that God is sovereign and can and does still move in the miraculous for His glory.
God bless all and thanks for enduring the ramblings!
I am charismatic I am a very conservative one. I do not speak in tongues, and I am appalled at much of the garbage and heresy that is credited to the Holy Spirit in this day and age. That said I do believe that some do speak in tongues, God does speak outside of but never against His written word, and that miracles do happen.
I believe that God's word is sufficient in all things. No one ever needs anything more than is revealed and taught there. However, I see no exegetical proof(I did not say inference, or evidence, but proof.)that can be construed to make me believe that a Sovereign God can not choose to speak and act directly in His creation today.
Again, there never need be any prophecies spoken over people or special "Words from God" anymore. Nor any other miraculous sign done. Nor had there ever been a "need", all were and are now works of God by His grace for the furtherance of His glory. However, I can not see Biblical exegetical proof that God does not ever move in this way anymore.
In fact I have seen and testify that He indeed does move in these ways today.
Before I go on though, please know I understand this is a hot button issue with many and I understand your trepidation due to the garbage I spoke of above. Please know I may disagree with you but I by no means feel you are heretics or lacking in anything God has for you at this time. I pray you feel the same for me. We are all desperately in need of His grace for every breath and for our eternal salvation. I write this for things to chew on not divide on. God bless!
To start. Is not answered prayer the most common example of God's specific will being revealed to His saints? This is indeed mandated in scripture that we pray and the answers while rarely verbal communication are undoubtedly communicated to His saints one way or the other. Often the answers we receive are specific and as such can not be anything but special revelation.
Of course that does not absolve us of determining if the answer we have received is in line with the guidelines given us in scripture. That is where so many go astray. They believe their answered prayer or word from the Lord is exactly that while never matching it with what scripture says in regard to that issue.
Yet, I've seen and heard "Words of Knowledge" spoken. I've heard from the mouth of a recent convert in Africa specifically how Jesus came to him in prison in a vision calling this man from Islam. The specific words Jesus spoke to this man were practically scripture as Jesus told him to, "Follow me and you will have eternal life."
I know a pastor who is not a wild, name it and claim it pentecostal, that says he felt compelled by God to write letters to at least three different people that were pages long that spoke directly to sins and struggles in these peoples lives that he knew absolutely nothing about when writing them. However, when they all approached him later in varying emotional states everyone of them said that the letters were exactly true.
This pastor was adamant that he wasn't comparing his letters with scripture. However, each of these letters was used by God to bring people to Himself in repentance and/or closer fellowship. Each one drove the recipient back to scripture and/or fellowship in the local body.
I do know also of friends who have had what they call "prophecies" spoken over them. While I am always skeptical on hearing anyone say things like this, I have also heard the testimony from the mouths of these people declaring the fulfillment in their very lives regarding these "prophecies".
My pastor who recently retired after nearly 30 years of pastoring has told stories of divine direction. One very specific story was of how he was directed by God's spirit when leaving a campground to return home from a time of prayer and study.
My pastor was ready to turn left and head home as he planned. However, he felt compelled for reasons he couldn't explain to turn right instead and drive up mountain. In short he found an older couple on the side of the road who had prayed for God's intervention as their car had died a long way up the road. They were stopping now to die in the snow drifts. My pastor stopping was answer to prayer.
One man who was legally blind from Macular Degeneration was healed at a Men's retreat of ours. I know this man and know he couldn't drive and needed glasses to even see a few feet in front of his face who now sees clearly without glasses and drives again.
He didn't even get healed from a laying on of hands. He was simply praising God during a worship time at the retreat and he all of a sudden realized he could read the exit sign fifty feet at the back of the church.
In fact the same pastor who wrote those letters I told of above was there and even didn't believe him until he did an impromptu eye exam on this brother. He nor I nor anybody in my or his church are wild pentecostals and are even skeptical when things like this happen. That said my friend is walking proof to this miracle.
I could go on and on. However, I just wanted to give some examples of God speaking and moving outside of the pages of scripture today. Again, while I know He has never had and never will have any obligation to move outside of His word He has never bound His sovereignty by His word to not do so.
If we are honest I think we'll see He does indeed move outside of the bounds of scripture today. However, He never moves in ways contrary to scripture. We need to test all things as commanded by the scriptures to see if they are true.
Much of the garbage attributed to the Holy Spirit these days is appalling and I understand why many I believe see these travesties and then happily adopt a cessationist position as a response.
I am tempted often to do the same. However, I am compelled by what I see in scripture to believe that we need to combat the heresy of the heretics with scripture. Not abandon the truth that God is sovereign and can and does still move in the miraculous for His glory.
God bless all and thanks for enduring the ramblings!
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