Does God Speak Chapter 1

Bible Only

God's Written Word: His Only Word Some believe God rarely, if ever, speaks to people today. Proponents of this view contend that God perfectly revealed everything people need to know about himself, salvation, and the Christian life in the Bible. Regarding God's will, they argue that apart from what people can discern in the Bible, they need no further word from God. Since the Bible was divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, God has no need to supplement it with a fresh word today. For God to speak to someone today would be to “add” to Scripture. Rather than seeking personal communication with God, people should concentrate on following the teachings and commandments already found in Scripture. Advocates of this view tend to act as if the Holy Spirit spoke to inspire Scripture but he does not speak today to apply Scripture. As long as people are careful not to violate the laws and principles set forth in the Bible, they are capable of making their own choices and are free to do so.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 3). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

This decision-making approach has proven appealing to many because it aligns with two widely held assumptions about God: (1) God is too busy managing a vast universe to bother with the personal lives of billions of people and their comparatively minor issues; (2) God made people in his image, so we must be capable of making good decisions. After all, he gave us our brains.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 4). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

People who make decisions based merely on what seems most advisable to them will inevitably choose something inferior to God's best. History's overwhelming testimony is that the most brilliant human reasoning has proven inadequate to save humanity from its own frailty. To claim people can determine the best course of action apart from God's guidance is to ignore Scripture's clear teaching concerning humankind's degenerate condition (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:9–18). Numerous warnings throughout the Bible advise against making decisions apart from God's involvement: The writer of Proverbs warned: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12). The apostle Paul speaks of God as “able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think—according to the power that works in you” (Eph. 3:20).

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 5). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Experience Only

This approach elevates our experience over the Bible. Some people will disregard the truths of the Bible to claim God spoke to them and that is more reliable than the Bible.

David Koresh Example

Part of the problem today is that many Christians have a tenuous view of absolute truth. When Christians have been polled concerning whether they believe in absolute truth, their response has almost mirrored that of non-Christians. The result is that even when Christians read what God says in the Bible, they will not accept it as truth if it does not match their experience. Instead, many Christians reinterpret the Bible to match their experience. They say things like, “I know Jesus said to love our enemies, but that person doesn't deserve to be forgiven after what he did!” We must not take the words of Scripture and run them through the filter of our own beliefs and feelings in order to decide what the Bible verse means to us. Such an approach mistakenly elevates experience over the Word of God.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 9). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Experience is important but God’s Word is more reliable. God will never tell you something that contradicts His Word.

Doctrine Only

Christian Doctrine: An Impersonal Approach Another school of thought influences the way people approach their relationship with God. This view elevates doctrine and diminishes Christian experience. It challenges the position that the Christian life is a dynamic relationship with a Person who communicates regularly with his people.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 10). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

They find safety in theology, so they cling to dogma and facts about Christ rather than enjoying a vibrant relationship with him. They summarily reject the availability of God's personal guidance and opt instead for a lifeless set of doctrines. The fact is, theology is extremely important in the Christian's life. We have both spent our lives studying theology; however, we contend that while theology should inform a Christian's relationship with God, it should never take its place.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 11). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

When you become a Christian, a collection of doctrines does not take up residence within you. Christ does (Gal. 2:20). The doctrine of salvation simply explains the process. When you are converted, you do not yield your will to a set of theological maxims but to the Lord of life. Your theology of Christ and his lordship describes the reality of this relationship. Doctrines do not save or transform lives. Christ does. Doctrines do not give specific guidance to lives. A divine Person does. You do not pray to a doctrine; you pray to a Person. Merely to believe and understand a doctrine is not to experience the abundant life Christ desires for you. In order to do that, you need to experience a Person. The doctrine can lead you to Christ, but it can never substitute for him.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 11-12). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

A person can know theology and doctrine and fail to know Jesus. This is a tragedy!

“But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ.…My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:7–8, 10 HCSB).

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 14). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

A Personal Approach

When God speaks, he does not give new revelation about himself that contradicts what he has already revealed in Scripture. Rather, God speaks to give application of his Word to the specific circumstances in your life. When God speaks to you, he is not writing a new book of Scripture; rather, he is applying to your life what he has already said in his Word.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 18). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

We contend that God does speak to his people. However, people must be prepared to hear what he is saying. It is crucial that Christians clearly understand what God is communicating to them and know how to respond appropriately. The question, then, is not whether God speaks to his people but how he does so.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 17). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. John 14:23

Questions

1. When was the last time you clearly heard God speak? What did he say?

2. Has God spoken to you in different ways in the past?

3. If you have not heard God speaking recently, why do you think that may be?

4. What are the times in your life when you feel you need to hear from God?

5. Are you more comfortable believing truths about God or relating to God personally?

6. What adjustments do you need to make in order to hear God's voice when he speaks to you?

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 18-19). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.