There is little I have less tolerance for than the person who claims they know you are wrong because God told them so. How might you respond to such a person? Let me illustrate one method in the form of a dialogue:
David: That’s not what that verse means.
Jason: Why do you disagree with my interpretation?
David: The Holy Spirit revealed to me that it means X.
Jason: That’s funny. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that it means Y.
David: No he didn’t. The Spirit cannot contradict Himself, and I know He told me it means X.
Jason: I agree with you that the Spirit cannot contradict Himself. And since I know He told me it means Y, He could not have told you it means X.
David: You’re wrong.
Jason: Ah, wait. The Spirit is speaking to me right now. … Oh, ok God. David, the Holy Spirit just told me that He did not tell you that it means X.
David: No, He didn’t tell you that.
Jason: Yes, He did.
David: No, He didn’t.
Jason: Yes, He did.
David: No, He didn’t.
Jason: Yes, He did.
Silly, I know. The reason it is silly, however, is that it is silly to claim the Spirit told you X, when you cannot justify X. Anyone can appeal to the Spirit as their intellectual justification, but that does not mean they actually heard from the Spirit, and it does not help to persuade anyone else of their view (even if they really did hear from the Spirit). It stifles the conversation, and persuades no one.
Furthermore, what do you do when two people think God told them something, and yet He said something different to each person? The dialogue ends in a stand-still in which each person accuses the other of not truly hearing from God. Not very fruitful, if you ask me.
Thinking to Believe 
May 21, 2008 at 9:50 am
Somewhere in that dialogue I would have said “You are right. A spirit did reveal that to you. However, I do not take orders from lucifer’s hord.”
All in good fun ofcourse. 😉
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September 21, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Greetings! in the name of the Lord Jesus who is God most High.
It is written in the holy scriptures of God most High that:
“Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)
Any latter revelation that we received from God must not contradict former revelation given by the self-same God of all creation through the prophets and aposters of former time. Or in other words if a voice speaks today but it goes against the voice that spake through the prophets and apostles then it is not of God most High.
God bless you always! in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Marquest Burton
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February 22, 2009 at 10:27 am
“…and it does not help to persuade anyone else of their view (even if they really did hear from the Spirit).”
But it’s not our job to persuade, just tell the truth.
I wouldn’t tell someone they are wrong. In fact I think it’s a “Living Bible” because God breathes through it, right? The Holy Spirit will tailor our lessons to us individually and the same verse applied to different circumstances could come alive to whoever God is speaking to in different ways yet obviously never contradicts.
But if God shows one what a verse means and someone else claims God showed them something else, and the two interpretations contradict each other, someone is wrong. There are abuses, false claims, even whispers from the enemy. Scripture is so important that if one of us is wrong, we then need a shepherd to help us determine the error. Claiming to hear from God is serious stuff. And if we’re in need of correction, then we need correction, myself included.
So if God speaks to us, are we to be silent? I don’t think so. Am I wrong?
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February 23, 2009 at 11:17 am
shewalksaway,
I agree with you that we are not responsible for someone’s persuasion, but surely it is our task to persuade them. And persuasion doesn’t necessarily come about simply by telling someone the truth. For example, I could tell you the truth that the rapture will take place at the end of the tribulation, but if you are a pre-tribber, I highly doubt my mere proclamation of the truth will persuade you. I would have to give you evidence against the pre-trib doctrine, and for the post-trib doctrine.
Why wouldn’t you tell someone they are wrong, if they are wrong?
I don’t think God speaks as much as some claim He does. I think we usually mistake our own thoughts and self-speak for the voice of God. When God spoke to people in the Bible, it was always via supernatural means. He did not give them “prompts” that they had to interpret. But if God genuinely does tell somebody something, then they should proclaim it. But they shouldn’t expect people to believe it, just because they say God told them. In Dt 18 God Himself told us not to accept what someone proclaims in His name unless it is backed up by evidence. God did not expect Peter to believe the servants of Cornelius about Cornelius’ visitation by God, but God informed Peter of it Himself. The list could go on.
Jason
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February 23, 2009 at 11:57 am
Jason, you say it’s our job to persuade them, I agree that we need to present the Gospel accurately with love, and that’s persuading in itself, but I so totally believe it’s the Holy Spirit that calls or doesn’t call.
As far as my trying to persuade someone that God spoke to me about something, I don’t own the responsibility that anyone accept it. I realize most won’t, and I’m okay with that. I’m still obligated to tell the truth when God directs, which isn’t often. I mean, what God has allowed me to witness isn’t necessarily to be shared with unbelievers. If I share it, it’s because God is so amazing it’s hard to be silent. Many in my family would prefer that I was. My own family knew first hand about my medical concerns, what the doctors said as I went through it, but because my stepmother seemingly hates all conversation concerning God, she can barely stand to hear about how I was suddenly healed. It’s just like the Bible says, even if the rich man’s brothers saw someone rise from the dead they wouldn’t believe.
Now am I responsible because of my stepmother’s refusal to accept it? Nope. And it’s not even necessary for me to share it except that I am concerned for her eternal condition.
I agree with you that many want to hear God so much that they imagine they do, or the enemy can be right there trying to imitate Him with whispers. But you said God always spoke to people in supernatural means. What about Paul and the disagreements between the believers? What about the time Paul set off for one destination yet ended up led by God to another. (I’d have to look it up and can’t right now, if you dn’t know what I”m talking about) Sometimes it is a still small voice. A couple of rare times in my life it almost knocked me over. I long to hear Him so clearly again but it’s at His timing, not mine. For His purposes, not mine.
You think it should be proclaimed? I don’t. I can’t imagine why God would want the chaos that would come for anyone who announces He is speaking for God and is, unless God had a purpose. I see God working behind the scenes all the time, I think that when we promise to proclaim healings if He would just heal us, I think that sometimes slims are chances. Signs were not meant for an evil generation that demands a sign, there is a Scripture about knowing who are His by signs and wonders following us, but isn’t that (sincerely asking) for the bretheren? (Another one I’d have to look up…do you know it offhand?)
And you’re right, God informed Peter of it Himself. I totally agree, it’s the Holy Spirit that convinces people, not me.
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February 23, 2009 at 1:15 pm
P.S. You asked, “Why wouldn’t you tell someone they are wrong, if they are wrong.”
It’s not that I wouldn’t, and if I thought the Lord prompted me to, I would. But I am not a shepherd or pastor. It is not my job to judge another man’s walk with the Lord. In fact, I think it’s possible to have seemingly conflicting prophesies, weren’t there conflicting prophesies about Jesus that only He fulfilled having been from two places?
So just because I hear from the Lord and it doesn’t line up with what someone else said, I wouldn’t say he was wrong. But I would say what God said and let people judge for themselves.
(then again, knowing me, I might mouth off without thinking 🙂 but that would be my thought out response if I had one, lol)
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February 23, 2009 at 2:51 pm
No, I’m not aware of conflicting prophecies, unless you are defining that in a way I am not understanding.
When I am talking about correcting someone, I am thinking doctrinally. And I wouldn’t use something God told me to do so. I would correct them from the Scripture. That’s not to say God could not speak something that the Scripture also says, but it needs to be in Scripture if it is to serve as a corrective.
Jason
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February 23, 2009 at 4:29 pm
“No, I’m not aware of conflicting prophecies, unless you are defining that in a way I am not understanding.”
I was talking about the Messiah being from both Bethlehem and Nazareth…who else but Jesus?
“When I am talking about correcting someone, I am thinking doctrinally. And I wouldn’t use something God told me to do so. I would correct them from the Scripture. That’s not to say God could not speak something that the Scripture also says, but it needs to be in Scripture if it is to serve as a corrective.”
AMEN!
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February 23, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I see. Well, I’m not sure that there is any prophecy declaring he would be from the city of Nazareth since there is no direct passage in the OT saying so. That doesn’t seem to be the author’s point. But even if I agreed that there was one prophecy saying he would be from Bethlehem, and another from Nazareth, they would not be conflicting unless they said he would live in both cities at the same time. But there is no such requirement from Scripture. Jesus was from Bethlehem in that he was born there, and from Nazareth in that he lived there as an adult.
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February 23, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Right, but who else but Jesus could be “from Nazareth” and “from Bethlehem”, Jesus fits both descriptions, just more evidence He fits in with Scriptures.
lwdc at Hannity.com explained it once, I need to find those jewels and keep them. Something about the root word from Nazarene
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