God told me!
Did God speak to you?
In 46 years, I cannot tell you how many people have told me that. This statement is completely subjective, i.e., based on a given person's experience, understanding, and feelings; personal or individual.
Example: "admitted he was making a highly subjective judgment."
So, how can you debate with someone that says, “God told me.”? Is there a way to confirm that the Lord has spoken to someone that claims He has? Yes, there is, and it is quite simple BUT it has to be confirmed NOT by the person who said, “God told me,” but by God Himself.
Well, how do we make sure what God said to someone else is from God?
First of all, God does speak to man all the time. It is confirmed in the Scriptures and throughout history. How? Because what was said happened after it was said? But remember the warning God gave to those who say God said this or that and it did not happen.
“But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
So, that would be a false prophet saying; “God said,” but God did not. That prophet was NOT to be feared or listened to and would be killed!
So, what about an individual saying; “God said.” How can we tell if it is from the Lord or not? – God’s Word!
God will never contradict His Word! In fact, you cannot know if something spiritual is correct or not without His Word confirming it! In fact, The Bible tells us that His written Word is surer than God Himself speaking from Heaven!
“ For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”, II Peter 2:16-21 KJV
How could God’s written Word be surer than His voice?
Answer: Because it isn’t passed on from person to person and lose it’s true meaning!
Illustration: Have you ever played the telephone game where a bunch of people sit in a circle and the first person whispers a secret into the ear of the person on one side, they whisper it to the next, and it goes around the circle, only to end up being an entirely different secret?
Well, that is what happens when you hear something as opposed to reading something that does not change – in other words, God’s Word that He promised to preserve FOREVER!
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”, Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”, Mark 13:31
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”, Luke 21:33
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”, Psalm 12:6-7
To see whether your thoughts and beliefs are of God you need to make sure it is NOT contrary to God’s Word – the ETERNAL TRUTH
Test everything by the Word of God!
Not your heart or feelings
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”, Hebrews 4:12
“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
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
The Spirit of God will guide in ALL Truth!
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come.,” John 16:13
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.,” I Corinthians 2:13
“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.,” I John 4:6
Practical application
The Lord speaks to us through the Holy Spirit that guides us into ALL truth and would never contradict the Written Word of God! Questions like:
- Where should I live? The Lord would never move you to a place of doing less for Him. So, ask the Lord; Can I serve you where I am going more or less? Will I be able to be a witness to where I am going?
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”, I Corinthians 15:58
- Who should I marry? Is the person I am wanting to marry a True believer? “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Corinthians 6:14
- What should I give? “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”, II Corinthians 9:6
- Does it matter who gets the glory?
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
- Can Satan look like he is an “angel of light” to deceive and his minsters look like “ministers of Righteousness?
- “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”,
- Does Satan have the power to blind the lost from seeing the Gospel? “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”, II Corinthains 4:4
- Can people serve Jesus and He doesn’t know them? “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”, Matthew 7:22-23
- What is the Power of God Biblically?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”, Romans 1:16
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 1:18
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: II Timothy 1:8-10
- Can Eternal Life be lost?
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”, John 10:28
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”, I Peter 1:3-5
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”, Ephesians 1:13-14
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”, John 1:12-13
” That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”, John 3:15-16
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
- Can a person go to Heaven without Jesus or being born again?
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”, John 14:6
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”, I Peter 1:23
”Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”, John 3:3
There are so many more verses to answer these important questions and many more questions that I obviously didn’t include. There are probably unlimited questions that the Word of God can give all of us answers. The point I want everyone to see is that to answer Spiritual questions you have to go to the Word of God and to know the answers to your questions you have to know the Word of God or at least talk to someone that knows the Word of God to help.
Lord bless,
Bishop Mark Grenon
Proverbs 3:5&6