Direction of life by the Spirit?

Coram Deo · #1 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 12:59 PM

How should we discern the Spirit with regards to direction in Life? How do we know what the Spirit of God is telling us? I know we are to test all things by the word of God the scriptures but what about direction in life?

AV1611 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 01:09 PM

Seek the counsel of others.

KMK · #3 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunaer

How should we discern the Spirit with regards to direction in Life?

Ask your help-meet.

Coram Deo · #4 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 01:41 PM

What if you feel drawn in another direction and what she feels?

Michael

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMK

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunaer

How should we discern the Spirit with regards to direction in Life?

Ask your help-meet.

KMK · #5 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunaer

What if you feel drawn in another direction and what she feels?

Michael

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMK

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunaer

How should we discern the Spirit with regards to direction in Life?

Ask your help-meet.

Learn these two important words: "Yes, dear."

Seriously, I cannot speak for everyone's wife but when it comes to spiritual matters my wife has some kind of gift that I don't have.

I do believe that our Eve is given to us Adams to help us as well as give us companionship. If God declares her to be our helper then 99 times out of 100 her opinions are going to be helpful or else God is not keeping his promise to Adams. No matter what, husband and wife working together as a team of equals yeilds more spiritual fruit than working seperately.

I know that you already know this but I wanted to explain that I wasn't being fecetious with my earlier post.

A5pointer · #6 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 02:20 PM

That is a good question. The question assumes the Spirit does lead us in the decision making process as we lead our lives. Many many Christians seek this guidance. I have heard many sermons and teachings that are something like "How to know what God is saying to you." I do not believe it at all. I do not believe the the Spirit leads in "this way" as most Christians assume he does. I do not believe God speaks to Christians as many also assume. I do not see it as a normative concern in the Bible, in the lives of many Christians I know or in my own. I have seen so much confusion and anxiety in Christians who are taught this. I just don't see it. Like to know how alone I am in this opinion.

Me Died Blue · #7 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 02:28 PM

The third podcast of Dr. Clark's CrossTalk speaks directly to this issue. It doesn't even take long to listen to at all, since it's exactly five minutes.

Also, here is something I had posted in a past thread:

Quote:

Originally posted by Me Died Blue
Basically, since God has stopped speaking and revealing His will through all means but Scripture and providence, those are the very two things we must use to make such decisions. We need to constantly fill and sharpen our minds with prayerful meditation on Scripture, and as we thus become more conformed to Christ, we will gain wisdom and be better able to make responsible, biblical decisions when God providentially presents us with life's options.

As [O. Palmer] Robertson put it [in The Final Word], many charismatics think that they have more of God's direction in their life because they believe in God's continuing revelation today. However, he points out, quite the opposite is true: Cessationism gives us the responsibility and freedom to make responsible decision-making that is tempered and guided by our knowledge of Scripture, without having to wait for "a word from the Lord" before acting on a situation we see as an opportunity to fulfill God's purpose for us after analysing the situation with biblical principles and sanctified wisdom. While this way of decision-making is not as "automatic" as the mystical techniques for "finding God's very will for this specific situation," it is the biblical model and requires the Christian to be more responsible and more dependent on the Bible for their everyday life, since there is not an "easy answer" for every situation.

There is actually a full book on this very subject entitled Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? by Bruce Waltke and Jerry MacGregor, both Reformed. It speaks against the mystical "searching" and decision-making principles so popular in evangelical circles today, and calls for a return to faith in God's providence and rational, responsible decision-making that comes from wisdom rooted in a mind saturated with Scripture.

A5pointer · #8 (**permalink**) 08-30-2007, 03:26 PM

Thank you, I can't listen for some reason but the quotes say it well. I find even amoung the reformed the notion of God leading/speaking. Most people I tell that I don't believe God speaks to me get the craziest look on their faces and the nice ones tell me they feel sorry for me.