Discerning the will of God...

[anotherpilgrim]

Hello everyone! I have a perplexing situation that relates to discerning the will of God that I could really use some advice with. I have a fellow church brother who has told me that over the last couple of years God has been revealing to him that there is a certain situation in his life that God is going to bring about. It's a major life-altering situation and he has been living his life in the certainty that this situation will happen and that he must order his life around it.

However, this situation also involves other people aligning their lives and their hearts and desires with what God has revealed to him. None of these others have told me they have any similar revelation from God. The original brother has in due course, and what he sincerely believes is the prompting of God, has approached the other people involved and told them this is what God has been revealing to them. The other people involved would have had no qualms gently and respectfully disagreeing with this brother, had it not been that he claims this to be the will of God, that they are perplexed by his absolute certainty and faith in it, and don't want this brother who has been used by God in many ways and whom they hold in high regard as a servant of God, to have this major setback and in some ways fall from the esteemed position he holds in their eyes.

I have talked at some length to this brother to attempt to discern what signs he has that this is the will of God and where he is drawing his certainty about this specific situation. He hasn't revealed all of the signs he has to me, but I have been unable to see anything that could clearly be attributed to the hand of God and not a mental filtering of everyday circumstances to interpret them as signs in this regard.

So basically, I'd appreciate everyone's thoughts on how to discern the will of God for specific situations which the Bible doesn't give specifics on and where general biblical principles don't help narrow down the specifics, especially when it involves having a strong impression / revelation concerning God's will for someone else other than you. And also any advice for how I should respond to all the people involved.

 

[rbcbob]

Anotherpilgrim,

Please fix your signature. You may see how to do this by clicking on SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS below my signature.

I am sure that you will be getting feedback to your question very soon!

 

[Tim]

You can't discern the will of God in the way that your friend thinks. Instead, we are simply called, nay, commanded to be obedient to God as He has revealed Himself in scripture. We should make our major life decisions as well as minor decisions based on obedience.

A little theology: there is God's secret will and God's revealed will for us. We can't discern the former; don't even try. We only know it in hindsight as we contemplate those events that have come to pass in God's providence. We can, however, discern the latter through the application of God's Word to our lives. Scripture is what God gives us. The Holy Spirit works through scripture, not apart from it. When the Holy Spirit "lets you know something" it is because you are reading scripture and He is helping you to understand it.

Your friend could be at great risk for doing something foolish and hurting other people in the process.

If your church is a confessional Presbyterian or Baptist church (please fix your signature), then the chapter on scripture would give you the basis to address this with him with your elders and confessional stance as the basis for correction:

Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased. (WCF 1:1)

 

[J. Dean]

"Love God, and do what you want." -Augustine

That sounds simplistic, but really that's all we can do. Where Scripture is silent, it can be very dangerous to trust our emotional impressions or own "thought words" as revelation from God.

Ask your friend, "How do you KNOW for a fact that it's God? How are you certain that it's not your own imagination, or something you ate last night?"

I use the illustration that R.C. Sproul once used concerning his own life. He was at a crossroads in which he had several possible career options, and he had six people come to him saying "The Lord told me you should do this" or "that." Sproul pointed out that, if he had taken the advice of all six of the people who claimed God spoke to them about it, he'd be in six different places at once!

Beyond what Scripture is clear on, just live your life, and trust that God in His sovereignty will take you where you need to go.

(As an aside, this is one of the most beautiful things about a solid doctrinal position concerning the sovereignty of God. It puts me at so much more ease in my life, knowing that ultimately God's will is going to be fulfilled, regardless of me... and that's a good thing )

 

[anotherpilgrim]

Ask your friend, "How do you KNOW for a fact that it's God? How are you certain that it's not your own imagination, or something you ate last night?"

I asked that explicit question, and the response was that there were far too many circumstances that have been pointing in this direction that he couldn't have manufactured or had any control over. And I guess the question I had to that (which I haven't explicitly asked, and would like everyone's opinion on) is, can or should a series of coincidental circumstances be taken as God's leading? Our mind could indeed be playing tricks on us to take coincidences or circumstantial evidence as the will and revelation of God. But I guess more of his certainty comes also from other people who claim to have approached him and told him that they sense God is leading him in this direction as well without any solicitation from him. How do you judge the situation when others are also claiming to have had the same thoughts / impressions for you laid on their minds when they are praying for you?

"Love God, and do what you want." -Augustine

I would agree with that entirely =) As a firm believer in the sovereignty of God in all things for his greatest glory and my greatest good, if this were me in this situation this would be a non-issue; I would either act or not act, and trust God with the consequences no matter what, knowing that whether I act or not it would be in a sincere attempt to follow him.

Your friend could be at great risk for doing something foolish and hurting other people in the process.

Precisely what I'm afraid of, and anxious to prevent =/ for everyone involved. And at the same time, half-wondering whether I am somehow 'hindering the will of God' or 'standing in the way'.

If your church is a confessional Presbyterian or Baptist church (please fix your signature), then the chapter on scripture would give you the basis to address this with him with your elders and confessional stance as the basis for correction:

I'm afraid being in a Pentecostal church, the chances are more likely that following impressions and seeing circumstances as signs is going to be encouraged by the elders, especially when some of them may be involved in pointing him in this direction.. =/

 

[FenderPriest]

Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung is a really helpful book on this point. The title might seem like it doesn't address what you're looking for, but he basically talks about the will of God and how we discern what God is leading us to do with our lives. You might think about picking up a copy for yourself and your friend and working through it over a couple weeks.

 

[Gforce9]

Anotherpilgrim,
It is good you are questioning this line of thought from your friend. A number of things crossed my mind as I've read through this:
1- The idea of "special revelation" as the norm. This seems to be the default mode of evangelicalism and not limited to charismatic/Pentecostal circles. There are a few problems with this as Tim has pointed out. It elevates these "feelings", "leadings", "proddings" to inerrant, inspired, and infallible, like the Scriptures. Even if one denies the charge, they operate as if it were so. That is a mighty arrogant position in my estimation. Also, it undercuts the ordinary means in which God has told us he works through, namely, the preaching of the Word, the Sacraments, and prayer.
2- The history of this thought is scary. These ideas have come from a number of places: 1- the Gnostics (heretics) claimed their knowledge was superior and disconnected from apostolic authority. 2- the Anabaptists (heretics) ran with this idea to separate revelation from Scripture. 3- the emotional influence of Charles Finney (Pelagian at heart) and others in that era is a real factor and there is much more.
3- The worst aspect of this is the way it portrays our God. His decrees are unstoppable. While we cannot know His secret council, it infallibly and immutably marches on, easily conquering anything in it's way. This secret will we cannot "pry" out of Him; he is God, we are not. As well, this view makes God our personal servant revealing and arranging things to our (corrupted) will. There is much more to this and you will get wise council here.
One of our own here on the PB, Andrew Silva (Andres), came from a very similar background. I think he would be a great guy to talk with about this.......

May God continue to grow and bless you.

 

[Tim]

I'm afraid being in a Pentecostal church, the chances are more likely that following impressions and seeing circumstances as signs is going to be encouraged by the elders, especially when some of them may be involved in pointing him in this direction.. =/

Then, frankly, the leadership of your church is part of the problem. Sorry to be so blunt, but you did say it first. You may not be able to do anything here unless you wish to leave your church and take your friend with you.

 

[Jack K]

As you know, many Pentecostals put heavy weight on feelings one senses being direct revelation from God. Still, most Pentecostals are grounded enough in the Bible that some good arguments may work with them. They should at least acknowledge that the Spirit speaks with one clear purpose. He's not divided against himself. Given that, you can ask:

1. Does the sensed message from God fit Scripture? The Spirit wrote Scripture and so he will never speak contrary to it. And Scripture is written down where we can all see and agree what it says.

2. Does it bring glory to Jesus and fit the gospel? The Spirit's grand purpose is to see Christ glorified, not to see us indulge ourselves. A feeling that encourages you toward Christ-honoring sacrifice and repentance sounds a lot more like the Spirit than one that fits something you already want for yourself anyway. So, does what you say the Spirit is leading you to do require deep repentance on your part? That's what the Spirit is usually after, so if it doesn't require that it sounds suspicious.

3. Do many other, mature believers (who haven't already heard you tell them about your feeling) sense the same thing? Is it clearly the majority opinion in the church? The Spirit is not about confusion. He doesn't speak one way to some and another way to others.

Now, none of this directly confronts the troubling issue of ongoing special revelation, but you likely won't make progress there anyway. It does, however, turn attention away from sensations and feelings and toward Scripture, Christ, the gospel, repentance and Christian submission. And where attention is turned in those directions, good decisions often follow.

 

[Solparvus]

I will second the recommendation for "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung. I've read it myself and it's given me good insight on discerning God's will.

As for his discerning the will of God from feelings, and having come from a charismatic background, I could say with Jonathan Edwards that you could furnish a whole history on impressions, feelings, etc., and how many times they turned out to fail even in the most promising circumstances. Even if one actually did come true though, and it seemed amazingly coincidental, you have to consider just how many of them failures you have to barge through just to get this one; even so, it still would not even prove it was from God. Since when are coincidences proof of God? I don't remember the reference, but in one narration Israel went back to their idolatrous practices because things suddenly went bad when they repented.

Life-changing decisions have been made based on impressions and feelings, and so far all (if not just most) of them that I've seen fell below standards of Christian prudence and wisdom, and I can think of at least one that resulted in long-term negative ramifications. In all love I'd hate to see your friend do something just because he had a "feeling" and regret it later.

All that aside, though there were cases where the Holy Spirit spoke directly to men in special revelation for guidance, but never are we commanded to seek it. In fact James 4:15 says, "Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'" The expectation is that we will do the most prudent thing we know to do, while at the same time submitting it to the providence of God whether the venture will be successful.

Well, what brought me over was to honestly examine how often these feelings and impressions failed compared to how many times they came to pass (almost never), then I had to ask if this is really the work of a sovereign, omnipotent God. It's been comforting since then to find out how according to Scripture God does guide us. No need to argue right now about ongoing revelation, but if you can at least show him his method of guidance is not promised in Scripture (while giving him the Scriptural alternative), it might do something.

I would read Edwards on it:

Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

 

[Marrow Man]

Two books I would recommend on this subject. Both are easy reads (and the first is very short):

Amazon.com: The Christian's Guide to Guidance: How to Make Biblical Decisions in Everyday Life (9781889032061): Jay Edward Adams: Books

Amazon.com: Step by Step: Divine Guidance for Ordinary Christians (Resources for Changing Lives) (9780875526034): James Petty, Petty James C.: Books

 

[gmalloy]

Although I haven't read it in a while, Decision Making and the Will of God by Gary Friesen was very helpful to me when thinking through these issues. Greg Koukl from Stand to Reason also has some good material about these questions.

 

[TylerRay]

The law of God is His will for us. If we are doing anything that breaks His commandments we are outside of His revealed will. So if your friend is doing something that is not loving to others, he is outside of God's will.

Apart from His law, God has given us principles of wisdom in His word. These are not prescriptive, but they do guide us.

 

[Tim]

Apart from His law, God has given us principles of wisdom in His word. These are not prescriptive, but they do guide us.

And, just for the sake of example, this might include:

the borrower is servant to the lender (Prov. 22:7)

Question: Is it sin to be in debt?
Answer: No, but it may very well be wise to not be in debt because it may make it more difficult to employ other principles.

 

[MLCOPE2]

Here is a great, and very practical, 4-part series that Dr. Joseph Pipa Jr. did at the Southside Reformed Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN, at a conference in March on "Divine Guidance: Finding God's Will in a Confusing World".

Session I: The Foundation and Map
Session II: The Compass
Session III: Principles
Session IV: Q&A Session with Dr. Pipa

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

How do we know God’s will for us?

J. Packer's book, Finding God's Will, is a short read full of useful guidance, too.

I think it begins by fully integrating God's will into every aspect of our lives. This comes from a thorough understanding of the Scriptures, so we can obey what God has already commanded us to do and how to live (praxis), see Proverbs 6:22. This walk of sanctification increases our God-given common sense, too, so that we should not be calling upon the Lord for every little decision in our lives. Studying the Scriptures helps us to know what God thinks about a myriad of topics, so we should have the answers to many important questions in front of us. This way God's will is often so clear that only obedience, and not guidance is necessary.

We also have to be willing to do what God says to do. Sometimes a person already has an answer in mind and is unwilling to accept any other when seeking God's guidance. And guide us He will: Psalms 25:12, 32:8, Proverbs 3:6, Isaiah 58:11, Colossians 1:9.

It should go without saying that we must very specifically ask, with a readiness to obey, for guidance when we need it (James 1:58). Accompany this with trusting God in the matter (Phil. 4:6,7), keeping a watch out for guidance in your daily devotionals, and seeking the counsel of the brothers and sisters in Christ (Proverbs 11:14).

The tricky part, if you will, is discerning the answer. We have to understand that guide is guiding us in our decision making processes, that what we are discovering as we work out things is not mere accident. I think Acts 17:16 offers an answer:

"Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols."

I become very worried when people start saying, "the Lord spoke to me today" or "I don't do anything unless the Lord tells me to do it", etc., as if God is actually directly speaking to someone. God does not ordinarily provide special revelation outside of his Word now that the foundation of our faith is laid in it by the prophets and apostles in His Word. Furthermore, God has told us not to seek "signs and wonders."

Rather than seeking the Lord to give us direct revelation, we should be content with God’s provision in His word (our only infallible rule of practice and faith) to guide us as to what is his will for our lives, what He commands us and expects of us concerning Him, and to know how great the love of Christ is to us.

Murray writes in The Guidance of the Holy Spirit:

“The moment we desire or expect or think that a state of our consciousness is the effect of a direct intimation of us of the Holy Spirit’s will, or consists in such an intimation and is therefore in the category of special direction from him, then we have given way to the notion of special, direct, detached communication from the Holy Spirit. And this, in respect of its nature, belongs to the same category as belief in special revelation”​

Some will claim they had a vision about God's will or a burden about this or that, when what they really mean is that they had some "impression". If that impression is Scripturally sound, I think it proper to say the impression was a nudge by the Holy Spirit, just as Paul was "provoked within him". Many persons expect some "road to Damascus" like answer from God, failing to note that Paul was not even looking for guidance from God on that fateful road!

We should also realize that not every non-moral decision facing us has a single right answer. Leveraging the factors described above, we must decide and trust that God will accomplish His will. "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13).

To drive home the key point of being willing to obey when seeking guidance, I offer this humorous illustration:

A Christian hunter is hunting bears in the woods. While walking up a hill he grabs a branch for leverage and it breaks sending the hunter tumbling down the hill, rifle flying off elsewhere. When the hunter dusts himself off he sees a huge bear charging him. The hunter begins running, but trips and falls, landing on his knees. Seizing the opportunity, and being a good Christian, the hunter begins to pray, "Lord, make this bear a Christian."

The woods are quiet, the hunter turns and, Hallelujah! He sees the bear on his knees, paws together, praying! Listening, he hears the bear praying, "Father, bless this food to my body."

The key message here is that God answers prayers of the righteous, but the answer you get may not be the answer you want, but it will always be the right answer.

AMR

 

[JimmyH]

I would pray for all of the parties concerned. Especially your friend who feels he is being led by the Spirit to move in this direction.

 

[jwithnell]

No one can bind your conscience with personal revelation, feelings, or coincidences. In my experience, someone giving Godly advice or counsel will direct you to the scriptures that may give very clear instruction, or more generalized principles depending on the situation. If someone may benefit from the counsel -- because it affects his plans -- a godly adviser would recommend talking to a disinterested party as a matter of integrity.