Reformed believers and religious experience.

[Jon 316]

I think we have to define what we mean by religious experiences...The term "religious experiences" can in fact be interpreted very broadly.

Agreed.

You quoted from Job 33 and and Acts 2. Is this what you mean by religious experiences?

I would not limit the term 'religious experience' to these two texts and the variety of experience found within, however there is no denying that these texts are dealing with aspects of religious experience.

Do you interpret these as implying ongoing revelation outside Scripture?

What do you mean by this question?

You will see that article 13 above indeed says that the believers EXPERIENCE that by this grace of God they do believe with the heart and love their Saviour. I am sure that by "experience" the confession does not mean visions and these sort of experiences (what Brad refered to) but rather that the believers experience in their daily lives how indeed they have been regenerated and hunger for a life in Jesus Christ that pleases God.

I think there is no doubt that the work of the Spirit in drawing a sinner, convicting them of sin, regenerating them and filling them with His presence, can all be classified as biblical experience.


I would be less willing to make the bold claim that God does not use visions and such like in this process. This I would argue from scripture, church history and personal experience.

I think it is rather important in these days that we as reformed christians clearly define and understand what we mean with "religious experiences".

I agree. We need to rescue authentic religious experience from what it has come to mean in certain charismatic circles. People can have all sorts of bizzare experiences yet have very little knowledge or experience of saving faith. This is concerning. However, we must be careful, in our redefining, that we do not draw the boundaries tighter than the Lord does in His word. It would be absurd if the very people who claimed to uphold God's sovereignty were to undermine that sovereignty through fear or 'false limitations'. Do we really think the Soveriegn Lord of all the earth and the risen Christ do not manifest sovereignty and power in their dealings with the sons of men?

 

[Johan]

I would be less willing to make the bold claim that God does not use visions and such like in this process. This I would argue from scripture, church history and personal experience.

To in any way continue with this discussion I think it is necessary that you explain in more detail exactly then what you mean by "religious experience". You have been a bit vague up to now.

 

[Jon 316]

To in any way continue with this discussion I think it is necessary that you explain in more detail exactly then what you mean by "religious experience". You have been a bit vague up to now.

Any definition I offer may be considered too broad for some and too narrow for others. I'm not sure I have been a 'bit vague'. People have posted examples of what they would consider to be a religious experience. I think most of the examples given fit within that category. There have been some people on the thread who obviously have a very narrow and negative definition of what religious experience means. My response to this is that they are defining it too narrowly.

 

[Johan]

John,

Accepted. Let's leave it there.