Cessation of Special Revelation?

[MRC]

My understanding is that God has ceased speaking specifically to us, instead speaking through his Word. As I confess the inerrancy and sufficiency of Holy Scripture I implicitly confess that God does not speak to us directly outside of this, right? Now, I understand that some might use "God speaks" as a metaphor for general revelation (reverence and awe) in His creation and through special revelation, His Word. Some that I spend time with are taken to "hearing God" in their daily lives. Maybe one is told to "give that homeless man a meal" or "call that friend and encourage him" or whatnot. Much of what they are being told are biblical approaches to the Christian life. However, I would not understand this to be the voice of God due to my understanding of the cessation of special revelation. How should one understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the teaching and life of the believer? He will correct, rebuke and convict? How would one sense a "call" into something like ministry?

Please offer whatever knowledge and wisdom you might have, I find this a prevalent issue in my current fellowship of believers. I kind of want to counsel such folks that they are NOT hearing God, but do not want to speak presumptuously. HELP!

 

[southern]

I am not sure of the PB's policy of quoting from websites, so here is a link to a concise answer to this very question by John Murray. He believes that the Word of God should guide us and not just 'feelings'. This means that the Spirit will use the Word of God and apply it circumstantially:

http://www.aplacefortruth.org/Outline.Murray2.word

 

[PuritanZealot]

I think the revelation of God himself SPEAKING to people, i.e. the prophets and so on has changed, we don't hear of anyone falling face down at the majesty of a finger from heaven or a roar of ear shattering thunder coming from the sky but we do have the way the Bible speaks to us as Gods mouth piece. The time prior to the Bible, God had to intervene personally and with little subtlety which must have been strangely compromising for him. However now we have the Bible we exist in the strange interim period between God speaking to people and God existing with us face to face (i.e. post Rapture/Ressurrection). I do believe that God still speaks to people, I still believe that people have prophetic dreams and times during prayer when God gives images or words when we sit and listen to God.
However I do agree with you that when people say 'God told me' or 'God spoke to me' I often think they're just going on some strange feeling, which is very, very dangerous in light of the subtle way in which Satan whispers to people.
I have had many words from God through scripture, all of which have been extremely useful and exactly in answer to what I had prayed about.
I follow a basic structure of praying, asking God my question, praying for a short while, sitting in silence and meditating on what I asked, how God could answer and then feeling my way (with eyes closed) through the Bible, pages at a time until I feel something willing me to stop. Then I open the Bible and read until I feel my prayer or question has been answered.
I know that might sound odd, but I've made life altering decisions with this method and God has spoken to me vibrantly.
Those folks who say 'I heard a voice' are either very gifted or need some medical help.

 

[lynnie]

Scripture is for every person in every time and situation. It is perfect and sufficient.

When the holy spirit leads us and guide us and impresses our hearts and minds -what job to get and which church to go to and which book to read next and who to marry- I think it is probably the holy Spirit much of the time if the person has a basic grasp of sound doctrine and is in a decent church and so forth. Such people know that everything they think is the Holy Spirit's leading has to be based on scripture, and from love and serving God and others. Such people hopefully will reconsider if a close friend or spouse gets a "red flag".

The problem is today's evangelicalism and charismatic circles, where the subjective is barely questioned and where it is not rooted in scripture- and certainly not in any great Reformed theology. I have known people who are being led by a spirit, but it is an evil one. You can't argue with them, they KNOW they are hearing from something beyond themself, and indeed they are, make no mistake. Demons appear as angels of light and deception is common.

I can't tell you what to tell your friends, except to always remind them that subjective "words" can come from our subtle pride and fleshly desires, and to devote themselves to the word and be cautious.

To you I'd say Maybe one is told to "give that homeless man a meal" or "call that friend and encourage him" or whatnot. this happens, it has happened to me a lot. I've felt impressed at times to give meney to someone, or pray for them, and it turns out that at the time it was desperately needed. The Holy Spirit can lead us and guide us in this way. I'm sure glad I felt so "led" to marry my husband!!

 

[Jack K]

How to test a sense or impression that God's Spirit is leading you to do this or that:

1. Does it fit Scripture? Scripture is infallible Spirit speech.

2. Do other believers agree? The Spirit is given to the church. He will not speak one thing to me and the opposite to other believers. These days, claims that "God told me to do this or that" tend to cut off debate, whereas they ought to do the opposite. In Acts 13, five believers in Antioch were meeting when God told them, as a group, to send out Paul and Barnabus. Even then, they only went through with the plan after additional fasting and prayer together. That in a day when special revelation was still happening. How much more should we consult the group today.

3. Do we see God at work? God is active in the world. Spirit-led choices flow from watchfulness and wisdom. Sensible decisions based on how God provides opportunities is a solid way to submit to his guidance. We wust not act as if God were absent and opportunities mere flukes.

4. Have we known the heart of God, and are following it? God has sent his Spirit into our hearts. A heart for God—one that passionately pursues him through the Scriptures and prayer and Christian fellowship—will seldom go wrong. This is because we naturally follow our hearts. We will make choices that fit God's Kingdom when we love what the King is all about.

Jesus summed up that Kingdom with the call, "Repent and believe the gospel." Whatever God seems to be calling me to do, if it doesn't involve repentance I get skeptical. If it doesn't flow from the selflessness of the gospel (as in it helps me rather calling on me to sacrifice for others) I start to doubt it.

 

[MRC]

I am not sure of the PB's policy of quoting from websites, so here is a link to a concise answer to this very question by John Murray. He believes that the Word of God should guide us and not just 'feelings'. This means that the Spirit will use the Word of God and apply it circumstantially:

http://www.aplacefortruth.org/Outline.Murray2.word

Very helpful article, thanks. The language is a bit cumbersome for the gents I am currently ministering to, otherwise I would pass it out to them for their reading pleasure. Maybe I will bring the vocabulary down a bit and then do just that!

 

[Der Pilger]

My understanding is that God has ceased speaking specifically to us, instead speaking through his Word. As I confess the inerrancy and sufficiency of Holy Scripture I implicitly confess that God does not speak to us directly outside of this, right? Now, I understand that some might use "God speaks" as a metaphor for general revelation (reverence and awe) in His creation and through special revelation, His Word. Some that I spend time with are taken to "hearing God" in their daily lives. Maybe one is told to "give that homeless man a meal" or "call that friend and encourage him" or whatnot. Much of what they are being told are biblical approaches to the Christian life. However, I would not understand this to be the voice of God due to my understanding of the cessation of special revelation. How should one understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the teaching and life of the believer? He will correct, rebuke and convict? How would one sense a "call" into something like ministry?

Regarding revelation, I think it helps to remember that revelation is actually God's act of disclosing something new, something previously unknown, and that about Himself. God's revelation is not the disclosure of just anything; it is essentially His own self-disclosure. From that standpoint, I wouldn't regard the promptings of the Holy Spirit that you described as revelation but rather as just that--promptings. To be led by the Spirit of God does not necessarily equate to having new truth about God revealed to us.

Regarding sensing a call to the ministry, there is both an inner (subjective) call to ministry as well as an outward (objective) call. Merely feeling a desire to preach and do pastoral work is not enough; what is also needed is the church's confirmation of the called person's giftings. If a particular man is called into the pastorate, God will make it clear to the congregation that such a man is a gift to the church.