Can we really hear God? Walk with Him? Develop conversational intimacy with Him?
Certainly there is evidence of this in the Scriptures, starting at the beginning in Eden when God walked in the cool of the day and spoke with Adam and Eve (1). God also spoke with the prophets in the Old Testament such as to Elijah after he called down fire from heaven to burn a sacrifice placed on the alter (2), and afterwards when Elijah feared for his life because Jezebel sought to kill him (3). And lest we think that God only spoke with Elijah because he held the special role of being a prophet, James reminds us in the New Testament that Elijah was a person just like we are (4). There are other examples in the Scriptures of God speaking with people - Moses, David, Paul, Peter, and Jesus Christ himself. Dallas Willard in his book "Hearing God" makes the point that these events recorded in the Bible teach us the vital lesson that: Our humanity will not by itself prevent us from knowing and interacting with God just as they did (5).
But those people were "special", right? And the events recorded above were a long time ago! John Eldredge spoke to this in his book "Walking with God": Why would God give [us] a book of exceptions? What good would [that] do [us]?...No, the Bible is a book of examples of what it looks like to walk with God. To say that he doesn't offer that to us is just so disheartening [and] unbiblical (6). He goes on to quote the Psalms as an example: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (7; emphasis mine).
Does God still speak to us today, intimately, in person? I haven't heard it taught much in the church, during my lifetime, that God speaks directly to us. Gary Barkalow in the audio CD "Developing a Conversational Intimacy with God" describes what many of us have been taught, whether directly or by inference, that the Bible was a sort of love letter written to us by God, and that he doesn't speak to us any more. In other words, all that he needed to say to us has already been written in the Bible. If we want the answer to life's questions, just read the Bible and that's it. Let me clarify that I do believe in the centrality of the Bible, but I also believe that he speaks personally to us and that we need to learn how to discern his voice.
The question of whether God still speaks to us is, in my opinion, extremely important. After all, Jesus (who was both human and God) told us that he considers as friends all who accept him (8). And if God doesn't speak to us, how can we have any kind of meaningful relationship with Him as his friend? Think about what your own friendships would be like if your "friends" didn't speak with you.
I remember vividly as a child being moved by the scene of the burning bush in the movie "The Ten Commandments" (watch it here; keep in mind it is an old movie now but it wasn't when I saw it!). Wow, something inside of me stirred during that scene! Nearly 40 years later I am finally learning that I can really hear from God and walk with him (no, I haven't heard God speak to me from a burning bush).
I definitely have not "arrived" completely nor do I have it all figured out, but I am learning. God can speak to us in a number of ways such as through his Word, our thoughts, other people, and our circumstances. But we do have to be discerning, using the Scriptures as our authority and realize that not everything we hear comes from God. We have to really seek to hear him. In 1 Chronicles 28:9, we are promised that "the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you."
Ten years ago when my engagement (to be married...this was before Jannis!) broke up, I was pretty traumatized emotionally. I spent a lot of time seeking God during this time and on more than one occasion felt his comforting presence strongly, and he gave me at least a couple of visions that were life changing. Maybe some time I will share more about them (they are very personal), but this illustrates an example of the experiential aspect of Christianity that should be a normal part of every Christian's life. How exciting!
Have any of you had this experience of hearing from God? If so, in what ways? It would be fun and encouraging to hear of them.
1) Genesis 3:8-10; (2) 1 Kings 18:36-39; (3) 1 Kings 19:9-12; (4) James 5:17; (5) Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, by Dallas Willard; (6) Walking with God: Talk to Him, Hear from Him. Really, by John Eldredge; (7) Psalm 95:7-8; (8) John 15:13-15;
Certainly there is evidence of this in the Scriptures, starting at the beginning in Eden when God walked in the cool of the day and spoke with Adam and Eve (1). God also spoke with the prophets in the Old Testament such as to Elijah after he called down fire from heaven to burn a sacrifice placed on the alter (2), and afterwards when Elijah feared for his life because Jezebel sought to kill him (3). And lest we think that God only spoke with Elijah because he held the special role of being a prophet, James reminds us in the New Testament that Elijah was a person just like we are (4). There are other examples in the Scriptures of God speaking with people - Moses, David, Paul, Peter, and Jesus Christ himself. Dallas Willard in his book "Hearing God" makes the point that these events recorded in the Bible teach us the vital lesson that: Our humanity will not by itself prevent us from knowing and interacting with God just as they did (5).
 |
| Andes Mountains near Portillo Ski Area, northeast of Santiago, Chile. I visited this beautiful place in July 2009. |
Does God still speak to us today, intimately, in person? I haven't heard it taught much in the church, during my lifetime, that God speaks directly to us. Gary Barkalow in the audio CD "Developing a Conversational Intimacy with God" describes what many of us have been taught, whether directly or by inference, that the Bible was a sort of love letter written to us by God, and that he doesn't speak to us any more. In other words, all that he needed to say to us has already been written in the Bible. If we want the answer to life's questions, just read the Bible and that's it. Let me clarify that I do believe in the centrality of the Bible, but I also believe that he speaks personally to us and that we need to learn how to discern his voice.
The question of whether God still speaks to us is, in my opinion, extremely important. After all, Jesus (who was both human and God) told us that he considers as friends all who accept him (8). And if God doesn't speak to us, how can we have any kind of meaningful relationship with Him as his friend? Think about what your own friendships would be like if your "friends" didn't speak with you.
I definitely have not "arrived" completely nor do I have it all figured out, but I am learning. God can speak to us in a number of ways such as through his Word, our thoughts, other people, and our circumstances. But we do have to be discerning, using the Scriptures as our authority and realize that not everything we hear comes from God. We have to really seek to hear him. In 1 Chronicles 28:9, we are promised that "the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you."
Ten years ago when my engagement (to be married...this was before Jannis!) broke up, I was pretty traumatized emotionally. I spent a lot of time seeking God during this time and on more than one occasion felt his comforting presence strongly, and he gave me at least a couple of visions that were life changing. Maybe some time I will share more about them (they are very personal), but this illustrates an example of the experiential aspect of Christianity that should be a normal part of every Christian's life. How exciting!
Have any of you had this experience of hearing from God? If so, in what ways? It would be fun and encouraging to hear of them.
1) Genesis 3:8-10; (2) 1 Kings 18:36-39; (3) 1 Kings 19:9-12; (4) James 5:17; (5) Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, by Dallas Willard; (6) Walking with God: Talk to Him, Hear from Him. Really, by John Eldredge; (7) Psalm 95:7-8; (8) John 15:13-15;
My experience with Baptist/evangelical theology can best be described as a wild Roller Coaster ride: a lot of great psychological, emotional, and spiritual highs and a lot of deep psychological, emotional, and spiritual lows. Why?
ReplyDeleteIn Baptist/evangelical theology, your Justification and your Sanctification---your essence as a follower of Christ...if you boil it all down...is really dependent on you and your feelings. Your salvation is dependent on you performing an action; a deed; a good deed: making a mature, informed, decision; the correct decision… for Christ. And your assurance of salvation is based on you maintaining a sufficient level of "feeling Christ’s presence within you" to confirm that your previous “decision for Christ” was done correctly and sincerely. Why else would so many Baptists and evangelicals report having multiple “born again” experiences?
Do I feel saved? Do I feel I really repented in my born again experience? Do I feel that I truly had faith when I made a decision for Christ; when I prayed a version of the Sinner's Prayer? If I am really saved, why do I feel at times that my faith is so weak? Maybe I need to do the born again experience again; maybe I need to pray the Sinner's Prayer again, just to be 100% sure that I am saved. I want to know without any doubt that I am saved, and if I do not feel saved, I begin to doubt my salvation.
Baptist/evangelical theology tells me that I will always feel Christ's presence and strength inside me...if I am a true believer. But what if I don't feel him there sometimes? If it is true that I should always be able to hear God speak to me, in an inner voice or feel his inner presence move me/lead me to do his will, what is going on when I don't hear anything or feel anything? Have I committed some unknown sin and he is refusing to hear me? Or is the reason that I don't hear or feel him present within me... is because I'm not really saved!
I was so incredibly happy to find orthodox (confessional) Lutheranism and find out that my feelings have nothing to do with my Justification, my salvation, or with my Sanctification, my walk with my Savior and Lord! My salvation was accomplished 100% by God. He placed the free gift of salvation in my "lap" before I even considered asking for it. He wrapped me in the "blanket" of salvation without my assistance. I am God's by his choice, not mine!
http://www.lutherwasnotbornagain.com/2013/09/is-jesus-your-friend-or-your-king.html
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Gary. You bring up an excellent point that there will be perhaps many times when we as Christians do not feel or sense Christ's presence, and I agree with you that it is wrong to doubt God's existence or our salvation on that account. Indeed, the Psalms are full of a mixture of David, a man after God’s heart, expressing delight in God’s presence (Ps. 36:7-8) and crying out to God when he seemed distant (Ps. 10:1; Ps. 13:1-2), but at the same time expressing trust in him (Ps. 38:15; Ps. 37:7). Interestingly enough I grew up in the Lutheran church (which I am thankful for and I highly respect Martin Luther as a man of God!). My experience was a bit different from yours in that, although we learned solid doctrine, the idea of hearing from or communing with God, which I wouldn't necessarily describe as feeling, was simply off the radar. Therefore, to me it was a revelation that God can ever speak to us personally. By the way, I also agree with you that we are saved by grace and not by works; the Bible is very clear about that too (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:1-2). Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDelete