Some tend to justify unwise
decisions on grounds that ‘God told me’. How can we tell whether these
impressions are from God or from some other source?
This is a critical
question.
Impressions are real; believers
and non-believers experience them. Impressions are not to be denied, but they
are to be carefully evaluated. Inner impressions may be spiritual or reflect
the influence of the Spirit, but they do not constitute the authoritative voice
of the Spirit. Impressions could be produced by any number of sources: God,
Satan, an angel, a demon, human emotions (such as fear or ecstasy), hormonal
imbalance, insomnia, medication, or health conditions. For this reason, the
Bible does not bestow on inner impressions with the authority to function as
indicators of divine guidance. Sinful impressions (temptations) may be exposed
for what they are by the Spirit-sensitized conscience and the Word of God.
To specific questions of
vocation, marriage or education, the Bible only indicates what is, and is not,
permissible. When equal options exist,
we should thank God for the opportunity to select from equally acceptable
alternatives. We should exercise good judgement and not waste time. Where God
commands, we must obey. Where there is no command, God gives us not only the
freedom and responsibility to choose but also the wisdom to choose.
God’s moral will is the
expression, in behavioural terms, of Gods character. It is fully revealed in
the Bible. It touches every aspect and moment of life: goals, attitudes, means,
and perspectives (why, how, and what). It is able to equip believers for every
good work.
Since God’s moral will has been
completely revealed and the means of acquiring wisdom has been explained, we
can fully attain the knowledge required for decision making. We need not be
dependent on subjective impressions. If the source of our knowledge is
subjective, then the knowledge will also be subjective and therefore uncertain.
We should apply maturity by
gathering and evaluating data, devoting sufficient time to the process, giving
personal desires their proper place, seek mature counsel, rightly using
Scripture, and basing the decision on sound reasons.
When we have chosen what is moral
and wise, we can trust the sovereign God to work all the details together for
good.
In areas where Christians’
differ, we must learn to distinguish between matters of command and matters of
freedom. On debatable issues, we ought to cultivate our own convictions, but at
the same time allow our fellow believers the freedom to determine their own
convictions, even when they differ from us. Let our liberty be limited, when
necessary, by love and servant hood.
God is not concerned simply with
what we do; He is equally concerned with why we do what we do as well as how we
do it. God’s will for our attitudes is that lust be replaced by love,
independence by reliance, pride by humility, presumption by gratitude, guilt by
a clear conscience, irresponsibility by integrity, laziness by diligence,
compulsion by eagerness, selfishness by generosity, self-advancement by
submission, cowardice by courage and greed by contentment.
Our attitudes are therefore
important before God, but our impressions are only impressions.
