Is that You Lord? Hearing the True Voice of God

"Most believers think that God speaks to them on a regular basis. At least based on my experience, that appears to be the common perception. People use the expression “God told me” or “I heard God” all the time. Certainly, in its worst form, it announces the blasphemous declarations of today’s preachers of the prosperity gospel. Unfortunately, far too many people mimic that language in their everyday conversation. By using such language, they may be attempting to give legitimacy to a decision they’ve made or to defend some action they taken. For others, it may be an attempt to validate (or even to reach for) some level of perceived intimacy with God. They understand that intimacy is built on two-way communication, and so they feel a need to express their relationship to God in terms that capture the dynamic of dialogue, not monologue. But in all these cases, as teachers and leaders, we need to, first of all, help our people understand the theological dangers inherent in this kind of language. Second, we need to boldly present to people the power of God’s voice in its active sense through the Word of God.

For ages discerning pastors and theologians have recognized the dangers in claiming to hear the voice of God outside of Scripture. They recognize that there are stern warnings in Scripture against attributing to God words which, in fact, He did not speak (cf. Deut 18:20; cf. 13:1–5; 1 Cor 14:29–31). Because of the inherent authority that comes with a Word from God, the Lord recognized the potential abuse if people were to claim His authority for messages that merely come from their own imagination. For that reason, He not only established the very high standard of infallibility for all who claim to be His spokesmen, but He often confirmed them with accompanying miraculous signs (Acts 2:22; 5:12; 2 Cor 12:12). Therefore, for us to claim that God is speaking to us apart from Scripture potentially misrepresents God and places us in danger of His judgment. Instead, we recognize that divine revelation has come to us in the Holy Scripture (1 Cor 2:7–13; 2 Pet 1:19–21), and that this “canon” of Scripture was closed with the writing of the final book of the New Testament in the late first century (Rev 22:18–19). This has been the historic view of the church for most of its existence.

Is it evil to vote for "the lesser of two evils?"

A Ralph Nader bumper sticker that many evangelicals agree with...

I generally keep my personal political convictions private as the ministry of the gospel is my primary duty as a disciple and as a pastor/theologian.  However, I have read so many respected Christian leaders take such hard line positions concerning what Bible believing Christians "must do" come November that I have felt compelled to express a slightly different (biblical) point of view.  Almost all of these "Trump Donald" articles suggest that to vote for the "best of the worst" is to make yourself "culpable" in the process (as Dr. Moore's article stated today). Is that the gospel truth?  Friends, I understand how someone could choose not to vote for Trump or Clinton/Sanders and to fill in John Piper come November. However, we should tell our brothers and sisters in Christ that good and godly Christians hold different perspectives on this important issue. Last week I wrote four articles in effort to spotlight what I believe are some neglected points in this whole debate.

In this vein, another article was posted today by a respected Christian leader concerning the following issue: Should American believers vote for the lesser of two "evils" in the election of a public official? A number of theologians (agreeing with Ralph Nader) say ABSOLUTELY NOT.  I am not convinced that Dr. Moore's logic here is airtight. When it comes to electing unsaved officials to public office (Rom. 13) who defines whether a candidate is "EVIL" or "GOOD?" If both candidates have character flaws and policies that you disagree with must one abstain from voting for the best of the worst (lest they choose evil)? Is this the only valid "Christian" point of view? (Mormon conservative Glen Beck and others say yes; while Rush Limbaugh, Ben Carson, and other non-Christian conservatives disagree). I remember hearing John MacArthur say in 2012 that believer's need to realize that they are not selecting a local church pastor when they vote (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 for God's non-negotiable qualifications for church leaders).