I was in home group last night and we were discussing Hebrews 6 and 7 in reference to Christ being priest after the order of Melchizedek. Many fruitful truths were gathered from these verses. Truths such as the eternal priesthood of Christ, who allows into the Holy of Hollies. These truths bring joy to our hearts, cultivate praise on our lips, and encourage us onto good works. But then we began to discuss our opinions and theories about who Melchizedek was.

Some argued that Melchizedek was Jesus appearing in the Old Testament and some said that he was just a type of deity. Still another theory postulated that Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Moses. There wasn’t really any strife in this discussion but there were strong opinions that could have left with strife and in the end no fruit was born from this paticular discussion. In light of this, it is important to understand that there are mysteries in the Bible that will always be mysteries, at least on earth, and God has determined that they should stay that way.

I say this because in a Christian’s pursuit of truth it is easy for him or her to stray from what is important through worthless speculation and arguments. One such worthless argument, in my opinion, is the exact identity of who Melchizedek was. Whether or not one knows who Melchizadec was in no way influences what the author of Hebrews is communicating about him in reference to Christ. What we do no is that Melchizadec was greater than Abraham and so Christ is greater than all, that Melchizedek was a priest and so Christ is a priest who has atoned our sins and led us into the Holy of Hollies. These truths bear fruit in our lives and give glory to God.

Another mystery is the origin of evil. The Bible in no way communicates how evil came about exactly and therefore we should not assert that we know how it did. Likewise the Bible does not give details about who Melchizedek was. While it is good to hunger for wisdom and long to know the truth from the Scriptures, it is foolish to overly pursue mysteries such as these and worse, arrogant to claim that we know the answers to such mysteries. We must remember that the truth we pursue is pleasing to God if it bears fruit in our lives and pushes us on to love. As 1 Timothy 1:3-4 says,

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”

If we are gong to pursue truth and seek to teach others then let us remember that our goal is not to puff ourselves up with truths that set us apart in some special way.Indeed our goal is to proclaim the historic and sound truths of Scripture that edify our brother’s soul and stirs our hearts with love for God and his people.

The Great Commission is stated in the gospel of Matthew as follows, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold,I am with you always, to the end of the age (16: 19-20 It is a commission that is as commonly known as John 3:16. It is a commission that has been given to us, and if we claim to be Christ’s disciples then we must follow his command. It is not optional, but a simple necessity as loving God and one’s neighbor is a necessity. Even more it is quite easy for all Christians to partake in the Great commission, even though some might not think so.

First of all, it is important to note that the Great Commission is for all Christians and not just for the disciples that Christ spoke directly to in the passage. There are a number of reasons for this but the one that seems to leap off the page is that part of the commission is to go into “all nations.” Therefore, it follows that is was simply impossible for the disciples who heard Christ give the commission to go into all nations. The Americas had not even been discovered, Africa, Asia and parts of Europe did not receive the gospel for centuries after the Great Commission was given. The only reason they did hear it was because of later Christians who took up the call of the Great Commission.

It is important to note that while being a missionary is an excellent way of fufilling the call of the Great Commission, it is by far not the only way and not necessarily the most effective way. It is widely agreed upon now by scholars and pastors in the Church that one of the most effective ways to fulfill the Great Commission is not to send missionaries but to support and raise up indigenous leaders in their own countries. Why should we be using $3,000 a month to support one American family to go to a country who will most likely spend 3 years learning the language and culture, come home on furlow, and always have ethnic barriers? When on the other hand we could take that $3,000 and suppport ten or so indigenous leaders who need no time for cultural preperation and are already equipped to practically share the gospel? The answer is clear that indigenous leaders are cheaper and often more effective.

However, there are unreached people groups and places that do not have indegenous leaders to raise up and support. Therefore, people must go forth as missionaries and be the light in the darkness. Someone must go forth and preach the gospel to a dying people who have no knowledge of the truth. Such people are the forerunners who blaze paths in uncharted territories and who should be highly honored for their sacrifice and sense of duty to fulfill Christ’s command.  Whether a missionary to an unreached people or to a reached people, where there are enough people to share the gospel, all missionaries should be honored.

In light of the call of missionaries and indigenous leaders we should not consider ourselves unable to partake of this ministry even if we are not physically going anywhere or partaking in the ministry. There are other ways we can diligently share in the commision. First of all and most importantly we can pray. We can pray diligently for missionaries and those who are laboring for the gospel. We can pray that God would raise up laborers for the harvest. Through such prayers we are partaking in the vision of the Great Commission.

Secondly, we can also give of our resources. In America we are already considered rich to most of the world no matter what our incomes. Therefore, we should tithe diligently and rejoice that our money is going forth to such a great cause. Even further, we can live below our income means and give surplus to help support those actively seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. It is better to give than to receive, and all that we sacrifice for this great call upon our lives will be rewarded more richly in eternity than if we spend our money on the passing pleasures of this world.

Finally, we are called to make disciples of those in our immediate context. It does not mean that all are “evangelist” but all should have a heart to share the gospel in one way or another. All are called to share in the vision of making disciples, and all gifts can be used for this great cause. Each of us is called to partake in the Great Commission, and it is an honor that far exceeds mundane life in the world that can so easily be consumed with our selfish ambitions. It is a calling that is upon all who claim to be Christ’s disciples and one that we can easily partake in.

     A common misconception among Christians today is that all sins are equal in the sight of God.   Recently, I was talking with a friend about a guy we knew who had multiple affairs over a period of 5 years.   At the end of the conversation my friend said, “Well, all sins are equal in the sight of God anyways.”  He said it as if it was the norm of Christian thought, as if every Christian said this and believed it.  I told him he was wrong and he was shocked, but he simply was not thinking biblically.

                I think that people say that all sins are equal in an effort to be humble.  That is why my friend said it because he wanted to acknowledge that he was no more righteous than the guy who committed the adultery.  I think people also say it in an attempt not to sound judgmental.  As I have also witnessed Christians look upon people committing horrific sins and then say, “well, there sin is no different then mine.”  Now, these statements are not altogether wrong but they certainly are not complete thoughts nor are they a biblical understanding of sin.  This is made evident  in Scripture and in the common judicial system.

                First of all, there is a commonality between all sin.  The passage from  Matt. 5:27-28 touches on this commonality.  It says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’”   This passage cuts to the heart of the man who thinks that it it is ok to lust after a woman in his heart  as long as he is not sleeping with her.  The reason being, sin is in the heart and not just the mere action.   Therefore, if you lust after a woman in your heart or actually have a physical affair with her then they are both equally sinful because both of them began in the heart.   The commonality of these sins are that they are both destructive to the person who committs them and to those whom they are committed against.  Sin will pervert the guilty person and exchange the glorious likeness of Christ for for that of a depraved animal.  They are also common in the fact that one sin, no matter how great or small, cause all people to be equally deserving of hell.

However, though Jesus draws attention to the commonality between the sin of merely lusting in the heart and actually committing the act he does not say they are equal in degree or in the penalty they incur.  What person would say there is no difference in lusting after women in his heart than to have multiple affairs?  Yes, they are both adultery and can be equally destructive but one is taking it to the next level and will draw a greater punishment in this life and in the next.

This is evident in a few places in Scripture such as the time when Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees.  Mark 12 verses 38-42 reveal that Jesus did not see all sins equally.  It says,” And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”  Thus, it is evident that certain sins will incur greater judgment from God in the afterlife.  If all sins were equal in every way then this could not be the case.  Pharisees who go around representing God but whose hearts are crooked with sin and false religion will incur greater judgement for misrepresenting God and using their positions for their own selfish ambition.  This distinction between the punishment of sin is also evident in the fact that Satan will be cast into a lake of fire and while others will not.

Sin is also not equal concerning the earthly punishment that it incurs.  If a man is angry at his neighbor to the point of seething with hatred he is obviously at sin and guilty of murder.  He is guilty of this because in his heart he desires the destruction and demise of another person as a man who physically murders someone.  However, if someone is seething with anger we don’t throw him in a prison because he actually hasn’t ended anyones’ life.  On the other hand, a man who goes out with hatred in his heart and massacers a family deserves a harsher punishment and even the ultimate earthly punishment because he has committed the greater sin.

In conclusion, all sins do have commonality.  They are common at the core of the issue since all sins begin in the heart, and whether a man lusts after a woman in his heart or has a physical affair he is still committing adlutery.  They are also common because they are equally deserving of hell.  However, they are not equal in the earthly or eternal punishment that they incur, and thus Christians should not think that God sees all sins equally.

I recently graduated from seminary and found myself doing something in life I have never really done – waiting.  Well, of course I have waited for small things such as my food at a resteraunt or for a long anticipated vacation, but for the most part I have never really had to wait for the Lord.  I have basically lived all the years of my life in school and I knew the next step up unto seminary.  I assumed that once I graduated a job would just be waiting for me and the Lord would immediately call me.  However, I graduated in May of 2008 and now in January of 2009 I find myself waiting for the Lord to hurry up and make something happend.  However, that’s just it, I keep thinking the Lord is going to make something happen but every job I have looked at has not interested me or has not panned out.   In light of this, I have learned the elementary truth that waiting is a spiritual practice.  It is a discipline that I must choose to live out every day. 

For some reason I have never really heard a seromon on waiting for God, I have heard tid bits about being patient but never really on being a “good waiter.”  Honestly it doesn’t seem to be something we value as Christians in America, I certainly have never told anyone that they are excellent at waiting nor have I received a compliment about my abilities of waiting.  I think it would even be strange to hear, “What a good waiter you are.”  Yet, when I look at the life of David I marvel in amazement at his ability to wait for the Lord to act in his life. 

When David was a mere boy he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the king of Israel.  It took place when Saul was king and it made Saul hate him.  Saul hated David because he did not want David to take away his kingship from him or from his sons after him.  In fact Saul hated him so much that even after David served Saul faithfully for years Saul tried to kill him numerous times.  Yet, what astounds me is that David never forcefully took the throne that was“rightfully” his.  David had numerous oppurtunities to kill Saul and thereby take the kingship that God had said was his, but he didn’t.  In fact, in 1 Samuel 24, David has the oppurtunity to kill Saul and is egged on to do so by his men but in repsponse he says to his men in verse 11, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is [ 1 Samuel 12:3] the LORD’s anointed.”

David decides to wait for the Lord to deliver the kingship into his hands and refuses to kill Saul, a decision that caused David to wait to be king for many years.  Yet, he knew that waiting for the Lord to make it happen in his timing was the righteous action.

If I honestly look at my heart I don’t believe I would have made the same decision.  If I knew God had called me then I would have taken what was mine, and so here I am waiting for a position in ministry and I want God to make something happen.  It has been a measly few months and I have a fantastic job,  but not the job I want.  David waitied for years as an outcast of Israel and even among his enemy the Philistines.  As I look at such a story and read the Psalms I realize that there is a spiritual attribute that I have not valued, and an attribute that America certainly does not value.  For what is the value of waiting for God to make something happen when one can go out and work work work and be productive.  In this stage of my life I am looking to the life of David and Psamls to help me develop the spiritual discipline of waiting.

I look to Psalm 25:3 which says of the Lord, “none who wait for you shall be put to shame” and Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” I am encouraged by this because although I have not arrived at my next “task” per se I am in the place I need to be.  I am in a place that is normal.  Waiting is normal.  Really, I am in the best place I can be, waiting for the Lord to show himself strong to me and learning not to try and make things happen through my own strength.  We are all called to wait for the Lord and will all experience times where we must wait for something.  May the Lord mature in us the spiritual discipline of waiting so that as the Psalmist says we will not be put to shame.

I have spent a few years in the heart of the charismatic movement and a few years studying in a reformed seminary and I thought it worthy to discuss what seems to be the primary vision of these different camps.  In the charismatic camp there is this unceasing hunger and pursuit of God’s powerful presence manifested through various experiences and signs, which may or may not accompany a vision of furthering the kingdom of God.  On the other hand the Reformed camp primarily seeks after furthering the kingdom of God and may or may not ask God to empower them to do so. Each focus has something to offer.

First of all, the charismatic camp values above all else, in my opinion, experiencing the powerful presence of God.  Where there is a revival or manifestation of God’s power somewhere, such as the recent occurrence in Lakeland Florida, they flock to the event as Christians on a holy pilgrimage – literally.  In addition, their prayers often consist of hungering for God’s presence, crying out for revival, and there is often a passion to save the lost.  What is important to note though is their greatest objective is a revival or manifestation of God’s powerful presence in their personal lives and in their church.  They tend to think, “if only God’s power is revealed then will the kingdom of God be furthered, then will the lost come and be saved.”  Thus, again their emphasis is primarily on seeking after God’s power. 

Now, it is important to ask for God to empower us for ministry and it is important to experience his presence, but when these become the primary objectives then what should be the primary vision, furthering the kingdom of God, has been usurped by a lesser one – a constant pursuit of God’s presence that is never satisfied.  While it is healthy to hunger for God it is unhealthy to think one should “always” hunger for God in a manner that prevents them from doing much else.  While it is commendable and biblical to ask God to empower us to further his kingdom, there is a loss of “right” focus if that is all one asks for and is left always wanting more but never using what one has given to serve the kingdom.

On the other hand the reformed camp thinks little of asking God to empower them for ministry per se, at least little compared to the charismatics.   The reformed camp does tend to ask the Holy Spirit to empower them for ministry but it is usually a simple request before preaching or guidance for a missionary trip.  Now, even if a person requests God to empower him in a simple manner one can only expect that God will and does.  The Holy Spirit is prevalent in the Reformed camp evident by the fruit they bear by furthering the kingdom of God and growing others into the likeness of Christ.                        

A weakness in the charismatic camp is that a person often wants to “feel” God’s presence in order to believe they have been empowered, and the reformed person tends to realize they have the Holy Spirit and has everything they need in Christ so their goal is not asking for more of it but to use what they have been given to further the kingdom of God.

A weakness here is that they often do not realize how much power they do have from the Holy Spirit, and certainly do not expect anything unusual to happen.  There is a contentment that is in once sense healthy because it allows them to realize they have everything in Christ and work for his kingdom, but in another sense may leave them without a deeper hunger for God’s powerful presence, which in turn could allow them to further the kingdom of God better.

In conclusion, charismatics need to realize they do not have the “corner” on the Holy Spirit.  It is ludicrous and beyond immature to think that because they are the ones who experience certain manifestations and feel God’s presence that they are the only ones who use the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit’s work is evident by the fruit born in the person or church and NOT by certain charismatic experiences.  The fruit of the Spirit is primarily love and a desire to seek the edification of the church and the furthering of the kingdom of God.  This is another weakness in the charismatic movement is they seek God’s power for manifestations sake and lose the primary goal that manifestations are to further the kingdom of God, are to love and edify the church.

On the other hand, the reformed camp needs to be open to all the gifts of the Spirit and realize that Holy Spirit is in all Christians, and yes everyone is complete in Christ, but Paul says to pursue the Spirit of God.  Thus, Christians should and ought to continually pray for God to empower them to further his kingdom, but that is the goal – furthering the kingdom of God.  One should not primarily seek after God’s power, and one should not merely be content with not seeking after any power.  As Christians, we are called to further the kingdom of God first and foremost and this can be done no matter what church we are in or who we are with whether signs are occurring or we attend a cessasionist, people who believe the gifts have ceased, reformed church. 

One thing clear about the Christian worship servicet is that the Bible is not clear on how it “ought” to be performed.  There are many different views but only the reformed and charismatic perspectives will be briefly portrayed and examined.  On one hand the reformed ideal for a worship service is guided by order and supported by a ritual of activities rich in the history of the Church.  On the other hand, the charismatic ideal for a worship service is an intense worship experience where there is an encounter with the Holy Spirit accompanied by signs and wonders and new and fresh experiences.  Both ideals have strengths and weaknesses.  However, if each camp merely pursues its’ own ideal then they are left with an immature and unbiblical expectation of how the worship service “ought” to be.  Therefore, further explanation is needed in order to flush out the benefits from these different ideals in order to serve these purposes.

The reformed ideal for a worship service is guided by order because God is a God of order.  Thus, the service is usually done with a type of ritual order that is made up by various parts.  One part of the service is corporate prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer and/or the corporate confession of sin.  It is also typical for creeds to be read such as the Apostle’s creed, which has been in the church for hundreds of years and sums up what a Christian ought to believe.  There is also typically a great veneration and respect for the Lord’s Supper, and this sacrament is taken more often in a reformed tradition than in a charismatic one.  This also includes someone sharing about what the Lord’s Supper symbolizes the benefits of grace it provides, and a warning to those who have unconfessed sin or are unbelievers not to partake of it lest they incur judgment upon themselves.  One of the most important parts of the worship service is the preaching of the word because this is where God’s word is preached for the edification of the body of Christ, and is where God’s sovereign will is manifested to his people.  Another part of the service is the singing of songs, but often there is a greater respect for historical hymns and songs such as the doxology than is given in a charismatic service.  At the end of the service a benediction or prayer of blessing is pronounced upon the congregation.  

It is important to note that the large idea that formulates the reformed perspective of a biblical service is God’s transcendence and thus his lofty and holy nature.  In short God is above his people and the world and in light of this, there is not an expectation for God’s Spirit to show up and change the service.  Indeed, this is why so much painstaking thought and effort is taken in order to plan the service in a manner that best edifies the body of Christ and glorifies God.   The service is very intentional and is planned and ordered because it is thought of as the godly thing to do.

In addition, when faced with the question ,”what a biblical worship service is supposed to look like,” the reformed camp does not merely gather from biblical support but heavily values and looks to history as well.  What did the early church services look like and what did the early church do? The Apostles Creed testifies to this reformed value.  Besides it educating the Christian on what they ought to believe, the Apostles Creed is a rich and historical part of the Church.  Thus, if the Church has spoken it for so many hundreds of years then the question is why not say it anymore? 

On the other hand, the charismatic ideal of a worship service is an intense encounter with the Holy Spirit accompanied by signs and wonders.  Though not typically as many as the reformed service, there are also different parts that make up the charismatic service.  One of these parts is an openness and expectation for the manifestation of spiritual gifts.  The charismatic camp longs to hear prophetic words every Sunday, to see healings, miracles, and even more extreme parts seek after signs such as gold dust.  Another part is the preaching of the word, but the ideal in the charismatic preaching is to have a fresh word from the Lord, and what is preached is supposed to be what the Spirit of God is leading the pastor to preach.  Singing is also an important part of the service and these songs are often newer songs that will be sung for a few years and then eventually become dull and then dismissed in light of newer  and fresher songs.  There is often great excitement, emotion, and affection shown in the singing of songs than in the reformed camp as these are highly valued in order to portray one’s love for God.   The sacraments are also given though usually not as often as the reformed church and usually in a more individual and emotive manner.  Yet, the best expectation for the service is for the Holy Spirit to fall in such power that there is no sermon given, no “ordered” service per se, but an encounter with the Holy Spirit in which He minister’s to his people.

It is important to note that what forms the charismatic perspective of the biblical worship service is the imminence of God, and thus his Spirit filling his people and being close to them.  This is why the people often cry out for God to pour out his Spirit in greater and greater heaviness, with cries to God for “more and more and more” of his Spirit. This type of service is seen as seeking after God for an intimate experience with his presence.

In addition, when faced with the question, “what a biblical service is supposed to look like,” the charismatic camp does not tend to look at history but at the present Church at large and who is being more successful.   For instance, there was a recent outpouring of God’s Spirit in Lakeland, FL and when charismatcis go to this type of service they then return home wanting the same type of experience at their church with an understanding that this “ought” to be a typical service.

One of the strengths of the reformed service is their intentional pursuit to form an ordered service, and thus careful attention is given to every detail for the edification of the church and the exaltation of God.  Thus, the sermon is carefully prepared in order to adequately preach the Scriptures, and because of this the sermon is clear and professional.  Whereas charismatics may try to preach off the cuff, which is often sloppy and more hype than edification.  Another strength in the reformed camp is their value of Church history.  Sadly, many Christians and charismatics in churches today look at the Apostles Creed or older hymns as boring and meaningless ritual.  However, this only reveals such a person’s ignorance and utter disrespect for the richness of Church history to guide the present Church on how to best obtain a biblical service.  If a reformed person knows the Apostles Creed then he can respond with what a Christian ought to believe, but if a charismatic person is asked what he ought to believe as a Christian then one will tend to get a plethora of different answers because they were never taught precisely what they ought to believe. 

One strength of the charismatic service is the manifestation of spiritual gifts for the edification of the body of Christ.  This is an important aspect of the service that must not be neglected, as much of the reformed camp does because of their false understanding that the New Testament gifts have ceased.  Another strength is the hunger and eager expectation for the presence of God, to which God will often respond with the pouring out of his Spirit on his people unto their edification and his exaltation.   However, too often this understanding that one must always be crying out for more of God’s Spirit often leads to a type of discontentment, which may be ungodly and not spiritual but fleshly.  This is revealed by many charismatics who are unhappy with their church and may even leave it because the church they attend doesn’t measure up to the revival they just came from.  Thus, in their pursuit of the presence of God they rightly hunger for God, but loose a godly contentment and understanding that the service is not primarily about their experience with God but about the edification of the body of Christ and exaltation of God.

In conclusion, the transcendence and imminence of God must be valued and kept in perspective.  The history of the church is not boring but rich, and what is new, fresh, and seemingly successful may not actually be what is needed for a biblical service that edifies the body and exalts God.  Intentional order must always be pursued but a healthy and eager pursuit of the Spirit of God and his gifts must be sought after.  In such a reformed charismatic balance is a more biblical service then if left to themselves.

Reformed charismatic, it is not a term that one hears often in the Church. Sometimes when I tell people I am a reformed charismatic my words are met with a dumbfounded expression and a gaze that looks at me as if I were a living paradox. Yet, I want to offer that the reformed and charismatic camps are not a paradox but have many strengths and weaknesses that need to be discussed in order to balance one another out.

The topic I want to discuss in this post is discerning the Lord’s will for one’s life. One might say that the reformed person often acts from an objective view of God’s sovereign will for his life, while a charismatic person often acts from a subjective view. Both have an emphasis to offer.

I personally grew up more on the subjective charismatic side, and what I mean by this is that when I thought about going to college I wanted to hear God’s voice tell me what college to go to, I wanted a vision, I wanted a slap me over the face revelation to proclaim, “you shall go to this college!” By this, and only by this I thought, will I know God’s absolute will for my life. In the charismatic person there is often this inner desire to want to “feel” God direct him, and with this comes a comforting subjective experience.

In Scripture, there are a multitude of examples where God gives a personal or corporate revelation to his people in order to reveal his will to them. This was the case in Acts 9:10 where Paul has a vision as follows:

A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

It is because of this vision that Paul was able to discern that it was God’s will for him to go to Macedonia and preach the gospel. This was obviously a beneficial revelation for Paul in discerning God’s will, and such visions can still occur today among God’s people in order to reveal His will. In addition, God may speak directly to his people, give a dream, or even speak through a sign or another person in order to reveal his will. These are all examples of subjective revelation that need to be characterized as a type of special revelation, and what is just as important to state is that these are not the norm for a Christian’s life. In other words it is not normal to always discern God’s will through these occurrences.

A weakness in the charismatic, and contemporary church as well, is an overemphasis on this approach to discern God’s will. Even worse, the charismatic person often thinks that continually hearing God’s voice or receiving subjective revelation from Him is a place of spiritual maturity to attain to. However, constantly needing to receive special revelation is not mature but immature, and reveals a heart that does not trust God.

Furthermore, the charismatic person often thinks that he is being spiritual if he waits to move or make a decision without hearing God’s voice or receiving a personal revelation. Examples of this are people who obsessively seek God about whether it is His will for them to be in a relationship or proceed with a job. While it is good to pray about such things and even wait to see if God gives special direction, it is not necessary to make a decision if one does not hear God’s voice on the matter. If a person is constantly praying and not moving because he has not “heard” anything then what may look like mature spirituality here is often just fear, pure fear, and the prayers can be motivated by worry more than faith. The underlying fear is if one does not hear God’s voice to direct him then he will fail, screw up and get out of God’s will. Thus, the notion that it is a norm for the Christian to always receive a personal revelation is an immature and small view of God’s sovereign guidance over their life.

In saying that, God does speak and reveal his will to us through special occurrences, which are beneficial in discerning God’s will at times. Yet, the Bible does not depict the Christian life as constantly needing to receive a special revelation to make an informed decision on God’s will. The reformed camp has much to offer in this area because of their high esteem for the Scriptures, and it is through the Scriptures that we primarily discern God’s will. The reformed view of God is that he is sovereignly in control of the universe, and so sovereign in fact that if someone commits his actions to the Lord then God will guide and direct his steps. As the Scriptures say in Proverbs 16:9:

“Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established.”

Another important passage to note is Proverbs 3:5-6, which says:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight”

This depicts a person’s relationship with God in a manner that he simply commits his works, path, and thoughts unto the Lord and trusts that God will sovereignly guide them. Thus, there is not a need to hear God’s voice, receive special revelation, or even get that “feeling” about every decision we make nor even the important ones. For instance, is it God’s will for me to have this job? Our prayer should not be give me a sign, speak to me, as much as it should be open and close the doors God. If you want me to have it then bless me with it and if not then it will not work out because God chooses for it not to. The same is true for a relationship. Is it God’s will for me to date this person? Well, there are simple factors such as if this person is a strung out doped up junkie then it is most likely not God’s will. Yet, what if the person is a godly attractive Christian. Pray about it and move forward, one does not need to wait to hear a voice or receive a revelation to make a wise decision. This is because it is God’s responsibility to guide and direct our steps. That’s right, it is God’s responsibility to guide and direct our steps. That is a picture of a God who loves us and promises to take care of us and therefore we can trust that he will reveal his will to us as we move forward. This is the wisdom that the Bible teaches us from these scriptures.

In saying this, there is a weakness in the reformed camp that believes all special revelation such as God speaking, giving dreams, visions, and so forth have ceased. This is not biblically based since God has spoken to his people from the Old Testament to the New in special ways and there is no clear indication that it has ceased. Thus, as God’s people we should be open to God giving us special revelations to inform us concerning his will. As Paul was ministering, he was led through a vision to go somewhere else. Note, he was not sitting around waiting for God to give him special revelation of where to minister; he was ministering and then received a vision about ministering somewhere else.

In conclusion, in order to discern God’s will it is immature to always pursue personal revelation from God in order to make an informed decision. God will simply guide and direct his steps. It is good to wait for God and not rush, but to not move unless a revelation is given is immature and often based on fear. Scripture teaches us to commit our works to the Lord and trust that He will guide and direct them. He loves his children and it is his responsibility to guide and direct their steps. If one simply asks Him to do this then He will, and the Christian should be at peace knowing God is in control. Balanced with this is an understanding that God may direct us with special revelations. If this comes then praise God, but if not then no worries because God is directing our path. These special revelations are not the norm and should always be confirmed with whether or not scripture would support them, and if they bring glory to God. In this balance a Christian may wisely discern God’s will.

When I was growing up in middle school I read the Bible fairly consistently. I usually read about three chapters a day, and by 8th grade I had already read the entire Bible through once. By my senior year in high school I had read through the Bible another few times. At that time I remember I read with this intense pursuit of always wanting to learn something new and find out something great. I really benefited from this time, but mixed in that desire I had this distorted perspective that in order to be spiritually mature I always had to learn something new. Certainly it is important to learn new things from the word of God, but a purpose just as important if not more important is to just simply remember – remember the word of the Lord. This is why the Lord instructed the Kings of the Old Testament to read the Scriptures daily and to remember what he had done for Israel by rescuing them from Egypt again, again, and again. Being spiritually mature is not always about learning new spiritual truths, it is primarily about remembering and meditating about the truths we already know. Just to remember that God loves us and that he is faithul are far more important then some of the tid bits in the Bible that we might spend more time studying. I know the Bible tells me to hunger for the word of God and to pant for it as a deer pants for the water, but I am beginning to realize more and more that if I am not daily reading the Scriptures and remembering what the Lord has done then I forgot who I am and what I am doing. Too many times I have had a moral falling and snapped out of it at the end of my sin saying what did I do, why did I say that? In that moment I had forgotten who I am in Christ, I had forgotten what the Lord has done for me. In order to be a fruitful Christian I have learned more and more not to listen to a sermon thinking I have already heard that before, but to listen to it with humility and childlike faith longing for the word of God that makes me whole. I realize that I must hunger for the word of God and read it, the same verses again and again in order that I don’t forgoet who I am and what the Lord has done and that is why we are called to remember the Word of the Lord.