"God Speaks to Me".
So how does this work exactly?
So let me start by saying that I mean no offense to anyone with this but I know it will cause quite a kerfuffle with some folks. I’m just genuinely curious. I see plenty of posts on the app formerly known as Twitter and also Substack where people claim that “God has spoken to me”. I’m not talking about through His written Word, I’m talking about an audible voice or an inner voice they claim is from God.
So if God has spoken to you what is your objective standard to prove it is from God?
Here is an example from an actual conversation I had with a Christian:
Him: “God told me to leave my wife.”
Me: “No He didn’t. God would never tell you to divorce your wife. God hates divorce and would never tell you to do anything that contradicts His Word.”
Him: “Well, God did tell me it was okay.”1
And there are plenty more examples of this type of foolishness everywhere among Christians.
So in closing, I will ask again: If God has spoken to you what is your objective standard to prove it is from God?
Have a great day,
Scott
Dude just wanted to leave his wife. He had met another woman and I told him all he was doing was using God to justify his sin.
For me, I've thought I heard God's voice, but perhaps it was an inner dialogue. God will never tell you to do something against His word. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. We have to be careful when we use "God told me" or "thus saith the Lord". If you're using it for your own gain, that's spiritual abuse and there will be judgement.
First, I speak as a child of divorce. My parents divorced when I was 15. It was/is a horrible thing. I was so freaked out that I had migraines and dizzy spells for years and only realised the cause a decade later. I have put a lot of time and effort into putting my family back together. My wife has made 3 serious threats of divorce to me and each time I have wanted to die. I have visions of my children grown up not recognizing me. There are no words for how much divorce horrifies me. That being said, I could not so cavalierly say that God would never tell anyone to divorce.
First, Deuteronomy 24 provides statutes regulating a divorce which indicates that however odious, however horrible it is, it has some place in this world. Second, Jeremiah 3 describes God as initiating a divorce against Israel. Numerous other passages describe the divine casting off of both the Northern and Southern kingdoms in essentially the same language. 2 Corinthians 7, which is probably the most clear teaching against divorce, does permit divorce of the unbeliever.
Now, I very much appreciate a pastor taking a stand against divorce. I also remember my mother who harassed a preacher until he told her that yes there were some circumstances where divorce was permissible and then she took that and ran with it. But, I still think that we need to be very careful about saying what God can't or won't do. A guy who will murder His own Son might do pretty much anything.
So, I don't usually share this but God has spoken to me before and while it certainly wasn't an audible voice I wouldn't call it an inner voice either. I don't remember what He said, which is sort of funny. I remember that I had a problem that was troubling me a lot and I was praying about it. And suddenly a solution of simply passing up my claim, simply walking away was in my mind when it had never been there before. And I knew immediately that my prayer had been answered. The presence of God frightened me. I can remember clearly a moment before He spoke and a moment after but Him speaking seemed to happen between heartbeats, in a gap between one bit of time and the next.