The Holy Spirit Trump Card

Someone the other day told me, "The Holy Spirit told me to say this." Not an exact quote but close enough. Now it is clear that no one can by the Spirit of Christ say something bad about Christ as well (I Cor 12). So that includes those strange folks that say "Jesus told me to kill that my kids." Obviously the heard incorrectly.

But what if someone tells me "The Holy Spirit told me such and such," and that such and such is not contrary to scripture, well then do I have to accept what he/she said as from Mt. Sinai?

I don't think so. Many people like to play the H.S. card and assume it with such authority as "thus saith the Lord!" I have actually heard that one before as though he had as much authority as Jeremiah or Jesus. I never came back to that meeting again. But how do I know that person really did hear? Better yet, how do they know?

The bible is 100% certainly God's Word. I know for 100% certainty that lust, adultery, murder, slander is not God's will or plan for my life. The Holy Spirit confirms that in my daily life. He convicts me of sin. That's one way in which the Spirit speaks.

However I think a lot of times, people just think or feel something, and that thought or feeling automatically becomes God speaking authoritatively and clearly to them. But I wonder how folks can always be so certain. Could they not have misunderstood? Could it have been indigestion? Could it have simply been something that they just really wanted to do? I think that's the case more often than not.

I would recommend adopting more of a "feeling led" mentality. I can be mistaken on what I think I feel led to do. You can be correct, and you can be mistaken as well. And that's OK. We've been given the certainty of God's Word, and the HS to understand and apply it to our lives. And a community to help confirm those applications. So don't feel bad if you don't believe the next person that tells you "God told me this or that." Maybe He did, but maybe He didn't. The latter is always a possibility.