"The only authoritative, actionable way God 'speaks' to us today is through His inspired Word."
Yea or Nay?
Yea or Nay?
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If God 'speaks' in an authoritative and actionable way then it must be believed and, if a directive, obeyed. If God isn't speaking in an authoritative way then it isn't God speaking - for everything God says must by definition be authoritative and true.
Let me (cautiously) phrase the original statement in a few more ways.
"Today God reveals His will for a particular believer's life only through His inspired Word."
"What God wants you to know (and consequently heed) He has already revealed in the words of the Bible."
Yea or Nay?
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The correct answer is...
YEA, verily yea.
The only authoritative, actionable way God 'speaks' to us today is through His inspired Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be COMPLETE, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work.
Either we believe that God's written Word is sufficient for our lives or we don't. As soon as someone says "God told me such and such" and "such and such" is not directly from Scripture (watch out - Deut 18:21-22) that person is implicitly declaring that God's revealed inspired Word is not sufficient for "life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) The Holy Spirit doesn't need tell us anything other than that which has already been revealed by God through His Word. The Holy Spirit will remind us of what God has already said and prod our conscience to put into action (i.e. obey!) that which we already know to be true and right. The Holy Spirit only speaks what He has heard from the Father and the Son (John 16:13-15) - it won't be any new commandment or revelation. God's Word thoroughly equips all believers for every good work - thoroughly and completely.
The ideas, promptings, closed doors, and coincidences that we claim to be "God speaking to us" are not authoritative unless the "message" comes directly from God's Word. How do you know it is God speaking even if the "message" doesn't fall afoul of Scripture? As a believer is your mind unable to apply God's Word to the particular situation you are facing? Is it impossible for Satan to urge you to do something that God doesn't explicitly address? What happens if two people have conflicting "God speaking" experiences? Is one person wrong and therefore actively working against God's purposes? Do not claim God said "such and such" to you when you do not know that to be true (unless, of course, it is from God's inspired Word). Don't be a false prophet. Your experience is not authoritative - not even for you personally. Only God's inspired Word is authoritative.
Do you really need more to follow and obey than what God has already revealed to you in His Word?
You do not.
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Semi-Related Links
http://sharperiron.org/article/cessationism-revelation-prophecy
http://sharperiron.org/article/case-for-cessationism
http://www.gotquestions.org/biblical-illumination.html
http://www.challies.com/christian-living/gods-will-for-your-life
http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/a232/prophecy-and-the-closed-canon-part-2
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/05/is-this-central-issue-in-christian.html
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/09/untangling-too-terse-word-about.html
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/09/untangling-too-terse-word-about.html
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The Bible - All you need to know about all you need to know.
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The Bible - All you need to know about all you need to know.
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"Scripture contains all
the divine words needed
for any aspect of human life."
John Frame - The Doctrine of the Word of God (p. 220)
