I’m more and more impressed with the grace and wisdom shown by this woman blogger. I highly recommend viewing the Justin Peters video.
In my own observation, God is Sovereignly Sovereign as I’ve heard Dr. S. Lewis Johnson say in his sermons. He can rightly speak directly to us. The normative way is through the Bible. It’s certainly possible for him to directly speak a word to us…I personally think this is very rare, and must be consistent with what the Bible says. There may be a time and place we sense a very strong direction from God, I don’t think that is bad. That can be most likely just a very personal word of God’s grace and mercy or assurance. Not something that needs to be shared or taught to others.
Perhaps where many go wrong is desiring, even craving for some new method of accessing God directly either through techniques or just fervent prayer. It sounds so good to desire a very special and specific word from God, and even more powerful if you can leverage sharing that to make your point if you are a leader or teacher. But as the article affirms when it’s outside of the Bible who knows where such a special revelation comes from, whether from within ourselves or from outside we can be deceived.
If you read our old Confessions you understand that the early Reformers and writers saw that God’s word was sufficient.
The Westminster Confession in the opening chapter says:
4. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.
5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.
6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.
The Belgic Confession says it this way…..
Article VII – The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures to be the Only Rule of Faith
We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein. For since the whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in them at large, it is unlawful for any one, though an apostle, to teach otherwise than we are now taught in the Holy Scriptures: nay, though it were an angel from heaven, as the apostle Paul says. For since it is forbidden to add unto or take away anything from the Word of God, it does thereby evidently appear that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and complete in all respects.
Neither may we consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with those divine Scriptures, nor ought we to consider custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God, since the truth is above all; for all men are of themselves liars, and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts whatsoever does not agree with this infallible rule, as the apostles have taught us, saying, Prove the spirits, whether they are of God. Likewise: If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house.
Rainbow Trout 