How does one discern between thoughts inspired by the Holy Spirit and those produced from themselves
score:4
The Catholic Church has a fairly well-established attitude (and rules) towards private revelation. They're summarized in Contemplation - Revelations and visions. The first two, most important, "rules" regarding private revelation are explicitly mentioned:
Firstly, the spiritual director must judge whether the revelation directs the person to deeper love of God or the saints. If so, the revelation is at least "provisionally" inspired. If not, and especially if a call to some [costly] endeavor is present, the director must demand signs from God. (Note: The first rule implies that the person has a spiritual director, and that the spiritual director knows their prayer life!)
Secondly, the receiver of a revelation should resist the revelation, accepting it only after a spiritual director decides that the "seer" should place some confidence in them. (Again, an experienced spiritual director is implied!)
These particular rules seem pretty strict, intended to safeguard the "seer" and The Church against "big", public deceptions. But, slightly less stringent rules along a similar vein apply to revelations of a seemingly limited, personal matter. In particular, I'd suggest looking into St. Ignatius's Discernment of the Spirits. On the more strict end, there are 22 rules. But, the gist of it is knowing and loving God, first and foremost, and then recognizing spiritual "consolation" and "desolation."
In very rough terms, consolation is a feeling of "being set on fire with love for God." Desolation is a feeling of uncertainty, turmoil, or confusion. The basics of discernment involve, usually under the guidance of a spiritual director, imagining a decision and feeling whether it gives you consolation -- whether it sets you on fire with love for God. If not -- and especially if desolating -- it's probably not God's call.
It might be worth picking up a copy of Ignatius's spiritual exercises.
I think you'll find that the rules for discernment also call for a spiritual director. And that they also call for some reluctance in leaping to assume you've heard God's voice.
Remember: If God wants you to know something, He's not going stop bugging you after the first call. The prophets had a tendency to ignore their visions at first. Be a good prophet and do the same!
Upvote:0
There is actually no way you can do it by yourself. Because you would be bias towards any information. We can always pick any experience or dream and tell ourselves its a message from God or it wasn't if we didn't like the message(even if it really was from the holy spirit). fredsbend had answered this type of questions here. But even with those rules, you would still be biased.
For example.. a person had an experience and God says to him that he should sacrifice his daughter. The holy spirit had passed all the test... Like when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son.. If you had this experience.. lets say it passed all the test.. Would you even try to attempt to sacrifice your own daughter?
Upvote:0
This answer will assume that you think God has all authority in Heaven and Earth. He is capable, by His almighty omnipotent power, to do all that He pleases.
When concerned whether you should or should not perform an act that is allowed by Scripture because you think God might have told you to do it you always have this recourse: God the is sovereign of all that is. There is nothing that happens without God ordaining it. God does one of three things for everything that happens: He makes it happen, He stops it from happening, or He lets it happen.
With that in mind there are a few things to consider. First, do you earnestly wish for God's will to be done or your own? The Lord's prayer is clear; we are to pray for His will to "be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9-13). The Psalms are filled with songs of conforming your thoughts to God's. If you are doing your best to be Christian, like Christ, I think it is safe to assume that your action and thought will be Christ driven.
The next thing you should consider is how righteous men in Scripture have determined the will of God when they had a thought to do something. The most notable is Gideon with the fleece (Judges 6:36-40). There is also the remaining eleven disciples deciding who to elect as a twelfth by casting lots.
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts 1
Note that they started with "Lord, you know everyone's heart." They earnestly only wanted to please God.
Ultimately, no matter what your thoughts are concerning actions you should take, whether they are from God or not, this is the thrust of the Bible and our relationship with God: Trust in God. Do your best to be righteous in His eyes and believe, have faith, that He is good and Righteous in all His ways.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Upvote:0
I have this friend who went on about three dates with a guy before he proposed to her claiming he had prayed to God and received revelation from the Spirit that they were meant to be together.
What if we turned this around? How can he be sure it is not the great deceiver, trying to tempt your friend, via his lust, desire or any other sin?
In addition, the physical (which means carnal, not always from the spirit) brain can produce all sorts of false thoughts, messages, visions...
We can also probably twist Bible passages to support either argument.
In cases like this, stick with what is clear to you, the guessing and uncertainty is not of God.
The answer there is that there is no answer.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 11:14
Upvote:0
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Act 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, Act 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
How to be led by the Spirit of God by Kenneth E. Hagin and Keith Moore's Spirit Led Life v1 and the second set v2 are in detail teaching on how to revere, recognize and respond to the Holy Spirit. Brother Keith and Brother Hagin teach that its possible to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit or our own Spirit as influenced by the Holy Spirit something I disagree with as God is a Spirit not a mind and desiring to hear a voice of any form or having thoughts in your mind which do not originate from yourself can literally make you mentally ill. It is inviting problems. Kenneth Hagin talks a little bit about this in the book I recommend. However there is nothing unscriptural about knowing what is right and wrong to do based on reasons which you cannot explain. That is how I interpret Rom 8:14, Act 16:7.
Luk 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
There also is nothing unscriptural about speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit concerning things of the word like is said in Luke 12. We believe in speaking in tongues so naturally it need not always make sense to your mind. However randomly doing things because you "feel" like it is you not God.
Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
God literally speaking audibly or inaudibly to a person (rather than through a person) is rare even in the Bible. It happened in Act 8:29, Heb 10:15 and 1 Timothy 4:1. (Jesus constantly was in communication with the Father but He had the Holy Spirit without measure: John 3:34) Except when we are absolutely certain we should take credit for what we say or think rather than attributing the words we speak or thoughts we have to God. If you want to hear God's voice read the Bible and think those precisely recorded thoughts.
More post
- 📝 How is sinning judged after accepting Christ?
- 📝 How do the Apostolic Church install a High priest in light of Hebrews 7?
- 📝 Can You Go To Heaven if You Commit Suicide?
- 📝 Is Orthodoxy more important than Orthopraxy?
- 📝 Is there consensus on the age of human civilization?
- 📝 Does Calvary Chapel assume everything is wrong in this world?
- 📝 According to Catholicism did Pope Linus know that he was the Pope and Head of the Church?
- 📝 Is there any manuscript or historical evidence to support the final 13 verses of Genesis 50 that appear in the Joseph Smith Translation?
- 📝 Are any Classical Hebrew translations of the New Testament based on ancient languages other than Koine Greek?
- 📝 What was the Original Purpose of Fasting from "Wine" and "Olive Oil" in the Orthodox Tradition?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis in the Old Testament for the belief that the Messiah must be God?
- 📝 How/why do Annihilationists hold to their view on Hell when the Scripture never uses the word “ἀφανίζω (aphanizō)”?
- 📝 According to the Catholicism, what exactly is the meaning of “overshadowed” by the power of the most High in Luke 1:35?
- 📝 Which doctrines are based solely on the apocrypha?
- 📝 Why do English-speaking Catholics say 'descended into hell' instead of 'descended into Hades' or 'into Sheol'?
- 📝 Were the Gospels considered Scripture when the rest of the New Testament was written?
- 📝 Why is the Catholic Church called "The Roman Catholic Church"?
- 📝 The seriousness of sin changed?
- 📝 Was God dishonest about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
- 📝 The four living creatures and twenty-four elders in Revelation?
- 📝 Does the incorrupted body of St. Cecilia still exist?
- 📝 Will we be reunited with our family and friends in heaven?
- 📝 Why were the mystical works of Richard of St. Victor called "Benjamin"?
- 📝 According to Roman Catholicism, is a person required to fast?
- 📝 Contractual agreements that conflict with Christian belief
- 📝 When Christ was pierced with the spear, why did water come out?
- 📝 Are there any groups of Christians who believe that all loans made with their money should be made without the expectation of repayment?
- 📝 Do Biblical Unitarians view John 1:14 and Philippians 2:5-8 as two complementary descriptions of the same event?
- 📝 Why do Catholics recite the phrase "Thanks be to God" during Mass?
- 📝 Do people who adhere to the Immaculate Conception of Mary believe that Mary and Jesus were both conceived in the same fashion?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How does one discern between thoughts inspired by the Holy Spirit and those produced from themselves
- 📝 How does Catholic Church differentiate between the presence of Jesus and that of the Holy Spirit on the earth?
- 📝 The difference between how the Holy Spirit and Son "proceed" from the Father
- 📝 Jesus says, that God the Father is a Spirit AND Paul says there is one (1) Spirit. How do trinitarians understand who or what the Holy Spirit is?
- 📝 For traditional sources, how does the Catholic Church distinguish between holy truth and human speculation from the same author?
- 📝 If the Holy Spirit is God, and God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell in me a sinner?
- 📝 What is the difference between being filled by the Holy Spirit and being indwelt by the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit are of the same nature but different personas?
- 📝 What is the difference between baptism of the Holy Spirit and receiving the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 How does one test the spirits and identify false preachers?
- 📝 How does the Bible differentiate between sickness and sin?
- 📝 According to the Bible how does one receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?
- 📝 How it is possible to be one God in three persons (Jesus, Holy Ghost, and God the Father)?
- 📝 How do Christians who believe in a witness of the Holy Spirit via thoughts & feelings respond to the claim that thoughts & feelings are unreliable?
- 📝 How does the loss of Wesleyan perfectionism differ from Catholic distinctions between mortal and venial sins?
- 📝 Does the Holy Spirit indwell the Christian, and if so, how?
- 📝 How does one discern a calling to the vocation of priesthood?
- 📝 According to LDS, do all non-LDS Christians lack the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and if so, how does this lack manifest itself in the lives of non-LDS?
- 📝 Does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit encompass a person's body, soul and spirit?
- 📝 How does the relationship compare between earthly children and spiritual children in LDS theology?
- 📝 From an LDS perspective, what is the difference between feeling the influence of the Holy Spirit and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 How does the Catholic church distinguish between the human soul and spirit?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for switching between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as recipients during prayer?
- 📝 How do Trinitarians respond to Mark 13:32 which indicates that the Holy Spirit does not know something?
- 📝 How does the Catholic church deal with the differences between the God described in the old and new Testaments?
- 📝 How does one discern a calling to the vocation of religious life?
- 📝 Is John 3:23 contradicted by 1 John 4:5-6? Does the born again experience happen by the Holy Spirit or by both the word of God/Gospel and Holy Spirit?
- 📝 How does Catholicism deal with the apparent paradox/conflict between "love thy neighbour" and "you will be rewarded"
- 📝 According to Trinitarians, is the Holy Spirit quenched and grieved by those who deny His personhood and Christ's deity?
- 📝 How does the power of the Holy Spirit manifest in Christians, as opposed to non-Christians who don't have access to this power?