Obeying God, Pt. 2

The Holy Spirit will never impress you to do something contrary to the Bible. He who inspired the authors of Scripture will never contradict Himself.

Obeying God, Pt. 2

"He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'"

(Luke 11:28)

God speaks. He communicates clearly, even today. How does God speak to us today? His primary method of communication is through His awesome, inspired, holy Word. The Holy Spirit will also speak to you and guide you. The Holy Spirit will never impress you or lead you to do something contrary to the Bible. He who uniquely inspired the authors of Scripture will never contradict Himself. If someone tells you that God told them to do something that clearly does not align with what the Bible says, then rest assured, God has not spoken to them. The impression may have simply come from their own mind, or they may even have been led by Satan. For example, if someone says that God led him to leave his wife and have an affair with another woman, he is clearly mistaken. Our world is full of cultic groups who have led millions astray with each one claiming that God had spoken to them and led them.

I love a quote from my former evangelism professor, Dr. Roy Fish, in relation to sharing the Gospel with others. He said, "We do not need impressions when we have commandments from Scripture." No doubt, the Word of God is the definitive and primary way God communicates. When God speaks to your heart, how do you respond? Henry Blackaby taught that what you do after God commands you to do something reveals what you really believe to be true about God. It is always a good time to do the right thing. When God commands, the best way to respond is to say, "Yes, Lord, You have spoken, and I will do it." Oftentimes, however, we do not respond that way. We either tell God "no" or we compromise and tell God that we will do it later. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. I wish every time that God spoke to my heart, I simply obeyed Him.

All this week in our devotions, I am writing on the topic of obedience. In Dr. Charles Stanley's 30 Life Principles, his 21st principle is "Obedience Always Brings Blessings." He admitted that the word "always" is a strong term. It means perpetual and unending, and it is a word we casually use. The only Person who can say "always" truly is God. We do not have the power to be that consistent. The Bible does not say that mankind is always the same or consistent in every dimension. Hebrews 13:8 states, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

The Holy Spirit who inspired the authors of Scripture is the same Holy Spirit who illuminates our minds to understand what was written. The Spirit of God also guides God's people, the Church, to accomplish God's will for our lives. It is an exciting journey! I encourage you today that as the Holy Spirit speaks to you, listen carefully, and obey Him promptly.