It is not uncommon in these times to hear much in the church about “discernment.” A more recent expression, it refers to the idea of being able hear the voice of the Spirit for personal direction or for some aspect of church life and ministry. In my recent experience, I have found that Christians speak often of listening for the voice of Jesus to discern His will or direction. This expression is based on the valid theological notion that Jesus speaks existentially by the presence of His Spirit to those who have come into a relationship with Him by a confessed faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
A popular biblical reference to how Jesus does this is found in John 10 where Jesus speaks in the metaphorical image of a shepherd and his sheep. It is a truly beautiful mideastern picture of Jesus leading His sheep as the Good Shepherd. The idea is that He cares for them as their protector and provider while they live as members of His flock. It is a picture of intimacy between the Shepherd and His sheep (or His church) in which He knows and calls each one by name, providing for them according to their individual and combined needs. Further, He speaks of Himself as the actual Gate to the sheepfold — thus emphasizing the theological truth that participation in the true church is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ.
But, for the purposes of this article, the most significant reference is to the sheep being able to “recognize and hear the Shepherd’s voice.” John 10:3 and 4 describe it this way (New International Version): “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
It is true that one of the most beautiful aspects of being a follower, or disciple, of Jesus in today’s world is the wonder of being able to hear and recognize God’s voice to one’s own spirit. This is often described as “listening to Jesus.” How this happens is a mystery but also an objective reality. So many times, I personally have been conscious of my Lord’s voice — prompting, warning, encouraging, and providing very real guidance in a variety of contexts.
However, what I often find to be missing these days, in these discriptions of hearing God’s voice, is the importance of a reference to the Bible as the objective authoritative Word of God. This fact is rather striking because all who speak of hearing Jesus’ voice would agree that the Bible is the ultimate test of both the content and means of hearing God’s voice. And it’s possible, because of this oversight, that many of these allusions to discerning Jesus’ voice might easily be regarded as suspect. More seriously, what I have sometimes observed in this allusion to hearing God’s voice, is what might actually be regarded as a certain aversion to mentioning the Bible,
Perhaps this aversion is due to a perceived sense of opposition to biblical authority or biblical reliability. But, it seems to me, consistent with today’s postmodern rejection of objective truth (or the parallel tendency to rely upon personal experience as the final authority in our lives) that we de-emphasize the tremendous importance of biblical authority. I find this somewhat ironic since it is the Bible (as noted above) that speaks about hearing God’s voice, AND, that Christians often refer to the Bible otherwise for justifying their understanding of reality.
My main point is that something huge has been lost in our seeming reticence to give the Holy Scriptures the higher profile, in our personal lives and in the life of the church, which they deserve. I realize that some of this is due to the confusion that often exists over biblical hermeneutics or interpretation. Because of the postmodern tendency to dislike definitions or sharp distinctions (in the interests of inclusion), it seems there has been a corresponding disregard for diligent exegesis of the biblical text. As a result, rather than being regarded as the authoritative, objective Word of God, the Bible is often relegated to second place in “hearing God’s voice.”
It seems to me that this is not merely unfortunate—but even more seriously—quite dishonouring of the triune God. For if there is one thing that Scripture itself teaches us, it is that God’s Word (that is, the inspired Holy Scriptures) is as important as the very name of God itself. Psalm 138:2, for example, speaks of God’s solemn decree surpassing His very fame (or in the words of the King James Version of the Bible, “For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” Something that continually stands out about God’s revelation both in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, is the huge importance of God’s written Word. The whole of Psaqlm 119, for example, the longest chapter in the entire Bible, references some aspect of God’s Word in almost every one of its 175 verses.
Jesus Himself frequently referenced the importance of His written Word. Most of what He spoke was a reference or recap of something written in the Old Testament. One of the great aspects of His High Priestly prayer in John 17 was that the Father in heaven would “sanctify them [His disciples] by the truth,” which in turn was followed by the profound axiomatic statement: “your word is truth” (John 17:17). I also find it very interesting that Paul’s explanation in Romans 3 of the Jews’ advantage, or special privilege, over everyone else, is that they “have been entrusted with the very words of God” (Romans 3:1). And Paul, himself writing by inspiration from God, asserts: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thorougly equipped for every good work” (2 Timohty 3:16, 17).
Many other Scripture references could be cited concerning the huge importance of being guided by the Holy Spirit through the written Word of God.. This is not to detract from the wonderful truth that we can be guided by the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. But I contend that this is only true as that guidance is informed and consistent with what has already been revealed to us through the Bible. And for that reason it is important that our discernent of the Spirit’s voice always takes place in the context of our understanding of Scripture.
At the least, I believe we need to make a concerted effort in these days to balance our discernment language with a strong empahsis on the authority and spiritual vitality that comes by the ministry of the Spirit through the existing revelation of God in the Bible. While it is great to teach and experience the immediate ministry of the Spirit to our own sanctified human spirits, it is equally important that we not neglect honouring the Bible as the written revealed Word of God.
I am discerning (from the Spirit, I believe) that there is a great need in our times for more emphasis upon how the Spirit—who inspired the sacred text in the first place—wants to speak to us through the authoritative written Word of God.
ed ©
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