"For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings" (Job 33:14-16, NLT).
"My sheep hear my voice..." (cf. John 10:27). Jesus speaks to His children through any means, even the voice of a child, as in the case of St. Augustine. God speaks once, yea, twice, and man hears Him not, according to Job: "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction" (Job 33:14-16, NASB). No one can claim they've never been the recipient of God's messages, no matter how limited--when he reacts positively, he opens the door to more opportunity. C. S. Lewis has said that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, and shouts to us in our pains!
Mystics claim a special ear to God's messages like Joan of Arc did, and to put some trust in them is not in the one firm foundation--this is how cults begin. If God speaks to you on a personal level for encouragement, that's between you and God, and is personal--don't feel you should share it. To prophesy to the church is another gift of communication. In these last days, the Word of the Lord is rare and, since we have the complete revelation of God in the Bible, it is not needed--the Word is all we need, clear and sufficient! If God speaks to you, you must test it with the truth of Scripture. We are not receiving new revelations anymore since God's Word is complete and the canon is closed, and to add to His Word brings on a judgment of God.
Now, to the point of God speaking to everyone: God woos His elect to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel message and to soften their hearts--no one would otherwise believe. If you believe that God woos everyone, you must also ask if He woos everyone equally. If He woos everyone equally, why do some respond and others don't? You are faced with either believing in the sovereignty of God's grace in salvation or the necessity of some kind of merit of the person getting saved.
The Arminian will not admit that God doesn't even woo some, but he doesn't know why some people respond to the gospel, and others don't! Romans 5:21 says that grace reigns through righteousness. Grace is sovereign and efficacious, in other words, and that means that God gets the desired effect and it works for His purposes, not being wasted. God isn't frustrated and doesn't say, "Well, I tried to save you, but you were too far gone!" We are all bad, but not too bad to be saved!
Some people do need greater wooing and more intense grace to become believers, but they are not a bigger challenge to God, just more opportunity to demonstrate His grace and how effectual it is. God doesn't destine people to hell as if they had no choice in the matter like some blind fate or kismet; however, He does let some go their own way without His intervention of grace--He doesn't owe grace to anyone, or it would be justice; God doesn't have to save anyone!
Point in fact: Distinguish between the inward and outward call of the gospel; the inward one is from God and is effectual, and the outward call from man sometimes falls on deaf ears and can, therefore, be ineffectual. God's Word says that He's never let the world without a witness (cf. Acts 14:17)--everyone has had the opportunity to hear from God! Paul says He is not far from every one of us!
In summation, we are not to seek "voices" or special revelation, and we shouldn't feel left out if we have no extra-biblical experience, such as a vision, divine voice, or visitation. The existence of Scripture as God's written Word does not preclude God's audible voice or any oral communication. God has promised to speak to us in His Word which is all He has to say to us and need not be improved upon. We must be faithful to the Word first, though other forms of communication are not retired! The sheep hear God: "... Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:37, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
"My sheep hear my voice..." (cf. John 10:27). Jesus speaks to His children through any means, even the voice of a child, as in the case of St. Augustine. God speaks once, yea, twice, and man hears Him not, according to Job: "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction" (Job 33:14-16, NASB). No one can claim they've never been the recipient of God's messages, no matter how limited--when he reacts positively, he opens the door to more opportunity. C. S. Lewis has said that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, and shouts to us in our pains!
Mystics claim a special ear to God's messages like Joan of Arc did, and to put some trust in them is not in the one firm foundation--this is how cults begin. If God speaks to you on a personal level for encouragement, that's between you and God, and is personal--don't feel you should share it. To prophesy to the church is another gift of communication. In these last days, the Word of the Lord is rare and, since we have the complete revelation of God in the Bible, it is not needed--the Word is all we need, clear and sufficient! If God speaks to you, you must test it with the truth of Scripture. We are not receiving new revelations anymore since God's Word is complete and the canon is closed, and to add to His Word brings on a judgment of God.
Now, to the point of God speaking to everyone: God woos His elect to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel message and to soften their hearts--no one would otherwise believe. If you believe that God woos everyone, you must also ask if He woos everyone equally. If He woos everyone equally, why do some respond and others don't? You are faced with either believing in the sovereignty of God's grace in salvation or the necessity of some kind of merit of the person getting saved.
The Arminian will not admit that God doesn't even woo some, but he doesn't know why some people respond to the gospel, and others don't! Romans 5:21 says that grace reigns through righteousness. Grace is sovereign and efficacious, in other words, and that means that God gets the desired effect and it works for His purposes, not being wasted. God isn't frustrated and doesn't say, "Well, I tried to save you, but you were too far gone!" We are all bad, but not too bad to be saved!
Some people do need greater wooing and more intense grace to become believers, but they are not a bigger challenge to God, just more opportunity to demonstrate His grace and how effectual it is. God doesn't destine people to hell as if they had no choice in the matter like some blind fate or kismet; however, He does let some go their own way without His intervention of grace--He doesn't owe grace to anyone, or it would be justice; God doesn't have to save anyone!
Point in fact: Distinguish between the inward and outward call of the gospel; the inward one is from God and is effectual, and the outward call from man sometimes falls on deaf ears and can, therefore, be ineffectual. God's Word says that He's never let the world without a witness (cf. Acts 14:17)--everyone has had the opportunity to hear from God! Paul says He is not far from every one of us!
In summation, we are not to seek "voices" or special revelation, and we shouldn't feel left out if we have no extra-biblical experience, such as a vision, divine voice, or visitation. The existence of Scripture as God's written Word does not preclude God's audible voice or any oral communication. God has promised to speak to us in His Word which is all He has to say to us and need not be improved upon. We must be faithful to the Word first, though other forms of communication are not retired! The sheep hear God: "... Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:37, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
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