I am Sola Scriptura when it comes to doctrine and matters of faith.  I also rely on the guidance of the Spirit in my day-to-day life and decisions.  I consider this to be the normative behavior of a born again Christian man.  Perhaps there is simple confusion in regards to semantics, but some of the ‘Reformed’ faith look at me in skepticism when I use the phrase “The Lord told me.”  Let me try to explain what I mean by that and set a clear distinction between myself and what the ‘Charismatics’ seem to mean when they say something similar.

Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Galatians 5:18 “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

First of all, when I say “The Lord told me,” I am not speaking of an external audible voice.  I am speaking of an internal guidance that is hard to put into words without using phrases like “voice, told, said, etc.”  It is the still small ‘voice’ of the Lord (1^st Kings 19).  It can be described as a ‘prompting,’ a ‘thought,’ a measure of ‘peace and assurance,’ or as a ‘voice,’ as all ideas/thoughts/concepts, formalize themselves in your mind as coherent vocabulary.  Your own thoughts can be called a ‘voice,’ as they formulate into words.  We have many ‘voices’ that speak to us in our hearts and minds.  

Our desires, our wants, our flesh, our ego, the opinions and thoughts of others, our memories, the lusts of the world, and even the spiritual forces of darkness.  This is why the born again need to diligently study the Word and use careful discernment.  For one, our own hearts are MASTERS of deceit (Jeremiah 17:9).  They often trick us and persuade us that we are ‘hearing’ from the Lord and that we have His approval and/or disapproval on something, but in actuality, it is only our heart and desire that is leading us astray.  And the devil also masquerades as an ‘angel of light,’ pretending to be the approving/disapproving voice of God (2^nd Cor. 11:14).  And so we must use very careful discernment and caution, and more so in relation to how much we desire something!

Underlining this discernment is an awareness of the Word of God.  The Word of God is an exact revelation of Gods voice and commands.  In it, we have the totality of Gods desires for us while here on earth.  He will NEVER contradict or oppose what He has revealed in His Word.  And so as we read, we become familiar with the ‘way’ God speaks.  We learn His character, His tone, His approach to numerous subjects, His cadence, His mercy, His judgment, His righteousness, His justice, etc.  We see His heart and motive behind His actions, and we learn from His Spirit, WHY He has said what He has said.  The more we read, the more familiar with Him we become.  Just like any relationship, the more we learn the more intimate we grow.  The more familiar we become.  And so as we learn His Word and His heart, it becomes easier to discern His promptings, guidance, and ‘voice,’ and to distinguish between that and our own desires and wants (that’s not to say we still don’t fall for our deceptive hearts from time to time, but we get better at discerning the difference).

It is important to distinguish the difference between these promptings of the Spirit, and our reliance on Sola Scriptura.  I am not relying on these internal promptings to develop doctrine or to receive ‘commandments from God.’  His Word is my sole authority on all matters of faith.  My entire belief system is based on what is revealed within the pages of that Book and nothing more.  Everything I believe to be true about God, man, faith, salvation, etc., is to be derived solely from the Scriptures.  IF I were relying on this ‘voice’ to develop doctrine or commandments, then I believe I would be in heresy and walking the same path that many charismatics appear to be.  If I were issuing proclamations of command, and dictates from God, saying “Thus saith the Lord…” then I would be going beyond the Scriptures and would be a heretic.  If I were saying, “I believe such and such is a doctrinal fact,” and I were getting these beliefs from my own imagination and/or perceived promptings/voices of the Lord, I would be a heretic.  Everything I believe is rooted in the Scriptures alone. 

Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Psalm 37:23 “ The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”

Proverbs 16:9 “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”

What I mean when I say “The Lord told me,” is in relation to my day to day life.  My decisions in everything I do.  From what to listen to, to what time to wake up, to what to buy at the store.  I acknowledge Gods sovereignty in all my life, and know that He is the only one that can direct me in ways of righteousness.  He is in complete control over every single facet in life, and in order for me to walk in perfect obedience, I need to seek His guidance in all things.  Every decision has a ‘right and wrong’ choice (or at least a ‘tolerable' and 'best’ choice).  And in my fallen Adamite body, with no foresight of the future, and without a perfect moral compass, I simply cannot make the right (or best) decisions.  If I do not seek Him in all I do, I will fail.  And so I prayerful consider all my ways, seeking His guidance in all things.  While in my car, while laying in bed, while grocery shopping…EVERYWHERE!

So in every decision (more or less, depending on the severity of the issue), I seek the Lords guidance.  I internally commune with my Father by the power of His Spirit, and ask for His direction and guidance.  And then I test my heart.  I seek to ‘hear’ from Him in all things.  Usually that comes by knowing that the decision doesn’t contradict His character or commands as revealed in the Word, an internal peace and contentment with the decision, and a favorable sense in my inner man that God is looking upon me with delight, that enters my thoughts in a ‘voice’ that approves or disapproves of the decision.  I may be going beyond the scope of words here and trying to describe an internal mystery that only the born again can know, but because of several accusations/skeptics, I feel like I am forced to try to define this mystery.

Because of the deceptive nature of my heart, the external influence of men and the world, and the evil schemes of the demonic, this can often be a tricky affair.  It can require much patience and ‘wrestling’ internally as I wait for clear guidance from the Lord.  Often, my heart masquerades as the Lord and approves of something I desire.  But because I desire it so much, I am cautious and skeptical.  Knowing that there is a high probability that I am deceiving myself, I continually pray and filter these ideas through what I know of Scripture.  I continually seek God and His peace in the matter, knowing that if I am doubtful or uneasy, I am probably deceiving myself.  And so I must wait and wrestle and discern and study.

I don’t know if this helps clarify what I mean when I say, “The Lord told me,” but I am not drawing on extra-Biblical revelation.  I am not going beyond the Scriptures.  I am simply trying to vocalize the internal guidance and promptings of the Holy Spirit as I walk out my faith in my every day decisions.  I am acknowledging God in all my ways (in EVERY decision), while seeking His guidance and peace.  I am not creating new doctrine or new commands, I am merely seeking Him in every step of my life, trying to walk exactly as He would have me walk.  I am trying to make sure that every step I take, every decision I make, every direction I go, is the way that He would have me go.  I believe that is a life of obedience, and I believe that that is what is meant in the Scriptures when it talks of being “led by the Spirit.”