Picture this…

You hear someone talking about your Dad, what he did, where he went, what he said. How he responded in different situations and just describing his character and personality.

You say to yourself – ‘Well even though they said they were talking about Dad, that sure doesn’t sound like him. Some of it maybe, but some of that is out of character. My Dad would never do or say that. They’ve got to be talking about someone else’s Dad. After all there are many Dads out there.’

You know your Dad well, you spend time with him, you speak with him and he to you. You spend quality time together, he’s who you turn to when you have questions. 

In the same way…

In the same way, when you hear teaching or preaching, or when you see occurrences and are told that they are as a result of the Holy Spirit – if it out of character with Him, then it isn’t Him. However if you do not know the Lord Almighty and His Holy Spirit, if you don’t know His Word and are not led by Him – you may be inclined to just believe that this is the Lord’s doing. This is dangerous as you may then use this source as a point of reference. Let your point of reference be The Word of God. Know the Word of God for yourself.

If you think there is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and yet what you experience is an ungodly fear – then surely God is not in it. You see God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Your spirit bears witness with the Holy Spirit who dwells in you and that is how you know whether or not the Lord God is in it. (Romans 8:14-17)

How then do you know God? Through His Word, through having a relationship with Him. Through communion with Him. Through being surrendered to His will.

Do not be duped by exciting and goosebump inducing experiences and assume that God is in it. This knowledge will not come from feeling. Beware of occurrences and experiences that purport to be of God and yet are contrary to the person of the Holy Spirit. God will never violate His word. Whatever it is – it has to line up with the Word of God.

After all – there are many gods out there. Maybe we need to ask – ‘God?! Which god?

Faith MORSI