Questioner
I know this girl who says she has met and talked directly with Jesus, and even walked around with Him and listened to Him as He talked with her, sharing that He is not angry at sin, even the sins of unbelievers. What should I say to her?
Answer
Whenever anyone claims to be receiving direct
revelation from God, and in her case, a revelation that contradicts the clear
teachings in the scriptures, then there is little to say to her, except to
reveal what God says about adding to His closed and sealed revelation:
Rev 22:18-19 "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."
Until she realizes that she is not really receiving direct revelation from God, and that God will only talk with her in His revealed and seal Word--the Bible, then she cannot be reached with the truth. By sharing the scriptures above you will be subjecting her to the "Living and Active" Word that can convict her heart of her sin and the delusion of receiving direct revelation from God.
You have to tell her that she is wrong and is not receiving any messages from God. If she is offended by this, then she is offended, for the truth will always offend when it comes into contact with error.
Now, God does speak to us every time we open His Bible or hear His Word preached...His Words are not like any book that men write that are "dead words" - rather His Words are "Living and Active" (Heb 4:12). God's Words today are an "active" conversation with those who read and listen to them. We speak back to Him in our prayers. God's written Words are the only words from God that we can trust, for they can be verified, whereas her claimed conversations with God can never be verified by anyone. If she really believed the Bible then she would know that the "infallible scriptures" forbids anyone claiming additional messages/words from God other than what has been already been written and sealed.
My guess would be that she has not read much of the scriptures, or if she has, then she has been poorly taught and maybe of a Charismatic/Pentecostal background which would support her belief in additional revelation.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 199
Middletown, DE USA, 19709
Our websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986