Identifying The Voice Of God

Dr. Charles Stanley: If God’s doing the speaking, whatever He says to us, it is going to contribute to our spiritual growth. Now, how do I know that? Because He says that He foreordained and predestined that you and I be conformed to the likeness of Christ. All right, if He foreordained before the foundation of the world that you and I be conformed to the likeness of Christ, whatever God tells me to do, simple or complex, it is going to be a part of my spiritual growth. God would never tell you anything that would cause your spiritual life to disintegrate.
Guest (Male): When you pray and wait on God for direction, how can you know when it’s His answer that you’re sensing? Welcome to In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. We’re glad you’ve joined us. Today, we’ll hear clear spiritual guidelines for identifying the voice of God as our series continues.
Dr. Charles Stanley: When you’re listening to God, how do you know that it’s God who’s doing the speaking or is it some other voice that you’re hearing? And this is a question that people ask me often. "I’m asking the Lord to give me direction, but it’s like I’m getting two voices. How do I know that God is the one who’s speaking to me, or if Satan is telling me this, or am I just talking to myself?" And that is a very legitimate question that needs to be answered, and what I want to do is to help you be able to answer that in your life as you pray and seek His mind about those issues that are important to you. In the 16th chapter of Matthew, up until this point, Jesus has said nothing about suffering and dying on the cross. And He has asked His apostles, He said, "Whom do men say that I am?" and they gave Him some answers. And finally, Peter came up with the right answer and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus is talking about building His church, and then He says in verse 21, "From that time," that is, of that conversation at Caesarea Philippi, "Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day." Well, when He said that, the Scripture says, "And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to You.' But He," that is Jesus, "turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on God’s interest, but on man’s.'" Now, in this passage, we see the difference between the voice of God and the voice of Satan. Now, I want you to listen very carefully to what I’m going to say because it’s important you hear this before I continue. If you are a believer walking in the Spirit, you understand the meaning of the cross and you have experienced that crucifixion, and Christ Jesus is living His life in and through you, and the Holy Spirit has filled you, and you are a walking believer full of the Holy Spirit, it should be very, very easy for you to determine that what you hear is of God and not of man or the flesh or the devil. In other words, it should be the normal, natural walk of the Spirit-filled, committed believer that when God speaks, you can identify the voice of God. So, what I’m going to give you primarily is for those who are not that sure, who do not have the experience of being able to get on their face before God and know that they’ve heard from God, no question in their mind about it. So, we’re talking about being able to discern the voice of God when you are seeking His mind about something. Now, what I want to do is I want to give you a list of things that will help you to determine when you’re trying to find the mind of God about something and you get two or three conflicting ideas. To help you to be able to sift through and to determine, "Oh, that couldn’t be of God," or, "This is of God." As you’re seeking the Lord’s mind and you pray, you will know that you have heard the voice of God—I don’t mean an audible voice, but the Spirit of God speaking to you—you’ll know that you’re hearing from God when the following things are true. Number one: When what you hear is consistent with the Word of God. God would never tell you to do something or to engage in something or build a relationship that is not of Him, that is, that’s inconsistent with Scripture. If you neglect the Word of God, if you don’t get in the Word of God, if you don’t build the Scriptures into your life, Satan comes along and speaks to you, and you say, "That sounds super, that’s a good idea," and don’t check it out with Scripture, you can make a horrible mistake, a very, very costly mistake in your life. So the first question is, if what I’m hearing, is this consistent with the Word of God? And it would never be. You will never find Almighty God ever telling you to do anything that would contradict any portion of the Word of God. All right, number two: If you’re hearing from God and you’re asking and seeking His mind, what you have to ask is number two, does it conflict with human reason? Now you see, usually, Satan will say, "Well, look, this is the natural, normal thing to do." But usually, not always now, usually when God requires something of us, usually it will conflict with what is the natural, normal, reasonable thing to do. If you look at the life of Jesus, He usually did the opposite thing from what was expected and the opposite from what the world would do. He will never tell us to do anything that contradicts His Word, nor will He tell us to live our lives according to the reasonable, rational thinking of a world system that is anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-faith. The third question is this. As the Lord speaks to your heart, you ask yourself this question: Is what I’m hearing, is this clashing with my fleshly nature? That is, my fleshly desires. God would never tell you to do anything—now watch this carefully—that would be consistent with gratifying the flesh. I did not say that God would never tell you anything that would bring contentment, joy, enjoyment, or fun. Listen, God is for fun, but He’s for fun in the right way that will be pleasing and bring fulfillment and not instantaneous gratification of the flesh. So, whatever you’re hearing, is what you’re hearing saying to you, "Gratify the flesh, fulfill the lust, go ahead and do it, forget what anybody else says, it’s your thing, it’s your life, you can do like you please, you’re the only person you’ve got to satisfy"? God never speaks in those terms. God always speaks in terms of that which what? That which gratifies the spirit within me, not the flesh. So, God never speaks in some ways, but He speaks very clearly in other ways. And so, we have to ask that. Secondly, or fourthly rather: Will this challenge my faith? That is, what I’m hearing, will this challenge my faith? Usually, if you’ll think about it, what is God always up to in our life? God is always up to challenging our faith and building our faith because that builds our relationship to Him. It grows us into an intimacy with Him like nothing else will do. So when you’re listening to the Lord, you ask yourself the question: Will this challenge my faith? If it’s from God, most of the time it will challenge your faith. Now, the fifth one is this: Does this decision call for courage? That is, if God’s telling me to do something, is what He’s saying, is this calling for an act of courage on my part? It may not always do that, but oftentimes it will. That is, I’m to do the thing that is not reasonable in the eyes of the world, that will challenge my faith, that will challenge me to have the courage to do the thing that’s right though the world may not see it that way. So, it will challenge my courage. It will call for courage in my life to make that decision. Now I want to stop at that point, and I want to apply these first five back to the Scripture because I want you to see how real all of this was in this situation. Now go back for just a moment and remember what happened. Jesus for the first time is beginning to say to His disciples, "I’m going to suffer at the hands of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes. I’m going to be killed by them. Then I’m going to rise from the dead." All right, now, in the light of what He just said, "I must die, I must be killed and rise the third day," let me ask you this question. Was the fact that Jesus Christ was to die, was that consistent with Scripture? Yes or no? Yes, because the Old Testament teaches that He would be, Isaiah 53. Secondly, we said that it was a conflict with human reason. Was His answer a conflict with human reason if here He was and He was the Messiah and going to set up an earthly kingdom, they were going to kill Him and rise again? Was that in conflict with human reason that they were going to kill Him and He was going to be resurrected from the dead? By all means. Number three: Did this clash with Peter’s fleshly desires? It certainly did because he saw himself as one of the in-group—and he was, Peter, James, and John with Christ—and so, that meant if Jesus died, where did that leave Peter? So he was going to be left out in the cold. So let’s face it, any one of us would probably have felt the same thing. "Well, where am I going to be, Jesus, if You die? If You’re going to set up a kingdom and You’re the Messiah and the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes kill You, where’s that going to leave me?" So he was concerned about himself. Number four: Did it challenge Peter’s faith? You better believe it did when Jesus said, "I’m going to rise again the third day." That was a challenge to his faith. Did it challenge his courage, that he was willing to follow a man who said He was the Messiah, that there was going to be some kind of a battle in which He lost His life among the scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees, and that He was going to rise again? Would he have the courage to hang in there with Him though He was going to die? And if He rose, would he have the courage to follow Him? Listen, every single one of those things were straight from God. And that’s why Jesus said to him—notice what He said to him here in His response—He says, "You’re not setting your mind on God’s interest, but man’s." And what Jesus was saying to Peter when Peter said, "Hold it, it’ll never be," he says, "God forbid, Lord, I’ll never let that happen, You’ll never die at the hands of the scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees. It’s just not going to happen." What did Jesus say? He said, "Peter, you’re a stumbling block," but He didn’t say Peter. He says, "Get thee behind Me, get behind Me, Satan." Jesus knew that through the lips of Peter, Satan had expressed his objection to what Jesus was about to do because Jesus’ death on the cross would be the atoning sacrifice to save all of mankind. And I want to tell you, my friend, there are many, many voices today, most of which are not from God. And I believe as a maturing believer, if we are listening to God, if God is speaking and He’s speaking, God isn’t going to lead us to make the wrong decisions. He’s going to protect us in our decision-making. He’s going to protect us when we’re listening to Him. And when you and I learn to walk in the Spirit, when we understand the meaning of the cross and when we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, and God is in control of our lives, it’ll be very simple for us to be able to detect the voice of God versus the voice of Satan. And what I’m simply giving you are some signals that you can go by, that when you start getting conflicting voices and conflicting views, is there any way, anything to sift those things through to be able to say, "God would never do that, that’s not of God, this is of God." And that’s what I’m trying to do in this message. We’re halfway through those points. Let’s move on to number six. Now, when God is doing the talking, when God is doing the speaking and you’re listening, He’s going to cause you to think of the effects of this decision on other people. He’s going to cause you to think of its effects upon other people. Now, here’s what Satan says. Satan says, "Don’t worry about anybody else. Do your own thing. You’ve don't have but your life. You’ve got your own rights. You just do what you want to do." God never speaks in those terms. Friend, God never talks about our rights. He talks about our surrender. He talks about our crucifixion. He talks about Christ Jesus. He talks about loving the brother. He talks about bearing each other’s burdens. He talks about encouraging one another. He talks about being careful about our witness lest we cause our brother to stumble. That’s what God says. That doesn’t mean that God will let you tell you to check out what everybody else believes before you make a decision. I’m not saying that. I’m simply saying that any kind of carelessness about its effect upon other people, that voice is not from God. Then as you’re listening, more than likely, if God is doing the speaking, He’s going to caution you to be patient. Listen, I don’t believe you’ll find anywhere in Scripture where God tells somebody to rush into a decision. God will never tell you just rush in, blindly rush in. You may have to move swiftly, but you can move swiftly in the will of God, in the Spirit of God, and not be rushing into a situation. You see, if you get in this rush-rush, hurry-hurry, go ahead, you better put a check on that one. Usually, if God’s doing the talking, He’s not rushing you into something and hurrying you along and moving along thoughtlessly, but God wants all the details just right. All right, the next one. And that is if you’re listening to the Lord and God is speaking to your heart, He’s going to speak in a way that you will consider the future consequences of what you’re about to do. Now listen to me. When Satan says, "Move on, go ahead, just move on, make the decision, don’t worry about the consequences," listen, God is very, very interested and concerned about the future consequences of all of our actions. And so if you’re listening from God, if you’re listening to Him, He’s going to bring that up. But if you get this sometimes blatant, boisterous voice of some demonic power that says, "Do it now, don’t worry about the consequences, you don’t live but once," that, my friend, is the word of the world. You only live once? That’s right, down here. Why worry about tomorrow? Because tomorrow is eternally long. And you see, if you’re listening to God, God is going to involve the future consequences of this decision. So you’re going to hear that. All right, a very important point here also is this. That is if you’re listening to the Lord and—let’s say for example that you’ve decided to get advice from someone else—maybe God may say to you, "You need to go to so-and-so and get advice," because there’s some decisions that other people know more about the details and the consequences than we do, and so God would indeed oftentimes lead us to get advice. But here’s what I believe God will tell you. If God leads you to get advice, God wants you to check out the lifestyle of the person from whom you’re getting advice. Why should a believer go to a non-believer to get advice that’s going to affect his or her life? Now some of you who are in some areas of business may have a problem with that, but I want to challenge you to consider that in whatever business you may be in. Consider the lifestyle of those from whom you’re getting advice about your life that will affect your life and your family and your business and your finances. So what we have to ask is this: Is the advice we’re getting, is it the kind of advice that’s coming from a person whose lifestyle that is is consistent with the Word of God? All right, not only that. If God’s doing the speaking, whatever He says to us, it is going to contribute to our spiritual growth. Now how do I know that? Because He says that He foreordained and predestined that you and I be conformed to the likeness of Christ. All right, if He foreordained before the foundation of the world that you and I be conformed to the likeness of Christ, whatever God tells me to do, simple or complex as they may be, will be a contribution to your spiritual growth. God would never tell you anything that would set you back spiritually. He would never tell you to do anything that would hinder you and harm your spiritual growth, but rather the things that God will tell you to do, simple or complex as they may be, will be a contribution to your spiritual growth. Very, very important we ask the question: If I do what I believe God is saying, will this contribute to my spiritual growth or will it hinder me? Whatever He’s saying is going to contribute to my spiritual growth, not tear me down. One last thing. When you’re talking to Him and listening, God’s doing the speaking and you’re trying to find out whose voice it is, one of the things that’s going to happen is there’s going to be a calmness that develops in your spirit. And as you begin to discern the voice of God, there’s going to be a calmness and then you’re going to have what Paul said, "the peace that passes all human understanding" because He says that peace—look, He says that peace garrisons you about. It surrounds you like a fortress to keep you from feeling anxiety anymore and worry anymore or frustration and fears about the decision. You’ve heard from God. When somebody says, "I’ve prayed and I’ve got faith and I believe this is of God," listen, you may be able to believe with your mind, but you’ll never be able to believe with your spirit and exercise spiritual faith if God’s not in a thing because listen, your spirit will never agree to believing something that’s not of God. What we have to ask is, is the peace really there? And you see, He says the Amplified Bible says the peace of God sits as umpire in my heart to tell me when I’m safe or whether I’m heading in the wrong direction or not. Now, you remember when you were a kid growing up and your mom said, "Supper’s going to be finished at six o’clock, be there"? You said, "Yes, ma’am." You got to playing with your friends. 6:15 went by and boy, you heard it. "Charles! Charles!" Did you know, I didn’t have to wonder if that was my mom’s voice. I knew in a split second whose voice that was. I knew what she wanted as soon as she called. I didn’t have to learn my mom’s voice. I grew up hearing it. I knew it. A thousand mothers could have called my name; only my mother could have called my name in a way that got my attention. I want to tell you something. If you’re saved, it ought to be the natural, normal thing for you that when God speaks, you know it is your Father who’s called your name.
Guest (Male): If you sift your decisions through the 11 points outlined in today’s In Touch message, you’ll be well on your way to determining whether or not it’s God’s direction that you’re hearing. You can keep studying about listening to God at our website, intouch.org, and to hear this message again, just click on Today on Radio on our homepage. And if you open our online bookstore, you can order a copy of Dr. Stanley’s complete message, Identifying the Voice of God. It’s also available as part of the Listening to God teaching set. Our web address again is intouch.org, or call or text us at 1-800-IN-TOUCH. You can also write to us at In Touch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia 30357, or toll-free, 1-800-IN-TOUCH. Are you planning to make a bad decision? Well, Satan’s happy to help you dismiss the consequences. So learn to recognize his deception, coming up in today’s moment with Charles Stanley. Tired of faith feeling like a performance? Worn down by constant striving? Jesus never meant it to feel that way. His call was always to something more, to a life that’s generous, vibrant, joyful, and sustainable. A real life with Him. That’s the heart of Follow Me, our book created to help you answer that call. Get your copy at intouch.org/store. In our spiritual journey, we often have questions. How do I know God’s will for my life? Does God hear my prayers? Why do bad things happen? The answers are found in the Word of God. But how do we know where to start? The free In Touch devotional can help point you in the right direction with biblically based content from Dr. Charles Stanley. You’ll get insight and wisdom through daily devotions, Bible studies, and more. The In Touch devotional, delivered monthly to your mailbox. Subscribe for free at intouch.org/daily. From the Pastor’s Heart is an in-depth teaching letter designed to draw readers closer to God. This monthly resource, inspired by the teachings of Dr. Charles Stanley, is free to you by print or email subscription. These encouraging messages will help you go stronger in your walk with Christ. To receive In Touch’s From the Pastor’s Heart letter, call 1-800-IN-TOUCH or visit intouch.org/pastorsheart. You’re listening to In Touch. To willingly sin is to be shortsighted. Here’s a moment with Charles Stanley.
Dr. Charles Stanley: How many of us, if we had considered the future consequences of some of our decisions, would not have made some decisions we’ve made? Right. You know what Satan says? Satan says, "Forget the future! Don’t worry about it!" I mean, you don’t have to—listen, you know what Satan’s word is? "Eat, drink, and be merry." What he doesn’t say is, "For tomorrow, you’re going to die and face the judgment." He doesn’t say that. That part’s not important. Satan’s not the kind of fellow who would remind you of the Scripture: "Whatever man sows, that shall he also reap." And all through the New Testament, in clear black and white print and oftentimes between the lines, there’s the message of considering the future consequences of your decision. Whenever God is speaking, God always has your future in mind. He also always has—He’s going to be bringing you to think about, "Now, if I make this decision in this way, what will be the future consequences to me? What will be the future consequences to my family? What will be the future consequences to my business partners here or my vocation? What will be the future consequences to my witness?" God is interested in the future consequences of today’s decision.
Guest (Male): The Bible says to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Has this program helped you with that? We’d love to know how. When In Touch continues next time, God has no trouble sending very clear instruction, but there are some things that affect how well we receive His message. To find out what determines what we hear, join us again for In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia, and remains on this station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.