Feelings vs Guidance of the Holy Spirit

[Fortran]

I believe most Christians (and others) would agree that feelings can be deceptive. I agree. My problem is that sometimes, the same folks who agree we cannot base our decisions on feelings also emphasize being led by the Holy Spirit.

If the Holy Spirit does not guide us with an audible voice, how are we to discern His leading? From my interpretation, it really seems as if, in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit revealed things rather plainly, perhaps through audible voice or visions (though such is not necessarily specified). It also does not seem as if the Holy Spirit necessarily guided individuals in decisions involving right from wrong, but rather in very specific actions they should take (as in Phillip and the eunuch).

My question is, do you believe the Holy Spirit helps us make morally correct decisions or not? If so, why would Christians need instructions in right and wrong such as Paul often offered? How can we know what is the Holy Spirit and what is a feeling? Peace is a feeling, so I do not believe this is a logical answer. Others may say 'you just know'; however, I have never experienced this confidence. It just seems to me as if the idea of the Holy Spirit as the guide who helps you make a difficult decision in life or compels you to speak to an individual at a grocery store or go to 'this' place at 'this' time is a misconception, but I just do not know.

Any thoughts?
Thanks.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

I believe most Christians (and others) would agree that feelings can be deceptive. I agree. My problem is that sometimes, the same folks who agree we cannot base our decisions on feelings also emphasize being led by the Holy Spirit.

If the Holy Spirit does not guide us with an audible voice, how are we to discern His leading? From my interpretation, it really seems as if, in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit revealed things rather plainly, perhaps through audible voice or visions (though such is not necessarily specified). It also does not seem as if the Holy Spirit necessarily guided individuals in decisions involving right from wrong, but rather in very specific actions they should take (as in Phillip and the eunuch).

My question is, do you believe the Holy Spirit helps us make morally correct decisions or not? If so, why would Christians need instructions in right and wrong such as Paul often offered? How can we know what is the Holy Spirit and what is a feeling? Peace is a feeling, so I do not believe this is a logical answer. Others may say 'you just know'; however, I have never experienced this confidence. It just seems to me as if the idea of the Holy Spirit as the guide who helps you make a difficult decision in life or compels you to speak to an individual at a grocery store or go to 'this' place at 'this' time is a misconception, but I just do not know.

Any thoughts?
Thanks.

How do we recognize the Spirit’s guidance? How do we discern between our own thoughts and His leading? After all, the Holy Spirit does not speak with audible words. Rather, He guides us through our own consciences (Romans 9:1) and other quiet, subtle ways.

One of the most important ways to recognize the Holy Spirit’s guidance is to be familiar with God’s Word. The Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom about how we should live (2 Timothy 3:16), and believers are to search the Scriptures, meditate on them, and commit them to memory (Ephesians 6:17). The Word is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), and the Spirit will use it to speak to us (John 16:12–14) to reveal God’s will for our lives; He will also bring specific Scriptures to mind at times when we need them most (John 14:26).

Knowledge of God’s Word can help us to discern whether or not our desires come from the Holy Spirit. We must test our inclinations against Scripture—the Holy Spirit will never prod us to do anything contrary to God’s Word. If it conflicts with the Bible, then it is not from the Holy Spirit and should be ignored.

It is also necessary for us to be in continual prayer with the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Not only does this keep our hearts and minds open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, but it also allows the Spirit to speak on our behalf: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26–27).

Another way to tell if we are following the Spirit’s leading is to look for signs of His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). If we walk in the Spirit, we will continue to see these qualities grow and mature in us, and they will become evident to others as well.

It is important to note that we have the choice whether or not to accept the Holy Spirit’s guidance. When we know the will of God but do not follow it, we are resisting the Spirit’s work in our lives (Acts 7:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:19), and a desire to follow our own way grieves Him (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit will never lead us into sin. Habitual sin will cause us to miss what the Holy Spirit wants to say to us through the Word. Being in tune with God’s will, turning from and confessing sin, and making a habit of prayer and the study of God’s Word will allow us to recognize—and follow—the Spirit’s leading.

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[sunlover1]

Amen, jason_delisle! aka, thread stopper

 

[vinsight4u]

/

 

[bling]

Amen, jason_delisle!

A lot of times it is only when I look back can I see how the Spirit led me through it or when I was quenching the Spirit and out on my own.
Sometimes we pray for help and do not wait for the Spirit to respond to our request.
Mostly I experience the Spirit when He gives me wisdom way beyond my own wisdom.

 

[Greg J.]

jason_delisle's post covers this well, although God does speak audibly sometimes to some people. What would stop him? Some thoughts:

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15, 1984 NIV)

How does a sheep know his shepherd? It doesn't happen the first day the sheep becomes a part of his herd. The longer the sheep experiences the care of the shepherd, the better it knows him. But the sheep needs to be living in a way that recognizes the shepherd as its master. (otherwise it is pruned, John 15:2)

If you hear God's audible voice, you will need to be able to discern it is really him through an accurate knowledge of what he is like. (See 2 Corinthians 11:14)

Jesus died so we could be in relationship with God. But he loves us and he won't speak to someone if he or she isn't ready for it. (Luke 11:11-12) Hearing from God means you are accountable to God for what you heard. The more clear God has made it to you, the more accountable you are. What if he wants you to do something that you don't want to? You need to be in the habit of obeying God even when it is not what you want to do. If you aren't obeying what you already know God wants, you aren't yet ready to hear more from God.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22, 1984 NIV) The Holy Spirit, through James, made a powerful statement here. If you study the Word but do not do what it says, you will be deceived.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (bold mine, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 1984 NIV)

Pray that the Lord would give you discernment.

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. (bold mine, 1 Corinthians 14:3, 1984 NIV) Prophesy is God speaking through a person. Would God be any different if you were the one he was speaking to? This is one of the tools for sifting out what is from God and what is not.

do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22, 1984 NIV)

My question is, do you believe the Holy Spirit helps us make morally correct decisions or not? If so, why would Christians need instructions in right and wrong such as Paul often offered?

Because the Bible reveals God as he was in situations that happened thousands of years ago. Applying this to you and your exact current situation is not in Scripture, even if you know what God is like and understand the principles he taught.

How can we know what is the Holy Spirit and what is a feeling? Peace is a feeling, so I do not believe this is a logical answer. Others may say 'you just know'; however, I have never experienced this confidence. It just seems to me as if the idea of the Holy Spirit as the guide who helps you make a difficult decision in life or compels you to speak to an individual at a grocery store or go to 'this' place at 'this' time is a misconception, but I just do not know.

This kind of peace is not a feeling (but feelings may accompany it). Peace in this context is not being at war with yourself. If you have been walking with Jesus for a while, then through reoccurring prayer for God's wisdom and help making an important decision, God may eventually give you a peace about one of your choices. Be sure to be seeking what God has already said about it in Scripture and what the opinions are of those who are spiritually mature (not those who are just more spiritually mature than you).

If you haven't "just known," don't worry about it. The confidence in this context has the aroma of a concrete conviction from within yourself. You may not perceive a logical reason that you came to have that conviction.

Please note that God does not want to tell you everything you should be doing. He wants to form you into a person that is like Jesus, able to make good decisions on your own. If you are trying to know God's will for normal everyday things, stop. You would mostly be hearing from the random firing of your brain's neural cells.

"compel": God doesn't force you to do anything. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. (1 Corinthians 14:32, 1984 NIV).

By the way, how well a person hears from God is not a test of spiritual maturity. (John 20:29)

 

[Noxot]

there is no end to the ways of God and each of his children are unique and special and add their own color to heaven. an example of spiritual practice to be lead by God is to 'hate evil and love good' inside of ones self. Jesus said that "only God is good", therefore when we love the good we love God and the more we love God the more we are lead by Gods love, in whatever ways that we have ability to and as much as we desire to. if we can not do good from our hearts then we can still try to do good for the sake of it being true which will help us grow to doing it for the sake of it being good.

Jesus states reality as it is. they are not mere commands that we are told to do. they are what the everlasting/spiritual/fullness of life is about:

Matt 5:3-10 (YLT)
`Happy the poor in spirit--because theirs is the reign of the heavens. `Happy the mourning--because they shall be comforted. `Happy the meek--because they shall inherit the land. `Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness--because they shall be filled. `Happy the kind--because they shall find kindness. `Happy the clean in heart--because they shall see God. `Happy the peacemakers--because they shall be called Sons of God. `Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake--because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

Spoiler: more bible verses

Matt 7:6-8 (YLT)
`Ye may not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine, that they may not trample them among their feet, and having turned--may rend you. `Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; for every one who is asking doth receive, and he who is seeking doth find, and to him who is knocking it shall be opened.

Ps 24:3-5 (YLT)
Who goeth up into the hill of Jehovah? And who riseth up in His holy place? The clean of hands, and pure of heart, Who hath not lifted up to vanity his soul, Nor hath sworn to deceit. He beareth away a blessing from Jehovah, Righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Rev 20:4 (YLT)
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years;

Rev 13:16-17 (YLT)
And it maketh all, the small, and the great, and the rich, and the poor, and the freemen, and the servants, that it may give to them a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads, and that no one may be able to buy, or to sell, except he who is having the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Rev 2:17 (YLT)
He who is having an ear--let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: To him who is overcoming, I will give to him to eat from the hidden manna, and will give to him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, that no one knew except him who is receiving it .

John 3:3 (YLT)
Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;'

John 3:5-8 (YLT)
Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God; that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit. `Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above; the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.'

 

[ToBeLoved]

I tell God if He really has something serious for me to do, He has to hit me over the head with a spiritual frying pan. When it comes to major decisions I do not take it lightly, pray about it, it may take a while but He will answer. His answers in serious matters always catch my attention, but I really ask God to make it clear to me and He does.

Small adjustments usually knowing that I disobeyed His Word is enough and if not, the Holy Spirit weighs on my heart.

I think God is very clever and will make His will known, but staying in the Word is the best conviction because you know more of what you should be doing, rather than what you should not be doing.

 

[theniceiceman]

Ugh, so true! I always become frustrated because, if you present an issue or a passage of Scripture to, say, three people, they'll argue about it.

Person 1: 'The Holy Spirit revealed to me that it means this-and-this.'
Person 2: 'What?! You're crazy! The Holy Spirit told me that it means this and this.'
Person 3: 'You're both wrong. The Holy Spirit made it clear to me that it means this.'

And I'm sitting here thinking, okay...soooooo...which is it?...because all 3 of those could, theoretically, be true...

So, yeah. I never know, to be honest. Some things are obvious. If someone asked me, do you think it's okay to cheat on my wife? Well, duh, no. But when it's, do you think it's okay to get a divorce from my abusive husband? Do you think I should send my daughter, who knew she was gay from the time she was four, to a pray-away-the-gay camp? Do you think God wants me to go to a public college or a Christian college? Do you think God wants me to have an abortion to save my own life, or deliver the baby and die in the process (an extreme example, granted)?

I have no idea. I never know what's from me, what's from the Holy Spirit, what's from my subconscious view of the world, unless it's something obvious that everyone knows and agrees on.