With apologies for an exceptionally long post…

I have argued that the quest for a “special whisper” from the Holy Spirit amounts to a search for further revelation. God’s Word is sufficient. The Holy Spirit works through the Word and through wisdom acquired from the Word to lead us in our decisions. And so, while God may direct us in extraordinary ways, we shouldn’t expect this. After all, extra ordinary isn’t ordinary.

Nonetheless, I have had a few questions about Bible verses suggesting that the Holy Spirit will give a tangible word of guidance in the more critical decisions. I promised to take time with these passages, so here goes.

Here are some specific questions I have been asked:

(from Missionary Matt Northcutt) What do you do with passages that seem to indicate that God does, indeed, give peace as an arbiter as we follow Him in faith (such as Is. 26:3, Phil. 4:6-7, and Col. 3:15)?

Before I answer this and the following questions, let me say that I’m glad people are bringing the Bible to the discussion, and I appreciate the interation. These are all good questions, and I intend to honor them with careful answers.

Let’s look at each of these verses, and then I’ll give some commentary in answer to the question.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

We can make three points from this verse. First, Isaiah is praising God in this verse: the one who trusts God will enjoy perfect peace. Second, God doesn’t promise to guide us with His peace but promises to keep us in perfect peace. Third, God keeps us in perfect peace because we trust in Him. So, the point is not that God gives peace as the arbiter of His will. The verse assures us that God will keep us in perfect peace when we trust Him.

That said, our experience says otherwise. We often experience something less than perfect peace in our circumstances. In fact, more than once when I made a decision that I believed to be consistent with God’s will, I have found myself in great distress – distress that was directly related to and, in fact, a result of the decision I had made. The distress came despite the fact that I believed I was doing God’s will. In fact, even in my marriage, there have been extended times of less-than-perfect peace. I have gone through times of extended turmoil and distress in my ministry. I don’t think I am unique in this. Paul himself said,

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)

Did God make a false promise? Is the “perfect peace” Isaiah speaks of theoretical but not realistic? Of course not. Our experience is not the arbiter of God’s work. God promises to keep us in perfect peace. Our experience of that perfect peace will not always be the same. Sometimes, it will feel like trouble and distress. Occasionally, we will be pressed beyond measure, but, as Paul tells us, God does this so that we will trust Him more.

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)

God keeps us in perfect peace, even when we don’t have a feeling sense of that perfect peace. All of us have experienced the kind of anxiety that comes with a crucial decision. We have agonized over decisions. But throughout that process and in the aftermath of our decision, God keeps us in perfect peace even when we don’t experience a peaceful feeling. God’s assurance often defies our experience.

Here’s the second verse:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Notice that the peace of God keeps our hearts and minds. As Douglas Wilson likes to point out, this is the difference between a helmet and a head. The helmet protects the head, not the head the helmet. We tend to think peace is something we have to keep. Regarding God’s will in big decisions, we have convinced ourselves that we have to get that assurance from God (what we call “peace”), or else we will lose our peace with God. But Paul says no such thing in this verse. He assures us that the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God’s peace keeps your heart – not the other way around. Notice that he sets this alongside the instruction to “be careful for nothing” but instead to “let your requests be made known unto God.” Don’t be anxious, don’t fret, don’t be full of care over decisions or difficulty. Pray, commit it to the Lord, and God’s peace will keep your heart.

The truth is we will feel anxious about big decisions and serious problems. That is common to man and is part of our humanity. Unless you are a Vulcan. Vulcans don’t have emotions. But I’ve never actually met a Vulcan, either. People feel anxious about critical decisions. In fact, I would argue that our emotional response to big decisions is a design feature – the anxiety tells you that this decision is important. God gave us emotions, and made us emotional creatures.

Verses like Isaiah 26:3 and Philippians 4:6-7 teach me what to do when anxious. Take it to the Lord. Trust Him. Pray. And when I do, God leads me to be confident in Him because He keeps me.

Similarly in this verse:

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

So, not only does God’s peace keep your heart and mind, but Paul commands us to let it rule there. Rule is a third person imperative – an imperative of consent. God’s peace can rule in your heart, you have permission for it to rule there, and therefore you should.

And you can let it rule in your heart. In our quest for God’s will, we aren’t hunting for a white buffalo. God’s peace isn’t elusive. God doesn’t withhold it like a moody wife withholding affection. God’s peace keeps our hearts and minds; God’s peace rules in our hearts. This is the reality. Paul doesn’t use a conditional here as if God’s peace will rule, but you’ll have to choose the right shell where He hid the pea. God hasn’t set His peace at the end of a long maze with many dead ends, and you’ll have to pick out your way in the darkness. God gives us peace as the fruit of the Spirit, not as a reward for our diligent pursuit of peace. He tells us to let it rule

It is nice to go forth confidently in a decision. It is terrific to have assurance from God that you are on the right track. I believe you can have this if you carefully analyze the situation, seek God’s guidance, ask the right questions, consider all the available options, pay attention to your interests and desires, and see what makes the most sense. God guides us through rational, not mystical means.

I always encourage people to pray the opposite of their desires. If you long to marry that girl or buy that car, ask the Lord to show you if you shouldn’t. But I have never made a big decision that I didn’t enter with fear and trembling. The decision to marry my wife was one of the most frightening decisions I have ever made – caring for her, committing to her – I felt the weight of responsibility. Did I believe I should marry her? Absolutely! Did I have perfect peace? I had a terrible stomach ache, actually.

(from The Macpherson on Twitter/X) Br. Mallinak, I agree with and appreciate much of what you say here, but how do you reconcile your statements about extra scriptural Spirit leading with passages like Acts 16:6-7? Here the Spirit had clear geographical opinions that weren’t revealed in Scripture.

I had another person who posted these verses without comment, along with Acts 13:2. So, let’s look at these two passages.

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Acts 16:6-7 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

I’ll combine these with this question from Kyle Sheridan, also on Twitter/X:

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit leads men with any sort of impressions today at all?

In a previous post, I described my experience with “impressions.” I don’t deny that sometimes, the Holy Spirit intervenes in extraordinary ways. I don’t mean to be repetitious in this, but nothing in the Bible would lead us to expect extra-ordinary guidance. We should not seek it. We should not wait for it. We should not look for it. But that doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit would never give a token or some type of tangible guidance.

Did God the Holy Ghost give direct guidance in the two passages in Acts above? Absolutely. Similarly, in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. (Acts 8:26-29)

This encounter with the Ethiopian was immediately followed by something extra-extra-ordinary.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:39-40)

Should we expect God to do this? Is it normative and prescriptive? Indeed, it is not. The book of Acts doesn’t tell us what the Holy Spirit always does. He didn’t always work that way, not even with Paul. If we consider all of Paul’s missionary journeys described in the book of Acts, we will find many cases when the Holy Spirit gave no word of direction. In fact, the book of Acts also mentions instances when Paul made a decision without any word of direction from the Holy Spirit.

After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. (Acts 19:21)

And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. (Acts 20:2-3)

And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. (Acts 20:13-16)

These passages prove that Paul made decisions without requesting a special whisper from the Holy Spirit. Even in the cases mentioned above (Acts 13, 16), Paul wasn’t seeking tangible guidance from the Holy Spirit. Did God intervene uniquely? Yes. Did Paul seek such a thing or even expect such a thing? No.

In a time when the canon of Scripture was nowhere near completion, it isn’t surprising that the Holy Spirit would intervene more directly. But God expects us to walk by faith. That doesn’t mean He isn’t still guiding us or that we can’t be confident that we are doing the will of God. Quite the opposite, in fact. God is superintending, intervening, sovereignly guiding through all our circumstances, and we can be sure of that. Furthermore, we can say that if we are obeying the Lord in the place God has us, we are in the will of God. Hard stop. Wherever you are, if you are living in obedience to God, you are in God’s will.

If, by chance, God gave you some token of His guidance, what do you do? We should use the Bible to confirm any tangible sign before buying into that impression. And we shouldn’t make the impression authoritative for anyone else. God might have told you that you are to marry that girl. God’s guidance in your heart is not authoritative over hers. And if she declines your gracious invitation to join you as your life’s partner, that would mean you got the wrong impression, not that she is a rebel against God’s will.

Kevin DeYoung, in his book Just Do Something, tells the story of one of his college classmates. This poor sap expressed interest in a particular young lady along with his desire to get to know her better. The young lady went off to pray for a week or so before returning with her answer. And she said she would love to do it, but God told her not to.

As DeYoung says it, tongue-in-cheek, that poor guy: not only did the girl reject him, but God the Holy Spirit rejected him too. In fact, the Holy Spirit took time away from pointing men to Jesus so He could tell that girl not to get entangled with that guy.

My point isn’t to put limitations on God. He will work the way He chooses. My point is to put limitations on us and the conclusions we draw from the experiences and impressions we receive.

(from Stephen Russ) How would a man know if he is called to preach if God does not lead him through the Spirit?

How could I have perfect peace that my wife was God’s choice for me if He did not impress this upon me by His Spirit?

I’d love to see how you feel the gifts of the Spirit in I Cor. 12 apply to the believer today. Sure seems like it’s the Spirit that helps a man speak, discern, etc.

This was my answer:

There is a big difference between saying that the Spirit equips me (He does) and saying that he gives me information He doesn’t give anyone else.

In response, Pastor Russ asked these follow-up questions:

But specifically it says these gifts are from the Spirit, and they are gifts of speaking, discernment, and more.

A word of wisdom/knowledge would mean God impresses upon me the right things to say at just the right time.

I’m 100% convinced God’s Spirit has specifically prompted me to say certain things, pray for certain things (faith by the same Spirit), etc.

And maybe that’s where the clarity I’m seeking comes in. Equipping vs. special revelation.

Also, I recognize that, in the Scripture, the leading of the Spirit is always tied to the Scripture’s sufficiency. In other words, God’s Spirit would give me the proper application of the Scripture in specific situations (ie, marrying the right woman, accepting a job opportunity, etc.)

Hopefully, the entire series has answered the questions about how we know who to marry, where to work, etc. Without being redundant, let me point out a few things about the gifts of the Spirit in I Corinthians 12.

First, nothing in I Corinthians 12 requires a special word or a token guidance from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, guides through the Bible, and enlightens with the Bible. We can expect that, as we let the Word of God dwell in us richly, the result will be wisdom and giftedness at applying the Word of God to various situations. And, as Paul is speaking of spiritual gifts which are diverse among God’s people in churches and which manifest themselves uniquely among the various members of those churches (vv. 4-11), we can expect to see some who excel in their ability to apply God’s Word wisely. Thus, I have been incredibly blessed by John Stott’s masterpiece work on the cross, J.I. Packer’s classic work on the attributes of God, and R.C. Sproul’s seminal work on the holiness of God. Some men have had tremendous insight into the proper application of Scripture to various issues, including technology (John Dyer) and Biblical masculinity (Richard Philips, Michael Foster).

If Paul meant what you are saying here, and if a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge referred to times when God impresses on us the right thing to speak at the right time, it would be hard to say that this is a gift that is given to one man but not another. Because every born-again believer has the same Holy Spirit indwelling him. Would the Holy Spirit withhold the correct word from one man while giving it to another? What would be the basis of this discrimination?

Paul is speaking here of unique gifts not common to all believers. If this were an expectation, the kind of impressions you are speaking of here would have to be available to all believers. Otherwise, some believers would spend their entire lives searching for that right word from the Holy Spirit and never receiving it.

Regarding the experiences believers have with special promptings, I’m not in a position to judge the unique ways God has worked in people’s lives. I would only caution Christians to “prove all things.” Be very cautious with promptings and impressions. In case you didn’t read part 4 of my series on God’s guidance, I described my own personal experience with this sort of thing there. You can find the article here.

But personal experiences should never be used to bind someone’s conscience, as if God giving you a message to deliver to another person somehow obligates them to follow whatever you say or risk incurring God’s wrath and judgment. This would abuse an exceptional experience you have had in a way that God has not authorized anywhere in Scripture.

I hope that answers your questions more fully. My best advice regarding extraordinary impressions and promptings is this: keep these things between you and God, and don’t share them with others. If God did give you that prompting, let Him do with it what He will. But don’t place expectations on God or others based on an impression you believe you may have had from the Lord.

“Prove all things” – examine the impression you believe you have received from the Word of God. Does the Word indicate any such prompting? Does it resemble anything you see in Scripture? If not, set it aside. If it does, take up the Bible over your prompting or impression.

I trust that God’s people will know what we ought to do.