“How do I hear thee? Let me count the ways…”
There are several ways in Scripture and throughout the history of the Church that God’s faithful people have listened to Him and received His guidance. However, these ways are necessarily limited. First and foremost, listening to God must always be bounded by obedience to His voice as He has already spoken authoritatively through the Holy Scriptures. This is the essential starting point for hearing God rightly.
It’s helpful to note that the New Testament uses two different Greek words that we translate as “the word of God.” The New Testament writers use the word Logos to refer to God’s written and authoritative Word, the Scriptures (see Mark 7:13). They also use the word Rhema to describe God’s spoken word, a direct word of application for specific situations, given through the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit (see, for example, Matthew 4:4 and Ephesians 6:17).
To live a life guided by the Holy Spirit and His Rhema words for us, our first task is to know the Scriptures so well that we immediately recognize the counterfeits offered by the world, the flesh, and the devil.
This brings us to the foundational principle of hearing God’s voice: God will never contradict what He’s already said in His written Word. If you believe you’ve received a Rhema word from God, but it contradicts the plain meaning of the Logos, then it’s not from God. Faithful Anglicans live under the authority of Scripture, not simply alongside it, and certainly not over it. The ACNA Catechism teaches this clearly in Question 33:
“The Scripture should always be understood in ways that are faithful to its own plain meaning, to its entire teaching, and to the Church’s historic interpretation.”
Correctly understood, the Bible must always take precedence over our subjective impressions or personal judgments.
This principle is foundational. It’s simple, but it’s not always easy to apply, especially when it challenges our own desires or assumptions. The failure to follow it has led to the tragic departures we’ve witnessed in The Episcopal Church and in other churches influenced by theological revisionism. Their leaders would have us believe that the Holy Spirit is revealing new truths about sexuality in our generation.
But are they really listening to God?
Absolutely not. They’re not reading the Scriptures faithfully or applying them faithfully. Instead, they’re allowing voices such as the culture, the media, and their own feelings to take precedence over what was clearly revealed. Scripture warns us plainly: “The heart is deceitful above all things…” (Jeremiah 17:9). Christians are called to use the Bible and a biblical worldview to interpret both the opinions of the day and the feelings of the moment.
Allowing fashionable opinion to interpret the Bible on matters of faith and life is spiritually dangerous. It calls into question one’s submission to Christ as Lord. Many religious people believe they know better than God’s Word what will produce true human flourishing. Others assume that if they feel strongly enough about something, then “following their heart” must be pleasing to God. Not necessarily.
If someone tells you that God led them to divorce their wife and marry their secretary (yes, I’ve actually heard this in pastoral ministry), you shouldn’t believe that God did anything of the sort. The Bible is the plumb line for faithful Christians. That’s true in every area of life, and it’s especially true as we seek the guidance of our gracious God.