Holy Spirit - teaching and leading us into God

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shebamo

Guest
#41
Satan comes as an angel of light. God spoke of prophets who said God said this and that and God said if it was not true it would not come to pass and woe to that prophet. You are to test the spirits. That is Gods advice in his word. How do we test the spirits? we hold them against the light of the word.
 
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pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
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#42
As I understand the name satan means accuser.

God bless :)
pickles
 
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popeye

Guest
#43
Almost like the...oil of gladness being poured on you!
And then He is gone as quickly as He came and you whisper, please don't go, please stay.
But faith grows when He hides.
It is intimacy between us and God.

As it is exercised it is entered into more frequently and longer duration.

I went to a black church one time,because in their ad in the phone book it said "where the H S hovers"

During the worship God touched me so strongly that I was absolutely lost in his presence. I found myself saying like you "Lord,please don't let this end"

I could tell,simultaneously,that the whole church was ,evidently,in the same holy ground,and just silent in his presence for about 5 or so minutes.....no noise,just a holy hush.

Well when I finally opened my eyes,I was the only one standing,and most were just looking at me. LOL.

I immediately sat down. But it moved me also that they honored what God was doing in me.
 
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popeye

Guest
#44
I couldn't sleep.
It is impossible to me that God would allow this witness of the Holy Spirit to my Spirit, and what I have come to know and understand is His voice, be sometimes not Him. If you don't experience His voice this way and this is not how you experience the witness of His Spirit to yours, that's okay, but I don't think it's good to try to convince someone that His voice might not always be His voice. He said My sheep know My voice, and I do. But maybe someone younger, who hears Him this way might be harmed by telling them His voice might not always be His voice. As people like to say, He is not a God of confusion.

I once found a verse where a man said, a Spirit passed by my face and the flesh of my arms stood up. And I thought, wow! I am not the only one!
Yes.

In fact I am so used to walking with God,that the whole "angel of light thingy is not even part of the equation

The disciples never looked at jesus as if they had a botox shot in one eyebrow and said "now wait a minute,is that you talking master? Or are you satan masquerading as Jesus?" Show us your drivers licence.
 
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Gr8grace

Guest
#45
IF we do abide and listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, whether directly or through His word, then it will be well for us!
If we don't abide and if we don't listen.............what happens to the believer?

What if it doesn't "go WELL" for the believer?
 
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Gr8grace

Guest
#46
I have never really thought about what the ministry of the Holy Spirit is in our lives.

We are born with two mechanisms, love in our hearts, empathy and defence mechanisms.
Our conscience balances out our loyalties and relationships

Now we are called to follow Jesus from the heart, to choose to do good over evil, because of love.

Now conviction of sin is down to our conscience which balances out our loyalties with our morality.
Now the Holy Spirit teaches and guides us in love and morality. We are given Gods words which work through us and show up contradictions. We then sort out this conflict, guided by the Holy Spirit. His work looks like completely uplifting and encouraging, bringing blessing into our lives.

But our consciences are the one thing that shows up us as opposed to the Lord and where we fall short.
But it is not to condemn but to call to action.

Paul talks constantly about having a clean conscience and being careful not to cause a problem for a brother or sister with a weak conscience.

So rather than repressing or ignoring your conscience, Paul is saying us it in reference to how you walk and righteousness to stay true to your convictions.

What has concerned me is people saying their conscience is satan talking to them.
This is neither safe nor sensible, because our conscience is our saftey check on behaviour. It is the one thing Jesus criticised the pharisees for destroying their conscience and having no heart.

Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
1 Tim 4:2


They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Rom2:15
Here is one ministry of the Holy Spirit............He inspired it.

New American Standard Bible
"Truly, truly,(point of doctrine,pay careful attention) I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

But we can't talk about this ministry of the Holy Spirit right?
 
J

Joenah

Guest
#47
Yes! I more recently became aware that sometimes an accusing thought is Satan. It always seems my own thought voice until I say, wait a minute. You can just shut up because God knows my heart. And even if I'm wrong, God will take care of it, not you. He's a little Roach, isn't he?
Yep, I consider him a punk, but superintellegent, calculating and manipulative. I have learned to hate him over the years, and rightly so, this one who's out to ruin us and our loved ones, and who enjoys any opportunity we give him to trash talk us to God.

But, we also have a Great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us. Thank you Lord!
 
Feb 24, 2015
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#48
A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'
Matt 3:3

Listening and taking responsibility. I am struck by the idea of a voice speaking within. There is a large step between saying that voice is saying something of value, and that voice should be followed.

Some christians think God has a plan for my life, like a multiple choice exam, fill it in right and bingo you get the prize.
The Lord is building a people with resilience, love, patience, kindness, self control.

So I see it the Lord gives counsel, encourages us, we debate and discuss and move forward when we agree the right step.
Imagine if God appeared and spoke to you about everything in your life, top to bottom. Who is taking responsibility for it, and if at any point you felt bad, you would feel condemned and empty. If it happened once, how could you do anything without knowing the Lords instruction and it having to happen again.

If you have ever been in a kitchen teaching someone to cook, and the teacher always comes in and shows you the "right" way, you never learn or take ownership. Jesus called us friends.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15

So I do not understand how people find this friendship so hard, or love so difficult.

My experience of the Holy Spirit is if He convicts me of something, something I need to do, He is open to a debate. The Spirit is also easily grieved. Now some have said x grieves the spirit, but unfortunately heresy is not grieving the Spirit, it is just not part of Him. What grieving the spirit is in my experience easy to do with doubting His intentions, and not just humbly waiting.

My conscience is my life. It tells me how I am and whether things are on the level. When the child appeared on the beach in Greece, that touches your heart, and your conscience asks the question, "What can I do?"

Jesus was talking about the pharisees being dead inside, they had lost their heart. The Holy Spirit is all about heart.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:12
 

Stunnedbygrace

Senior Member
Nov 12, 2015
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#49
I understand what you mean when you say the Holy Spirit is open to debate. I've never heard anyone phrase it this way, but i understand you. I'm laughing right now Peter but I shouldn't be, but oh my gosh I am. Honestly, I think the laughter is of joy, because I have found a mercy and love so great as His, that He doesn't zap me dead when I argue or am stubborn with Him, especially as I did at first. It's funny to be told by God that I am being stubborn and arrogant and to then argue with him and say, oh no I am not! My very answer that argues with a word from Him,IS arrogance. I was just being too arrogant and stubborn to SEE it! I know I shouldn't laugh but His patience with me just makes me laugh for joy sometimes. How can He be so patient with us? I can't even understand it...

I've argued with what He is saying to me so many times, even when I would read it in the word, then see it somewhere else other than the bible, then have a dream about it and THEN hear it from someone else! I have sometimes been more stubborn than Balaam!

I am enjoying your thread, brother!y
 
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Nov 22, 2015
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#50
I agree with you on this......but that depends on the area that the Holy Spirit is talking to us about. You will not find in scriptures go move to Detroit and don't bring a gun when you go.

If the voice you hear is contrary to scripture it is not his voice. That is why it is so important to immerse yourself in scripture.
 
Feb 24, 2015
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#51
I understand what you mean when you say the Holy Spirit is open to debate. I've never heard anyone phrase it this way, but i understand you. I'm laughing right now Peter but I shouldn't be, but oh my gosh I am. Honestly, I think the laughter is of joy, because I have found a mercy and love so great as His, that He doesn't zap me dead when I argue or am stubborn with Him, especially as I did at first.
I know what you mean. But that is honesty there. It is how we feel, and it is important to recognise that is where we are. It is not where we will be in the future, but until one can let oneself be, and know you are still loved, and have work to do, there never will be progress. It was hard to realise this listening is the first step. I know someone very close to me cannot do this first step, of just accepting where they are, rather than the image they would like to project.

Yes it is funny how we know we need to be different, but because we know where we need to get to, it is funny to see this in ourselves. I am glad this is the response rather than self condemnation and a sense of penance. I suppose this is the difference between standards and love. Standards say you have failed, try harder, while love says, I am here but I will get their with the Lords insight into the right areas of my life and obedience. Look at Jonah, or even Moses and his discussions about replacing Israel. Nothing is set in stone, everything is an outflow of the Lords intentions and desires, the expression may vary but the intent is always the same.
 
Sep 4, 2012
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#52
See now to me you are double speaking.

I believe that believers have a conscience and we judge ourselves through our conscience( Bible doctrine that we have learned and applied)

Then on the other hand you fight tooth and nail that the Holy Spirit is the convicting one.
That's really a distinction without a difference. Based on scripture, it's pretty obvious that the holy spirit convicts (exposes and proves wrong) believers of sin. Then the conscience judges and condemns.

The holy spirit convicts the world of sin

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: John 16:8

Jesus through the holy spirit convicts believers of their sin

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:19

Reprove and rebuke in the verses above are the same word.

Reprove/Rebuke
G1651 ἐλέγχω elegcho (el-eng'-kho) v.
1. to confute, admonish

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
ἐλέγχω (elénchō)
2. In the NT the use is restricted. With the accusative of person it means “to show people their sins and summon them to repentance,” either privately (Mt. 18:15) or congregationally (1 Tim. 5:20). The Holy Spirit does this (Jn. 16:8), as also Christ does both now (Rev. 3:19) and at the parousia (Jude 15). No one can do it to Jesus himself (Jn. 8:46). Sinners experience this exposure when faced by the prophetic call (Lk. 3:19), divine instruction (Heb. 12:5), or the law (Jms. 2:9). perí is used to denote the fault (Lk. 3:19), with hóti for elaboration (Jn. 16:9ff.). Correction as well as exposure or conviction is implied; the corresponding action is élenxis (2 Pet. 2:16) or elegmós (2 Tim. 3:16).

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains
33.417 ἐλέγχω; ἔλεγξις, εως f; ἐλεγμός, οῦ m: to state that someone has done wrong, with the implication that there is adequate proof of such wrongdoing—‘to rebuke, to reproach, rebuke, reproach.’
ἐλέγχω: ὁ δὲ Ηρῴδης ὁ τετραάρχης, ἐλεγχόμενος υ’π̓ αυ’τοῦ περὶ Ηρῳδιάδος ‘Herod the tetrarch was rebuked by him because of Herodias’ Lk 3:19; μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε ‘but rather rebuke them’ Eph 5:11.
ἔλεγξις: ὃς μισθὸν ἀδικίας ἠγάπησεν ἔλεγξιν δὲ ἔσχεν ἰδίας παρανομίας ‘who loved the money he would get for doing wrong and was reproached for his transgression’ 2 Pe 2:15–16.
ἐλεγμός: πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for rebuking’ 2 Tm 3:16.

A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament
ἐλέγχω (aor. pass. ἠλέγχθην ) show (someone his) fault or error, convince (someone) of (his) fault or error; show (something) up for what it is; prove guilty, condemn; rebuke, reprove

Synonyms of the New Testament, 9th ed.
... ἐλέγχειν is a much more pregnant word; it is so to rebuke another, with such effectual wielding of the victorious arms of the truth, as to bring him, if not always to a confession, yet at least to a conviction, of his sin (Job 5:17; Prov. 19:25), just as in juristic Greek, ἐλέγχειν is not merely to reply to, but to refute, an opponent.

... ἔλεγχος implies not merely the charge, but the truth of the charge, and further the manifestation of the truth of the charge; nay more than all this, very often also the acknowledgment, if not outward, yet inward, of its truth on the part of the accused; it being the glorious prerogative of the truth in its highest operation not merely to assert itself, and to silence the adversary, but to silence him by convincing him of his error.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
CONVICT (including the KJV, “convince”)
1. elencho (ἐλέγχω, 1651) signifies (a) “to convict, confute, refute,” usually with the suggestion of putting the convicted person to shame; see Matt. 18:15, where more than telling the offender his fault is in view; it is used of “convicting” of sin, John 8:46; 16:8; gainsayers in regard to the faith, Titus 1:9; transgressors of the Law, Jas. 2:9; some texts have the verb in John 8:9; (b) “to reprove,” 1 Cor. 14:24, RV (for KJV, “convince”), for the unbeliever is there viewed as being reproved for, or “convicted” of, his sinful state; so in Luke 3:19; it is used of reproving works, John 3:20; Eph. 5:11, 13; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:13; 2:15; all these speak of reproof by word of mouth. In Heb. 12:5 and Rev. 3:19, the word is used of reproving by action. See FAULT, REBUKE, REPROVE.
 

Stunnedbygrace

Senior Member
Nov 12, 2015
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#53
Good morning grace777!
I find that I do understand their concern.. I have never had the same fear. I've had fears alright, but not this fear.
I understand though, because I have seen people, very young Christians usually, do some things that turned out terribly for them, saying, God told me to do such and such, and I believed it could not possibly be that they heard Him right. It is understandable to fear for them or even for ourselves, that we might go off on awild tangent as they have.

Hearing from the Holy Spirit can be confusing at first because He doesn't often speak to us in words our human ears hear, which is the way we are used to hearing from birth. It's more like, we sense Him speaking than that we hear Him speaking. It's like getting a new pair of ears in addition to the ones we're born with except these ears don't work the same exact way.

Not saying people don't hear from Him very clearly: move to Detroit and don't buy a gun. But mlearnedin the beginning, it's more like, I think God might be telling me to...talk to a person or to stop my car here...? He basically told Abraham, start walking in THAT direction and THEN I will tell you where to go. But just leave your home first.

Even learning to hear His voice and obey it is a process and He has actually given me tests where I grope toward a direction I think He is telling me to go but then nothing noticeable happens. And because I didn't see anything noticeable come about, the next time, I am apt to ignore His gentle voice in me the next time. But He wants to train us to be very responsive and to always grope in the direction, because when it is an important thing, then we have learned that it isn't whether we have seen anything happen that we are to judge by, but are to just be obedient. Then, later, after we have been faithful with a little, He can use us because He knows we will obey and so we were faithful with a little and He puts us in charge of more.
 
Sep 4, 2012
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#54
The OP is about the conscience. Yesterday a 'grace' believer here said that she ignores her conscience. I have heard the same expressed in various ways from other 'grace' believers. I don't understand what your issue is...
 
Sep 4, 2012
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#55
Do you ever respond to what an op is thinking about and wanting thoughts or feedback on? You say the same exact thing over and over again in every thread, no matter what the topic is. He was talking about a lot of different things here you could focus on...
My post 54 was in reply to this comment. I forgot to Reply with Quote.
 
E

ember

Guest
#56
In his defense, the entire forum has been "bombarded by hyper-grace theology and major promotion of WoF and prosperity preachers throughout the course of the past few weeks.*

Some of us are getting sick of it."

**************************

Dear mr 4th


You can always just ignore those things if they offend you

Perhaps if you toned down your name calling and denial of the right of other members here to post, your experience here would be more pleasant for you

As it is...you are exaggerating and misapplying terms....we are not all WOF in the sense you wish to apply it

Many of us would probably agree that there are numerous fake teachers out there and further, there are some dead and dried up spirit-less teachers who worship their own words on the other side of the coin

I have already introduced you to one
 
Nov 22, 2015
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#57
Amen!..I agree fully...I heard a man of a much prayer life one time say that the Lord told him ..He would rather he wait and pray to get what it is He wants him to do....until it's a "knowing" deep within your spirit. The Lord wanted him behind Him...not running out ahead.....we are to follow the inward witness from the Spirit....not jump out ahead and then try to "faith" God into blessing what we choose to do...even though it was a good thing...good things can sometimes be the enemy of the right thing.

It's good to bounce it off of older people in the Lord too. I don't mean necessarily people that have been saved for 40 years as they may still be a baby Christian. I'm talking about people that pray a lot and know Jesus intimately.

The Lord gave me this as one of the oppositions that would come against me in my Christian life. He gave me 5 things...this was number 4.

4) The seemingly overwhelming urge and demand from both inside and outside influences to create Ishmaels. I must wait upon the Lord to show me the a) the what.....b) the when....c) the way or how...of His will depending totally on the Holy Spirit inside to guide me.

I find as I pray in the spirit more....and wait on the Lord....things become clearer to me...it's like driving down a road early in the morning.. you can see something up ahead on the side of the road.. but just barely.....you think it's a moose on the side of the road...as you continue to drive....the morning light shines brighter and then when you get down the road a little further you see that it's just a tree on the side of the road...

I find getting direction from the Lord is like that...."seeing" within oneself and as one poster said..a "knowing" inside of our spirits becomes clearer and clearer..


Good morning grace777!
I find that I do understand their concern.. I have never had the same fear. I've had fears alright, but not this fear.
I understand though, because I have seen people, very young Christians usually, do some things that turned out terribly for them, saying, God told me to do such and such, and I believed it could not possibly be that they heard Him right. It is understandable to fear for them or even for ourselves, that we might go off on awild tangent as they have.

Hearing from the Holy Spirit can be confusing at first because He doesn't often speak to us in words our human ears hear, which is the way we are used to hearing from birth. It's more like, we sense Him speaking than that we hear Him speaking. It's like getting a new pair of ears in addition to the ones we're born with except these ears don't work the same exact way.

Not saying people don't hear from Him very clearly: move to Detroit and don't buy a gun. But mlearnedin the beginning, it's more like, I think God might be telling me to...talk to a person or to stop my car here...? He basically told Abraham, start walking in THAT direction and THEN I will tell you where to go. But just leave your home first.

Even learning to hear His voice and obey it is a process and He has actually given me tests where I grope toward a direction I think He is telling me to go but then nothing noticeable happens. And because I didn't see anything noticeable come about, the next time, I am apt to ignore His gentle voice in me the next time. But He wants to train us to be very responsive and to always grope in the direction, because when it is an important thing, then we have learned that it isn't whether we have seen anything happen that we are to judge by, but are to just be obedient. Then, later, after we have been faithful with a little, He can use us because He knows we will obey and so we were faithful with a little and He puts us in charge of more.
 
Feb 24, 2015
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#58
I find it interesting no-one has said your conscience is satan condemning you.

I doubt any christian has satan saying stuff in their heads. I am sure our subconscious is quite capable of putting up counter arguments to anything we are thinking without any prompting. And to be honest, those thoughts often have a valid place.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Eph 4:14

What came as a shock to me, is that I cannot trust myself. My whole body is set up to keep me happy and stable at whatever cost. Unfortunately that is often in contradiction to the Lords leading. That is a hard step, to learn you are betrayed by yourself. As far as I have learnt this is why it takes time, balancing things out, working it through.

Take a page out of Gods book. To save us he need to have all the experiences in 1,000's of peoples lives, put it in a book and we still get it wrong. Look at the prophets. Some good and faithful, but screw up one important step, dead.

So the stakes are high, and the words and miss-guidance many, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit will steer you through.

But to deny your conscience is spiritual suicide. Because of peoples silence, I am sure many of you are not sure.

A psychopath has no conscience, it is clean and clinical and deadly. That is where you end up if you go down this road.
 
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Stunnedbygrace

Senior Member
Nov 12, 2015
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#59
The OP is about the conscience. Yesterday a 'grace' believer here said that she ignores her conscience. I have heard the same expressed in various ways from other 'grace' believers. I don't understand what your issue is...
I don't know if you are speaking to me or to someone else but I am open to discussing what my issue is with you. You hinder us by insisting on the same argument over and over in every thread. We see that this is something of great importance to you, but you are unkind and often vicious in the way you are speaking and you derail every thread and don't truly listen when someone gives you an answer. Peter wants to talk about and talk with us about something we are all interested in sharing and learning from each other. Some of us saw the words "Holy Spirit" in his title and we knocked each other down to run into the thread because we want to help and be helped, encourage and be encouraged, and learn about this Holy Spirit who we love so much but find very mysterious at times.

Talk with us. Be nice. Stop hollering. Don't derail. GROW and learn with us.
 
Feb 24, 2015
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#60
Ember, does your conscience ever bother you? Mine does but I work through it.

I am not having a go. I wonder if people who follow certain teaching also have a similar internal habit of behaviour.

A simple observation on this, it would appear so. Some are also deeply insecure in their faith though certain their doctrine is 100%, in fact if you do not believe it in their way you cannot be saved. The deposit in their hearts is possibly very flighty.

In his defense, the entire forum has been "bombarded by hyper-grace theology and major promotion of WoF and prosperity preachers throughout the course of the past few weeks.*

Some of us are getting sick of it."

**************************

Dear mr 4th


You can always just ignore those things if they offend you

Perhaps if you toned down your name calling and denial of the right of other members here to post, your experience here would be more pleasant for you

As it is...you are exaggerating and misapplying terms....we are not all WOF in the sense you wish to apply it

Many of us would probably agree that there are numerous fake teachers out there and further, there are some dead and dried up spirit-less teachers who worship their own words on the other side of the coin

I have already introduced you to one