True faith and guidance from God

Guidance from God brings purpose, direction and meaning into our lives, and with it we can bear good fruit.  To receive guidance from God we need faith, and to have faith, we need God’s Word (Rom 10:17).  Guidance must be compared with God’s written word to see whether it is found within God’s nature to speak such a thing.  The ability to search God’s word for evidence of truth is attributed to Man as nobility (Acts 17:11).  If we do not search God’s word diligently, we will end up with false guidance.

We must base our faith on God’s thinking, expressed through His words.  There is danger in using human thinking to examine what we hear.  Human thinking will not result in true faith.  However, it will manufacture what is called “misguided” faith.  When looking for guidance, what misguides us?  Today I will speak about four areas where Christians think they are practicing faith, but they are not.  Also be aware that those who search the scriptures, but choose to misinterpret them, will end up with false guidance as well. 

1.       Looking for unseen benefits that will result from our actions.  On the surface, this seems very much like Abraham, believing for a son and not having the fulfillment of that promise for years to come.  We also could say that he believed for a nation that did not exist.  However, Abraham had visitations from God, and dreams on which his faith was built.  For those who have no specific word from the Lord, and yet wish to believe for something, their faith will be misguided instead of guided.  Some examples of misguided faith are:

a.       faithful service to a tyrant, believing that one’s purity of works will change his heart and a benefit will come as a result.

b.      Believing that whatever is done out of faith will be seen by God and blessed.  This is a belief that God blesses us according to our intentions.

c.       The belief that safety from harm or error are the result of submission to those who are over you in the hierarchy of the church.  Instead, safety from harm comes from wisdom, and safety from error comes from love of the truth.

These three examples demonstrate that the believer who looks for good fruit to come from actions that are not based in one’s true faith will be misguided, for they lack examination of the Word of God.

2.       Misunderstanding the nature of God’s voice.  Some believe that God’s voice comes like a breeze whose directions remain a mystery.  In John 3:8 Jesus says that “The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Many have taken this verse to imply that their walk in the Spirit is shrouded with mystery.  They become impulsive and their actions make little sense because they themselves do not know what direction they came from, nor where they are going.

If we compare John 8 with the famous verse in Acts where the Holy Spirit came “like a mighty rushing wind” (Acts 2:2) we see in all the New Testament  that the Holy Spirit began a work wherein He gave men direction, and He was not the author of confusion. 

Furthermore, when Paul writes about the gift of speaking in tongues he says that it is a mystery (1 Cor 14:2) and then tells the believers that they should pray for the interpretation (vs 13) so that they would be fruitful in their mind, understanding what the Holy Spirit spoke.  Understanding allows us to bear fruit (Mt 13:23).

3.       A person can speak into your life and that word is considered valid because of their reputation, even though it is not tested against God’s word and nature. 

False prophets are still seen as prophets, but they bear bad fruit.  They may cast out demons, do miracles, and prophesy in the Lord’s name, but if they bear bad fruit they are not his (Mt 7:15-23).  The fruit of a false prophet is “thorns” and “thistles”.  God cursed the land to bear thistles after Adam and Eve’s disobedience.  Therefore, thistles represent disobedience.  Joshua told the Israelites that they would have “thorns in your eyes” if they co-habitated with their enemies instead of driving them out.  Thorns represent being polluted by the world and sin to the point that one cannot spiritually “see” (see Paul’s prayer in Ephesians in 1:18). So, any word not tested against God’s word and nature will lead to misguided faith.

4.       Equating child-like faith with being simple-minded (like a child).  Paul shares with us that “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” (1 Cor 13:11) I’ve written some examples below about how harmful being simple-minded can be.

a.        Proverbs tells us not to be simple, but to seek after wisdom (Prov 8:5). 

b.       Those who find wisdom have God’s favor, but harm comes to those who do not seek wisdom (Prov 8:34-36).

c.        The simple do not fear the Lord; they are wayward, or direction-less (Prov 1:29-33).

d.       The simple lack judgment (Prov 7:7).  They cannot attain good judgment because prudence, knowledge, discretion, counsel and sound judgment are part of wisdom (Prov 8:12-14). The virtues of wisdom are noted as fruit, however, false prophets do not bear this fruit. 

God did not intend His people to be childish.  He has a plan of growth for us all which leads to maturity.  Those who will follow after wisdom will have His counsel and guidance.

These are four areas of belief that will lead to misguided faith.  Remember that faith must be based on God’s word and His nature.  God bless you as you listen to Him today for guidance, and may all your fruit be abundant.  Amen.