How many times have you heard somebody say, "I felt led to…" or "I was impressed by the Lord to…." Many Christians live by such impressions—trying to listen to God's "still, small voice." Are there any scriptural justifications for using impressions to guide our decisions? Adherents of this view primarily use 1 King 19:12-13, Romans 8:14, John 16:12-14, and Isaiah 30:21 as prooftexts. In this lesson, we exegete these texts. Considering the context of each passage, it is clear the verses do not address using impressions to make decisions.
To further buttress the argument, we also look at the nature of impressions: they are just impressions, lack authority, are unreliable, and their origins can come from many sources (too much pizza, Satan, TV, etc.). Can God use impressions? Yes. We have an example in Scripture from the life of Nehemiah (2:12). Note, however, that this is God's Word, so it is authoritative and definite. Nehemiah can claim with certainty that God had put this in his heart. Second, he did not tell anyone about "what my God had put in my heart to do." If you believe that God is impressing you to do something, it would be the better part of wisdom not to say anything about it. Instead, focus on Christ and his work, not that you had an impression. |
