Which is more important to understanding the will of God? Christians only please!

[Scuba Pete]

OK, we have a lot of people out there who rely on various things to understand/interpret God's will. I have my own beliefs about this, but I want to hear from YOU. Please vote if it pleases you, and by all means discuss your rationale for what you believe. Cite any referent materials such as scriptures, creeds, personal revelations or any other religious texts.

 

[ChristineES]

I would say scriptures and spirit. The Church is good for socialization and for preaching, but I would not use it for the understanding the will of God for me.

 

[ladybug83]

Personally, I think you can get a lot more out of the scriptures to begin with. Reading scriptures is something you can do on your own and ponder privately, and in so doing, you eventually feel the Spirit. Before long, you find yourself at church, listening to and learning from talks and lessons, and understanding the ins and outs of the Church.
I don't think you can really understand the will of God without all three, but I think that by starting with one, you're eventually led to the others.

 

[Mister Emu]

All three...

The Scriptures are "given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"(2 Tim 3:14)

The Church is the "pillar and ground of the truth."(1 Tim 3:15)

The Holy Spirit will "teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26)

 

[barney1]

I believe the Church is a place to go to feel the spirit, the scriptures have a power to lift and inspire the soul, but by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things, including Gods will on our behalf.

 

[Charity]

I delight my self in reading the Bible, I find my self meditating a lot on God's word during the day....The scripture, The word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against God has been with me since I was a new Christian. A lot of my understanding has come through personal experience with the Holy Spirit.

 

[Reverend Rick]

It is more important to accept the will of God than to understand it. Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

God's will is a mystery, Pete. No one can help.

If there were help, whoever owned that knowledge would have a monopoly on religion...

 

[Dunemeister]

God's will is a mystery, Pete. No one can help.

If there were help, whoever owned that knowledge would have a monopoly on religion...

I disagree. Scripture itself testifies in several places (Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians) about how we are all gifted in particular ways and that the sum total of all these gifts, in community, assists us to discern God and grow in maturity in him. Throughout the history of the church, people testify about how spiritual disciplines, including fellowship with the saints, assists them in discerning God's will. Indeed, it's when people attempt such discernment in a completely isolated fashion that they most frequently get tripped up. 'Course, you can't rely solely on other people's judgment, but that judgment, especially when it comes from people who have a strong reputation for accurate discernment, can be quite instructive.

 

[idea]

All three...

The Scriptures are "given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"(2 Tim 3:14)

The Church is the "pillar and ground of the truth."(1 Tim 3:15)

The Holy Spirit will "teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26)

I agree - for church I would add:
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

It is more important to accept the will of God than to understand it.

I don't think it is possible to accept something you do not understand... You are accepting a figment of your imagination - not the item at hand, if you do not understand it... Did you word this wrong?

I agree about the unanswered prayer bit though.

"More tears are shed over answered prayers than unansered ones" - Mother Teresa

I disagree. Scripture itself testifies in several places (Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians) about how we are all gifted in particular ways and that the sum total of all these gifts, in community, assists us to discern God and grow in maturity in him. Throughout the history of the church, people testify about how spiritual disciplines, including fellowship with the saints, assists them in discerning God's will. Indeed, it's when people attempt such discernment in a completely isolated fashion that they most frequently get tripped up. 'Course, you can't rely solely on other people's judgment, but that judgment, especially when it comes from people who have a strong reputation for accurate discernment, can be quite instructive.

Well put.

"If I have seen farther than others it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants" - Newton
Where would we be if we were not able to learn from one another?

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I disagree. Scripture itself testifies in several places (Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians) about how we are all gifted in particular ways and that the sum total of all these gifts, in community, assists us to discern God and grow in maturity in him. Throughout the history of the church, people testify about how spiritual disciplines, including fellowship with the saints, assists them in discerning God's will. Indeed, it's when people attempt such discernment in a completely isolated fashion that they most frequently get tripped up. 'Course, you can't rely solely on other people's judgment, but that judgment, especially when it comes from people who have a strong reputation for accurate discernment, can be quite instructive.

Frubals to you.

On the other hand, the Bible does talk about the man without the law and his conscience acting against or for those individuals. I believe what Paul was trying to say is there is a conscience in all of us. Some choose to listen to it more than others.

 

[sojourner]

I disagree. Scripture itself testifies in several places (Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians) about how we are all gifted in particular ways and that the sum total of all these gifts, in community, assists us to discern God and grow in maturity in him. Throughout the history of the church, people testify about how spiritual disciplines, including fellowship with the saints, assists them in discerning God's will. Indeed, it's when people attempt such discernment in a completely isolated fashion that they most frequently get tripped up. 'Course, you can't rely solely on other people's judgment, but that judgment, especially when it comes from people who have a strong reputation for accurate discernment, can be quite instructive.

I agree strongly with this statememt. The Church (not individuals) is the Body of Christ, and the truest revelation of Christ on earth. It is in relationship, community, concert that we discern the will of God, using our gifts, our tools (of which the Bible is one), and our interaction.

 

[emiliano]

I agree strongly with this statememt. The Church (not individuals) is the Body of Christ, and the truest revelation of Christ on earth.

This contradict the Apostle Paul and he is the apostle that wrote mostly on the organization of the Church.
2Co 6:16 And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

It is in relationship, community, concert that we discern the will of God, using our gifts, our tools (of which the Bible is one), and our interaction.

I say that it is the Holy Spirit and scripture, this according to: Mat 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.
In the Church,
Joh 4:24 God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

 

[DarkLink2135]

Personally I've found that it is a combination of all three. The Church is important as an academic institution. It opens you to new ideas, helps you to think about concepts in a different light, etc. I'm speaking about the Church in a biblical sense - a gathering of believers, not necessarily a structured service in a building, although that applies as well. We need the Spirit to discern the truth among the things we hear, whether it be from our friends, our pastors, family, etc. The Holy Bible is our ultimate source of truth - we can rely on it. But we also need the spirit, and other believers, to understand it to the fullest extent.

I've had some of my greatest "epiphanies" so to speak when in fellowship with even only one other believer. The Spirit allows me to accept this idea, and the Bible allows me to see how it holds up against Scripture.

I say that it is the Holy Spirit and scripture, this according to: Mat 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

That was part of a larger sermon as a whole, a part designed to warn people against doing "acts of righteousness" for men, rather than for God. The Bible also places great emphasis on the importance of growing with other Christians. There is nothing wrong with other people seeing Christ living through you - indeed, that's a major way of witnessing to others. What Matthew 6:6 intends to convey, at least from my understanding, is that your motives need to be pure - are you serving the poor so that others will think more highly of you, or because you feel called to it via the Spirit?

I don't mean to say that individual worship isn't important - but being with other Christians is a necessity that can't be underestimated! You need a healthy balance of both (this balance will be as different for everyone as God made us ) to understand the Bible to the fullest.

 

[mzunderstood69]

This is exactly why I am here. With my cult background, I find the bible daunting, the words I read have been so twisted for me that i have a hard time interpreting them properly. I need an ANSWER to this question myself.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Roles of the Spirit..

Gives us understanding:

Job 32

8 But it is the spirit in a man,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. NIV

John 14

25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. NIV

1 Corinthians 2

10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. NIV

Controls our Minds and our Hearts:

Romans 8

9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. NIV

2 Corinthians 3

1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. NIV

In ALL of these passages, we see that the Spirit gives us Spiritual Life and is our SEAL of redemption. Yet, most Christians seem to deny the roles of the Spirit and prefer to assign them to the church.

 

[roli]

God's will is a mystery, Pete. No one can help.

If there were help, whoever owned that knowledge would have a monopoly on religion...

I think your seriously wrong on this account
I'm not sure what gospel your reading from,but the mystery from God concerning his will, is clearly defined in scripture as something God has and continues to reveal to his saints, these are just a few references concerning God's desire to reveal himself and his will to those who have been grafted into the family of God.

Rom 12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Col 1:26 -27[Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:

Jhn 16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.

1Cr 2:9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Cr 2:12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

 

[sojourner]

This contradict the Apostle Paul and he is the apostle that wrote mostly on the organization of the Church.
2Co 6:16 And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

This doesn't contradict my statement. In fact, it validates it.

 

[Heneni]

This doesn't contradict my statement. In fact, it validates it.

I'm trying hard, but it does seem to contradict your statement. The church is not a building its a people.

 

[Heneni]

Frubals to you.

On the other hand, the Bible does talk about the man without the law and his conscience acting against or for those individuals. I believe what Paul was trying to say is there is a conscience in all of us. Some choose to listen to it more than others.

If the light inside of you is darkness how dark it must be. I think a working conscience is a gift from god.