Roby Gerard M. Corpuz H.

W in THEO

1BAC

HOW GOD SPEAKS US TODAY

In recent days there has been much discussion and debate about how God speaks
to his people. The conversation continues, and as it does so, I find myself looking back
to the basics, returning to some key principles related to the voice of God. Let me share
those with you through four statements.

Statement one: God can speak to people in many different ways and guide them
with their cooperation. The Bible is full of stories of God speaking to his people–God
speaking to Adam and Eve in the Garden as he walked and talked with them, God
speaking to Moses from the burning bush, God speaking to Nebuchadnezzar in a
dream. In each case God told people his will and when God told them what he wanted
of them, they were able to consciously participate in it, or they were able to reject it.
Adam and Eve defied God even though they knew what he demanded of them. Jonah
heard from the Lord and ran away. Abraham heard from the Lord and obeyed. All
through the Bible we see God speaking and giving guidance and instruction. In all
these ways and so many more, God spoke to people and guided them with their
cooperation.

Statement two: today God speaks to us by his Son. In the opening verses of Hebrews
we read, ―Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the
prophets.‖ That is what we have just said in our last statement. But now the author of
Hebrews continues, ―In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.‖ In these last
days (i.e. today), he has spoken to us by his Son. He has spoken and is
speaking through Jesus. This is not past tense but present. And how has God
spoken to us through Jesus? He has revealed himself, his own character and
glory, in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus God has spoken to us
as never before. The man who wrote Hebrews is very careful to distinguish between
these two types of revelation—the past and the present. If you have studied the letter to
the Hebrews, you know that it is a long discourse that continually shows how Jesus
Christ is superior to anything in the Old Testament. That means, of course, that the
revelation in Jesus Christ is better than anything that came before. God used to speak
in these ways, but today, even better, he now speaks through his Son. So how does
God speak by Jesus?

Statement 3: God speaks to us by his Son, through his Spirit in the Bible. By the time
the letter to the Hebrews was written, Jesus had long since ascended to his Father. But
the author of this letter to the Hebrews writes in 3:7, ―Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says.‖
Note the word ―says,‖ not ―said.‖ He goes back and quotes Psalm 95 and says that
through these words, the Holy Spirit is speaking. The words that were already
thousands of years old when this letter was written continue to speak. He comes back
to this a few times in the verses that follow keeps saying that the Holy Spirit
speaks through Scripture today. And then he wraps up the section in chapter 4 with
the conclusion that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged
sword. It is alive. It is active. The conclusion is that the Bible speaks to us today. The
Holy Spirit speaks to us today in the Bible. The Son speaks to us today through
the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The Bible is not just about what God has said, but
what God is saying.

So, we know that God can guide us in many ways but today the Son speaks to us
through his Spirit in the Bible. So here’s the fourth statement: Apart from this, speaking
by his Son, through his Spirit in the Bible, God does not promise that he will speak in
any other way. In other words, we can all expect and believe that God will speak to us
through the Bible. But he does not promise to speak in the ways he has spoken before,
or in new ways. Of all the ways we may hope or long for him to speak, he promises only
that he will guide us by his Son, through the Spirit in the Bible.

So Christian, if you want to know God’s will for you, you need to look to the Bible. God
has given us his perfect will in his perfect Word. Do you want to know how to serve
God? Do you want to know how to please him? Do you want to know what he wants
from you? Do you want to make good and wise and God-honoring decisions? Do you
want to be encouraged by God? Then look to your Bible. God can speak and has
spoken however he wishes. But today the one way he absolutely promises you can
always hear his voice is in his Word.

SOURCE:

https://www.challies.com/articles/how-god-speaks-to-us-today/
Reflection:

As a Roman Catholic, even though the writer of this article is Christian, I precisely
agree what he stated at this article. As we all know, our parents taught us to believe in
God. Basically that’s the first thing to obey in order to live peacefully and go away from
miserable life. There’s no such thing that can create by God. In other words, God
create everything, in those things, there have each purpose. Especially the humans,
God created us because we have a purpose. And that purpose is to believe in him, no
matter what happen.

After I read this article, I realized that God always speaks to us even though we can’t
hear it literally, but we feel it. At this moment, I always feel his guidance whenever I do
something difficult. Like doing my home works, projects, and preparing for examination
this upcoming midterm. In this article it mentioned Eva and Adam; they defied God even
though they knew what he demanded of them. All of us are just like them. Sometimes
we’re doing the sins that he might wanted, or even we do not follow his commandments
and instructions most of the time, God is always speak to us. He guides us as always
wherever we go on our path.

It is a matter of fact that we can do all things through him who strengthens us. If there
is a time that we feel empty, depressed and our heart and brain having a conflict
between these two, we just need to read a bible. Why? Because this book is a full of
wisdom and perfect words by God. He wants you to come with him. We need to feel
and hear his words to overcome and lighten our burdens. He let us to discover his will
for us. God can speak and has spoken however he wishes. But today the one way he
absolutely promises you can always hear his voice is in his Word.