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By April J. Buchanan | Religion Columnist

Her heart is heavy and God feels so far away. She prays, “God, why can’t I hear Your voice? I’ve done all I’ve been told to do, but I just can’t hear You. Others say they hear You all the time. What am I doing wrong? God, I’m scared. If I can’t hear you like they do, could it be that something is wrong with my faith, or maybe You don’t love me like them? Lately, it feels like no matter what I do, You don’t only seem far away, but like You have let me go completely. God, I’m so scared. I don’t want to lose You. Please, God, give me a sign, a word, or let me hear Your voice.”

Such prayers are honest in that they follow through to the logical conclusion of what they’ve been taught.

This kind of prayer is the result of bad doctrine in the pulpit that puffs some up in pride and leaves others feeling like something must be wrong with their faith.

In many churches, there’s an obsession with signs, wonders, hearing God outside of Scripture and manifestations that are falsely attributed to the Holy Spirit.

It’s one thing to believe that the sign gifts of the Apostles are still for today (Continuationism) but those who hold to the correct Biblical definitions of those gifts, while eagerly desiring them, will not redefine them. They are a very tiny minority.

The majority are working with a redefinition of those gifts based on unbiblical experiences. As a result, there’s much disorder in churches.

Many are being taught that “if” they have the Holy Spirit “then” they “should” be having these experiences “all the time”. See the test laid out for them? What then is the logical conclusion if they’re not having those experiences?

Replacing sound doctrine are claims of new revelation; replacing the true work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and sanctification is an unhealthy desire for what is said to be of the Holy Spirit but is false signs, false wonders, false miracles, false prophecies, and false manifestations. This is the result of not being faithful to the text to define those gifts and understand their purpose. As a result, many have really bad pneumatology (doctrine of the Holy Spirit) and the Holy Spirit is grossly misrepresented.

The fruit of bad doctrine is not greater faith but pride (called faith) and despair.

The result of sound doctrine is healthy churches and healthy Christians. When there are doubts or fears they don’t seek an experience but God’s Word. They remember Christ. They remember His Word. And they rejoice.

You want to know God loves you? You don’t seek some experience, extra-biblical word, encounter, or sign. That is not faith; “It is doubt looking for proof.” ~John MacArthur

Remember Christ! Remember the Gospel! And you want to hear God? Read your Bible.

“I do not need signs and wonders to believe, for thy Word is sure truth. I have cast my anchor in the port of peace, knowing that present and future are in nail-pierced hands.” ~ The Valley of Vision, Repose

Grace and Peace

Soli Deo Gloria