the Thirsty Theologian is hard core when it comes to personal revelations from God. Quoting Sinclair Ferguson who gives three reasons why people these days prefer personal revelation to reading the general revelation contained in the Bible. Here is Mr. Ferguson’s third reason:
3. Direct revelation makes it unnecessary to engage in painstaking Bible study and careful consideration of Christian doctrine in order to know the will of God. By comparison with immediate revelation, Bible study seems—to be frank—boring. Although rarely said, underlying all of this is a sinister thought: the Bible is not very clear. By contrast, it is assumed that direct revelation cannot possibly be misunderstood.
—Sinclair Ferguson, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life (Reformation Trust, 2007), 107.
then get a load of the Thirsty Theologian’s follow on comment:
I believe most Christians are just too lazy to do the hard work of Bible study. The less apathetic among them fall back on the entirely sentimental reasons one and two.
All this is very sad, because those people are going to learn absolutely nothing from God, because God is not going to speak to them. Yes, my subjectively-guided friend, you read that right. If you claim that God has spoken to you, I don’t believe you. I don’t think you are lying (unless you say it on TBN; then I’m quite convinced you’re making it up); I just think you are deluded, mistaking the voices in your head for the Holy Spirit.
ouch. I think TT is correct on this one. I just don’t know if it is laziness or conditioning. I think that some people don’t want to expend the mental effort of concentration to study to show themselves approved workmen. I also think that some people have been conditioned somehow into having the mistaken belief that studying the Bible requires special training.
It doesn’t. Just read it. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. Believe Him. Pick up a Bible, any Bible and get with it.
Hat tip to the Ramblin’ Pastor Man