The Nature of Prophecy ...continued
The nature, character and Spirit of the prophetic person
A prophetic person will display, even if in their
most raw forms, certain attitudes or characteristics that will enable them to
flow in their ministry.
Submitted
If the person who
speaks is not in submission to their leadership or to the meeting, it is
doubtful that the message is prophetic. There are real dangers for everyone if
the prophetic voice within the church is not submitted to the leadership of the
church and the meeting.
Teachable
The person should
listen to their leader's voice in matters of spiritual gifts. If their church
doesn't allow the use of gifts in the church, then the question must be asked
is this the right church for people to grow to maturity.
If spiritual gifts are allowed in the
church then it is important for the person exercising the gift to place himself
or herself under the teaching of the church leadership and put into practice
the considered wisdom of that church. This should be done cheerfully otherwise
no advantage is to be gained.
Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your leaders and
submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an
account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that
would be of no advantage to you."
Humility
While humility is
similar to the word submitted there are subtle differences and it is important
for the person exercising the spiritual gift to have a humble nature, a
character that does not attempt to impose itself or exhort itself before
others.
Augustine said, "The sufficiency of my merit is to know that my
merit is not sufficient."
Humility is that virtue that is the hallmark
of wisdom and is the virtue that when learned will protect us from humiliation.
Gentle
The Greek word, as
used in Galatians (kindness) is 'chrestotes' and has a sense of honesty,
respectability, kindness and clemency. The word is used of old wine in the
sense of being mellow. Plutarch, the Greek philosopher says that it is far
wider than justice.
Christ's yoke is called 'chrestros' (Matthew.11:30)
that is, it does not chafe. The whole idea is of goodness that is kind, in fact
that can only help. Lightfoot regards 'chrestotes' as a kindly disposition
towards others.
The word gentle could be better said as genteel. It is
that politeness that shows a loving concern for others.
Honest
Honesty is integral
to the use of spiritual gifts.
Samuel Johnson said, "Knowledge without
integrity is dangerous and dreadful".
It is important for the person
exercising spiritual gifts to display integrity in all that they do and say.
However, we must remember that it is possible to be sincere and to be wrong, to
have integrity and to be wrong.
It is important in prophecy that we are
true to what we hear and that we do not embellish or diminish what God is
revealing to us.
Some useful quotes
Anon "For the Christian honesty
is not the best policy it is the only policy."
Anon "It is better to go
straight than to move in the best circles."
Anon "There are no degrees of
honesty."
Anon "One thing you can give and still keep is your word."
Sound
This is a fitness for
service that comes from a confidence based in faith built upon the foundation
of sound doctrine.
The bible is the infallible word of God, whereas the
words of humans in post Pentecost societies are fallible. This is why it is
important to weigh all things against scripture and this is the responsibility
of every Christian. Blind obedience, while seemingly spiritual, is dangerous
and damaging. We all have blind spots naturally in our eyesight and we all have
blind spots spiritually. Our only assurance is that of sound doctrine soundly
based on scripture.
Richard Sibbes said, " He that believes ill can
never live well, for he hath no foundation."
A friend, a civil
engineer, told me that in a previous job he had the task of testing the steel
girders that are driven into the ground to ensure that they were sound and
would support the structure. He would do this by hitting them with a hammer and
listen for the right sound. No-one is suggesting that you test the soundness of
the congregation by hitting them on the head with a hammer and listening for
the right note, but it is true to say that if the foundation is not sound then
the structure will not withstand adversity.
We have a member in our home church who is very accurate in the
prophetic. They often hear things but the human spirit with its concerns and
desires sometimes confuses what is heard.
This person will ring me as
their pastor and the conversation may go like this:
"Hi Roger I keep hearing
……………………."
Roger, "This is
rubbish throw it away." "Thank you, I'll do that."
This person has told me that I should travel to India, they said,
"I believe God is saying 'I want you to go to India'". No-one knew that I had
been invited to go to India or that I knew that God wanted me to go, but that I
was struggling with the whole idea. We now take a team to India each year with
Together For God.
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