Reader, I’m just going to put this out there up front and quickly, humans do not, and can not hear the audible voice of God today! The concept that we can hear an audible voice of God today is nonsense. How do I know this? Multiple reasons, a small amount of common sense and a bunch of bible verses. Any argument that claims we “can” hear the audible voice of God can be defeated with nothing more than a simple question,

prove it!

Biblical Clarification

• Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
• Proverbs 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
• Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
• Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
• Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

All silliness aside “for a moment”, there are 3 serious principles here that we need to deal with,

1: Throughout the history of the earth, I can find nowhere in the bible where God has spoken to us via a thought or feeling. This concept is completely absent in scripture, and anytime God or the Holy Spirit spoke to anyone in the Old Testament, it was ALWAYS via clear, precise, and repeatable language. The idea that we can feel a message from God is not a Christian concept or doctrine. Notice the Holy spirit speaking above in Acts, there was no feeling, and no stuttering, it was as clear as a human to human conversation.

2: Anytime God speaks to us, should be as clear, as precise, and as authoritative as scripture itself. Therefore, anyone claiming to hear the voice of God today should be able, and confident to to add it to the bible. This of course should be held up to the word of God and survive all scrutiny “which it won’t”, however, that process would be a clear violation to the above verses thus it isn’t even a tenable proposition.

3: The word of God itself states in Hebrews that what happened in the past does not happen now, there is a clear distinction between the past and God speaking to and through the prophets, to the current time where the only way he speaks with us is through his son, and in a manner unlike times past. This can only mean he does not speak to us by voice and can only mean now through the word of God.

Gods Word Seals the Deal

• Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

There are two interpretations of the above verse,

1: Paul gives us two methods of obtaining faith, the first was to the people he was preaching to, the second was to you. He tells us all that we obtain faith by hearing the word of God.

2: Paul is telling us that we can only obtain faith by hearing the word of God being read. The word “and” G1161 or δέ means,

1. but
2. moreover

There is no way to interpret this verse to mean that we obtain faith today by audibly hearing the voice of God, it is only by hearing the word of God, the Bible.

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Scripture is to be used to,

1. Teach us doctrine
2. Reproof “to prove to us”
3. To correct us
4. Instruct us in Righteousness
5. To help man to become perfect.

What room then is there left for us needing to hear the voice of God today? These two verses tell us that we will be made perfect unto good works via scripture alone. Again, there is no room for the possibility or even a need to hear the voice of God today.

• 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Confirmed again in verse 15, it DOES NOT say that from a child we are wise by hearing the voice of God, it says we are wise by knowing scripture.

Nonsense Turns to Burden

I challenge the reader to watch the following video and not cringe The problem with this false doctrine is where does it end? If we say we can hear the voice of God today, when do we say it is or isn’t God, I mean seriously reader, its all the way down to a turkey for lunch…

This is truly cringeworthy stuff reader. The sad part of this though, is that the person at home who sent in the question to DR. Stanley carries a burden, a burden created by these people who teach this nonsense.

The burden is that the average Christian cannot hear the voice of God “actually no one can”, it’s only these “preachers” and “televangelists” that can and do hear God regularly. Surely that must mean the average Christian who doesn’t hear Gods voice has a problem, and that problem can only be,

1. A lack of faith
2. Unforgiven sin in their life
3. A lack of true salvation

Here is where this doctrine turns evil. These teachers who promote hearing the voice of God today are creating a two tiered, or two class Christian community,

The haves and have nots

The goods and good nots

The chosen and the unchosen

The Motive & The Result

Why it is that radical charismatics always downplay Jesus as a human and promote humans to being a God? Don’t believe that they do?

1. Bill Johnson: Jesus so restricted his function on the earth, that he actually couldn’t heal anyone, he couldn’t multiple food, he couldn’t cast out devils, he couldn’t do any of that stuff, because he restricted himself to a life of a human being.
2. Larry Huch: Jesus is not the only begotten son of God.
3. Kenneth Copeland: When I read the bible where it says “I AM” I just smile and say, “Yes, I AM too”
4. Victoria Osteen: Jesus was man, until God touched him.
5. Creflo Dollar: Ill say it to you again, YOU ARE GODS, little G’s, you’re not just human. The real me is just like God.

The real motive here is the promotion of man to a higher form of spiritualism and placing us closer to God that we actually are. Give these false preachers the chance and they would elevate themselves to the fourth member of the trinity.

They seem to think that somehow, if we can hear Gods voice then surely we will become more important or attain some higher form or spiritualism.  I seem to recall another place where this actually occurred in the bible,

• Isaiah 14: 12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Reader, the devil wants to be just like God. This is the basis for us being able to hear the voice of God today. Ask yourself some questions,

1. Why are we not happy with the all inspired and all sufficient word of God?
2. If scripture tells us, it is all we need to be perfect, we are we searching for more?
3. If there is no precedent in the word of God for us hearing Gods voice today, why then this push to claim we can hear his voice today?

Because these teachers want more, they want a higher status, just like lucifer did.

Other Interesting Facts

If you are interested in this topic, then I’d like to share just a couple of interesting coincidences that I have found whilst studying this myself overs the years. These are not statement of facts, rather some interesting points for consideration.

1. I have found that people who teach that you can hear the voice of God today, generally also teach that we are little Gods
2. I have found that people who teach that you can hear the voice of God today, almost always operate in error against the word of God in other areas. An example would be some who teach this are women, who are not permitted to teach at all.
3. I have found that people who teach that you can hear the voice of God today, also teach that we all should be prosperous and always healthy, a clear contradiction to the teachings of the word of God.

And, I have also found that people who teach that you can hear the voice of God today, often and almost always teach that we can speak in tongues today, and often teach that we should free our minds and become open to the Holy Spirt and its influence. Sometimes to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes to hear Gods voice directly.

• 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We are instructed to have a sound mind in scripture. We are not too free and open our minds to spiritual “things”. Opening and freeing our minds will not allow us to hear the voice of God, it will open our hearts and minds to the enemy.

Further From Truth, Close to Error

It is no coincidence that the further we move from truth the close we get to error. What many Christian churches do not realize, is the danger of their error and practices. The following shows a simple matrix of most Christian organizations by category, and how they operate with respect to hearing Gods voice today and other so-called miracles and gifts from God.  Reader, the results are clear, the more we move from Cessation the closer we get to hearing Gods voice, the more error and evil we introduce into our church!

Conclusion

Sometimes the response I get to someone who wants to hear the voice of God hears this teaching, is to create a false dichotomy.  If God cannot speak to us audibly, then that means he doesn’t influence us or assist us today, surely that cannot be true?

God can, and does,

1. Impress upon us burdens or desires
2. Direct people to us in our paths
3. Direct out paths
4. Gives us wisdom
5. Has a daily influence in our lives

All according to his will of course. How does he do this? I wouldn’t have a clue, and the word of God does not tell us specifically how, but it does tell us that he does.

And for my last statement on the topic, I will leave that to Charles Spurgeon,

“I have little confidence in those persons who speak of having received direct revelations from the Lord, as though He appeared otherwise than by and through the gospel. His word is so full, so perfect, that for God to make any fresh revelation to you or me is quite needless. To do so would be to put a dishonor upon the perfection of that word.” -Charles Spurgeon