There are many things in religion today that are based upon opinions, imaginations, supposed personal revelations, and leadings of the Holy Spirit. You may hear them any day in everyday conversation. They often go unchallenged, for many reasons, and the people saying them continue to hold to faulty reasoning. This message is an effort to point out some of these ambiguous and unproven assertions.

Paul wrote, "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good." (1 Thess. 5:21, KJV.) "Test everything; hold on to the good." (NIV.) John wrote similarly, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

(1 John 4:1.) In the day when many in Israel depended upon familiar spirits and wizards, Isaiah wrote, "To the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20.)

Here are some examples of modern expressions which do not depend upon the Law, the prophets, or the apostles of our Lord. They are ambiguous, uncertain, and unproven words. I believe that such expressions cause many to turn away from Christianity. They are not based upon the objective revelation of God, but rather upon the subjective feelings, personal experiences and notions of human beings. I do not have an "antenna" for such things. I do not receive such concepts into my thinking. My antenna does not pick up such "wave lengths." Yet, these expressions can be heard often.

I should hasten to say that there is ample biblical support for such a concept, but it is often misused today. How are such words used in Scripture?

There are many passages which say that all sinners are called by the Gospel to become Christians. We, therefore, are all called in this general sense. Note the following:

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. 2:13-14.)

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom. 8:28.)

"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings. They that are with him are called, chosen and faithful." (Rev. 17:14.)

Prophets and apostles were called of God in a special way for a special mission. Note these:

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. . . ." (Rom. 1:1) "But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." (Gal. 1:15-16.)

"Then answered Amos and said unto Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son, but I was an herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit; and the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel." (Amos 7:14-15.)

But today religious people make much ado over this matter of the calling of God. False claims are being made in the name of God. Everyone should be careful about saying things concerning God, especially making claims about God speaking directly to you or laying a message on your heart or leading you to do certain things. All such claims should, of course, be true. We should not make false statements in the name of God.

I like the reply of Ann Bolin to Henry VIII in the play, "End of a Thousand Days." Ann Bolin was Henry’s second wife.

Henry: "What I do is God’s will. . . "

Ann: "If a man or Monarch could be sure of that. . ."

Henry: "I’ve worked it out in my mind. I pray to God. I tell you this Ann Bolin, that God answers prayers. That’s known. Every morning I go on my knees and pray that whatever I do may be God’s will. I pray Him to direct me, that whatever comes to my mind, whatever notion floods into my heart should be God’s will, and I only His instrument. Wherever I turn, whatever I do. Whether to reach for food, or thread my way through the coarsed paths of law, or interpret the Holy Word or judge men innocent or guilty. I pray Him every morning on my knees that nothing shall arise in my brain or heart but that He hath wished it first. And since He answers prayer, and He has given to me heavy power to act; power for good or evil. He must answer this; He does answer. I find such peace in this that not one morning my life long do I fail in these devotions."

Ann: "That’s noble of you, your majesty. But, of course, you must realize, your majesty, that it could be used as much for. . . ."

Henry: "For what?"

Ann: "For doing as you please!"

Those promoting an expanded role for women in the worship of the church argue that it is simply a question of whether God has called women to serve in the ministry. If women are called of God, they argue, who can argue against it? Ann Graham Lotz, Billy Graham’s daughter, made such an argument before the Conservative Evangelical Fellowship. She does not believe that women should be senior pastors in churches or serve as elders or deacons. But she believes that everyone who serves should be called of God.

Question: How does one know, really know, for sure, that they are called of God to preach, teach, serve as a missionary, or elder, or deacon? How do they get their calling? This is one of those ambiguous things in religion that people get by with all the time. We have a right to demand an answer. How do you know? When and how did God call you? The real answer is, "They just feel it in their hearts." But that’s not good enough if someone is going to contradict the Bible’s teaching (1 Tim. 2 & 1 Cor. 14) about the role of women. If their calling is going to supercede Scripture, I want to know for sure that God is the one who called them.

Many religious people apply this to their jobs, marriage, vacations, investments, and children---to the whole of their lives. They believe that God somehow tells them what to do. The young American women, who are now detained in Afghanistan, said that they felt that God called them to serve there. They went against the advice and pleadings of their parents.

I had an interesting conversation with a woman in the Cayman Islands concerning this topic. She was a member of a church that promoted personal experiences as evidence that one was saved. She said that people told some of the most amazing stories that she had ever heard. Some told of seeing Jesus walking on seven-mile beach. This supposedly proved that she was saved. This woman said to me that she felt so alone and lost because she had never had such experiences as the others. Why were they having such wonderful things to happen to them and she had none? When she heard the Gospel and how God calls you by the Gospel, she was so relieved. The people simply were making up these stories and following the lead of others who were "testifying".

"Call" is not a special word. Religious people have made a special word out of the simple word, call. They use it to mean that the authority of God is behind what they do and say. "Call" is used repeatedly in the Bible. It is not a holy theological word. Revelation refers to the red dragon as being "called the Devil and Satan." (12:9.) God "called the light day." (Gen. 1:5.) John was on the island "called Patmos." (Rev. 1:9.) The word, call, is used as a common word in Scripture. Now, it is important that God has called us to salvation by the Gospel. But the word itself carries no special significance.

Claiming special guidance of the Holy Spirit and being called of God are ways religious people use to disregard the plain teachings of Scripture.

Some preachers present themselves to the public as prophets of God. They say things like this: "God revealed this to me." "I have a prophetic word from the Lord." False prophets all through history have made such claims. Muhammed, Joseph Smith, and many others claim direct and private revelations from God.

The Scriptures make clear that God does not deal with man in this fashion. He does not speak or act privately or secretly.

"I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth." (Isa. 45:19.)

"Come ye near unto me; hear ye this. I have not spoken in secret from the beginning." (Isa. 48:16.)

Isaiah was chiding the children of Israel for worshipping idols of stone and wood. The idols would not (could not) speak up. But God has declared his will from the beginning. The words of his prophets can be tested in the public. When they come to pass, you can know that the prophet is true. (Deut. 18:20-22.)

Paul saw the resurrected Christ on the Damascus Road. Others were with Paul; they could confirm his words. Before Festus, Paul argued, "For the king knows of these things before whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." (Acts 26:26-27.) Paul explained the open, public way in which God has dealt with mankind. The faith of the Gospel is not hidden. It was proclaimed years before by the prophets. It is not dependent upon what Paul alone saw in secret. All these things were done openly. Paul’s vision of Jesus qualified him to be an apostle. It does not qualify us.

Peter preached at Cornelius’ house concerning Jesus, "Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people but unto witnesses chosen before of God, who did eat and drink with him after he arose from the dead." (Acts 10:40-41.)

The faith has once for all time been delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3) "But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8.) The so-called secret revelations that modern preachers claim from God almost always conflict with what is written already in Scripture. Predictions about the end of time, political matters concerning Israel, and serious issues of salvation are messages found to be false by a casual reading of the Bible. Secret, private revelations should be rejected. One’s own inner feelings and thoughts should not be equated with the will of God! Such is presumptuous and too prevalent in our religious world.

Religion to many people is a very personal matter. Truth is not necessarily the same for every person. It depends upon the individual and his own personal experiences. The problem with personal experiences is verifying them. If you say that you see something in the sky and others standing around you do not see it, then there is a problem. If the thing is really there, why do not others see it also? Secondly, if one’s religious beliefs about salvation are based upon personal experiences, then one’s salvation is in jeopardy if the experiences are not true. Thirdly, if the existence of God is accepted or rejected based upon personal experiences, then the very foundation of religion is based upon the veracity of such experiences.

There are several concepts at work behind the notion of personal experiences. One is trusting our five senses. In all of life, we are very dependent upon our senses. We must trust what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. We must trust our ability to reason and come to sound conclusions. The Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1.) There is evidence of God’s existence everywhere about us. Paul had to trust what he saw on the Damascus Road. Doubters do not make much progress in life because they do not trust what they see. Can we be wrong about what we think we see or hear? Yes, we need confirmation of it. Is mine the only report, or are there others? The Bible requires two or three witnesses to confirm testimony. Many people saw Jesus after he was raised from the dead. That great truth is not dependent upon only one witness.

We need to distinguish between our religious experiences and those of eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses in Scripture. None of our experiences will ever be used as the foundation for Christianity. It is this difference that modern religious people fail to see. The foundation of Christianity has already been laid by Jesus’ life and the work of the apostles. (See Ephesians 2:19-20.) No one today can testify as the apostles and prophets in the first century did. We cannot be eye-witnesses or ear-witnesses. We have not seen the Lord. We cannot testify that He arose from the dead. What we must do is to preach the Gospel which is a report of what the eye-witnesses saw. Faith comes by hearing that message. We are justified by faith in the risen Lord.