We are talking this week about testing the voice you hear to validate if it is the voice of God. In the previous post I started discussing the example of a ‘prophet’ who is currently speaking in Kenya. We are testing his message based upon the principle of reflecting the character of Christ. That last aspect of this ‘prophet’s’ message is that of calling down the wrath of God as a result of sin. The test to this part of his message is the same as the others—does this reflect the character of Christ?
Would Jesus call down the wrath of His Father upon us, his brothers and sisters? Would Jesus call down wrath that He already endured on the cross and appoint us to that same wrath when he paid the price? 1 Thess. 5:9 says that God ‘did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ’. We are either saved or under wrath--one or the other-- but not both. If you are a saved person, you will not experience God’s wrath because Jesus experienced it for you at the moment he said ‘my God, my God why have you forsaken me?” There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Therefore, this aspect of the prophet’s voice fails the test of reflecting the character of Christ. It is absolutely critical that leaders in the church minister, teach, and lead reflecting the character of Christ. You must teach the people who follow you to test the voices they hear using this principle.
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