In Romans 8:14, the Apostle Paul does not say, “Sons of God are led by prophets,” rather, he says, “Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God.”
Our ability to hear and discern the voice of the Holy Spirit - and be led by Him in our life - is a mark of our sonship. It’s tragic when we delegate the responsibility of hearing God’s voice to someone else. Even when a prophetic person shares with us what they believe the Lord is saying, we still have the right and responsibility to discern whether or not it’s truly God speaking to us through that person.
While a prophet can receive a message for you from God and relay it to you, the prophet can not take the place of the Holy Spirit in your life.
You and I were made to hear and recognize the Voice of the Holy Spirit.
Paul makes it clear to the Corinthians that we are to judge prophecy. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that we are to believe everything that another believer says in the name of the “the prophetic” hook, line, and sinker.
The New Testament gives us clear instructions that we’re to neither despise prophecy, nor believe every prophetic word. Rather, we’re to judge it.
In the last year, I have found myself saying, in a variety of settings, that nobody is obligated to believe what you think the Lord told you.
As a New Covenant believer, neither are you obligated to believe every word that another believer shares in the name of “the prophetic.” Whether that believer is the Pope or an apostle or a pastor or a one-day old believer.
While this might seem harsh, in the end I believe it’s actually freeing and the way that God designed it to be.
Paul tells the Corinthians that we’re the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we’re called to fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The author of all things truly prophetic lives inside of us as New Covenant sons and daughters. Many Christians today would love to have an internationally-recognized, anointed prophet following them around with daily prophetic words.
But this is not the New Covenant lifestyle.
We have something much better than a global prophet following us around - that actually sounds a little creepy! - we have the Holy Spirit Himself living on the inside of us 24/7. He’s speaking to us, directing us, encouraging us, and yes, at times, correcting and rebuking us.
I want to encourage you today to live with the awareness that you’re the temple of the Holy Spirit. This is our New Covenant privilege as sons and daughters of God - to enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit who dwells on the inside of us 24/7, to hear His voice, and be led by Him in our life.
Don’t live below your privilege!