How does God talk to us?  I have been a christian for several years now; I pray to Him everyday; I read my Bible and go to church, but I do not hear God.  I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

Sincerely,
Feeling Deaf

Dear Feeling Deaf,

God speaks to us through His Word.  If we want to know God’s desire for our life, we must use the Bible to get our instructions.  Faith comes from the Word (Rom 10:17), and the Bible contains all the information we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  If we want to understand what God wants for us, we can find the truth in the sum of His Word (Ps 119:160).  Prophecies and visions are no longer given to people directly (1 Cor 13:8).  Instead, God speaks to us through the teachings of His Son (Heb 1:1).  It is normal for our emotions and desires to send us conflicting messages; that is exactly why God tells us to not trust ourselves or any "voice" that some churches tell us to listen for (Pr 3:5).  Trust God’s Word, and it will be a lamp to your feet (Ps 119:105).

     When the Bible doesn't directly condemn something, but we are left with applying principles to determine whether the thing is right or wrong, whom are we putting our trust in?  Do I trust myself that I have correctly applied the principles, and how will I know?

Sincerely,
Conceptual Thinker

Dear Conceptual Thinker,

When we take Bible verses and combine them together to understand larger principles, we are doing exactly what God intends for us to do (Ps 119:160).  In Acts 15, we see the apostles do that very thing.  When the issue came up regarding the circumcision of Gentiles, the apostles listened to the evidence (Acts 15:12), studied the Old Testament Scriptures (Acts 15:15-18), and came to a conclusion (Acts 15:19).

God tells us to be wise in that which is good (Matt 10:16).  The way we gain that wisdom is by studying God’s Word and applying it to the best of our abilities.  When we do that, we are placing our faith in God.

      Many passages like Romans 10:13 say that whoever accepts Jesus as Savior will automatically be saved.  But what about passages that say that not all christians will enter God’s kingdom?  Matthew 7:21-23 states that Jesus said that not everyone who calls His name will enter God’s kingdom.  Luke 13:23-27 states that people will do anything just to get qualified to enter God’s kingdom, but not all will succeed.  Most interesting of all is Matthew 25:32-46 where some of those who thought they were sheep were actually goats.  So what guarantee is there that we will be saved and be in the presence of God?

Sincerely,
Needing A Guarantee

Dear Needing A Guarantee,

The guarantee is when we continually live faithful lives to God until the day we die.  Accepting Jesus as our Savior is more than just a singular act; it is a lifestyle.  The apostle Paul said it clearest when he wrote, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Php 3:12-14).

Notice the language he uses.  Paul says that he hasn't already obtained and that he must "press on" to the goal.  Faith is a lifestyle of hearing God's Word and living by it (Rom 10:17).  Rom 10:13 is often taken out of context and used to say that all we must do to be saved is call upon the Lord's name, but we must remember that it is the sum of God's Word that gives us the truth (Ps 119:160).  There are many verses (like those you mentioned) which state that calling on the Lord's name is only part of what it takes to get to heaven.

     Any recommended Bible verses about believing in yourself and your ability to make the best and right decision? And trusting your inner self and goodness?

Sincerely,
Inner Compass

Dear Inner Compass,

Ironically, the Bible is full of verses on that topic, but they all say the opposite.  God tells us that we shouldn’t trust ourselves to direct our paths.  Jer 10:23 says that man will fail if he tries to run his life without God’s direction – we can’t trust our own wisdom.  Pr 21:2 says that we all think that we are doing the right thing, even the axe-murderer rationalizes his behavior… but obviously, just because we believe we are doing the right thing, that doesn’t mean we are.  We should have no confidence in our flesh (Php 3:3); all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

So, if we shouldn’t believe in our own abilities, and we shouldn’t trust ourselves – what should we do?  Pr 1:7 says that all wisdom begins with fearing God.  When we humble ourselves before God and accept His Bible – we can confidently live by faith.  When we throw away our confidence in the old man and latch onto the teachings of the Lord, we put on a new man that finds confidence in God (Col 3:5-10).

     Would you please elaborate on 1 Corinthians 13:8–10?  How do we know that the word ‘perfect’ is referring to the Bible?

Sincerely,
Definition Please

Dear Definition Please,

The perfect that is described in 1 Cor 13:8-13 is typically thought to be one of two things.  It is either perfect knowledge of God’s Will (also known as the completed Bible) or the Second Coming of Christ.  So, let’s look at the details we are given about ‘the perfect’ and see which one fits better.

1. ‘The perfect’ is something that would replace partial knowledge (1 Cor 13:9).
2. ‘The perfect’ would remove the necessity for prophecy and new knowledge (1 Cor 13:8).
3. When ‘the perfect’ comes, christians will still be expected to have faith, hope, and love (1 Cor 13:13).

The third item on that list is proof that ‘the perfect’ isn’t the Second Coming of Christ.  When Christ returns, we will no longer need hope or faith.  Faith is trusting in something you can’t see (Heb 11:1); when Jesus comes, we won’t need to have faith in Him – everyone will see Him, and every knee will bow (Rom 14:11).  Hope is also something that ceases to exist when Jesus returns.  Hope is always in something you haven’t attained yet (Rom 8:25).  For example, if a child is told by his parents that they will take him to Disneyland, the child has faith in the parents’ promise and hopes to see Disneyland… until the day that he walks into the Magic Kingdom.  Hope and faith only exist because Christ hasn’t returned yet.

‘The perfect’ has to be something that happened after prophecy and miracles ended, but before Jesus’ return.  The most logical explanation is that Paul was discussing the perfect and complete knowledge that can be found in the completed Bible.  Today, with a finished Bible, the church still needs faith, hope, and love, but we no longer have a need for prophecy, and we no longer have only partial knowledge of God’s Will (Jude 1:3).