Bible For Foreigners

Proving Counsel

God’s people sometimes have a tendency to exalt a pastor or

teacher to a position that he or she certainly doesn’t covet. God’s

leaders were set in the body of Christ to help lead or bring us to

Christ, not act as Christ for us. Ephesians 4:11-15 says:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and

some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the

perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the

edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of

the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a

perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of

Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to

and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by

the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie

in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow

up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

God’s men and women will help others to come into that

place where they are perfected or mature. People sometimes want

ministers to do all their praying and Bible study for them instead

of taking the responsibility to do it themselves. Then, when that

minister fails or gets into error, the person who has not studied or

prayed for himself falls into the same lie with him. If they had

been following the Lord, instead of a man, they would not have

fallen into this trap. Instead they would have discerned the error

and prayed for that man of God, so that he too might have seen

the light and been corrected. The prayers of the people could have

altered the minister’s course.

People sometimes even want their ministers to make decisions

for them. It is so much easier than seeking God for their

answers and looking to His word. God’s true ministers will not

take the position that God should have in our lives. They will pray

with us,but will not act as a substitute for our own personal prayer

life. They will advise us, but never tell us we must choose a certain

course. The true minister will present what God’s Word says

on a subject and the consequences we incur if we break God’s

laws and His Word, but he will always leave the individuals to

make their own choices; never will he dominate, threaten, or coerce

people to do certain things. The true man of God will pray

and allow the Holy Spirit to do the convincing, wooing, and leading

of the individual.

On our end, we should prove the counsel the minister gives

us. We should check it with God’s Word, spend time in prayer,

and see if it bears witness with our spirits. Taking our problems to

our pastor, we should never elevate a minister’s advice and word

to being equal with God’s Word, unless that word lines up with

the Word of God. Prophecies should also be examined in the light

of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. God’s true ministers are servants

and they never dominate another’s life but always extend

freedom. Even when the counsel given is God’s, should the person

refuse to listen, the true man of God allows the person freedom

to make a mistake while surrounding him with much prayer,

love, and mercy.