Leaving Beyond – Grounded In Scripture

Written by: April J. Buchanan

You’re at dinner with your spouse and you notice someone approaching your table. They walk with intention, smiling yet appearing somewhat nervous. You think maybe you are supposed to know them and you try to place them, but nothing comes to mind. You consider that perhaps they only appear to be coming your direction and will turn before they reach you. You are wrong.

They approach your table and, propelled by both nervousness and purpose, they begin immediately.

“Hi. I just want to be obedient to the Lord, and while I was trying to eat I just couldn’t because God just kept dealing with my heart about you. So I had to come over here. I just felt like God wanted me to come tell you…”

What do you do?

They have singled you out. They present it sincerely. Even if God has not spoken to them, they appear fully convinced that He has. Should you drop your guard and hear them out? Or should your discernment be immediately engaged?

The word they share may seem to speak directly to your heart and situation. It feels personal. You feel seen. You feel understood. That is precisely why it can be so persuasive. It subtly trains you to believe that God is giving new, personal revelation just for you.

But this does not leave you neutral. It slowly draws you away from churches that trust in the sufficiency of Scripture and cultivates in you a desire for private words from God. It is not just about that moment or that message. It is about forming an appetite for what lies beyond Scripture.

Notice how these “words” often function. They are typically vague, emotionally resonant, and broadly applicable. In a room of one hundred people, the same message would likely land with the overwhelming majority. That is not impressive. It is intentional.

Many who practice this have been trained to do exactly that. They are taught to offer encouraging but general words, to identify common wounds, and to speak in ways that feel deeply personal while remaining safely subjective. Promises are made on God’s behalf that are broad enough to require the listener’s own personal interpretation.

They often step forward because they have been taught that spiritually mature believers should be hearing God speak constantly. They hear stories of those considered especially “anointed” who regularly deliver words in uncomfortable situations and are praised for their bold obedience. Wanting the same affirmation, they move forward in what they believe is faith.

But sincerity does not sanctify error.

Whether the word seems to land or not, they are told they have obeyed. The cycle then reinforces itself. What often follows is increasing confidence in subjective impressions, growing dissatisfaction with the ordinary means of grace, and a quiet drift from the sufficiency of God’s written Word.

You already have God’s Word. You do not need vague impressions claiming divine authority. Sometimes the most loving response is to gently but firmly stop the conversation before words are put into God’s mouth that He has not spoken. They may respond by accusing you of having a religious spirit, quenching the Spirit, or whatever they’ve been trained to believe protects them from the truth. You cannot change their reaction. Your stand in the truth may be the irritating pebble in their shoe that God uses to help them test their beliefs objectively rather than subjectively. Perhaps it will be. Perhaps it will not.

We must remain discerning and careful not to entertain the delusions of those deeply deceived. Loving them does not mean affirming their false words. Truth will be offensive to them, but if we truly love them, we will stand firm in it.