Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
I understand what you are saying, Nell. But in the case of apprehending the leading of the Holy Spirit, just what is that experience like to you? Some people say He matches the Bible. Yes, but which interpretation of the Bible? Calvinism or Arminianism? Covenant or Dispensational Theology? So ultimately the Spirit's leading is not just a logical deduction of the Bible's meaning. It's more than that. Ultimately it is a real and subjective experience of God himself guiding us.
A "sense of life" in the the most positive meaning is just a sense of the Spirit's leading. The Bible does say that to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Rom 8:6). I think "life" there is something that is experienced. To me a "sense of life" is just that sense of the presence and approval of the Holy Spirit. I don't use the term "sense of life" anymore, though. I just say "I sensed the Spirit" or "felt the Spirit" or something else more mainstream. But the experience is real and of course it is subjective. Every personal experience of God we have is subjective.
So I think you are going a bit far calling a "sense of life" just emotion. However, I do agree in the case of the LCM, the "sense of life" is often nothing more than a code word for the sense of what you'd better do to stay out of the doghouse with the leading ones. It's another way they bully people.
Again the thread topic is "what to throw out." Throwing out a subjective experience of the Lord's leading is going too far, even if someone wants to call it "the sense of life." Any idea can be abused by the LCM or anyone else, so just because someone abused it doesn't make it bathwater.
But I'm with you to say that those in the LCM often don't know the sense of life from indigestion, which may explain why Ron Kangas, Minoru Chen and the rest always look so dyspeptic when then are "sharing."
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I guess I didn't explain what I mean very well. Of course, I don't believe the genuine leading of the Holy Spirit is "just emotion". I believe I said "based on" emotion, but I was talking about the LC "sense life" teaching...not the leading and guidance by God Himself. Unless someone can provide verses to the contrary, I believe that the LC "sense of life" teaching is not based on the clear teaching of the Word but relies on what folks like RK tells you is "life".
I gave two examples in my post below which to me illustrate that "sense life" is not reliable as the LC teaches it. In the LC context, "life" is what the leadership says it is.
In my experience, Jesus is my best friend. I talk to him often every day. He talks to me. He takes care of me. He is a real person to me. Lately I have had quite a few experiences where I realized that He had answered my prayers. I had asked for His help in a certain part of my life and I realized, even today, that He was taking care of me more completely than I could imagine or ask. I would take this over a "sense of life" any day.
Nell