Proving Counsel

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

This what teacher taught me first.