You are going to have to find it from God. You are not going to be able to find the answer in a fortune cookie. You need a “rhema” (spoken) word for circumstances and situations that are at hand.
Many of us today need answers on issues that are not found in chapter and verse. Many people, because of limitations, believe that the only way to hear God and to have a relationship with God is through the written word. You cannot live this life the way you want to because you gave it to Him! If you abide in Him that means God is going to do it the way he wants to. You gave Him this life in exchange for eternal life. It means must do whatever Christ wants to do. “If you abide in me.” What does this mean? It means to live in Christ but you must also die to self. Does it mean that if you go to church and begin to believe the written word then you can have whatever you want? No, you cannot claim whatever you want! There are some conditions in this verse of scripture which we need to understand. “For indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in those who heard it” (Hebrews 4:2).
When you mix faith received by the written word with faith received in the spoken word, you’ve got something. There is a new light, a new revelation to this verse when you look at with this new understanding which I consider the “double portion” of faith to FAITH. The obvious danger is that one who is not familiar with the logos can misinterpret or misunderstand what he or she perceives to be a rhema.“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). Orthodoxy says that God will not speak a word that contradicts His written Word, the Scriptures, so there is a built-in safeguard to prevent misinterpretation. The test of the authenticity of a rhema from God is how it compares to the whole of Scripture. Where the Bible is silent on specifics-such as where a young person should go to college-then the Christian applies biblical principles (good stewardship of God-given resources, protecting one’s heart and mind from godless influences, etc.) to the situation and thereby arrives at a decision. In other words, the specific guidance we receive from the Holy Spirit at any given time can only be discerned by the general principles laid down in the Bible. There is also the belief that the spoken word has more power than the written word, but there is no biblical basis for such a belief.Įvangelical Christians, however, have a much different understanding of rhema, believing that it is essentially synonymous with logos. Through these avenues, the Christian experiences God’s direct leading. Some believe that the direct words of God to the individual can also be imparted through the words of others, such as a preacher in a worship service or a friend who counsels them. They believe they should be guided by the Holy Spirit through inner feelings, impressions and experiences. Some charismatics view rhema as the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to them at the present moment. Examples are found in Luke 1:38 3:2 5:5 and Acts 11:16.Ĭharismatic and non-charismatic Christians have different views regarding rhema and how it should be understood. Rhema literally means an utterance (individually, collectively or specifically). The second Greek word translated “word” is rhema, which refers to the spoken word.
Logos is found in John 1:1 Luke 8:11 Philippians 2:16 Hebrews 4:12 and other verses. The first, logos, refers principally to the total inspired Word of God and to Jesus, who is the living Word. There are two primary Greek words that describe Scripture which are translated “word” in the New Testament.