As you may know, most all the heretics of the first four centuries claimed that the authority has been lifted from the Catholic bishops. How could they have known that it was not the case that the authority had been lifted, but rather that the authority remained in place and they themselves (by being in substantial disagreement with the authority) had fallen into heresy? What makes you think you are so much smarter and "in tune with the Spirit" than all the heretics of the first four centuries?
-A8
I think I used to think that issue was more problematic than I now think it is.
I’ve met folks in every group who . . .
just . . .
smell
of the Presence of The Lord.
Some literally do.
But at least some show forth His countenance in their spirit, face, tones, interests, focus, Loving-kindnesses, Love of and wisdom with His Word and with other people . . . etc.
Whenever I run into such a person, they have my rapt attention and I’m eager to learn from them of The Lord. It doesn’t matter what denomination they are in. It is obvious that they spend time with God and hear His voice above average accurately.
Others . . . may have degrees piled as high as the horse biscuits around them . . . and usually their convictions about their own flawlessness . . . their convictions about their own grandeur are . . . as high and mighty as their images of themselves . . .
They may have 1,001 folks acclaiming their magnificence and worthiness . . . yet I’m wise to run far and fast from them.
Perhaps you’ve had similar experiences.
Our challenge is to walk in His Light and not wander off into the darkness of our vain imaginings.
BTW,
It doesn’t have anything to do with being smarter . . .
unless choosing to be most child-like approaching God is smarter . . . as it is . . .
Actually, I’ve found a surprising number of brain damaged or lacking children to be more Christlike than most spiritual leaders.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say vis a vis logic; tradition; Scripture etc. which will spell out a 1, 2, 3, 4 step-wise process or structure by which one can fool-proof always discern whether a magicsterical or one’s self or one’s brother is in gross error, any error or not.
Gross error is easier. But many gross spiritual destinations begin innocuously enough.
The anointing is easy to detect for the spiritually mature, discerning and Spirit-daily-re-filled.
But we all see through the glass darkly. A Biblical truth and a daily fact.
I think God designed it such that we AS INDIVIDUALS
REGARDLESS of a healthy magicsterical or not
would HAVE to make ourselves open and vulnerable before Him daily, ongoingly through the day in order to stay on target; focused on His priorities, in step and intimate fellowship with Him. Even a healthy magicstrical cannot ultimately MAKE that happen or even do more than point in a few standard NORMALLY reliable directions.
But God insists on having a heart to heart relationship with all individuals and will quite often test whether the individual is more committed to an organization, a leader, a group, even a good Christian philosophy or WHATEVER ELSE vs GOD HIMSELF—FACE TO FACE, so to speak.
Blessings,