So, then, hypothetically speaking, if you found yourself in the same situation as Lot did, you would offer your daughters?
Incidentally, Yates would fail this test in claiming her idea was from God because scripture strongly condemns what she did.
Not really. The Biblical story of a man who promises God that he will sacrifice to him the first living thing he sees when he returns home, sees his beloved daughter and sacrifices her to God and God doesn't stop him, is am example of such insanity.
I have heard Protestants tell me "God told me." If they believe God told them, are they going to tempt God (and doubt their faith) by checking the scriptures?!? It's not like Paul telling the Bereans, who then check the scriptures to see if this man Paul is right.
Imagine if Abraham said "I don't believe you! Prove to me that this is all for the glory of you!" In other words, you really don't trust the "indwelling Spirit" but rather have to check up on him? That's pretty gutsy—for a believer.
“”I have heard Protestants tell me “God told me.” “”
This is why there is so many heretical teachings today
The late Bishop Fulton Sheen said it best....
“Every heresy in the history of the Church has been either a truth exaggerated to an excess, or diminished to a defect. Calvinism, for example, had a very good first principle, which is a sound Catholic principle, namely, the absolute Sovereignty of God; but Calvin carried it so far as to rule out human merit. Bolshevism, too, is grounded on a very sound Catholic principle, which is the Brotherhood of Man, but it has exaggerated it so far as to leave no room for the Sovereignty of God. And so it is easy to fall into any of these extremes, and to lose one’s intellectual balance. The thrill is in keeping it.”- Bishop Fulton J Sheen
So, then, hypothetically speaking, if you found yourself in the same situation as Lot did, you would offer your daughters?
Lot offered up his daughters to be raped because he believed the greater evil would have been to allow harm to come to his guests. As you know, at that time the Law had not yet been handed down, however some measure of it was nonetheless on the hearts of men. That being said, I can't imagine anything Godly that Lot could have thought that compelled him to make the offer. His goal was noble and Godly, but I don't think his solution was since it doesn't appear it was an either-or situation. He could have prayed for deliverance, or fought to his own death, or perhaps something else. It isn't clear to me at all that Lot's only way to give glory to God in that situation was to offer up his own daughters.
FK: Incidentally, Yates would fail this test in claiming her idea was from God because scripture strongly condemns what she did.
Not really. The Biblical story of a man who promises God that he will sacrifice to him the first living thing he sees when he returns home, sees his beloved daughter and sacrifices her to God and God doesn't stop him, is am example of such insanity.
But the lesson from that story was to NOT take an oath lightly or in haste. The man was wrong to make the oath. God allowed the sacrifice NOT because He approved of the oath, but to uphold the law concerning oaths. So, God did not inspire or support the making of the oath and likewise God was not behind what Yates did.
I have heard Protestants tell me "God told me." If they believe God told them, are they going to tempt God (and doubt their faith) by checking the scriptures?!? It's not like Paul telling the Bereans, who then check the scriptures to see if this man Paul is right.
There can be any manner of surety behind "God told me." If the surety is high it means the person is certain that whatever it is, it is consistent with scripture. If not positive, then of course consulting scripture is a proper check. Any time words equivalent to "God told me" have entered my mind it was an easy slam dunk as to being a Godly (scriptural) thing. A couple of years ago I got home from the grocery store and noticed that they had miscounted and I had a $10 item they did not charge me for (the classic hypo). "God told me" to notify them and ask how to make amends. No scriptural consult was necessary, and before I became a Christian the idea would never have occurred to me. I would just have considered it my lucky day.
Imagine if Abraham said "I don't believe you! Prove to me that this is all for the glory of you!" In other words, you really don't trust the "indwelling Spirit" but rather have to check up on him? That's pretty gutsy—for a believer.
God's communication with Abraham was not like it is today, and we have to remember that Abraham was truly a "man of God", an extremely mature believer. Being that mature and close to God made it much easier for him to discern God from demons or satan. IOW, if my faith was as advanced as Abraham's was, then I would know the Bible backwards and forwards and sideways and would rarely, if ever, need to consult it. I would already know. I'm nowhere near there yet, but am thankful to God that I get a tiny bit closer every day.