Any claimed revelation must be measured against God’s revealed nature.
When it contradicts His character, it cannot be from Him.
There is no third option.
Why does this matter?
“How do we know if a teaching, a revelation,
or a claimed message is truly from God?”
Scripture anticipates this tension:
“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits
to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1)
This is not a call to suspicion; it is a call to discernment
grounded in God’s unchanging character.
God’s Nature is Non-Negotiable
God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
I the LORD do not change. (Malachi 3:6)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
With Him there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)
God’s nature: His goodness, truth, holiness, and mercy —does not shift depending on circumstances, texts, or human perception. Anything that suggests otherwise is not from God.
Think of God’s nature like a diamond: no matter how you rotate it, the brilliance and clarity remain. A text that darkens or distorts that light is reflecting something else, not the diamond itself.
Permission vs. Authorization
This is critical for understanding difficult passages.
Permission: God allows evil agents to act;
often as a consequence of human choice.
Example: Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9–10),
Satan testing Job (Job 1–2)
God permits, but does not author the sin.
Authorization: God directs, commands, or initiates evil.
Scripture is crystal clear that God does not do this.
James 1:13: “God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.”
1 John 1:5: “In Him there is no darkness at all.”
Recognizing this difference is essential. When a text attributes
to God actions that Scripture forbids like inciting evil, deception, or blinding humans— that is not permission. That is a misrepresentation of God’s character.
The Coherence Test: There is no Third Option
Here’s the theological climax:
If a claimed revelation contradicts God’s unchanging nature,
one of two things must be true:
1. Scripture is lying about God’s nature.
2. The text is not speaking from God.
There is no third option that preserves coherence.
Option 1: Scripture is lying → impossible, because Scripture is
God-breathed and faithful (2 Timothy 3:16).
Option 2: The text is not from God → consistent with
Scripture, reason, and discernment.
Imagine trying to measure the sun with a flashlight. The flashlight may shine, but it will never illuminate like the sun. Any teaching that claims the same authority as God but contradicts His revealed character is the flashlight — not the sun.
Applying this to discernment
A simple framework for testing any revelation:
Compare to God’s nature:
Does the text reflect the attributes of God revealed in Christ:
truth, mercy, holiness, love, constancy?
Permission vs. authorization: Does the text attribute to God what Scripture forbids?
(ex: authoring evil, deception, or arbitrary harm)
Consistency test: If contradiction exists, the text cannot be
from God without denying Scripture.
Discernment is not optional. It is a spiritual responsibility,
especially when claiming to receive revelation.
Christ as the measuring line
All discernment must be Christ-centered:
Jesus embodies God’s nature perfectly.
He is truth without distortion.
He is love without compromise.
He is light that exposes and restores.
John 14:9: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
If a text contradicts the nature of Christ, it cannot reflect God.
Full stop.
Practical application for believers
Stay anchored in Scripture: Memorize, meditate, and let God’s Word form your understanding of His nature. Test every revelation against God’s revealed attributes: Truth, mercy, justice, constancy, and holiness.
Recognize your spiritual boundaries: You are not required to absorb texts that contradict God; discernment includes knowing when to withdraw.
Trust the Holy Spirit: He illuminates the truth, convicts of error, and guards your heart (John 16:13).
REMEMBER
God’s nature is a constant. A light that does not change.
And any teaching that contradicts it cannot come from Him.
When Scripture and a claimed revelation collide, Scripture
is the unchanging measure. There is no middle ground, no compromise…
only discernment guided by the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ.”
The Second Witness 