How do you know whether a thought is from the Paraclete or not?

[TonyChanYT]

For this OP, you need to distinguish between the human soul from the human spirit as two different faculties, Hebrews 4:

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

I assume that man is tripartite: body, soul, and spirit.

When you are born of the Spirit, the Paraclete dwells in your human spirit which is in touch with your conscience, Romans 9:

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit

We need to distinguish between the faculty of the mind and the faculty of the conscience. Our mind does calculations and step-by-step reasoning to arrive at a conclusion. Our emotions often play a role in this process of derivation. Our Christian conscience works differently. The Paraclete speaks in our spirit instantaneously and instructs our conscience in one singular step in time. It is accompanied by inner peace. Whenever I focus on the Paraclete, I always sense peace, John 14:

26 But the Helper [Paraclete], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

This is not an ecstatic sensation. It is not a holistic sensation. It is not a mystical feeling. You perceive this peace in your spirit faculty in real-time happening in the spiritual reality.

Scientific reasoning is based on step-by-step logical derivations. It is a process that is carried out in my intellect faculty, On the other hand, divine revelation is instantaneous intuition in my spirit that is directly connected to the Paraclete (Holy Spirit). The spirit is a distinct faculty separate from the intellect. These are two very different ways of knowing.

See also

• I will put my laws on their hearts
• Hearing from God
• Can Satan Inject Thoughts into Your Mind

 

[Randy Kluth]

For this OP, you need to distinguish between the human soul from the human spirit as two different faculties, Hebrews 4:


I assume that man is tripartite: body, soul, and spirit.

When you are born of the Spirit, the Paraclete dwells in your human spirit which is in touch with your conscience, Romans 9:


We need to distinguish between the faculty of the mind and the faculty of the conscience. Our mind does calculations and step-by-step reasoning to arrive at a conclusion. Our emotions often play a role in this process of derivation. Our Christian conscience works differently. The Paraclete speaks in our spirit instantaneously and instructs our conscience in one singular step in time. It is accompanied by inner peace. Whenever I focus on the Paraclete, I always sense peace, John 14:


This is not an ecstatic sensation. It is not a holistic sensation. It is not a mystical feeling. You perceive this peace in your spirit faculty in real-time happening in the spiritual reality.

Scientific reasoning is based on step-by-step logical derivations. It is a process that is carried out in my intellect faculty, On the other hand, divine revelation is instantaneous intuition in my spirit that is directly connected to the Paraclete (Holy Spirit). The spirit is a distinct faculty separate from the intellect. These are two very different ways of knowing.

See also

• I will put my laws on their hearts
• Hearing from God
• Can Satan Inject Thoughts into Your Mind

I like this. In the history of philosophy there is constant doubt about what can be known for sure. However, certainty of truth in Christianity comes, as you suggest, straight from the "horse's mouth." God is able to reveal truth even to His creatures who are full of uncertainty and doubt. We may not wish to believe what we are told, but we will be judged for how we respond to truth that we actually hear.

I also like the point about there being a distinction between soul and spirit. The spirit provides a direct conduit to God's Spirit. The soul can flavor truth as it comes to us, or it can confuse it.

Without the operations of our soul, we may not *will* to accept truth. We may reject truth out of emotional stress. We may rationalize away the truth by the abuse of our intellectual processes, or reason. The functions of the "soul" are thus, will, emotion, and mind. Truth can be clear, but our souls can confuse truth simply because we have a Sin Nature and tend to fight authority and fixed doctrine.

But truth, coming straight from God, can enable us to know right from wrong. Sometimes, we wish to know things that God does not wish to reveal to us--at least not at the time. And so we manufacture our own idea about "truth" that we claim God has shown us. It does make for some confusion over truth and what God is saying, or not saying, to us. Thanks for another good post.