In 2006, the Richland Hills church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, made "history" by incorporating the use of instrumental music in their worship. In a sermon delivered on December 10, 2006, preacher Rick Atchley made the following statement regarding one of his reasons for making this departure from the New Testament pattern for worship:

Atchley claims the Holy Spirit spoke directly to him as he was preaching a sermon. Denominational pastors make these kinds of claims all the time, but Atchley is a preacher for an institutional church of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is an avoided and misunderstood subject in the Lord's Church today. Brethren naturally have questions about the Holy Spirit. When there is a lack of teaching done on the Holy Spirit, brethren will sometimes fill this void with the errors they hear from their friends and neighbors and television preachers. More and more, we are hearing brethren claim to be led by the Holy Spirit separate and apart from His word. This can be heard in conversations and read in blogs and exchanges on social media. They are heard to make the same statements made by those in denominationalism: "The Holy Spirit spoke this to me." "The Holy Spirit laid this on my heart." "The Holy Spirit moved me." Like Atchley, sometimes these claims are used as a means of justifying a departure from the truth of God's word. Thus we can see that teaching is needed on this important aspect of the Holy Spirit.

The Conscience of Man
God has supplied man with a conscience. The conscience is defined as "a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with a compulsion to do right; moral judgment that opposes the violation of a previously recognized ethical principle and that leads to feelings of guilt if one violates such a principle" (Webster's Dictionary, 302).

Our conscience is our "guidance system." It lets us know if we are doing right or wrong. For instance, when we are doing what we understand to be wrong, our conscience will make us feel guilty. When we are doing what we understand to be right, our conscience will justify us or make us feel right. This is what Paul spoke of when he said one's conscience would either condemn or excuse his behavior (Rom. 2:15).

Each of us responds to our personal conscience. It is a guide, but it is only a safe guide if it has been properly trained according to the standards set forth in God's word. Paul made it his aim to have a pure conscience before God and man (Acts 23:1, 24:16). He persecuted the church with a clear conscience because he believed it was the right thing for him to do (Acts 26:9). He was wrong. Even though he was acting with a clear conscience he was actually opposing the will of God. When he learned the truth, he changed his understanding of right and wrong, and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ with a clear conscience.

The conscience of the Christian is trained by the word of God. The apostle Paul said, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:2, emphasis mine - HR). Our way of thinking is "transformed" when our minds are renewed. This is not done miraculously. Our minds are renewed as we learn God's standards of right and wrong set forth in His word. As we learn these standards of righteousness, our conscience is trained.

The Christian must allow his conscience to be trained by the word of God, and not by family traditions, personal opinions, worldly standards, or denominational doctrines. The conscience cannot be a safe guide if it has been trained by a false standard.

"Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Ps. 119:11). If we have trained our conscience by filling our hearts with the word of God, our conscience will remind us of these Scriptures as we face challenges and make decisions throughout the day. When we see someone in need, we will feel moved to help them, not because the Holy Spirit is "laying that on our heart," but because we know it is the right thing to do. When we contemplate making a bad decision, we will feel a sense of guilt or disapproval regarding that decision. This is not the Holy Spirit making us feel bad. It is our conscience doing its job.

Much of the work attributed to the Holy Spirit is actually the work of man's conscience. Consider again the statement made by Rick Atchley. He claimed the Holy Spirit spoke to him while he was preaching a sermon, but notice the message he supposedly received from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit did not tell him it was all right to use the instrument. The Holy Spirit supposedly condemned Atchley of "cowardice" for refusing to preach what he believed to be the truth regarding the use of the instrument. This was not the Holy Spirit talking to Atchley. It was his conscience speaking to him; condemning him for doing something he believed to be wrong.

The Holy Spirit Cannot Contradict the Word of God
People who claim to receive miraculous guidance from the Holy Spirit often uphold doctrines and practices which are contrary to Scripture. When the inconsistency between their belief and the teaching of Scripture is pointed out, they will sometimes respond with statements such as, "I would rather have what I feel in my heart than what is written in a whole stack of Bibles," or, "A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument." Such individuals give their feelings and experiences more merit than the word of God. Although they may not acknowledge it, they are, in fact, elevating themselves above God's word.

1. The Bible warns man not to trust in his heart. Such individuals rely heavily upon the feelings of their own heart. The Bible gives strong warnings against this. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Prov. 14:12).

2. God does not contradict Himself. "For I am the Lord, I do not change..." (Mal. 3:6). "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). The Holy Spirit is never going to give us a message or lead us into something that is contrary to the word of God. Personal experiences are subjective, while God's word is an established standard. God's word (revealed by the Holy Spirit) sets forth the truth, not one's personal feelings, emotions, impulses, or experiences.

3. The Bible tells us to test the spirits. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). We are not to believe every teacher who comes our way. We are to test their teaching according to the word of God. This same test needs to be used by those who claim to have new teachings laid upon their hearts or whispered in their ears by the Holy Spirit. If what they are "hearing" from the Holy Spirit is not in accordance with the teaching of the Bible, it is not of God and must be rejected. Instead, the word of God is often rejected in favor of what they feel has been laid upon their heart.

Rick Atchley used a message he claimed to have received from the Holy Spirit as justification for employing instrumental music in worship. This is a departure from the pattern set forth in the New Testament, and thus cannot be from the Holy Spirit. If his claim has merit, what will stop a Christian from claiming the Holy Spirit told him to only observe the Lord's Supper once a year, that women can preach and serve as elders, that water baptism is not essential for salvation, etc.? God does not contradict His word.

Conclusion. The Holy Spirit has revealed the will of God to man in words which we can understand. He influences man through the word of God. He does not speak directly to the hearts of men today. He speaks, teaches, warns, guides, etc., through the word of God.