Dreams
We should not rely on dreams as a source of spiritual guidance, but rather test them against the word of God.
Anne Dutton emphasizes the importance of not basing our faith or actions on dreams but solely on the complete canon of the Holy Scriptures, as God has spoken to us through His Son in these last days. She warns against considering dreams as the will of God without testing them against the sacred oracles, as any revelation not aligned with the Word of God is likely from an evil or delusive spirit. Anne Dutton stresses that even if a dream aligns with the Bible and strengthens our faith, it should not be elevated to the status of a rule for our faith and practice, but rather be seen as a confirmation of what is already in the perfect rule of God's Word.
Text
Dear Sir,
As to the person you wrote me of, by the hints you give, I think he is erroneous. It is possible that God may give us notice of some things by dreams, but no article of faith, nor rule of practice, ought to be founded on nor drawn from dreams; for since the canon of the Holy Scriptures is complete, and God in these last days has spoken unto us by His Son, we are to have recourse thereto in all things which relate to faith and practice. And we ought to receive no intimation given us in dreams as if it was the will of God concerning us, until we have first tried it by the sacred oracles; and if it speaks not according to this word, there is no light in it, or no light of the divine Spirit given thereby, but we must conclude that it is from the evil and delusive spirit.
And if any hint should be given as in a dream that agrees with the word of God, and excites our faith in Him, and obedience to Him, yet is it not to be received as a rule of our faith and practice because it was hinted to us in a dream, but as it stands in the perfect rule of the word, which alone is sufficient, and appointed of God for our direction both as to what we are to believe and what to do. And if by any dream our minds are brought to the word of God, we ought to be thankful unto Him for it. If this man thinks "that our Lord told him in a dream he should live to see His coming," it seems to me a mere delusion, for he can form no such conclusion from the Holy Scriptures. It has no support there, and therefore ought to fall to the ground and be utterly rejected. So far as he adheres to the dream as his rule what to believe and do, so far he rejects the word of God, is drawn off from the rule which God has fixed, and has cause to suspect his dream to be from a delusive spirit.
That the Lord may establish your heart in faith and holiness, preserve you blameless, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy, is my earnest desire.
Sermon Outline
- I. Dreams and the Will of God
- A. Dreams should not be the foundation of faith or practice
- B. We should test dreams against the word of God
- C. If a dream agrees with the word of God, it should not be received as a rule of faith and practice
- II. The Sufficiency of Scripture
- A. The word of God is sufficient for our direction
- B. We should not rely on dreams or other sources for our faith and practice
- III. The Danger of Delusion
- A. Dreams can be from a delusive spirit
- B. We should be cautious of conclusions drawn from dreams that are not supported by Scripture
Key Quotes
“Since the canon of the Holy Scriptures is complete, and God in these last days has spoken unto us by His Son, we are to have recourse thereto in all things which relate to faith and practice.” — Anne Dutton
“If this man thinks 'that our Lord told him in a dream he should live to see His coming,' it seems to me a mere delusion, for he can form no such conclusion from the Holy Scriptures.” — Anne Dutton
Application Points
- We should be cautious of conclusions drawn from dreams that are not supported by Scripture.
- We should test our dreams against the word of God to determine if they are from a delusive spirit or not.
- We should be thankful for dreams that bring us to the word of God, but not receive them as a rule of faith and practice.