Are We Putting God in a Box?

by Vicky Buckwalter

Can We Put God in a Box?

There’s a phrase I’ve heard more and more often in the Lord’s Church — and honestly, I’ve even said it myself once or twice: “We can’t put God in a box.”

At other times, it sounds like this: “The Holy Spirit isn’t bound within the leather covers of the Bible.” Or maybe someone says, “God laid it on my heart,” “I had a dream,” or “I’m waiting to see where the Holy Spirit leads me today.”

Those statements sound sincere and spiritual — and they often come from hearts that genuinely want to please God. But sincerity alone isn’t the measure of truth. The question we must always come back to is this: What does God’s Word actually say about these things?

God’s Warnings About False Claims

From the very beginning, God has warned His people not to listen to those who claim to speak for Him when He has not spoken.

In Jeremiah 23:25–26, God said:

“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.”

And in Ezekiel 13:1–3:

“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy out of their own heart. Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord God: ‘Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!’”

God’s message was unmistakable: He does not take lightly those who claim divine authority when He has not spoken. The danger isn’t just in being mistaken — it’s in misrepresenting the very voice of God.

A Lesson in Humility

Even those who were faithful and close to God understood the importance of humility when speaking about His will.

Mordecai, in the book of Esther, spoke these wise and careful words to Esther:

“Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

He didn’t presume to know exactly what God was doing. He trusted that God was working — but he spoke with humility, leaving room for the mystery of God’s providence.

The apostle Paul showed that same humility. In I Corinthians 7:25, he wrote:

“Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.”

Paul didn’t claim that every thought or opinion he had was directly inspired. He understood the difference between divine revelation and godly wisdom — a distinction we should also hold fast to.

Misunderstandings About Offense and Liberty

Sometimes when someone’s spiritual claim is questioned, they respond kindly but defensively: “I’m sorry if that offends you,” or “I won’t say anything around you if it bothers you.” While those replies sound peaceable, they often reflect a misunderstanding of passages like Romans 14 and I Corinthians 8, which discuss matters of personal liberty, not doctrinal authority. These passages address issues such as food, drink, or days of observance — matters that fall within the realm of personal conscience, not sin.

Romans 14:21–23 says:

“It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended… whatever is not from faith is sin.”

And I Corinthians 8:11-12 reminds us:

“When you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”

These verses encourage love and patience in personal matters — not silence in the face of false teaching or unbiblical claims. We’re called to be gentle and kind, but also to stand firmly within the boundaries of God’s revealed Word.

How the Spirit Truly Leads Us

Scripture clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit lives within God’s people. I Corinthians 6:19 says:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

And Romans 8:14 reminds us:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

However, that raises an important question: How does the Spirit guide us?

The psalmist answers beautifully:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalms 119:105).

The Spirit leads through the Word He inspired. Every page of Scripture carries His wisdom, His truth, and His voice. The Spirit doesn’t lead us apart from the Word — He leads us, by faith, through it. That’s how we know His guidance is sure and unchanging.

The Word and the Living Christ

John’s Gospel helps us see why this is so important. Jesus and His Word cannot be separated because the Word is a reflection of who He is.

John 1:1–4 says:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

And John 1:14 adds:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

When we open Scripture, we’re not just reading words on a page — we’re hearing the living voice of Jesus, the Word made flesh. To hear and follow the Word is to hear and follow Christ Himself.

The writer of Hebrews confirms this truth:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2).

In times past, God spoke through dreams and prophets, but now He speaks through His Son — and the Son speaks to us today through the written Word, preserved by the Holy Spirit.

Respecting the Boundaries God Has Set

So, can we “put God in a box”? Of course not. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and beyond anything we could contain or define. But here’s the key: God Himself has set boundaries around how He reveals His will. We have no authority to go beyond those limits. To claim a message, dream, or feeling as divine when God has not spoken is to step outside the bounds He established. We don’t honor God by claiming to speak where He hasn’t spoken — we honor Him by humbly submitting to what He has revealed.

The Holy Spirit still speaks today — not through new revelations, feelings, or dreams, but through His inspired Word. That’s where His light shines, steady and sure, guiding every step we take.

So instead of trying to “take God out of the box,” let’s simply open the one He’s already given us — His living, powerful Word. That’s where we meet Him, hear Him, and learn to walk in His truth.