There are several ideas about the Holy Spirit that many are confused about. This is true in the church and out of the church. Many do not to spend the time in the depth of study that is needed. This is not a study of one or two study periods. It will take more that fifteen minutes; it will take more than an hour of study time to know something about the Holy Spirit.
Many are confused because they are not rightly dividing the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15). Some may be confused because they are studying one or two passages and cling upon those passages without studying all that the Bible has to say about the subject. Not to take all that the Bible has to say about a subject is both dangerous and wrong. Let us notice some fallacies with some thinking about the Holy Spirit.
This is what one man has said, “The church’s abject failure over 2000 years to preach the Gospel means that it is incredibly gracious of God to choose to reveal Himself to one whom the church has ignored.” First has the church failed in it mission? When Christ gave the Great Commission i.e. “To go into all the world and preach that Gospel to every creature” (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-49) to the apostles, was that job that was impossible to finish? Paul said, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which he have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Colossians 1:23). So the job was not impossible to carry out, it was done. This is a job that continues though. The church still has to carry the Gospel everywhere to every man because men’s soul are lost today.
Second, will God “reveal” Himself to one whom the church has ignored?” The question needs to be asked, “How will God reveal Himself to a person?” The person making these comments referred to Cornelius and Paul. Did Cornelius or Paul have the entire Bible at the time of their “enlightenment”? The answer is soundly NO! Another question is, “Is God still revealing Himself in this way today?” If God is revealing Himself this way today, that means that we do not have all that we need to go to heaven. Peter, writing by direction of the Holy Spirit said that we DO have all we need to go to heaven (2 Peter 1:3). Also Paul said: “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17). The person making these comments needs to answer the question, “Is God’s Word true?” Then, “Does the Bible mean what it says?” Another question is, “Is God a respecter or persons?” Why would God today chose to appear to some folks in a direct way and not to all? If God appears today to some and not to all, then God is a respecter of persons which the Bible clearly states He is not (Acts 10:34).
The Bible clearly teaches that those who do not obey the truth will be lost (2 Thessalonians 1:8). It is the church responsibility to take the Gospel to a lost and dying world. If God is side stepping the church by revealing Himself directly to individuals He is not letting the church do her work. God has given the church a work and is not going to hold the church responsible for doing that work, how nice is that. If God will not hold the church responsible then why hold anyone responsible for any thing. God is not like that, we will be responsible for doing or not doing the work that God has given the church and individual to do.
This person whom is quoted earlier states, “Nowhere in Scripture does it say miracles have ceased. That is the wisdom of men, plain and simple.” One wonders when reading this what is the definition of a miracle. One also wonders if miracles are being done today who is doing them? In Acts 8 a man saw that the miraculous powers were passed on by the laying on of the Apostles hands, do you know anyone that old? One continues to wonder what miracles are being done today? Is it tongues or the interpretation of tongues? Is it healing? Could it be casting out of devils? Is it raising the dead? Is it the gift of wisdom or is it words of knowledge? Could faith be the miraculous gift that has not ceased? Is it the person who is a discerner of Spirits? Do you know of a person who can take up a poisonous snake, be bitten and not be harmed? Can anyone drink poison and not be harmed? These are all listed as miracles that were done by those in the first century. They cannot be done today. 1 Corinthians 13:10 states so, “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” The perfect is the Word of God, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:25).
The purpose of miracles was to confirm that the Word that was being preached was from God (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3). To say that miracles are being preformed today is to say that the Bible is not complete. It is to say that God is still appearing to men to give them a message and that individual has the power to confirm what is being said is from God. That makes the Bible of none affect. That make the Bible have no power. The Bible does say that it is powerful. Romans 1:16 states clearly, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Another passage that confirms the powerfulness of God’s Word is Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints, and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Let us keep studying to come to a complete knowledge of God.
Love, Keith
