First, let us take note of some things the Holy Spirit is not doing today. He is
not empowering people to perform miracles. That day has come to an end. God's
revelation is complete. (1 Cor. 13:8-10; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jas. 1:25) There are no apostles
living on earth to lay hands on people and impart miraculous power. (Acts 8:14-17;
19:5-6) No one is living on earth on whom an apostle has laid his hands in order
to impart miraculous power. Since God's revelation is complete there is no need for
miracles. Since no apostle is living on earth there is no way to impart miracles. Since
no one is living on earth on whom an apostle has laid his hands, there is no one to
work miracles. If there is no need for miracles, no one to impart miracles, and no
one to work miracles, then there are no miracles!
The Holy Spirit is not making direct contact with peoples' hearts today. There is
no immediate, mysterious, literal, personal contact that the Holy Spirit makes with
unbelievers or believers. Though some seek to prove that he does make contact
with them through "hunches," "dreams," "visions," and "spiritual intuition," their opinions
are based on no better testimony than their own emotional sentiments, and are therefore
highly unreliable. The influence that the Holy Spirit exercises on people is through the
medium employed by the Spirit; the eternal word of the living God. (1 Thess. 2:13) What
does the Holy Spirit do for Christians today?
He leads Christians. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God." (Rom. 8:14,16) He leads us through the message that he has given. (Psa. 119:
105; Jno. 6:44-45)
He sanctifies Christians. "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you,
brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning
to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." (2 Thess. 2:13)
He sanctifies us through the word of truth that he has given. (Jno. 17:17)
He saves people. "He saved us , not because of deeds done by us in righteousness,
but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the
Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5) He saves people by means of the implanted word that he has
given. (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18,21; Jas. 1:18,21)
He witnesses to us. "The Holy Spirit also bears witnesses to us..." (Heb. 10:15)
He witnesses to us through the scriptures that give testimony about the Lord Jesus.
(Jno. 5:39; Acts 17:11; Luke 24:27)
He strengthens us. "According to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner being." (Eph. 3:16) He
strengthens us by having supplied us with the whole armor of God, including the
sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:10-17; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)
He gives us incentive to love God. "And hope does not disappoint us, because
God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit who has been given
to us." (Rom. 5:5) The incentive to love God comes from reading what he has revealed
about God first loving us. (Jno. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8)
One day he will raise us from the dead. "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus
from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life
to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom. 8:11) He
will raise us from the dead by means of the words of Christ, when his voice is
heard on the last day. (Jno. 5:28-29)
No friends, the Holy Spirit is not inactive. He is still doing exactly what sacred
scripture says he is doing for Christians and all humanity. One thing that we want
to avoid is attributing works to the Spirit ( and the entire Godhead) that scripture
does not attribute to him. Human emotions, feelings, think so's, maybe so's, ought to
be so's, and the like, should never serve as proof for anything in religion. God does
not need us to speak falsely for him! (Job 13:7; RSV)
RD
Copyright 2011
not empowering people to perform miracles. That day has come to an end. God's
revelation is complete. (1 Cor. 13:8-10; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jas. 1:25) There are no apostles
living on earth to lay hands on people and impart miraculous power. (Acts 8:14-17;
19:5-6) No one is living on earth on whom an apostle has laid his hands in order
to impart miraculous power. Since God's revelation is complete there is no need for
miracles. Since no apostle is living on earth there is no way to impart miracles. Since
no one is living on earth on whom an apostle has laid his hands, there is no one to
work miracles. If there is no need for miracles, no one to impart miracles, and no
one to work miracles, then there are no miracles!
The Holy Spirit is not making direct contact with peoples' hearts today. There is
no immediate, mysterious, literal, personal contact that the Holy Spirit makes with
unbelievers or believers. Though some seek to prove that he does make contact
with them through "hunches," "dreams," "visions," and "spiritual intuition," their opinions
are based on no better testimony than their own emotional sentiments, and are therefore
highly unreliable. The influence that the Holy Spirit exercises on people is through the
medium employed by the Spirit; the eternal word of the living God. (1 Thess. 2:13) What
does the Holy Spirit do for Christians today?
He leads Christians. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God." (Rom. 8:14,16) He leads us through the message that he has given. (Psa. 119:
105; Jno. 6:44-45)
He sanctifies Christians. "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you,
brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning
to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." (2 Thess. 2:13)
He sanctifies us through the word of truth that he has given. (Jno. 17:17)
He saves people. "He saved us , not because of deeds done by us in righteousness,
but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the
Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5) He saves people by means of the implanted word that he has
given. (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18,21; Jas. 1:18,21)
He witnesses to us. "The Holy Spirit also bears witnesses to us..." (Heb. 10:15)
He witnesses to us through the scriptures that give testimony about the Lord Jesus.
(Jno. 5:39; Acts 17:11; Luke 24:27)
He strengthens us. "According to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner being." (Eph. 3:16) He
strengthens us by having supplied us with the whole armor of God, including the
sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:10-17; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)
He gives us incentive to love God. "And hope does not disappoint us, because
God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit who has been given
to us." (Rom. 5:5) The incentive to love God comes from reading what he has revealed
about God first loving us. (Jno. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8)
One day he will raise us from the dead. "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus
from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life
to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom. 8:11) He
will raise us from the dead by means of the words of Christ, when his voice is
heard on the last day. (Jno. 5:28-29)
No friends, the Holy Spirit is not inactive. He is still doing exactly what sacred
scripture says he is doing for Christians and all humanity. One thing that we want
to avoid is attributing works to the Spirit ( and the entire Godhead) that scripture
does not attribute to him. Human emotions, feelings, think so's, maybe so's, ought to
be so's, and the like, should never serve as proof for anything in religion. God does
not need us to speak falsely for him! (Job 13:7; RSV)
RD
Copyright 2011
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