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Offending The Holy Spirit
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| Many well-intentioned people mock the work of the Holy Spirit. |
Beware
of This
Slippery Talk That Offends Holy Spirit
SHANE IDLEMAN
The key is to find the biblical balance: "The true saints of God, who have clear heads, and
pure, warm hearts, have in all generations had to walk between the two extremes
of cold formality on the one side, and wild, ranting fanaticism on the other.
Dead formality and the false fire of fanaticism are both Satan's counterfeits,
and he does not care into which extreme the soul plunges" (George D. Watson).
Watson masterfully
describes how God's Spirit can be suppressed or misrepresented.
To clarify, the Holy
Spirit is not some weird, mystical force. He is part of the triune nature of
God.
The Bible says
that the Spirit intercedes, leads, guides, teaches and more (Romans 8:26; Acts 8:29; John 16:13).
He enables and
empowers us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and to boldly live for
Christ.
God's Word becomes
living and active in the life of the believer who is continually filled with
the Holy Spirit.
Charles Spurgeon adds, "What can a hammer do without the hand
that grasps it, and what can we do without the Spirit of God?"
I was disheartened a
couple of years ago when I attended a conference about the Holy Spirit in
Southern California.
Men I look up to
were trivializing and mocking deep spiritual experiences that authors such as
E.M. Bounds often write about.
E.M. Bounds, who was
born in 1835, began his three-hour prayer routine at 4 a.m. To him, prayer was
not a short prelude, but an empowering priority.
Edward Payson, who
ministered during the Second Great Awakening, was said to have worn grooves
into his hardwood floor as a result of prayer.
It was said of John
Hyde who left for the mission field in 1892 that he would stay on his face
before God until the answer came.
It was not uncommon
for the great Scottish preacher, John Welch, who died in 1622, to spend four to
six hours in prayer.
John Fletcher, one
of the leaders of the Methodist movement, stained the walls of his room with
the breath of his prayers until his death in 1785.
Why mock these types
of experiences? Is it because most have never experienced the overwhelming
power and presence of the Spirit?
Should we not pursue the deeper life? After all, "When faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live" (E.M. Bounds).
I wish more men and
women sought God with all their heart. America might actually experience
revival.
By age 28, my life
was filled with what the world offered, but I was
I could choose to
turn fully to God and stop "playing church" or continue to reject
Him.
By God's grace, the
prodigal came home. I repented and put my complete trust in Christ.
Although far from
perfect, God radically transformed and redirected my life through the power of
the Holy Spirit. He can do the same for you.
Acts 1:8 identifies this experience: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
upon you. And you shall be My witnesses."
The power of the
Holy Spirit is like dynamite that ignites a hunger for God so intense that
every aspect of life is changed—we become bold, not passive; stable, not
fanatical; and committed, not wavering.
Within the months
that followed, I truly experienced the infilling of the Spirit that is seen
throughout the Scriptures (e.g., a transformed life resulting in a love for God
and His Word).
From this experience
came books, articles, speaking engagements and, ultimately, a church.
I, like many
Christians, tend to be "safely" conservative when considering the
power of the Holy Spirit; however, Scripture clearly supports the miraculous work of the
Spirit today.
I'm open but
cautious. We need sound doctrine and the power of
The letter kills,
but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Don't get me wrong,
theological and expositional teachings are essential to Christian living, but
how often are theology students encouraged to fast and pray as well as study?
How often are they
taught brokenness and repentance in addition to translating the Greek language?
How often are they
taught the surrendered life?
We can sometimes be
more concerned about a master's degree than a degree from the Master.
The Holy Spirit
inspired the Scriptures and empowered Jesus and the apostles. We are
desperately remiss if we fail to recognize His vital role in our lives.
I agree with Leonard Ravenhill, "We need to close every church in the land for one
Sunday and cease listening to a man so we can hear the groan of the Spirit
which we in our lush pews have forgotten."
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian
Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He just
released his 7th book, Desperate for
More of God. Shane's sermons, articles, books and radio program
can all be found at wcfav.org,
Follow him on Facebook.
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside
Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He
recently released his seventh book,Desperate for More of God at shaneidleman.com. Shane's sermons, articles,
books, and radio program can all be found at wcfav.org. Follow him on Facebook at:facebook.com/confusedchurch.
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to
know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice
clearly! Go deeper!
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