Tag Archives: J.I. Packer

How the Holy Spirit Works… (Part 2)

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“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”
(1 John 4:1 ESV)

A couple of months ago I posed the question, “How does the Holy Spirit work?”  The question was particularly relevant (and remains relevant) as I was about to embark on my first experience at the General Assembly of the PC (USA).  Entrenched advocates for both progressive and traditional views on every issue claimed to have the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.  Nearly every forthcoming decision was said to be the “will of the Spirit,” even those that were passed by very narrow margins. 

I just recently finished the book, A Quest for Godliness: the Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (J.I. Packer), which I had been reading for a pastor’s study group.  Within the discussion on the nature of revival and evangelism within the church, Packer turns to Jonathan Edwards.  The prevailing question of Edwards’ day was the same as ours, “how do we know when the Holy Spirit is moving?”  Edwards preaching brought great revival, but many in his day dismissed the claims that the revival was authentic because of the emotionalism and experimentalism (i.e. experiential) nature of the revival.  To answer his opponents, and following the teaching of 1 John 4:1-6, Edwards distinguished the marks of the work of the Spirit of God as follows:

  1. When the operation is such as to raise their esteem of that Jesus who was born of a Virgin, and was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem; and seems more to confirm and establish their minds in the truth of what the gospel declares to us of his being the Son of God, and the Savior of men; it is a sure sign that it is from the Spirit of God… The devil has the most bitter and implacable enmity against that person, especially in his character of the Savior of men; he would never go about to beget in men more honorable thoughts of him.
  2. When the Spirit that is at work operates against the interests of Satan’s kingdom, which lies in encouraging and establishing sin, and cherishing men’s worldly lusts; this is a sure sign that it is a true, and not a false, spirit… It is not to be supposed that Satan would convince men of sin, and awaken the conscience.
  3. The spirit that operates in such manner, as to cause men a greater regard to the Holy Scriptures, and establishes them more in their truth and divinity, is certainly the Spirit of God… A spirit of delusion will not incline persons to seek direction at the mouth of God.
  4. The spirit operates as a spirit of truth, leading persons to truth, convincing them of those things that are true… that there is a God, and that he is a great and sin-hating God; that life is short, and very uncertain; and that there is another world; that they have immortal souls, and must give account of themselves to God; that they are exceeding sinful by nature and practice; that they are helpless in themselves…
  5. If the spirit that is at work among a people operates as a spirit of love to God and man, it is a sure sign that it is a Spirit of God.

These criteria could be, and ought to be applied to any movement within the church.  Does this program, message, mission, statement, etc., raise our esteem of Jesus and bring others to faith in him?  Does it mortify sin and lust and promote righteousness and truth?  Does it stand in accord with a straightforward and clear understanding of God’s word, and call us to a greater reliance upon Scripture?  Does it lead us to greater truth about God and ourselves, and our ultimate and absolute dependence upon God?  Does it promote love, love to God and to man, a love that is pure and holy?

I Kings and 2 Chronicles both retell the story of the prophet Micaiah.  Micaiah was summoned to King Ahab to tell the king whether he would be successful in battle.  When pressed, Micaiah told Ahab that he would fall in battle, and that the people would be scattered like sheep without a shepherd.  The rest of Ahab’s prophets had given a favorable vision, so Ahab asked why Micaiah was such a trouble maker.  This is his reply:

“I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another.  Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’   And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’   Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you” (I Kings 22:19-23 ESV).

Judging by the direction our denomination seems intent to take, I am left to wonder if God has not sent out a lying spirit into our midst to entice us.  When a church puts truth on the level with a lie and promotes moral turpitude and humble piety as equally valid options for life, which spirit are we following?

What the church needs now, as much as ever, is an outpouring of the Spirit of God.  We don’t need a spirit of inclusivity.  We don’t need a spirit of peace.  We don’t need a spirit of unity.  While the Holy Spirit surely includes those who have been outcasts; while the Holy Spirit brings peace where there has been enmity; while the Holy Spirit brings unity where there has been division; what we need more than anything else is true communion with God through Jesus Christ our savior in the power of His Holy Spirit.  No judicial action, no legislative position, no assembly’s decision can replace our need for the authentic and powerful presence of God’s Spirit in our church.

May God’s Spirit move upon our church today!

SDG

Initial Thoughts from GA

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“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?
  Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”
(James 4:1)

Having just returned from my brief foray into that “war of passions” which we call General Assembly, I’ve got several weeks worth of material to write about (and I was only there for a day).  Let me begin by sharing my general feeling about the event.

(sing with me now): “It’s the end of the world as we know it…”  Okay, so it’s not that bad, but I did come home from Minneapolis feeling displaced, uninspired, and yet encouraged.  Let me explain.

Displaced – Never have I been surrounded by so many people and yet felt so alone.  Here I was, attending the Assembly of the church, my church, a communion of brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, and I was the outsider.  Every now and then I’d meet an old college or seminary friend, and that was truly a blessing, but for the most part, I was a stranger in a strange land.  I’ve attended inter-denominational pastor’s conferences where I have been welcomed and received with more grace and friendship than here.  I’d try to strike up conversations, only to be dismissed or ignored altogether.  When riding on a shuttle back to my hotel after meeting with the new moderator, I invited people to sit in the empty seat next to me so they wouldn’t have to walk to the back of the bus, and was told by two different people they’d rather sit somewhere else (perhaps my shaved head was too intimidating).

While I was at G.A. to present an overture that called for conserving the sexual ethical standards for ordination, I didn’t advertise this information publically.  Maybe the problem was that I didn’t wear one of the Rainbow Stoles signifying an allegiance with the “progressive” movement of the church.  Silly me, but I take seriously the passage from Romans 15:7, “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”  Maybe it’s just my Kansas naiveté, but I smiled at strangers, greeted those I passed, was courteous and kind, and thought others would be as well.  If the way I was welcomed by my “brothers and sisters in Christ” at GA is indicative of the new “inclusive” church, God help us.

Uninspired – When I say “uninspired” I mean it in the most literal of terms: I did not sense the movement or work of the Holy Spirit.  There was a lot of pomp and circumstance, pageantry and production – and yet I was left with an empty feeling.  Don’t get me wrong, I desperately longed to sense the Spirit’s work and presence, for that would be a great sign of hope for the church.  Instead, what I was left with was a picture of people trying to create through emotionalism and extravagance what only the Holy Spirit can do.

It is interesting that, while there, I was reading from J.I. Packer’s book, “A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life,” and found the following:

Finally, Owen scouts the idea that ornate buildings and rituals have, or can have, anything to do with the ‘beauty’ that God seeks and finds in the worship of his faithful people…  The idea that ritual pageantry in services and decoration of church buildings is of itself an enriching of worship thus appears to be as a ludicrous irreverence.  ‘What poor low thoughts have men of God and his ways, who think there lies an acceptable glory and beauty in a little paint and varnish.’

Encouraged – As I struggled with my experience at GA, I knew I could choose two options: flight or fight.  It seems every two years (around the time of GA) I start thinking to myself, “I wonder if I can still get into truck driving school.”  That’s not an option.

Instead, I decided that I’ve sat on the sidelines long enough.  I’ve watched the church that taught me and called me be led down the flowery path of political correctness and appeasement long enough.  It’s time to take a stand for Biblical truth and the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ.  I was encouraged through prayer and the study of scripture (mostly 2 Corinthians) that this was the time to stand firm and continue in ministry.  Personally, that is expressed in a new resolve to: 1) with renewed commitment pursue piety (godliness) in my own life and to help others to do the same, and 2) to offer my voice to those organizations that continue to work for renewal and reform within the Church.

Whatever happens at General Assembly, it is always important to know that God is always in control, and that even the crisis we face today in the church is within God’s vision.  Romans 8:28 reminds us that “for those who love God all things work together for good…”  I think that means even General Assembly.

Grace and peace,

SDG