Sunday, August 12, 2018

IF WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHY DO WE NEED THE SCRIPTURES?



It seems that the more that churches disdain the Word and its teaching, the more they attempt to find Scripture substitutes, and there are many – affirmative community, social justice initiatives, and mystical experiences. One such teaching insists that since we have the Holy Spirit, we no longer need the Scriptures.

However, the Scriptures will not allow them to so pervert its teachings. Clearly, without the Spirit, the Scriptures become relatively useless (1 Corinthians 2:14). However, the Spirit informs us that He works in conjunction with the very Scriptures He has inspired (1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:19-21). Nor does He disqualify evangelists and teachers through His divine workings (Ephesians 4:11-15) but uses us as messengers of His Word:

·       How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14 ESV)

It is clear that our Lord also invites us to participate in the ministry of His Word as many verses indicate:

·       For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

·       For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18-24)

·       And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord [through His Word], are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

·       For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

The Spirit accomplishes His work through His Word and His ambassadors. But why? He is omnipotent, isn’t He? Nevertheless, our Lord has ordained the Scriptures for battle:

·       and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (Ephesians 6:17)

We cannot stand without the Word. If we say that the Spirit told us ______, the opposition will gladly inform us that the Spirit has told them the very opposite thing. How then are we to confidently know what the Spirit has said? By the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)! In fact, there are no way to decide any disputes without Scripture. There is no way to correct, comfort, or to decisively challenge our own doubts without the Scriptures. My feelings of self-condemnation were so powerful that I had thought that the condemnation was coming from God, until Scripture finally prevailed (Romans 8:1).

I had also felt entirely shamed by my failures and obsessed on my inadequacies until Scripture intervened:

·       I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Thank God, I am free at last (although I have miles to go).












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