The Problematic Teachings About The Holy Spirit

For what man knows the things of a man

except the spirit of the man which is in him?

Even so no one knows the things of God

except the Spirit of God. Now we have

received, not the spirit of the world,

but the Spirit who is from God, that we

might know the things that have been

freely given to us by God. These things

we also speak, not in words which man’s

wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit

teaches, comparing spiritual things

with spiritual. But the natural man does not

receive the things of the Spirit of God,

for they are foolishness to him; nor can he

know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1Corinthians 2:11–14

            Paul writing to the Corinthian Church did so because there was much abuse among the Christians in that Church. They were abusing the Lord’s Supper, and abusing the sign gifts. First, admitted that the unsaved cannot understand the things of God. Why? They do not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and not a new creature in Jesus Christ. They are not born again. Secondly, what about a saved person, can they understand the things of God? NO! Unless that person has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and if not, to say that you are a Christians does not make you a Christian; just as saying that I am an astronaut and not having been trained to be one. If you are saved, born again, the Holy Spirit has indwells you, and it this baptism of the Holy Spirit that enables you to understand the things of the Spirit of God. This problem that the apostle Paul faced and had need to expose and correct is the same old problem that exists in many so-called Christian Churches and their congregants. Let us examine this to see if this is true.

            For many years, especially after the Second Great Awakening, Protestant revival movement that occurred in the United States around 1790 A.D. gaining great strides by 1800 A.D. and gave rise to many new denominations, especially so was this Awakening within the Baptist and Methodist Churches. The Second Great Awakening reached its peak by 1840 A.D. This Second Great Awakening gave rise to much evangelism, the Church membership grew, and even so did this movement have an impact on politics. Revivals were held and emotionalism was the practice of the revivalists: we see this today if one watches the evangelists preach and shout, and scream, and dance around, attempting to bring emotionalism to their listeners. Charles Finney (1792 A.D.-1875 A.D.) considered the first major religious figure that made changes to the revivals by approaching and abandoning that only God, by means of His miracles, could induce emotionalism or religious fervor. Charles Finney rejected what he said he believed, that is the doctrines of the reformed faith. His most serious errors: the rejection of the doctrine of justification by faith, also, Finney also denied that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only and sole ground for our justification. What he taught and is being taught in many Churches today is that sinners must, by themselves, reform their own hearts, and if they do hey will be acceptable to God. This is nothing more than Pelagianism, this emphasis on self–reformation apart from being enabled, and drawn by God (Read John 6). Today from this Awakening pious movements have preached and taught those same doctrinal positions of Charles Finney, and yet, they have none of the ruggedness that is the reality of the New Testament: There is nothing in their teachings that needs the death of Jesus Christ. Why? They teach that all that is required of them is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. I find this to be true of those students of the Bethel School of the Supernatural in Redding, California, when we speak together, all they can do is speak of some ethereal, some spiritual awakening that is needed, and not the ruggedness of the Gospel. This type of supernatural experience is not supernatural, nor miraculous, although this is what they are taught and being taught in Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches. Why? There is no cost of the passion of God, and it  is not dyed in the blood of the Lamb, and it does not have the hall–mark of the Holy Spirit. Yet, they approach their religious beliefs with awe and wonder, and believe in the experience and not in the rugged work of an ambassador who is telling the Gospel. The work of God Almighty speaks of nothing else that brings awe and wonder; it is what the New Testament talks about; the work of the Lamb and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us and to lead us in the truth. It is this type of Christian experience found taught in the New Testament of our personal passionate devotion to the Person Jesus Christ. Every other type of Christian experience, so called, is detached from the Person of Jesus Christ. There is no regeneration, no being born again, although those involved in emotional Pentecostal, or Charismatic movements speak of being born again, their doctrine is not Scriptural as thy speak and teach that Jesus Christ is our pattern. The New Testament does not teach this for first, and foremost, He is our Savior. Jesus Christ in many Churches and schools dispatch Him as the Figurehead of the Christian religion, a mere example. Yes, He is our example, but, He is more; He is salvation itself, He is the Gospel of God.  Many speak of the filling of the Holy Spirit and do things that they perceive as proof of that filling. We must then examine this and will do so in the next blog.

For no other foundation can

            Anyone lay than that

Which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

            Now if anyone builds on this

Foundation with gold, silver,

            Precious stones, wood, hay,

Straw, each one’s work will become clear;

            For the Day will declare it because

It will be revealed by fire, and the fire will

            Test each one’s work, of that sort it is.

                                    1Corinthians 3:11–13

Test all things: Don’t just accept

Richard L. Crumb