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

What Is The Power Of The Holy Spirit?

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,

that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth;

whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,

neither knoweth him: but ye know him;

for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

John 14:16-17 (KJV)

            Do you want emotion? Do you want a thrill? Do you want peace? Then read the opening verses carefully, slowly, and meditate upon them for they are all that you need and seek to be able to meet all the circumstances in this life. Pray to the Father, for Him to save you from the sin that you cannot absolve by yourself; you need God to save you, and not by anything, you do to gain it. Conversion is simply to deny oneself and place oneself at the foot of God, His Son, and by doing so God will send to you the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. Some teach that anyone can come to God, but this is not so, only those who God has elected for salvation; for you see, original sin deserves death, and the corruption that Adam caused by his sin is passed down to his progeny. The world cannot receive the Comforter because God has not chosen them, they cannot find Him, and they cannot know Him: but you can; the Holy Spirit resides, indwells, the chosen of God. Here then is great comfort: The Holy Spirit will abide with you forever. You may cavil and object vehemently about election, yet this is what Scripture teaches and will be one of the subjects, once again, in my blogs. Until then let us examine the baptism of the Holy Spirit in more depth as there is great contradiction within the Church and we should want the truth: don’t we?

            The book of Acts records that Jesus, before His ascension into heaven, and told His disciples: “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4–5). Jesus further explained to His disciples that the coming upon them, the Holy Spirit, they would receive power. Power for what? Some use this to mean that they are to some of the most horrendous acts, and even though some attempt to be healers, givers of prophecy, they miss the context. This power is to empower a person to be martyrs (the Greek word μάρτυρες, means witness, although we use this often to mean one who is killed), so we are to be witnesses for Christ. How? It is the gospel proclaimed. It is our daily living, in all the circumstances we face each day in this life and this by adhering to the commands of God: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

            The account in regards to the Pharisee Nicodemus states: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). To be saved a person must be “born again,” and this God accomplishes by given to a person the free gift of faith: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). This most be admitted for Scripture is clear in these verses; being born of the Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be the same and in John 3:6: “That which is born of he flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). The Holy Spirit produces spirits and this by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when a person believes: “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for he Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not glorified” (John 78:39). The Greek word for believing is a participle in the present tense; therefore it is not someone who will believe, it is those who are now, believing, and this assures us that this believing is not an on and off believing, it is “NOW” believing, always believing. When you are saved and turn your life to Him you will fully receive the Holy Spirit, not another receiving, in the now, in the moment you are believing.

            The New Testament is void of any mention of a “Second Blessing,” that one receives, or prays for, or an experience. Paul explains: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is not in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors––not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh” (Romans 8:9–12). What do we learn from this Scripture? When a person saved, they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If a person does not have the Holy Spirit they are not saved and are not one of God’s children. They are lost and dead in their sin. When the Holy Spirit comes and indwells a person; they become quickened: that is, made alive, in Jesus Christ, and now ambassadors, witnesses of Jesus Christ. This fact is only true if the Holy Spirit dwells in a person and it is clear from Scripture that this indwelling occurs at salvation, and then we become a new creature, all the old things have passes away, and all things become new: (2Corinthians 5:16–17). Paul uses the word “if” a man be in Christ, he is a new creature, and this begs the question: How can a man be in Christ and not be indwelled by the Holy Spirit which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the One that Jesus promised would come in Acts 2? (cf. Acts 1:5).

            What about the sign gifts? This will be in the next blog.

For as many as are led

            By the Spirit of God,

These are the sons of God.

                        Romans 8:14

Allow the Spirit to guide you

Richard L. Crumb

You Are Sealed With The Holy Spirit: What Does That Mean?

In Him you also trusted,

after you heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation; in whom also,

having believed, you were

sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 1:13

            The Bible never speaks of two baptisms of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, to say that there is another baptism of the Holy Spirit is to speak what the Bible does not state. It has in previous blogs, shown that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is permanent indwelling of the believer for all converted Christians. As a believer, one who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ and this after hearing the word of truth, the gospel, you were “sealed” with the Holy Spirit. This sealing by the Holy Spirit is an assurance, confirmation, and a bond, once given; at salvation, and not repeated for you “were” sealed. This sealing gives to the sealed person by the Holy Spirit all that the Holy Spirit gives to God’s children; therefore, why is there a need for a second baptism of the Holy Spirit. Especially so since the Bible never refers to a second baptism of the Holy Spirit. You have all that you need from Him: “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17–18). The riches of God, His glory to the saints is the inheritance given to believers: “…buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). We have been buried in the death of Jesus Christ, baptized in His death, and raised with Him to glory with all the power that the Father gives by rising, from the dead His Son, and by saving us and given to us His power to live eternally. We have the power to live as we go from day to day, in all the circumstances of life, to be what we say we are: Christians. This is the New Covenant: “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you’” (Luke 22:20). This is the dispensation arranged by God for all He enables and calls to salvation by the means of the death, resurrection and ascension of His Son Jesus Christ.

            The doctrine according to the Pentecostals and Charismatics lacks understanding of the dispensational truth: Christians are not people of the Old Testament, the old covenant given to the Hebrews, rather they are in a different and new dispensation by which God deals with men. Jesus Christ appeared on the scene according to God’s timetable and in this period, the period of the Gospels, the early Church was in transition from the old covenant to the new covenant. This new covenant was put in force by God, the movant, by the crucifixion of His Son Jesus Christ, a time when the Jews rejected the Messiah, the One for whom the longed to appear. Furthermore, the rejected the Gospel and then the Gospels given to the Gentiles with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and they becoming the Bride of Christ. The Jews did not need a New Testament to instruct them as to the Messiah; they had it all previously given to them by their prophets, and their writings, accumulated into one book, and read in their synagogues. What the Jews desired and looked for was signs to authenticate God’s presence and work: “For Jews request a sign, and seeks after wisdom” (1Corinthians 1:22). God gave the Jews signs and wonders, graciously God gave what they desired, and looked for fulfilling the Old Testament accompanied with preaching, concerning the coming of the Messiah, the Jews still rejected Jesus. Because of this rejection by the Jews God offered now to the Gentiles the baptism of the Holy Spirit: a fulfillment of the covenant God gave to Abraham whereby all nations be blessed. The Jews now were off the scene, the Gospel having been preached to them, signs and wonders given to them, there was no longer any need of sign gifts any more. Why? The Gentiles sought after wisdom, not signs as the verse given from 1Corinthians 1:22; they desired to study the Bible, the Word of God. So, why did God give to the early Church sign gifts? Because most of the Churches were populated with Jews, not Gentiles, even in cities of Greece as many Jews fled to those cities. Cornelius, in Acts 11 became the opening of the door to the Gentiles and a Church established in Antioch, and this Church was both filled with Jews and Gentiles. This occurred until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and up until then the sign gifts were valid to authenticate that the apostles were speaking for God and had His Spirit within them. With the ministry of Paul who went to the Gentiles spreading the Gospels after 70 A.D. the new dispensation established as the nation of the Jews was now destroyed; it no longer existed. With the cessation of the sign gifts they were and are not needed. God, by His Providence, gives that which needed to fulfill His purpose. This by the Holy Spirit, but there is no unction for believers to seek the gifts, or to use some gift as though a gift was given to them by the Holy Spirit misusing a proposed gift as though this was some authentication of salvation or the presence of the Holy Spirit. There is no need for a second baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul write to this fact to the Corinthian Church as they were misusing the gifts and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and says: “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1Corinthians 13:10). Some cavil at this verse when it is applied to the Bible and only will accept that this is when Jesus Christ comes again; but this is not what the context supplies to us for the early Christians new in part, and until the Bible was complete needed certain gifts, but this all ended with the Bible’s completion. (Read 1Corinthians 13:8–11).

            We need more information regarding the Holy Spirit and what Jesus Christ said about salvation and the receiving of the Holy Spirit and this is the thrust for the next blog.

And though I have the gift of prophecy,

            And understand all mysteries

And all knowledge, and thought I have

            All faith, so that I could remove

Mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

                                    1Corinthians 13:2

Present Yourself A Workman For God

Richard L. Crumb