Yesterday my senior pastor talked about modernism and postmodernism and how these two ways of thinking affect the church and create miscommunication between the members. He jokingly made some comment about how he can't stand when postmoderns use the word "journey" in reference to their spiritual walk with God. He said, "When they say that, I feel like I should be on Oprah or something." In that split second I didn't know whether to be offended or laugh out loud, but I chose the middle ground of pretending he didn't say anything at all (which probably hints at the fact that I was in some way offended...at least a little). I mean, check out what I wrote for my little snip-it about me here on my blog. I write, "I'm a prematurely graying single male who loves Jesus and desires to journey with Him forever." I really like that statement (well all but the part about me going gray already. I mean, I started graying at 23! What the heck is that about?!). To me, the knowledge that life is a journey helps me to desire to experience God on a daily basis, no matter what terrain I'm walking. Which brings me to my major point of concern that was my pastor's topic of speaking this past Sunday: the sources of the Truth.
The Bible is God's Word, it is infallible, it is God-breathed, it is absolute, and yadda-yadda. I strongly agree with all of that. For all of you modernists out there, it's as simple as that. The Bible is truth. It is God's book, it is his all-inspired word, etcetera etcetera. But I really don't think it's as "simple" as that. As a predominantly postmodern, "young" (as Layla says despite the fact that I'm prematurely graying), single male, I see the point of life as being our call to experience God. In experiencing God, I am drawn to 'love the LORD my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength' and 'love my neighbor as myself'. I'm drawn to 'go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit'. I'm just plain drawn to live like I'm HIS and to worship Him all along the way! And the Bible is definitely part of that!!! But it is not the only part, and it is definitely not the part I think we should be talking about. Actually, as a general perception, I feel like that's the ONLY part that we do talk about; we talk about the Bible as the truth of God so much, and we neglect the other very personal and intimate ways that God speaks to our hearts on a regular basis through His Spirit. I want to look at the passage we talked through on Sunday because I think it helps s look at these issues even more: 1 John 2:18-27.
This passage centers around the idea of false teachers, which, as a sidenote for all of you Bible trivia buffs, when based off of sheer numbers, is the theme that comes up most repeatedly in the Scripture. But anyway, the part my pastor focused on that I want to share with you comes in verses 24 and 27. My senior pointed out that verse 24 brings out the idea that Bible is the "Word of Truth". It is that which "you have heard from the beginning"; it is God's Word and it is our absolute source of truth. He also brought up that in verse 27 that there is another source of truth, the "Spirit of Truth". Verse 27 talks about the "anointing" that you have received from God and that it teaches you about all things. This 'anointing' represents the Spirit of God and it is also the truth!! It comes from God, in the form of person of the Spirit and it is real in our lives!
So what I want to know is, why don't we ever talk about the Spirit? I mean, just because we're not pentecostal doesn't mean that we can't talk about the amazingly powerful and REAL nature of the Spirit of God in our lives today, does it?! I don't get it. I mean we're not talking about some hokey makeshift gospel, we're talking about God Himself in the form of the Spirit!!! So what are we so afraid of? I mean, yes, my pastor brought this up on Sunday. However, compared to how he developed his talk regarding the Word of Truth (the Bible) and how much emphasis he put on pursuing the Word of Truth and not watering down the Word ever and standing out as a church that practices that in the midst of all the false teaching and teaching the Word to the next generation, his talk about the Spirit of Truth was but little more than drip in the bucket; it didn't compare at all. So why don't we talk about the Spirit?
Honestly, I think it's because we're scared to trust the Spirit. I mean, honestly, I've seen people misuse the Spirit's leading often. My favorite story of this is when a woman was talking to my future employer and she told him, "God told me that my son is supposed to speak at your conference of 20,000 students this summer, and He told me to tell you." To which my employer responded, "Really? Hmmm...well I know God, too, and He didn't tell me that." That story makes me smile because it's as if when we qualify our agenda as "being led by the Spirit" then we have extra clout and we'll get our way. We selfishly say that Spirit said what I want to have happen. Oh if that were the case. In my life, the Spirit almost never leads me to see that I was "right" initially. Normally, the Spirit leads me to see something, which in my flesh, I never would have seen otherwise.
Anyway...I'm getting done...sorry this is so long. Reflecting on that story helps me to bring much of this conversation together. In order to know that it is really the Spirit of God moving us (and not just indigestion or selfish will), we have to know the Word of God; they are both extremely important! The movement of God in the Bible becomes a framework that helps us to see God's movement in our lives. Knowledge of the Scripture is so important, yet it alone is not all there is. I think we have to start looking for the Spirit of God in our lives so that we don't neglect the whole aspect of the Spirit of Truth and so we realize that God is alive and well and working in our lives and on our behalf on a very regular basis. In my church experience, though, we're very heavy on the Word of Truth and we won't even begin to scratch the surface in talking about the Spirit.
Again, I think it's because we're (church leadership) is scared to trust people to appropriately decipher the Spirit of God. But isn't this really a question of trusting the Spirit in people's lives. I mean, just because someone says that they heard the Spirit doesn't actually mean that they did. It's not like they can give the Spirit a bad name...His name is already God (and that's NEVER bad)!! I guess I just wish that honest talk about experiencing God and journeying with Him and the Spirit wasn't so weird and scary.
[sigh] Does any of this make sense at all? I'm lookin for someone to let me know if I'm making sense or if I'm way off or what. Anyway, as always, thanks for listening. Bless you!
9 comments:
YES! It all makes sense. I know what you are saying and why, I see the same thing "out here" in Calfiornia churches. This is what you wrote that sums it up for me:
"Knowledge of the Scripture is so important, yet it alone is not all there is. I think we have to start looking for the Spirit of God in our lives so that we don't neglect the whole aspect of the Spirit of Truth and so we realize that God is alive and well and working in our lives and on our behalf on a very regular basis."
I don't know why it's so weird and scary. Do you think it's beause we are so human that just the word "spirit" makes us uncomforatble. When I was growing up in the Catholic church we used the term "The Holy GHOST" talk about scared! I wanted nothing to do with a ghost.
Maybe is't just so difficult for some of us to put our minds around the concept of God speaking to us through his spirit?
Your story about the lady cracked me up. And...for the record...I use the word journey all the time. I would have been offended by that comment.
Funny, just earlier today was writing about how I feel out of place in time because I am very post-modernist yet much of my generation isn't. Those aren't the words I used, but it's what I meant.
Thanks for another thought provoking post...I bet it was inspired by the Holy Spirit :)
I've been asking these questions for 15 years, much to no avail in the modern day church. Different factions take the extreme to one side or the other. There is a balance in the journey, yes I said journey. I honestly believe we're on the edge of seeing it. I like your blog and I'll be back.
I think you make a lot of sense. I admit I am guilty of shying away from talking about the Holy Spirit. I think many refer to Him as God or Christ and avoid using Holy Spirit, which in a sense is accurate since the three of the trinity are one, but there does seem to be a hesitancy to think and talk about the Spirit. On Sunday, I mentioned in our SS class how oftentimes I wish God spoke to me audibly like He did to OT characters like Abraham, but we really have the advantage compared to OT days because not only does God speak to us through the scriptures, but also through the Holy Spirit who is within all who believe. The common man in OT days didn't have this. My comments were followed by silence. Hmmm.
I think you are right on about the Spirit of Truth. Anyone can read the Bible and be knowledgeable about the facts and yet still be lost. It requires the conviction of the Holy Spirit for them to realize their sin and need for forgiveness. As believers, the Holy Spirit enables us to interpret the Word of God and apply it to our lives. He gives us the ability to discern and the power to accomplish. Maybe part of the reason for the lack of emphasis on the Holy Spirit is that so many including me quench or stifle His power in our lives by trying to do things on our own and not relying on His strength and guidance.
Thanks again for a great thought provoking post.
I was thinking about writing another post today but I find myself still thinking about the Spirit.
Layla (WW)-- Thanks for your encouragement. I do think it's hard for us to put our minds around the concept of God speaking to us through His Spirit, that's why I like it. I hope it's hard for me to think about MANY aspects about God because it implies that He is so BIG and a definite mystery. One of my favorite verses is Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Our God is such a mystery...and I'm thankful.
Jeff--Thanks for reminding me that this is not a new battle, and for joining me in it. I appreciate your encouragement and I hope you do come back! Bless you.
Phil--Thanks for your encouragement. Personally, I wouldn't ever say that the journey represents "walking the thin, narrow line to salvation" because I believe that acceptance of salvation happens at a specific point in time and we can know we are saved based on Scripture. Therefore, the journey to me is "the road of discipleship" or sanctification where we're becoming more and more like Christ (holy). I love the picture that the sign of the cross gives you, Phil...that all the persons of God are with you. Beautiful. As far as the presence of the Spirit, I'd say that he reveals Himself to me regularly, not in a vision, but in my truck or in bed or in my office or just in the everyday thoughts or conversations that I have throughout my day. ...and of course, many of mine are documented, not in any spiritual journals but right here in the "very credible" source of my blog. :)
Sallibuc--I totally agree with you that God's work can be trusted. But I also really believe that if you are a believer, which means the Spirit of God is within you, then you can also be trusted to hear from the Spirit. Now, not all of what "Christians" say is from the Spirit, but I do believe that God is guiding and moving and molding His people on a regular basis and that is very credible.
Whaaaat! -- Thanks for your encouragement--again. I appreciate you. The purpose of my post was just to keep the dialogue going about the person of the Spirit and His purpose in our lives. Yes, it is to help us understand the Scripture, but it is also as a spiritual Counselor and friend...who is intimately and actively involved in MY JOURNEY! :)
Thanks to all! Bless you!
Our church focuses very heavily on equipping the saints for the work of the ministry through solid, verse-by-verse teaching of the Scriptures--but we also teach abiding and walking in the Spirit.
We can't forget that without the Holy Spirit, we wouldn't have the indwelling of God. In the Old Testament, God's Spirit would come upon certain people for a time, but no one had a permanent indwelling. What a tremendous gift He is to us--but one we seem to ignore.
Your points are, as always, well-thought out. And you're right about people abusing their freedom to claim that "God told them" such and such. For me, that's a very personal thing. I would never presume to tell someone else that God told me to tell them something. I have no problem sharing a specific verse that can help their given situation, but I wouldn't presume to be their Holy Spirit. We've had many crazy messages given to us over the years by people certain that God needed them to act as message-bearers to us, but not one of those has come to pass. However, I regularly feel that God has directed me in one way or another, and my walk feels very much like both a journey AND an adventure.
Enough rambling. Thanks for a great topic, BJ. And thanks for contributing to the discussion on my blog! I want more of that.
Great post! This is one of the best blogs that I have stumbled upon! I will definitely be checking back!
Recently, I have been wondering the same thing regarding the Spirit.
It is such a critical component to Christianity, yet most are not filled with the Holy Spirit.
If the Holy Spirit is not dwelling within us, it invites demonic spirits to invade our soul.
One spirit that is plaguing our nation is the spirit of anger.
I just finished a series on my blog titled “The Spirit of Anger”.
Please check it out if you have some free time.
I would appreciate your input.
www.worstgenerationseed.blogspot.com
what about the part of the bible that says that insects have four legs?
or that rabits chew the cud?
are those things true?
since the bible is infallible, it must be the bugs that are liars with their extra legs...
no it doesn't make any sense
I know this may come as a shock to those of you who are Bible critics, but I don't have good answers to all of the "inconsistencies" that you find in the Scripture. I do know, however, that God is bigger than the words on the page, and my faith resides in my big God. Is this an intellectual blindness that is aimed at preserving a faith that I've been taught to be true but really isn't? I don't think so, but you're entitled to your opinions. Much of Scripture is metaphorical and has been misinterpreted as being literal. I'm not aware of the specific passages that you're referring to, but I do know that there are difficult things to make sense of--yes, even in God's Word. I, however, choose to have faith in those circumstances--faith that my God is in control and that he presides over any seeming inconsistency in His Word. Thanks for your post. May it draw us back to the grace (through faith) by which we are saved. Bless you!
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