01.11. Spirit in Agreement with Word (Erdman)
XI. THE SPIRIT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE WORD.
W. J. ERDMAN. THE so-called Christian world is full of religious "views," vagaries of doctrine, revelations and interpretations, all professedly received from the Spirit of God; is there any test whereby to decide the reality of the Spirit’s presence and action? In answer, the subject is at present limited to the relation of the Spirit to the Word, as to doctrine, morals, and leading in life and service.
It is evident, from a comparison of the two exhortations, each allied to a similar context, " Be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:18, and, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," Colossians 3:16, that neither the Spirit alone, nor the Word alone is enough. The Spirit, however, with but little truth in the knowledge of the believer is effective in life and in service, while much truth yea, all truth, without the Spirit, remains but a dead letter. True is the warning and greatly to be heeded concerning the danger of "traffic in unfelt truth." The Spirit enlightens to understand the Word; the Word tests the professed action of the Spirit. The gift of " discerning of spirits" must now be substituted by the knowledge of the Word; an Aquila and Priscilla may take aside and expound unto an eloquent Apollos the way of God more perfectly.
I. AS TO DOCTRINE. a. How to test all teaching: Christ Jesus the touchstone. 1 Corinthians 12:3, negatively, " No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed" (anathema), a deceiver, an impostor, one who justly was put to death for blasphemous claims of divinity and Messiahship; positively, " And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." This Scripture decides concerning the truth of much religious teaching and experience of the present day. It is stated again in 1 John 4:1-3, which gives the key to 1 John 2:20, 1 John 2:27. The readers of this epistle had the Holy Spirit, indeed, not to dispense with the teaching of John, or of any inspired or enlightened man, but in order to understand what John wrote, even that the historic Jesus was none other than the Life Eternal. Tn him as such they were to abide, and as such to know they had received the unction from the Holy One; the Spirit, the all illumining oil from Christ. Not so to abide in Christ, but to go forward, progress (not transgress 2 John 1:9), was the characteristic of deceivers anti-christs; and what a test of teaching is this word "progresses" in this present time of progressive," "broad," "liberal" theology.
6. How to learn the true teaching: Jesus illustrates the Spirit’s method and law of learning.
Compare concerning the sufferings, death, burial and resurrection of Christ the word " teach " in Mark 8:31 and ’shew" in’ Matthew 16:21. Jesus brought together predictions and types of the Old Testament, pointing them out, and so taught the disciples. Paul’s " proving " in Acts 9:22 signifies a demonstrating, a proving by joining together the old Scriptures concerning the Messiah, and so arriving at the infallible conclusion. The much-praised Baconian, inductive method, is no new thing; the Bible is always ahead. Compare also " the opening and alledging " of Acts 17:3. To this method of study, to this concentering of all scattered rays into a focus, the Spirit of God has promised his presence and guidance:" In thy light we shall see light." And the word " guide " show the way, or lead in the way found but twice in the New Testament, gives an additional hint. Jesus said of the Spirit, " He will guide you into or in all the truth " i. e., concerning himself, the Truth, John 16:21, and the illustration is given in Philip, when the Eunuch of Ethiopia replied, " How can I, except some man should guide me? " Acts 8:26-40. No word has been of such a help in the study of the Bible as the word "again," found in Matthew 4:7, where Jesus answers the Devil’s quotation of Scripture with, " It is written again." That word holds the balances of divine truth; it is the corrective of all theory; it is the clinch of all statement. Suppose a certain doctrine to be provable by seven texts. One man knowing only four may indeed have hold of the doctrine, but it will be in disproportioned shape; even six will set forth a defective statement; all seven are needed to present the truth in full and rounded form.
Another danger besetting the study and application of the Word is the insertion into the text or collection of passages of some unwarranted inference or conclusion in the interest of some supposed lack of harmony or consistence of teaching. It is better to wait until the harmony is created by the Spirit in his own marvellous way.
How many have made shipwreck of the faith by mistaking certain fanciful, visionary "signs" and hallucinations as the work and suggestion of the Holy Spirit of Truth.
M. AS TO MORALS. The Spirit never leads one to transgress fundamental law. He never urges one or suggests to one to commit murder, theft, adultery, to offer up human sacrifices, to steal or borrow money never intending to repay until such time as the Spirit again may suggest, to be allied to "affinities" and "spiritual wives;" no matter what seeming signs and wonders, or visions and voices may appear to attest all. The Spirit of God is holy, and his fruit holy, Galatians 5:18.
III. AS TO LEADING IN DAILY LIFE AND SERVICE.
There is no " Urim and Thummim " now; no voices and visions external to instruct; only suggestions and convictions internal. But no rule can one lay down for others. Each has his own secret with the Lord, and it is best not always, if ever, to say to others, The Lord led me; the Lord sent me. The Lord has too often thereby been charged with folly. The Word, and often also common sense, must confirm and verify the secret suggestion. There do come times and occasions when it is most meet to declare how the Lord led one, but silence also has its times.
1. No one should try to run the experiences of others into the mould of his own. The very presence of the Spirit is not manifested in all and through all alike. To some, as Mr. Finney himself said, the Spirit’s coming or manifestation is like the slowly opening dawn, to others like a burst of sunlight through rifted clouds at noonday; to some like the gentle dew, to others like a storm and tempest of rain. The pouring of the love of God into our hearts as Father is often, if not always, ’ the first or positive manifestation of the Spirit; it is precedent to or at least concomitant with " the enduement of power."
2. The Spirit controls events, and therefore desires us to "redeem the time," Ephesians 5:16, i. e., study opportunities for ministry, monopolize occasions, "make a corner " of times and providences.
All this implies not a passive, inert condition of soul, but one pliant, adjustable, quick-turning like Cherubim.
3. The Spirit, for one earnest, willing and ready to serve, prepares for service in our ordinary work and daily routine of duty. One does not need to be on the rack of inquiry where and what to do. The annals of Christian ministry abound in illustrations of this truth.
4. The Spirit will bring to remembrance ordinary and extraordinary things, if so the need be. But note, it says, " Bring to remembrance" The preacher who declares all that is necessary is to "open the mouth and the Lord will fill it," sooner or later will learn to his sorrow that the Lord fills the mouth out of the head, and not out of the fist.
" Perspiration is not inspiration." " Exposition is sometimes imposition." Said a theological teacher to a student who talked of dropping certain studies and taking a " short-cut " to the ministry, " Young man, how much ignorance do you suppose it takes to make a minister?"
4. Last of all, in order to be sure of the correctness of convictions concerning duties and affairs domestic or public, or in regard to the assurance of answers to prayer, it is not only necessary to try them by the Word, by providences, by common sense, by the experience of other Christians, but especially is necessary an equipoise of mind, a self-emptiedness of heart an equipoise which is the result of a willingness to have the will of God done either way. The soul must settle down to a waveless calm, and so clearly reflect the mind of God. Such equipoise and mirroring of soul are certainly implied, as well as the inflowing power of fruitful service, in the words, " If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7.
More than all, how full of comfort the Word, that when we know not what we should pray for as we ought, the Spirit takes up the case and makes intercession according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-28.