Friday, January 09, 2009

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT

Panic nearly breaks out if the Holy Spirit is mentioned. We can talk about God the Father and Jesus the Son all we want. Of those matters, any discussion leaves the believer feeling on solid ground. But bring up the Holy Spirit and rumors, panic, and fear break out like hives in the strawberry patch. The Holy Spirit spooks the church.

Why? Why is it that the only relationship any modern has with the Father and Son is via spirit form and yet suffocating dread forms at the sheer mention of the Spirit.

Here’s my take. The Holy Spirit will never do anything contrary to the Word for He guided the writers in putting the books in print. The issue is control. Man likes to impose his self-assumed intelligence. Too, he hasn’t been fond of those who make radical and mistaken claims of the Holy Spirit. So the best and safest route has been, not to seek the truth but, to eliminate any and all present-day involvement with Him. The Holy Spirit has been tossed out of the baptism water.

Man has wanted to reduce the Holy Spirit concept to both discussability and manageability. The Holy Spirit, therefore, is restricted to man’s highest manageability. Anyone who can give book, chapter, and verse that He works directly in believers today is often labeled as a radical…..and radically wrong at that.

What happens is members and congregations become tied up in inadequate knots which give no joy, purpose, or hope. People, very good people, go to church like they are in prison. Yet, the fruit of the Spirit is one of those areas I yearn for all to experience. While there is no law against love, joy, and peace, the very church He birthed on Pentecost has made it illegal for Him to participate.

The church needs to repent of being afraid of Him. False spirits? The Word teaches such. But not everything of the spirit-world is false. Blocking Him out is to practice another form of falsehood. May we be open to what He said about Himself and let Him work with us, in us, and through us.....just as He promised.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep listening, Terry! Keep being led! Keep being a voice! God is at work in and through you... through His people... people who will listen... people who will be led... people who are willing to give up control... Is it hard? Only for those who want control!

Liz Moore said...

Looking so forward to visiting with you this weekend!

Tim Perkins said...

Terry: Thanks for illuminating the Holy Spirit for us!

And thanks for sharing with us this morning at Highland Oaks. I've read your blog for a long time but had not heard you in person. It was a total "rush" to see your name on the order of worship and indeed, you delivered.

I think you share with me the feeling that the best news in the world is the news of our Saviour; and the second best bit of news is "pitchers and catchers report".

Go Rangers.

Tim Perkins
Rockwall, TX

Royce Ogle said...

Excellent! Great blog, I'll be back.

His peace,
Royce
http://GraceDigest.com