Rev. Earl Jackson
Spirit Gifts ?
What Are we to Think About The Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
A Letter By Rev. Earl Jackson
©2009 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
During the course of my ministry I frequently write instructional letters about various topics which may have previously been discussed between us, or at church. I am making some of these letters available to the public, because they offer valuable doctrinal and experiential concepts which we need to understand. I alter the letters, removing any truly personal information, and of course I fictionalize all names to protect the privacy of the mail recipients. If I feel that there is a response, or a mutual back and forth discourse concerning the letter, I sometimes include that kind of stuff as well. Keep in mind that you are reading private correspondence and not doctrinal treatises meant for public consumption. So they don’t have the same level of depth, documentation and reasoning as a book or formal study or perhaps a sermon or formal Doctrinal Statement. But they do have the advantage that in most cases they are short. They are usually shorter than sermons. And that makes them sort of pleasurable to read. In any case I hope that you benefit by reading these letters as I make them available.
To give you some background. This letter was written to a couple in a Bible-centered Baptist Church. Traditionally Baptist’s are people who believe that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1Corinthians 12-14 no longer function in the church. According to them gifts have “ceased” because “that which is perfect (i.e. the Bible) has come, and that which is in part (I.e. the gifts) has vanished away” (1Cor.13: 10). I repeat, this is what most Baptist’s believe, and I’m qualified to say this because I am an ordained Baptist minister and have studied Baptist polity and history in depth.
In my mind, the Baptist position is unsupportable by Scripture. It takes away all of the experiences of the Holy Spirit (except for the bare bones Theological minimum). And it leaves only a narrow Doctrinal shell for the Holy Spirit to work within. Most modern day Baptist’s claim to be “Trinitarians“, but when it comes to the Holy Spirit they are practical “Dual-tarians“. The Father is Ok. The Son is really Good. Of course, we are Christ-centered. But that “Ghost” fellow?…He is questionable. He certainly can’t do whatever he wants, whenever he wants… especially in church. We can‘t have that. He can be a “comforter” to Baptist’s. Baptist’s allow Him to assist in the works of “regeneration and conversion“. He has a limited function in “illuminating the mind and heart” and “convicting” sinners and “drawing” them. But, He certainly cannot speak in any kind of a direct voice to men. Writing on a wall is totally out of the question. He is only allowed to use the Bible to speak, because He is only permitted to “bring things to our remembrance“ which we have previously learned from the scriptures. It is impossible for Him to teach us anything by directly influencing and altering the human brain. He has to use the Bible and the Bible alone to “teach us all things”. He is permitted to assist a little bit in prayer. But He cannot pray in any kind of tongues of angels or tongues of men. We think the Holy Spirit only speaks English. He plays a part in sanctification. But “feelings”, “revelations”, “epiphanies”, “dreams“, any kind of “prophecies” (other than forth-telling), all these things are not permitted things that He can do. And of course every true-blooded Baptist, believes in “divine healing” by the Holy Spirit, but not in “divine healers”. The Holy Spirit is not permitted to give that gift to men. Intermediate agencies are not required for God to heal, therefore they do no exist.
I could go on and on in my sarcastic, but true, comments about the traditional Baptist posturing on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. All of the “cessationist” concepts are faulty. They are illogical, unscriptural and they rob the church of the experience of the “presence” of God. Not to mention that they lay dangerously close to the sin of “the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit“, The unforgivable sin. If it is “unforgivable“, than that means that it excludes you from heaven. Only the forgiven make it to the pearly gates.
The cessationist’s God, is not the God who is “alive and Sovereign” in the church (presence). He is the God who is alive and Sovereign in heaven only. God can rule, and reign, and judge, and do whatever He wants in heaven, where He is Almighty. But when He comes to earth, He has to abide by the rules! On earth, He cannot be God and do as He pleases. On earth, He is not really Sovereign and therefore He’s not really Omnipotent. The word “Almighty” doesn’t apply to the “Ghost” guy.
And besides all that, “all things are to be done decently and in order”. We decide what’s decent for the Holy Spirit to do. Babbling in tongues is “indecent“. Speaking out with a word of prophecy or knowledge is “disorderly”. Everything must be “decent and in order“. And if you don’t know what’s decent and what’s in order, then we will put a chart on the bulletin board in the back of the church, and when that “Ghost” guy acts up we’ll tell Him to read it so he‘ll know too! We don’t want any “Ghost” hanky panky going on in God‘s house. It wouldn’t be right. It’s got to be according to the rules. Doctrines always control experiences.
Now that you have a little feel for my take on it. Read the letter and understand what you are reading.
********
Hi Mary and Joe,
You are very right about “praying in the Spirit” concerning these issues. I'm also praying that maybe when I am done with the current Bible Study in 6 weeks or so, we might want to have a series about “continuationism“, and why God's gifts continue to be in the church…What they are? and how every Christian can find their own gifts.
In Baptist churches there are always people who falsely believe that the gifts have ceased. It comes from a view of the scriptures called dispensationalism. Dispensationalism divides the Bible up into neat little compartments where God supposedly works differently in different dispensations or time periods. In essence what they do is make a dispensation which could be called “the Apostolic dispensation“, where supernatural gifts of the Spirit were attributed to the Apostles. When the Apostles died, the gifts died with them. This is a dangerous, but widely held heresy. Most who hold the view will deny that there is a separate dispensation of “the Apostles”. But in practice and experience that’s what they really think. I know because I used to be a dispensationalist. And I used to be a cessationist because of my view of the Apostles.
Now I know that the gifts were not given just to the Apostles. "These signs shall follow them that believe," Mark 16: 17-18. And of course they did not cease because they represent the Spirit who was promised to be with us continually throughout the age until Christ returns, John 14: 16-18, Rom. 8: 15-16.
God's people are "Spirit People" we "Live in the Spirit". We "walk in the Spirit". We are "led by the Spirit". We "sow to the Spirit". We bare "the fruits of the Spirit". The Spirit "conforms us to the image of Christ". And we have "the gifts of the Spirit" operational in the church collective (the Body of Christ) and in the individual members of that Body. (The gifts are given to the members and not just the Head). He is "poured out on us richly" Titus 3: 4-7. We are transformed into God's image by the Spirit, 2Cor. 3: 18. "This is the promise of the Father", Acts 1: 4-5,8.
Speaking in tongues is one sign of the “presence” of the Holy Spirit Acts 10: 44-47, but it is not the only sign that people have when endued with power from above, nor is it a sign that all believers have. Others show some of His other gifts, but the teaching is clear that if the Holy Spirit is “present” in your life you will evidence at least one of His gifts! Every Christian has at least one gift as evidence that he has received the Holy Spirit 1Cor. 12: 7.
But then there are the subsequent works of the Spirit when a person becomes endued "with power from on high" Acts 1: 8, Rom. 15: 19. These are subsequent works, which come after regeneration and can happen at any time in a believer‘s life. We know this, because the Apostles received the Holy Spirit in John 20: 21-22 (Well before the day of Pentecost. Jesus did not leave them Comfortless.) John 20 is when Christ gave them the Holy Spirit (not Pentecost). Pentecost (Acts 2) came later, as a subsequent work! The church did not receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They received a subsequent work, they received supernatural empowerment and signs. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in “power”. Christians can have such experiences of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment at all different times in their lives Acts 4: 8,31; Eph. 5: 18. It is called "The Filling", and ideally it is to be experienced "continually" or "repeatedly". The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts so that we will have increased boldness and effectiveness in witness (Acts 4:31), prompting worship and thanksgiving in our hearts (Eph 5:18-20; Acts 10:46), increasing our growth in godliness (2Co 3:18), and strengthening our relationship with other believers (Eph 5:18, 21).
All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work in the church of the first-century are available today. Scripture suggests that the gifts are given to the church until Christ’s return, and there is no indication anywhere in Scripture that any of the gifts were intended to pass away with the early church. The gifts were intended to exist and function all the way till the second coming of Christ. "So that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1Cor. 1: 7-8.
It is because these gifts are absolutely vital to the life of the church that Paul said "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts" 1Cor.14: 1. These gifts are for the spiritual good or the "common good" of the body 1Cor. 12: 7. Being "Filled with the Spirit" is not optional for believers...it is a direct command Eph. 5: 18. So the way I see this issue in our church, is that probably the majority of the people are disobeying the command of God to be filled with the Spirit and to evidence it by the display of their gifts. That's why we need revival. We need the Spirit to blow upon us as a mighty rushing wind. That is what I am praying for.
Thank you so much, for joining with me in praying like you do. I admire you for being obedient to God's command to "Be filled with the Spirit". God will richly bless you as you continue to honor Him with the wonderful gifts He has bestowed upon you. You must never be afraid to be the people that God made you to be. That's what the Devil wants...a bunch of Christians afraid to use their gifts. Don't give in. You must "Resist the Devil and he will flee from you". Never be afraid of the Holy Spirit.
God Bless you both.
Earl
What Are we to Think About The Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
A Letter By Rev. Earl Jackson
©2009 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
During the course of my ministry I frequently write instructional letters about various topics which may have previously been discussed between us, or at church. I am making some of these letters available to the public, because they offer valuable doctrinal and experiential concepts which we need to understand. I alter the letters, removing any truly personal information, and of course I fictionalize all names to protect the privacy of the mail recipients. If I feel that there is a response, or a mutual back and forth discourse concerning the letter, I sometimes include that kind of stuff as well. Keep in mind that you are reading private correspondence and not doctrinal treatises meant for public consumption. So they don’t have the same level of depth, documentation and reasoning as a book or formal study or perhaps a sermon or formal Doctrinal Statement. But they do have the advantage that in most cases they are short. They are usually shorter than sermons. And that makes them sort of pleasurable to read. In any case I hope that you benefit by reading these letters as I make them available.
To give you some background. This letter was written to a couple in a Bible-centered Baptist Church. Traditionally Baptist’s are people who believe that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1Corinthians 12-14 no longer function in the church. According to them gifts have “ceased” because “that which is perfect (i.e. the Bible) has come, and that which is in part (I.e. the gifts) has vanished away” (1Cor.13: 10). I repeat, this is what most Baptist’s believe, and I’m qualified to say this because I am an ordained Baptist minister and have studied Baptist polity and history in depth.
In my mind, the Baptist position is unsupportable by Scripture. It takes away all of the experiences of the Holy Spirit (except for the bare bones Theological minimum). And it leaves only a narrow Doctrinal shell for the Holy Spirit to work within. Most modern day Baptist’s claim to be “Trinitarians“, but when it comes to the Holy Spirit they are practical “Dual-tarians“. The Father is Ok. The Son is really Good. Of course, we are Christ-centered. But that “Ghost” fellow?…He is questionable. He certainly can’t do whatever he wants, whenever he wants… especially in church. We can‘t have that. He can be a “comforter” to Baptist’s. Baptist’s allow Him to assist in the works of “regeneration and conversion“. He has a limited function in “illuminating the mind and heart” and “convicting” sinners and “drawing” them. But, He certainly cannot speak in any kind of a direct voice to men. Writing on a wall is totally out of the question. He is only allowed to use the Bible to speak, because He is only permitted to “bring things to our remembrance“ which we have previously learned from the scriptures. It is impossible for Him to teach us anything by directly influencing and altering the human brain. He has to use the Bible and the Bible alone to “teach us all things”. He is permitted to assist a little bit in prayer. But He cannot pray in any kind of tongues of angels or tongues of men. We think the Holy Spirit only speaks English. He plays a part in sanctification. But “feelings”, “revelations”, “epiphanies”, “dreams“, any kind of “prophecies” (other than forth-telling), all these things are not permitted things that He can do. And of course every true-blooded Baptist, believes in “divine healing” by the Holy Spirit, but not in “divine healers”. The Holy Spirit is not permitted to give that gift to men. Intermediate agencies are not required for God to heal, therefore they do no exist.
I could go on and on in my sarcastic, but true, comments about the traditional Baptist posturing on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. All of the “cessationist” concepts are faulty. They are illogical, unscriptural and they rob the church of the experience of the “presence” of God. Not to mention that they lay dangerously close to the sin of “the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit“, The unforgivable sin. If it is “unforgivable“, than that means that it excludes you from heaven. Only the forgiven make it to the pearly gates.
The cessationist’s God, is not the God who is “alive and Sovereign” in the church (presence). He is the God who is alive and Sovereign in heaven only. God can rule, and reign, and judge, and do whatever He wants in heaven, where He is Almighty. But when He comes to earth, He has to abide by the rules! On earth, He cannot be God and do as He pleases. On earth, He is not really Sovereign and therefore He’s not really Omnipotent. The word “Almighty” doesn’t apply to the “Ghost” guy.
And besides all that, “all things are to be done decently and in order”. We decide what’s decent for the Holy Spirit to do. Babbling in tongues is “indecent“. Speaking out with a word of prophecy or knowledge is “disorderly”. Everything must be “decent and in order“. And if you don’t know what’s decent and what’s in order, then we will put a chart on the bulletin board in the back of the church, and when that “Ghost” guy acts up we’ll tell Him to read it so he‘ll know too! We don’t want any “Ghost” hanky panky going on in God‘s house. It wouldn’t be right. It’s got to be according to the rules. Doctrines always control experiences.
Now that you have a little feel for my take on it. Read the letter and understand what you are reading.
********
Hi Mary and Joe,
You are very right about “praying in the Spirit” concerning these issues. I'm also praying that maybe when I am done with the current Bible Study in 6 weeks or so, we might want to have a series about “continuationism“, and why God's gifts continue to be in the church…What they are? and how every Christian can find their own gifts.
In Baptist churches there are always people who falsely believe that the gifts have ceased. It comes from a view of the scriptures called dispensationalism. Dispensationalism divides the Bible up into neat little compartments where God supposedly works differently in different dispensations or time periods. In essence what they do is make a dispensation which could be called “the Apostolic dispensation“, where supernatural gifts of the Spirit were attributed to the Apostles. When the Apostles died, the gifts died with them. This is a dangerous, but widely held heresy. Most who hold the view will deny that there is a separate dispensation of “the Apostles”. But in practice and experience that’s what they really think. I know because I used to be a dispensationalist. And I used to be a cessationist because of my view of the Apostles.
Now I know that the gifts were not given just to the Apostles. "These signs shall follow them that believe," Mark 16: 17-18. And of course they did not cease because they represent the Spirit who was promised to be with us continually throughout the age until Christ returns, John 14: 16-18, Rom. 8: 15-16.
God's people are "Spirit People" we "Live in the Spirit". We "walk in the Spirit". We are "led by the Spirit". We "sow to the Spirit". We bare "the fruits of the Spirit". The Spirit "conforms us to the image of Christ". And we have "the gifts of the Spirit" operational in the church collective (the Body of Christ) and in the individual members of that Body. (The gifts are given to the members and not just the Head). He is "poured out on us richly" Titus 3: 4-7. We are transformed into God's image by the Spirit, 2Cor. 3: 18. "This is the promise of the Father", Acts 1: 4-5,8.
Speaking in tongues is one sign of the “presence” of the Holy Spirit Acts 10: 44-47, but it is not the only sign that people have when endued with power from above, nor is it a sign that all believers have. Others show some of His other gifts, but the teaching is clear that if the Holy Spirit is “present” in your life you will evidence at least one of His gifts! Every Christian has at least one gift as evidence that he has received the Holy Spirit 1Cor. 12: 7.
But then there are the subsequent works of the Spirit when a person becomes endued "with power from on high" Acts 1: 8, Rom. 15: 19. These are subsequent works, which come after regeneration and can happen at any time in a believer‘s life. We know this, because the Apostles received the Holy Spirit in John 20: 21-22 (Well before the day of Pentecost. Jesus did not leave them Comfortless.) John 20 is when Christ gave them the Holy Spirit (not Pentecost). Pentecost (Acts 2) came later, as a subsequent work! The church did not receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They received a subsequent work, they received supernatural empowerment and signs. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in “power”. Christians can have such experiences of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment at all different times in their lives Acts 4: 8,31; Eph. 5: 18. It is called "The Filling", and ideally it is to be experienced "continually" or "repeatedly". The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts so that we will have increased boldness and effectiveness in witness (Acts 4:31), prompting worship and thanksgiving in our hearts (Eph 5:18-20; Acts 10:46), increasing our growth in godliness (2Co 3:18), and strengthening our relationship with other believers (Eph 5:18, 21).
All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work in the church of the first-century are available today. Scripture suggests that the gifts are given to the church until Christ’s return, and there is no indication anywhere in Scripture that any of the gifts were intended to pass away with the early church. The gifts were intended to exist and function all the way till the second coming of Christ. "So that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1Cor. 1: 7-8.
It is because these gifts are absolutely vital to the life of the church that Paul said "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts" 1Cor.14: 1. These gifts are for the spiritual good or the "common good" of the body 1Cor. 12: 7. Being "Filled with the Spirit" is not optional for believers...it is a direct command Eph. 5: 18. So the way I see this issue in our church, is that probably the majority of the people are disobeying the command of God to be filled with the Spirit and to evidence it by the display of their gifts. That's why we need revival. We need the Spirit to blow upon us as a mighty rushing wind. That is what I am praying for.
Thank you so much, for joining with me in praying like you do. I admire you for being obedient to God's command to "Be filled with the Spirit". God will richly bless you as you continue to honor Him with the wonderful gifts He has bestowed upon you. You must never be afraid to be the people that God made you to be. That's what the Devil wants...a bunch of Christians afraid to use their gifts. Don't give in. You must "Resist the Devil and he will flee from you". Never be afraid of the Holy Spirit.
God Bless you both.
Earl
website created by Earl Jackson
