Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 85 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; It does not set aside normal human facultiesTitle: Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 85 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; It does not set aside normal human faculties
Announcements / opening prayer:
Principle: The filling of the Spirit does not set aside the normal faculties of the function of the human soul, rather, they are empowered by the Spirit as they otherwise could not be.
It is in every sense the Christian's own life which is lived and his only consciousness will be that of the use of his own faculties: but all these will be empowered by the Spirit as they otherwise could not be. The empowering work of the Holy Spirit does not set aside the normal functions of the human soul and spirit. He works through unto fullness of power which realizes the blessed will of God.
Imagine, for instance, setting to the work of serving another believer in need. As you set about the work in the motivation of love, ideas come into your stream of consciousness on things to do and say, and not do and not say, yet all seeming quite normal as far as the process of thinking occurs, but all of them truly divine in nature. God the Holy Spirit is empowering, guiding, and leading since you have set your walk in agreement with His way. Yet it is not of any one kind of experience or emotion, and you are always in control of acting upon it. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control.
In all other religions there is almost always a factor of religious trance, in which the faithful enter into an ecstatic or euphoric state and see visions and signs. This exists in ancient pagan religions, in which drugs played a factor, in Buddhism, witchcraft, some sects of Christianity, and even in yoga. It plays on man's arrogance, in his love of being singled out to be made special, as well as his love of miraculous entertainment.
As we set about to do anything that is of the will of God from proper motivation, God the Holy Spirit will accomplish that endeavor from within the believer and through the believer. It is truly supernatural but not of any ecstatic feeling.
Yet, there is a portion of mankind who do not go for ecstatics, but instead love human rationality.
Starting a couple of centuries ago, a great movement of rationalization flooded upon the church. Rationalists believe in foundational principles and that there is an objective reality that can be known by human reason. This began slowly as all viruses do. The early church never doubted that the Bible was totally inerrant, but over time Greek philosophy and other forms of human rationality were mixed with the scripture and it wasn't very long before conclusions were made that doubted the divine inspiration of the text, and then denying the reality of Christ's miracles and even denying His bodily resurrection - these were not rational.
Instead of trusting the supernatural by faith, so-called Christians sought to rationalize Christianity down to the human level. Christianity, in these large circles, eventually became nothing but human morality and scriptures of the more miraculous nature were allegorized in order to fit the human, rationalistic model.
Experiential sanctification by means of the supernatural power of the word of God and God the Holy Spirit is one of the great themes, if not the most extensive of them in the epistles.
It is accomplished by faith and not by human rationalization or by uncontrolled human emotion, and at the same time, we are not void of reason or emotion, rather, they function in their proper place. We reason by means of the Spirit and with the word of God. Our emotions respond to the truth and the greatness of the plan of God.
Our human faculties are not laid aside, but are supernaturally empowered by the Spirit of God.
It is the habit of man to just throw out completely something that God instructs us not to use in a certain way. If God says that certain things are legitimate at times under their proper function but illegitimate at other times, man tends to want to through these things out completely. Sin and evil are to completely laid aside, but our brains and our emotions are to be used within the boundaries of the plan of God and by a healthy, spiritual soul and spirit.
Holy living is the direct result of grace and it is the proof of the power of grace. The doctrine is taught at length throughout the epistles of the NT and every command directed towards the believer is based upon it.
The saints of this age are heavenly citizens and they have a heavenly standard of life. It is much higher than the standard God gave to Israel. They were, and still will be in Millennium, earthly citizens and our standard is higher as heavenly citizens are higher than earthly ones.
It is obviously impossible for an unbeliever in this age to live under the heavenly standard of the regenerate new creature in Christ. It should never be put upon them. For them, the only reasonable communication from God through His witnesses on earth is the gospel. The unbeliever also has a comfortable and jovial relationship with his sinful, Adamic nature and cannot be asked to see sin from the viewpoint of those who are alive in Christ. Therefore, again, only the gospel is prudent and not any communication concerning sin.
[Chafer] In the Scriptures the Christian is addressed as a supernatural man and a superhuman manner of life is placed before him.
This is reasonable. Christians are citizens of heaven from the moment they are saved and it is naturally required of them that they "walk worthy of their heavenly calling." From such a consistent life they cannot be excused. They are not made citizens by any manner of life, but being made citizens by the power of God, it becomes them to live according to the position that God has given them.
Joh 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Joh 15:12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
Eph 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love,
Eph 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
Eph 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
These demands are impossible to the human resource.
God is not unreasonable in His expectation since He has supplied all that He demands.
If a portion of Christianity is not aware of their human helplessness in the face of such demands, God is not deceived, yet He is not unreasonable in His expectation, since He stands ready to supply all that He demands. The Spirit indwells the believer for this very purpose. It is stated that without the Spirit we wouldn't even understand these demands, let alone, attempt them.
Php 2:13 it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Principle: Overcoming the power and influence of Satan demands the filling of the Spirit. Since he is a supernatural foe, human power cannot overcome him.
Satan is the greatest of all of God's creatures and so it stands to reason than another creature cannot overcome his power or influence. He is a supernatural foe whose only enmity is against God. Yet since believers are children of God we find this powerful creature as our own foe. We cannot overcome his power and influence alone. We must stand firm against him in the armor of God, holding the sword of the Spirit. |