THE SPIRIT of TRUTH
(Must Emotionalism Accompany the Work of the Holy Spirit?)
. . . the Spirit of TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive . . . --John 14:17
The "Seven Hundred Club" syndrome has ceased the pursuit of religious feelings and experiences, ecstatic frenzy, and all manner of "unseemly" behavior and has left many with the impression that He is the "Jolly Spirit'" of whom we have to do.
Others would have us believe that the Holy Spirit is, in reality, the "Psychiatric Spirit." Such self-appointed counselors fancy that perception of human nature as synonymous with spiritual perception. They seek the discouraged and despondent and teach them to cast all their cares upon the teachers and their sympathetic manner rather than on Christ. However these emotional outlets may temporarily satisfy and stimulate certain temperaments or psychological makeups, they often eventually result in nervous breakdowns.
While we should weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, we must be careful not to engage m mindless emotionalism, experiences, or sentimental outbursts of self-pity. Feelings and experiences should not monopolize a Christian's interest. Hollywood is a master of manipulating human emotion and sympathy, and there are thousands of "shrink" clinics throughout the land. The world is easily able to receive such things. However, it is not able to receive the Spirit of truth, who places "truth" utmost in the lives of those whom He controls. It is He, who sanctifies God's people with the Word of Truth (John 17:17) without help of fleshly behavior.
He Shall Not Speak of Himself
. . . the Spirit ofTRUTH . . . shall not speak of himself . . . --John 16:13
It is the character of the Holy Spirit and those whom He controls not to speak of “self." While there is a place for human testimony and stories of experiences to make spiritual points or to encourage others, there is no place for our intemperate and imbalanced use of such things. The one thing that advocates of the "Jolly Spirit" and the "Psychiatric Spirit" have in common is an overinflated ego. Despite how humble they appear and no matter how well they clothe their ideas in religious language, they are infatuated with themselves. If one would but listen and count how often they use “me," "myself, and “I," one would see the validity in such charges.
He Shall Testify of Me
. . . the Spirit of TRUTH shall testify of me . . . --John 15:26
The authority of the written word, Bible exposition, and Christ the living Word are conspicuously ignored, played down, and even silenced in some circles in order to give human experience and spectacular testimony the first place.
Charles Finney, the great white hope of Pentecostalism, is often called upon for support by many advocates of emotion. However, if we are to find spiritual superiority in folks falling down at Finney's feet in factories, why not admire the pope whose presence causes thousands to fall down before him? Careless Baptists, in this regard, forget that Charles Finney believed you could lose your salvation, and his college, Oberlin, quickly went over to modernism -- one of the first. Not very consistent with the Spirit of truth!
The Spirit IS Truth
. . . the Spirit ISTRUTH . . . --1 John 5:6
If we be required to accept the marvelous and miraculous testimonies of the Charismatic movement, why should we not then be expected to accept the so-called miraculous events associated with Mary, Fatima, medals, chunks of the cross, bleeding portraits, and Lourdes, France? Nowhere in the Word of God are we obligated to accept or even pay attention to someone else's experience especially suspect of being inconsistent with truth.
Grace, mercy, and peace are rooted indissolubly in truth (I John 1:3). The greatest joy that John experienced was not the exciting, shivery, goose-bumpy experience, but in hearing of truth in others, and the knowledge that they were walking in truth or holiness (3 John 3-4). Truth is to be the Christian's occupation and reputation (3 John 8, 12).
Christendom is witnessing every kind of nonsense, in the name of love and experience, imaginable, everything from the social gospel to ecstatic fondling (touch and tell) and 1oving/sharing experiences. Christian love is based on truth, an aspect of love that is never dealt with by Charismatics and liberals (I John 1:1; 3 John 1). Charity, according to 1 Corinthians 13:1-5, is not puffed up over spiritual attainment, does not vaunt itself, does not seek her own (including experiences and emotional edification), does not behave unseemly, and has nothing to do with Charismatic gifts, giving to the poor, or even martyrdom. A good dose of real charity would bring genuine warmth, friendliness, and liberty to our churches but would bypass the counterfeit, fleshly phenomena.
The HOLY Spirit
But as he which calleth you is HOLY, so be ye holy . . . --Peter 1:15
. . . let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. -- 2 Cor. 7:1
In every true revival, God's people are stirred by the Word of God; they are not "psyched up!” This stirring is accompanied by a genuine fear of God (Acts 2:43) and genuine “holiness.” When the New England pastors were in revival, they demanded that the Scriptures be the only guide to faith and practice. They actually fought “subjective forms of guidance.”
Jonathan Edwards recognized that extraordinary phenomena, as an index of inward spiritual experience, was spiritually harmful to his people and a hindrance to the work of revival. He said in this regard: "But when the people were raised to this height, Satan took the advantage, and his interposition many instances soon become very apparent, and a great deal of caution and pains were found necessary to keep the people, many from going wild'. (The Great Awakening by Joseph Tracy, p. 198)
James Davenport, due to the labors of other pastors, was able to renounce his former FANATICAL behavior in these words: “I confess I have been much led astray by following impulses or impressions as a rule of conduct, whether come with or without a text of Scripture; and my neglecting, also, duly to observe the analogy of Scripture. I am persuaded that this was a great means of corrupting my experiences and carrying me off from the Word of God . . .” --Ibid. p. 250
Those that insist that religious excitement and drama and psyching up must precede the Holy Spirit’s activity for revival might consider the fact that Jonathan Edwards merely READ the great sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, “ and REVIVAL BROKE OUT IN HIS CHURCH. There was no Kentucky wind sucking, no crackling in his voice, no rapidity of words, no intensity, no pathos; yet his people were stirred by the word and the Spirit of truth.
--by Herb Evans
Flaming Torch, undated, Volume 32, Number 2, p. 1
The Biblical Editor - Spring 1989, p. 7
The Bible Baptist Banner - Undated, p. 2