Reformed Continuationist part 2

Reformed and Continuationist -- how can this be? 

I have had more comments on the post of a few days ago than on many others combined . . .  so I wanted to do a part 2.

Let me give a few hurdles for me that were overcome by Scripture.  First, I had to come to see that there was a heavy experiential nature to the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer and the church.  This will be a quick list. 

• Starting with Acts, the work of the Spirit had effect!  Boldness, conviction of sin, joy, faith were all marks of the Spirit.
• Romans 8.26-27 spoke of a conscious assistance of the Spirit in prayer that was new to me -- combined with passages like Eph 6 (Praying in the Spirit). 
• Take 1 Cor 12.13 -- we were immersed in the Spirit and made to drink of one Spirit.  What else is that by experience that effects life? 
• Galatians 3 threw me -- Paul interrogates the errant Galatians by asking about their receiving of the Spirit and speaks of the continuous supply of the Spirit to them -- all in response to their eye of faith upon Christ. I would never have asked the question!
• Eph 5.18 seems to describe a work of the Spirit that was fruitful in a life of joy. 
• Phil 3:1-3 the true circumcision worship by the Spirit.  I could go on to note that assurance the Spirit of God gives both in John 14 and Romans 8:14-17 plus Galatians 4:4-7. 
• And Paul says his preaching was not in word only but in the Holy Spirit and power (1 Thess 1:2-5).

From these and other texts I began to see that the work of the Spirit was experiential in the New Testament and that he was not the "quiet member" of the Trinity. Indeed, none of my favorites of history believed that.

Second, I had to see that I had no exegetical basis for cessationisn.  That came by going back to the key texts and seeing that I had read something into them that was not there.  At the same time I studied the passages on the gifts and saw no distinction made in Paul or Peter between sign gifts or other gifts -- they are all in a muddle of Spirit activity.  I began to see I was reading certain things into the text.  I also sat with 1 Corinthians 14 and read a variety of ideas into the passage where the word "tongues" occured -- what made the most sense of the text was "a language intended for personal prayer."

The last step for me was moving from an open but cautious position to a pursuit of a place and ministry where the ministry of the Spirit was pursued with pastoral oversight and biblical rigor.  That step came through a brother, who suggested that "open but cautious" sounded non-commital!  And he wondered how I would respond to church members who were open but cautious about godliness.  I was caught!

The challenge was finding a place where all of this came together -- Gospel centrality and the controlling purpose of Jesus mission, plus the active work of the Spirit, solid theology, and biblical integrity.  I wanted to be where this was pursued and done with humility and where I could learn.  I did not want to go into a place that was crazy about these things, but put them in their proper place before the Lord of glory.

I am a novice in all this -- but convinced that my exegetical conclusions must control me and I do not need to react to abuse by becoming so cautious I quench the Spirit of God.  My greatest desire has been to see the Lord of the Church, which he purchased with his blood, build up his people by the Spirit whom he has sent and the gifts he gives.  That is why I am Gospel Driven. 

Comments

[James R. Gray]

You say: "My greatest desire has been to see the Lord of the Church, which he purchased with his blood, build up his people by the Spirit whom he has sent and the gifts he gives." May I suggest you look into the Dunamis Project developed by PRMI (Presbyterian-Reformed Ministries International, based in Black Mountain, NC, but active worldwide). That's what it's all about. Solid, systematic, Reformed, Continuationist teaching and equipping for Kingdom advancement. Check it out!