Jacob Hantla has asked -- so what does it look like to be a Reformed Continuationist in real life? Since I used to be his pastor in a previous place, I owe him an answer!
First, when I was forming my convictions on this, I was studying Scripture and no "experience" led me to my conclusions. I have never been "baptized in the Spirit" as per the classical pentecostal definition, but I have known "fillings" many times. I did not have a tongues experience at an altar call! No one ever pressed me on any of these points. I have sought to test things by the Word, and while someone like Lloyd-Jones opened me to re-consider the work of the Spirit, I ended up not agreeing with his view of the baptism of the Spirit or the sealing of the Spirit.
Second, while I re-thinking my position and I was a pastor leading churches which were cessationist, I saw many evidences of the Spirit's work in people -- they were not unspiritual at all. Some folks, like an elderly lady named Lorene, once pressed me with whether I honored the Holy Spirit in my preaching -- quite a question for a Baptist! She was one of many who had known the witness and assurance of the Spirit in her life and had tasted the goodness of the Lord.
Third, I saw in both charismatic and non-charismatic friends examples of people who were grieving the Spirit. One church I knew was regularly divided by folks who had prophetic gifts and were proud. I saw many folks whose hearts were filled with shadows, afraid of being known for their real sinful selves, and angry at anyone who sought to probe their hearts. They lived lives of quenching the Spirit and would have been the first in line to squelch anything like a fresh work of the Spirit in awakening. I saw a church so filled with deep division and bitterness that there was no activity of the Spirit in corporate worship.
I say all this because this range of experience and pastoral involvement with people forced me to look in the right places. What I began to pursue and seek was "abounding fruit" in godliness, fellowship that was driven by the Gospel and was real, and deep, moving beyond polite and superficial talk, ministry of members to members that was rooted in the work of the Spirit through their gifts and graces, and a deep delight in Jesus the Savior.
Pursuing the present active work of the Spirit has been, in my experience, as much about receiving a word of correction, or seeing my sin and Savior more clearly, as it has been about something like the gift of tongues. Indeed, I would say from 1 Corinthians 12-14 -- that humility, depth of fellowship, boldness in witness are more a certain work of the Spirit than tongues. And I have seen those qualities more pervasively in people who are biblically pursuing the filling of the Spirit in their lives than I have among certain cessationists.
OK, OK, -- so what about the gifts? Isn't that what the question? First, I have become more aware of the work of the Spirit through people and how he gifts the, It is as though I see now in technicolor. I know brothers who are anointed administrators! I know one man who is the most Spirit-filled servant I have ever known. I see the Spirit's work through men whose influence is larger than a local church. I know people who have the Grudem-defined prophetic gift and have served others with it -- myself included. I have been brought to tears many times by people whose well-developed prophetic gift spoke into the depths of my heart with remarkable power.
Second, I have heard people tell their story about receiving a gift of tongues -- and like my experience, I hear people talk about a time when they were alone, with no external manipulation, and the Holy Spirit met them with this gift of a prayer language. I do think the gift exists today.
Third, my own gifting is clearly as a pastor-teacher -- and people who think of the gifts of the Spirit as the active work of the Spirit in the moment tell me that this is where the work of the Spirit is most evident in me. I embrace this and pray for the work of the Spirit through me.
What it looks like is simple:
1. a stirring of my heart often and daily to pursue the fullness of the Spirit in my life -- and I feel I am just a novice in this.
2. A conscious turning of my inward eye and ear to the Holy Spirit as I move through the day and especially as I lead Sunday.
3. A praying for and cultivation of all the gifts of the Spirit -- I do not exclude any. I think the point is NOT that I get a gift, but that I SERVE with my gift.
4. An exercise in discernment when someone claims to have a new "word" from God and wants it to displace Scripture.
5. An encouragement of others and the church I lead to pursue the filling of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit for the church -- and to be responsive to the inner direction of the Spirit. A good part of that is putting sin to death vigorously and putting on Christ.
6. I pursue Gospel centered fellowship - I find the Holy Spirit works through others in relationship (SURPRISE) and much more so than when have programs that gather people in a room for an activity or to watch someone else work. The work of the Spirit is powerful to me in a Gospel-centered dinner conversation followed by prayer. Much more so than attending events!
I find that I am still a "deist" at heart -- I think that ministry and life is all about what I know and what formulas I follow in doing things. I have to make myself meditate on these things and pursue them. I am entirely too self-sufficient and live within my own resources. And I expect so little at times. I want so much to see the abounding fruit of the active presence of God in my own heart and among the people I serve
PS reply -- the issue is the active pursuit of the active presence and work of the Spirit in the church. The goal is the application of Jesus death and resurrection to the church in godliness. Everything serves Christ. Paul commands us to earnestly desire the gifts -- all so that the church may be edified.
"Paul is pointing out that when God judged Israel it was marked by his instruments of judgment using an unknown tongue."
When did this occur, when was this prophecy fulfilled?
Posted by: M Burke | November 06, 2006 at 02:20 PM
"...and the Holy Spirit met them with this gift of a prayer language..."
"Met them with this gift of a prayer language?"
Where is "private prayer language" defined in Scripture?
When Paul defines the gift of tongues in 1 Cor 14 he speaks of it as a fulfilling Isaiah and its purpose must be there defined. There's no mention in Isaiah of a private "prayer language", rather the intent of tongues is expressed specifically as a means by which God shows Israel that they're under wrath and that the Gospel is extended to the Gentiles.
When we see the first expression of the gift in the New Testament we see that men are praising the "mighty deeds of God" in other tongues. Literally they are talking to God, not men... not in some "prayer langauge" but in the languages of Gentiles.
This is an example of Isaiah's prophecy being fulfilled as Paul writes in 1 Cor 14.
GDL: an excellent question.
I do not think that is the proper interpretation of 1 Cor 14 -- I think the context of the quote from Isaiah is limited -- Paul is pointing out that when God judged Israel it was marked by his instruments of judgment using an unknown tongue. So, he applies this to Corinth -- that their uninterpreted words are not a blessing to outsiders but a curse.
He is pressing for intelligibility in the assembly and then notes that when there is intelligible speech (prophecy) it convicts of sin, points people to the presence of God. Unintelligibility makes the outsider think they are mad.
The argument is not a critique of tongues in general, but of tongues uninterpreted, which I think is the whole point of the passage. Otherwise I think the passage shows that the private use of tongues is a language spoken to God, not known to the speaker or the human hearer -- and as such should be kept in private unless interpreted.
Posted by: M Burke | November 06, 2006 at 10:53 AM