Working out Salvation with Fear and Trembling

It has been said that the last century was the century of the Holy Spirit. This of course comes in the context of the rise of Pentecostalism and charismatic theology which puts a greater emphasis on the third member of the Triune God, than other theological traditions. Many have spent considerable amounts of time studying this area of pneumatology out over the last number of years. I spent my own time in seminary doing this as I was assigned the topic of Holy Spirit Baptism in a pneumatology seminar.

Yet, through all this study there is still incredible confusion over the Holy Spirit. Questions about about the deity and personality of the Spirit of God, His work in the past, His work in the present, and His work in the future. How are we as believers to relate to the Holy Spirit? Thankfully Graham A. Cole, in a simple but profound book has helped us to better aquaint ourselves with the Holy Spirit.

Cole is professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL. He is an anglican minister and formerly served as principal of Ridley College, University of Melbourne. He is the author of a more indepth look at the Spirit in his volume, He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Crossway). His new book, Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers (Crossway) helps to answer the questions that people in the pew have about the mysterious Spiritus Sanctum.

Cole answers a number of questions about the Spirit in his book. He writes,

The questions are both crucial and real. People ask them. In fact, one of them in particular, blasphemy against the Spirit, has been discussed from the earliest centuries of Christianity. And our answers ought to affect the practice of the Christian life, whether individual or corporate. As the wise say, theology without application is abortion (p. 17).

Cole then begins to ask and answer 6 key questions regarding the Holy Spirit. These are 1) What is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, 2) How May We Resist the Holy Spirit? 3) Ought We to Pray to the Holy Spirit?, 4) How Do We Quench the Holy Spirit?, 5) How Do we Grieve the Holy Spirit?, and 6) How Does the Holy Spirit Fill Us? Looking at these questions I know I personally have sought out answers to them. Cole is right, people are asking these questions. Where are the answers? Cole has given us a great place to start.

Now, I do not agree with every one of Cole’s conclusions. For instance, in contrast to Cole, I believe blasphemy against the Spirit could only occur during the time of Jesus earthly ministry and had to do with the Jewish leaders rejection of Christ. Now, Cole’s position is strong though for a possibility of blasphemy today, but rightly notes that it can only be committed by a non-believer (p. 33). They keep the believer walking in a godly state though similar to the warning passages in Hebrews.

Resisting the Spirit has to do with resisting the Word of God which the Spirit has inspired and its faithful interpretation and application (p. 49). He concludes we may pray to the Spirit becaues God is Triune but we must be careful because there is no Scriptural warrant for it (p. 66). Quenching the Spirit today involves ignoring the preached or read Word of God that stirs our consciences or to oppose ministries that show us our failure to line up with the revealed will of God (p. 81). We grieve the Spirit when there is moral disparity between what we say as God’s people and what we do (p. 97). Finally, being filled with the Holy Spirit has to do with congregational life instead of personal sanctification. In the congregation gratitude, reverence, proper speech, song, and submission, are involved with being filled. (p. 113).

I am in sympathy with much of what Cole writes. It is sane, sober, and lacking the typical approach to understanding much of the Holy Spirit’s work. Even where I disagree, I appreciate and respect Cole’s study of the Word. He makes it clear and understandable. And of course, he does not leave it simply in the intellectual realm, but shows how the work of the Spirit is where the rubber meets the road in how Christians are to live. I would challenge all of us to read and reflect on this and on the person and work of the Spirit this year. Our lives and churches will be transformed. Cole serves as an able guide in our journey to better understand the third member of the Triune God. Every Christian should read this book.

Our director at SGA, Allan Vincent, shared with me an illustration regarding the state of the church today. A farmer in St. Jacobs, ON once told him that not all potatoes labeled Yukon Gold are actually Yukon Gold. You see, with all the genetic changes being made to food, there are a number of things that are labeled one thing, but in reality are something different. A bag of Yukon Gold potatoes that you pick up at the grocery store may in fact not be Yukon Gold! Scary stuff indeed.

Now what does this have to do with the church? In reality, much of what is called “church” nowadays is really in fact not church. What we see today with our consumer, marketing, program driven approach to church is really, a genetically altered form of the church. It was designed to “sell” the church even though it was no longer the church. We see a watered down form of the church. Most believers today are really looking at churches with a consumeristic attitude (does this church meet my needs, does it have what my kids need, will I get what I want out of it). The attitude of “you get what you put in” is foreign to most church goers today. And the churches have changed their genetic make-up in order to appeal to these church goers today.

What then does the mapping of the DNA of a New Testament Church look like? Well, in reality the Word of God gives us a clear understanding of what the local church did in New Testament times. Acts 4:42-47 reads,

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

There are some very key points here which can show what the focus of the church was. Essentially, the focus of the church was 1) preaching and teaching the Word, 2) prayer, 3) fellowship of the saints, and 4) partaking in ordinances of the church.

Clearly, one important aspect of their time was devoted to the Apostle’s teachings. They yearned to hear the Word of God preached and taught and applied to their lives. They knew that a Word saturated ministry is a life changing ministry. Only through the power of the Word which revealed the Word, that is Christ, could they hope to attain the promise of life eternal. The Word changed hearts and brought people to Christ, and it changed lives as people were becoming more like Christ.

The second item was prayer. They devoted themselves to prayer. Prayer is that divine work where we communicate with the Sovereign God of the universe. We have the privilege of being agents of His divine will through prayer. God accomplishes His will through our prayers. We are the ordained means to the end. Plus, we grow in our relationship and fellowship with the Triune God through prayer. It is our lifeline to our life giver! Without prayer, we will wither and die!

A third thing the church was committed to was fellowship. While we might not embrace the communal living they did, we can appreciate the close relationships these beleivers had with each other. We live in a segregated world where we know of nor care about our neighbours let alone our church family. These people though faithfully met together and cared and loved for each other in such a way that they met each other’s needs. Imagine what churches would look like today with this kind of level of fellowship!

Finally, they devoted themselves to the ordinances of the Lord. There is debate here, but I believe at least a part of what is being referred to here is the Lord’s Supper. The church regularly “broke bread” together as they celebrated the finished work of Christ that united them together and looked forward to the glorious return of Christ when they would celebrate the meal with Him! They also of course took part in the other ordinace of baptism which served as the initiatory placement of the person into the community of faith. Therefore, when the church came together, they added those to their number through baptism, and they fellowshipped around the Lord’s Table.

This is the DNA of a New Testament Church. This is how the churched looked then, this is how it should look now. How far have we gotten off the beaten path through our programs and our marketing and everything else. The church was simple. United around the preaching and teaching of the Word, prayer, fellowship, and the ordinances. If more of our churches today focused on these aspects and less on “meeting needs” we would live in a world of greater conformity to Christ in our churches. We would be a close knit family united around Christ.

What a privilege it is to be a part of the body of Christ. May we pray for our churches to better reflect the New Testament picture of the church. Let’s remove the genetic engineering that has happened to the church and get back to the simplicity of it all!

Greetings all of you!

People who read my blog know that I am trying to sell my 1970’s Bally Fireball pinball machine. No one seems particularly interested despite how much fun it is! So, what I decided to do it is put it on the auction block. I was hoping to get a good price for it, but I might not now. I will start the bidding at $500. If you want to bid on the machine leave a comment. I’ll allow it to run for the next 2 weeks. Remember, you’ll be getting a great, enjoyable collector’s item for your home or whatever, and you’ll be helping out a ministry couple starting off in the world. So, please bid! Pictures are available on this site. Also, if you are still interested in donating to my honeymoon fund (thanks to all those who have already!) you can do so here.

So… bid away!

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Up-date! I have received the initial $500 bid. Who would like to raise the bid? Do I hear $600?

Greetings,

Well, my pinball machine has not sold yet. I’m still hoping someone will want it for their home! I have been told and I think rightly so, it may be too high priced. So, right now my 1970’s Bally Fireball pinball machine is now $2000 or best offer. Contact me at allen [dot] mickle [dot] jr [at] gmail [dot] com. No reasonable offer will be refused! Thanks and many blessings!

“There can be no grace when there is no sovereignty. Deny God’s right to choose whom He will and you deny His right to save whom He will. Deny His right to save whom He will, and you deny that salvation is of grace. If salvation is made to hinge upon any desert or fitness in man, seen or unseen, grace is at an end.”

Hoartius Bonar (1808-1889)

Originally from the preface to Abraham Booth’s, The Reign of Grace (Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson, 1844). Found in Christ is All: The Piety of Horatius Bonar, ed. Michael A. G. Haykin and Darrin R. Brooker (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2007), p. 89.

Thank you all so much for your generosity so far in donating to my wedding and honeymoon fund. I have had the blessing of receiving support from 4 brothers in the faith so far and it has been an encouragement to me personally. So, thank you again! We’ve got a way to go, but I trust the Lord will meet our needs. He is already doing so through the way you have honoured me by giving to our cause.

Again, if you are interested in donating to us, you can click here and find a Paypal donate button. Thank you again!

Weddings and honeymoons are incredibly expensive. I had not realized how expensive until I started working on my own! A lot of soon-to-be spouses have what’s called a Stag and Doe party to raise money for the wedding and honeymoon. A friend recently said to me (in the context of me selling my pinball machine) that we should have a Stag and Doe to raise money for the wedding and honeymoon. The problem with this is that I live in Ontario and Tracy lives in Pennsylvania. And with only 4 weeks left until the wedding, we don’t have time to plan for something like this.

So a thought struck me. Why don’t I provide a way for people to give money to be raised for the wedding and honeyoon even though we cannot have a Stag and Doe party (where so much of that money goes to alcohol anyway!). So, and I hope this does not seem wrong, but I decided that if people wanted to give money to a new ministry couple starting out in the world, they could do it online. So, on this page here, is a Paypal button for you to send money for our wedding. Of course, no one should feel obliged to give, but if someone would like to help out a new ministry couple just starting out, I would be most appreciative. And of course, anything would be a help. If you think and say, “$5 is not going to help,” let me assure you that everything would help.

We’ve tried to be as cost effective with this wedding as possible but you all out there know it is hard. So, pray, and think about helping us folks out with our upcoming wedding and honeymoon!

I have been informed by Kenneth Stewart, co-editor of this book, that it will now be more readily available in North America. I had previously ordered my copy from IVP-UK (actually and still have not received it!) as I was unsure when it would be available here. Well, here it is straight from B&H Publishing! The following is from the website:

David Bebbington’s 1989 book, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s, offered an interesting hypothesis regarding the genesis of that movement. He argued that evangelical religion had emerged as a substantially new entity through trans-Atlantic evangelical revival in the 1730s and had taken a collaborative rather than contradictory stance towards the Enlightenment. In both respects, Bebbington distanced himself from older interpretations that held the opposite view.

Now, after nearly two decades, the ‘Bebbington thesis’ has gained very wide international acceptance, and a review of its central arguments and implica- tions is presented in The Advent of Evangelicalism. In this stimulating volume, numerous scholars from arts and theology faculties on both sides of the Atlantic—representing several countries, and united by an admiration of Bebbington’s work—take up various aspects of his 1989 volume and offer re-assessments. David Bebbington himself offers a substantial response.

You can purchase it here from B&H.

Patience is nothing that we enjoy! Have you ever wondered why things cannot be instantaneous when so much in life already is? We have instant coffee, instant meals, instant banking, and so forth and so on. Now, I can log on the net and do all my banking in an instant! It is incredible how fast our society runs and how quickly we expect things. Now my personality runs in that way like the world. If I have to wait longer than a minute or two on hold on the phone or for my French Vanilla Cappuccino at TIm Horton’s, I’m seeing red!

But even in thinking through things from a Christian perspective we demand instant success. The health and wealth movement thinks that as soon as you are a believer a simple prayer of faith makes God instantaneously bring about financial success! Or, there are those in the Wesleyan movement for instance that believe that one can attain instant sanctification instead of going through the grueling process of the battle with sin in the Christian life. Why does God want us to learn things over time than in an instant?

I will be leaving today to drive down to Pennsylvania to pack up my fiance’s things and move them all up here to our new home in St. George. I am already feeling impatient! And I have felt that way through our relationship. At my age, when you find the right person, you don’t want to wait any longer! July 26 cannot come soon enough! Also, through almost all our time together I have been searching for where God wants me to be in ministry. It was in the 11th hour that He answered it and brought me to Slavic Gospel Association. What is He trying to teach me?

First, He is trying to teach me that time is meaningless to Him. Peter says in 2 Peter 3:8, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” God is completely outside of time. He is not affected by time. It has been said that the past, present, and future, are present concept to Him all at once. He knows the past and the future as if they were the present. We live in a quick fix, instant society, but God lives in timelessness. In that timelessness we have to be willing to work on His time, not our own. Patience is something He is teaching us through his timelessness. In the end, remember that all we do here on earth is but a blip in the timeline of history. We must have an eternal mindset and know that only what we do for an eternal purpose in life will truly matter later.

Second, He is teaching that patience is an evidence of a godly life. Galatians 5:22-23 in that fruit of the Spirit section tells us this. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” As beleivers we should recognize that we are to be patient as a reflection of God’s work in us. Quick tempered impatient people are not people who are pursuing godliness the way they should. A fruit of the work of the Spirit in the lives of the believer is patience. So pursue patience as a reflection of the work of Christ in your life.

Third, He shows us that patience effects much! The Scriptures are full of teaching that patience effects much in our life. We can do much through patience that we could not do through impatience! Proverbs 25:15 reads, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” The idea here is that patience can win over people and accomplish things that could not be done in an instant.

For instance, part of my ministry with SGA is fund raising. It is easy to get impatient with churches and individuals hoping they will support the ministry right away. Sometimes it takes time to work with individuals to bring them where you want them to be whereas an immediate demand for a response would have brought resistance. Be patience practically because it brings much reward!

Finally, God wants us to be patient because He is patient with us. In our sin God does not judge us as He should, but instead is patient with us, enduring much on our behalf. Romans 2:4 reads, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” God is patient with you in your sin. You deserve death each day for your rebellion against Him, but he allows you to remain on earth. He is patient so you too must be patient!

So, thank God that He does not do things for us in our time but does it in His time. For His time is always best and it is for our good. So much of what we have today in our instant society makes us selfish and demanding. Instead, learning patience, no matter how hard it is, will be something that changes us and continues to conform us to the image of Christ who is the most patient man who ever lived enduring in patience with our sin, the cross for our salvation. Praise the Lord the Christian life is not easy and that we must endure much in order to teach us patience!

Now a minister ought to take heed to his doctrine, that it be according to the scriptures, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16). True doctrine springs from it, is agreeable to it, and may be confirmed and established by it; therefore if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11). He should be careful, that his doctrine has a place in the word of God, that it takes its rise from it, is consonant to it, and capable of being proved by it: To the law, and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isa. 8:20). Whatever doctrines do not spring from these fountains of light and truth, or are disagreeable to them, must be accounted divers and strange doctrines.

Care should also be taken by a minister of the gospel, that his doctrine be the doctrine of Christ; that is, such as Christ himself preached, which he has delivered out by revelation to others, and of which he is the sum and substance. We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness (1 Cor.1:23). This doctrine is most likely to be useful for the conversion of sinners, and comfort of saints; and a man that does not bring this with him is to be discouraged and rejected Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God: He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed (2 John 9,10).

Moreover, a minister should take heed that his doctrine be the same with that of the apostles. It was the glory of the primitive Christians, that they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine; and it must be the excellency of a man’s ministry, that it is agreeable to that faith which was once delivered to the saints. Jesus Christ received his doctrine from his Father, which he delivered to his apostles: I have given unto them says he, the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them (John 17:8); who also were guided by the spirit of truth into all truth, as it is in Jesus; and under the inspiration of the same spirit have left the whole of it in writing to the churches of Christ; which should be the standard of a gospel-ministry throughout all generations. Besides, it becomes a preacher of the Word to be careful that the doctrine he teaches be according to godliness; that it is not contrary to the moral perfections of God, or has a tendency to promote a loose and licentious life; but that it is agreeable to, and may be a means of increasing, both internal and external holiness. Sin, as it is a transgression of the law, so it is contrary to sound doctrine; which sound doctrine is according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim. 1:10, 11).

The gospel no more countenances sin, than the law does; the grace of God, the doctrine of the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, the news of it to sinners, hath appeared to all men, Gentiles as well as Jews; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Whatever doctrines are subversive of true piety, or strike at the life and power of godliness, are to be rejected: if any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions, and strife of words, whereof cometh envy, strifes, railings, evil furnishings, etc. (1 Tim. 6:3-5). Again, it is highly necessary, that a pastor of a church should be careful that his doctrine be such as makes for the edification of the people; it ought to be solid and substantial, suited to their capacities, and what is food convenient for them; he should nor, therefore, give heed to fables, and endless genealogies; he ought, in his ministry, to shun profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of silence, fairly so called. He should not strive about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers; and should carefully and diligently avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they do gender strifes (1 Tim. 1:4; 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:14, 16, 23).

John Gill, “The Duty of a Pastor to his People.” Preached at the Ordination of the Reverend George Braithwaite, M.A., March 28, 1734.