This evening we are continuing in this series
of some things hard to understand. Peter said
at the conclusion of his second epistle that
Paul had written some things hard to understand.
Now Peter himself was guilty of that, I think,
because he wrote some things that are difficult
for me to understand. And you have shared with
me some of the verses in the New Testament that
have been a difficulty for some of you to interpret
and understand. As I examined those suggestions
from you, it seems as though some of them fell
into groupings. And tonight we're going to take
a group of the verses that you have asked about.
They are verses that deal with the matter of
the charismatic movement. And the title of the
message is Charismatics, the True and the False.
I want to hasten to say before I begin that I
have no desire to... with anyone on this subject,
nor do I want to offend or to hurt anyone who
may be of a different conviction about this than
myself. But I do believe that it's important
that we gain a biblical perspective on this phenomenon
which is so prevalent in so very many churches.
There are those who say, well, there's so much
being done that it must be of God. Others say,
I think we're heading for a new Pentecost. Some
say, I don't think we should criticize what's
going on because we may accidentally or unknowingly
fight against what God is doing. It is true that
there are many things going on. There are many
claims that are being made. There is a mushrooming
involvement within the charismatic movement.
This is promoted to, I think, some degree. by
the very many programs that are on television
that are of a charismatic nature. The leaders
of these programs are often very excited type
personalities, dynamic people, and they are ones
who easily persuade and easily draw people after
them. I believe that the growth of the charismatic
movement is due in part to... The fact that there
are many Christians who are defeated or immature,
and because of this, they long to find victory.
They long to find some answer for growth in their
lives. They perhaps belong to churches which
are cold in their love, deficient in their spiritual
power, or dead in their orthodoxy. And as a result
of that, they long to find a fellowship of people
where there is a genuine love and a hunger for
God, where there is a warm fellowship and a desire
for a meaningful relationship with the Lord.
I think, too, that our whole society is predisposing
people toward this kind of teaching because our
society is more and more, it seems, feelings
-oriented. Truth and right are measured by what
feels good. This is the result of the philosophy
of existentialism, which has pervaded our culture.
It is vital for us who know and love the Lord
Jesus Christ and who believe the Word of God
to understand what the Bible says regarding this
phenomenon called the charismatic movement. To
be sure, in 30 minutes or so, we're not going
to say everything that could be said regarding
this movement and what the Bible has to say.
My desire is to say enough at least that you'll
understand where we as a church are, and perhaps
it will prick your mind or stimulate you to do
your own studying regarding it. It is easy for
us to get lost in the fog of all that is being
claimed and said these days. Therefore, we need
the light of God's Word to give us an infallible
direction as to what is of God and what may not
be of God. The first thing I'd like for us to
do is to get an understanding, a biblical understanding
of the term charismatic. What does that mean?
The English word comes from actually two Greek
words, charisma and charismata. Both of these
Greek words are rooted in another basic root
word called charis or grace. The charisma or
charismata in the Greek refer to grace gifts,
that which is given by grace. Thus you can see
where the name charismatic comes from. It is
referring to those gifts, spiritual gifts, given
by the grace of God. Now we see this term used
a number of times in the New Testament. I would
ask you to turn first to Romans chapter 12 and
verse 6. You'll not see it in the English. You'll
have to take my word for it if you don't have
a Greek New Testament. That here is the word
charisma. Romans chapter 12 and verse 6. He says,
And since we have gifts, charisma, that differ
according to the grace given to us, let us exercise
them accordingly. And so very clearly the subject
here is the spiritual gifts that God gives to
us graciously. These are not gifts that we somehow
work for or deserve. but they are special spirit
-given abilities, seven of them listed here in
this context, which God gives to His people for
exercise and ministry within the local church,
the body of Christ. We see the term used again,
in fact, several times in the book of 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 1, verse 7. The apostle says to
these believers in Corinth, You are not lacking
in any charisma, awaiting eagerly the revelation
of our Lord Jesus Christ. So he tells them that
they are not lacking in any of the spiritual
gifts, and to be sure that was true. They were
being exercised in the church to the point of
even abuse. And then in chapter 12 of this same
book, the word is used several times. I'm not
going to take the time now to look at those.
but the references are verses 4, 9, 28, and 31
of chapter 12. In 1 Timothy 4 .14, 2 Timothy
1 .6, again, the same Greek word is used from
where we get the word charismatic. It is used
a final time, I believe, in 1 Peter chapter 4,
and I will ask you to turn there. 1 Peter chapter
4 and verse 10. He says, as each one has received
a special gift, a charisma, employ it in serving
one another as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God. It is clear from what is said in
verse 10 that every person who is a believer
in Jesus Christ has some of these gifts. There
is absolutely no exception to that. He says,
each one has received a special gift. Therefore,
it is proper for us to say that all believers
are charismatic. We're not charismatic in the
narrow sense of the way that term is used today
in some circles. But we are all charismatic because
all of us who are believers in Jesus Christ possess
charismata, spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit,
by grace, has invested in us. It is also important
for us to note that nowhere are we told to seek
any of the gifts as individuals. Indeed, when
they are spoken of, they are always spoken of.
as having been given to us. Not something that
we get as believers after we're saved, but something
that has been given. For example, this verse
we're looking at. Each one has received. Not
each one should receive or should seek a special
gift, but it's something that has taken place
already in our past. And any time you find spiritual
gifts spoken of, They're always spoken of in
that sense as something that we already possess,
not something that we are to seek. Ah, yes, somebody
says. But doesn't it say somewhere in the Bible
that we are to seek the best gifts or the greater
gifts, something like that? Well, let's turn
to that passage, 1 Corinthians chapter 12. After
talking about the gifts, and he's certainly not
finished, but he's given an overview in chapter
12. He says in verse 31, earnestly desire the
greater gifts. In other words, the ones listed
first in the list he has just given in the previous
verses. Ones like prophecy. which he is going
to talk about in chapter 14, prophecy which is
an equivalent to preaching the Word of God, expounding
the Word of God. He says, earnestly desire the
greater gifts. So there aren't we told to earnestly
seek and to desire the greater gifts. Well, if
you look at the context here, the Apostle Paul
is not telling individuals as individuals to
seek the greater gifts. but he is talking to
that church that already possesses all the gifts,
and he is saying to them as a church, rather
than emphasizing and seeking out the lesser of
the gifts, tongues in particular in their case,
he says, you as a church seek out and earnestly
desire the greater of the gifts. He is saying
to them as a church, not as individual people
within the church, that they are to emphasize.
I would call your attention to a verse earlier
in this same chapter, verse 11, where it says
regarding the Holy Spirit that He distributes
to each... believer individually just as he wills.
In other words, it is not my prerogative as a
Christian to say, I want this gift and that gift.
The gifts that I possess are given to me sovereignly
by the Holy Spirit. I am nowhere commanded to
seek gifts of the Spirit. The Spirit of God gives
me those gifts at the moment that I'm saved.
He does it sovereignly by His choice. He knows
my personality. He knows my background. He knows
my natural talents. And He gives me spiritual
gifts that mesh together and fit together with
the kind of person that He has made me. And so
don't be pressured into thinking that there are
certain spiritual gifts that you should seek.
Nowhere are we commanded to seek spiritual gifts.
The Holy Spirit gives them sovereignly by His
own choice. Now there may be an experience such
as I've heard some describe. in which later on
in their Christian life, they begin to develop
an ability, a spirit -given ability that they've
not seen before. That does not necessarily mean
that they have suddenly received a new gift.
But what has happened is that suddenly that gift
that has been dormant in them since the time
of their new birth has suddenly now begun to
be developed. and exercised in ministry, but
its presence has been there all along. Now there
are some statements that are frequently heard
from certain charismatic leaders, and I think
that we must be fair to say that it is difficult
to generalize regarding what the charismatics
teach because there are a variety of teachings
under that large umbrella. Some of them would
be closer to what we believe than others of them.
But I'm going to select four commonly heard teachings
among the charismatics, and I'd like for us to
examine these in the light of the Word of God
to find out if they are true or false. Now, it
really makes no difference what I may think about
them or what I have experienced. I must look
at what is claimed or what is taught through
the lens of God's infallible Word. I must trust
Him to give me the right perspective and focus
upon this teaching so that I can see it clearly.
One teaching is this. that there is a baptism
in or of the Holy Spirit subsequent to salvation.
And we are told that we should seek that baptism
in the Holy Spirit. One of those who teaches
this is a television evangelist by the name of
Jimmy Swaggart. I have here an article which
is in some... spots an amazing article. And Mr.
Swaggart says this, for example. It's titled,
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost. There is controversy
today as to whether one receives the Holy Spirit
at the moment of conversion. Actually, the only
proper answer to this question is yes and no.
The activities of the Holy Spirit are many. He
is a comforter, He is a leader, He is a teacher,
He is a communicator, He is a guide, He is director
of all God's activities on earth today. So, when
the sinner comes to the moment of salvation,
certainly he has received the Holy Spirit within
the context of having been influenced by Him.
So, in that sense, he's received the Holy Spirit,
says Mr. Swigert. He's been influenced by the
Holy Spirit. However, to assume that contact
with the Holy Spirit is the same as immersion
in or partaking of can lead to erroneous doctrine.
This can handicap a Christian in his efforts
to walk fully in harmony with the wishes of God.
Unfortunately, not every believer has the baptism
in the Holy Spirit, even though every believer
can have it if he desires it. Salvation and the
baptism in the Holy Spirit are two separate and
distinct experiences. In the article, he goes
on to argue from his perspective as to why there
is a subsequent experience after salvation called
the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and that we are
to seek that. Now, the interesting thing about
this whole matter of the baptism in the Holy
Spirit is this. that never once do you find a
single word of command in the New Testament to
seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Not once.
When there is a word regarding it, it is a word
of instruction to the disciples to wait for it
in Jerusalem until it came. Now we find this
in Acts chapter 1. I'd like you to turn there
and look with me. Acts chapter 1. We have here
the record of the Lord Jesus' last comments to
the disciples before he ascended back to heaven.
In verse 4, And gathering them together, he commanded
them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for
what the Father had promised, which he said,
You heard from me. For John baptized with water,
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now. And so there we do have
a command relating to the baptism of the Spirit,
and it was that they were to wait in Jerusalem
until they would experience it. And of course,
that is exactly what they did. They waited those
ten days from His ascension until the day of
Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit came. The Holy
Spirit came on the day of Pentecost to begin
His New Testament ministry and to indwell believers
and to baptize believers spiritually. You see,
the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a biblical
context is the work of the Holy Spirit placing
us into the body of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians
12. And I'd like you to turn over there and look
at that a moment. Keep your finger here and ask
because we're coming back. But 1 Corinthians
12, 13 is such a key passage relating to this.
The Apostle Paul could well have said to us here,
you must seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
After all, he's talking about spiritual gifts.
He's talking about the work of the Holy Spirit.
Certainly if we were to seek it, he would have
said something at this point, but he says nothing
regarding our seeking it. He says rather in verse
13, 1 Corinthians 12, For by one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body. That, my friend,
is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the
Holy Spirit baptizing us, immersing us, placing
us into the body. The church, universal, uniting
us to Jesus Christ, identifying us with Him.
And notice it says, we were. That is the aorist
tense in the Greek. It's hard to relate that
to English, but what it means is it happened
once and for all, never to be repeated. And it
says we were all baptized. Not some, not those
who sought it, not a few who were spiritual,
but we were all baptized by the Holy Spirit.
He says, since Pentecost, this baptism of the
Holy Spirit has been spoken of as an accomplished
fact. Not something that we're to wait for, not
something we're to plead for, but something that
happened to us. Well, you say, I wasn't there
at Pentecost. No, we weren't literally there,
but spiritually we were there. The moment that
you and I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, at
that instant, we are placed into the body of
Jesus Christ. It is not something that we experience.
We don't feel it happening to us. We may even
be ignorant of it. But it nonetheless happens
at that very moment that we are saved. We are
at that moment united with what the Holy Spirit
began, gave birth to on the day of Pentecost.
It is a work of the Holy Spirit which is simultaneous
with saving faith in Jesus Christ. It gives us
a new association. And so this teaching that
there is a baptism of the Holy Spirit, that we
are to seek subsequent to salvation, is a false
teaching in the light of the Word of God. A second
teaching that is heard is that the sign of the
baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.
All should, therefore, seek to speak in tongues.
And again, Mr. Swaggart emphasizes this in this
article. He says, received the Holy Ghost. It
is certainly not the only evidence, but we believe
it is the initial evidence. In other words, unless
you've had that experience, he says, you have
not been baptized in the Holy Ghost. We believe
and teach that any preacher, teacher, or church
which does not acknowledge and proclaim the mighty
baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of
speaking in other tongues is remiss in their
teaching. and will spiritually weaken those who
depend on them for guidance. Sending a Christian
into the world without the Holy Spirit is tantamount
to sending a soldier into battle without a weapon.
And so he is clearly saying in this article that
we do not have the Holy Spirit, we do not possess
the Holy Spirit, until we come to that subsequent
work that he calls the baptism. And when we get
that baptism, we will. Now, the supposed basis
for this teaching, again, is in the book of Acts.
And you will remember that several weeks ago,
I said that we must be careful of basing a doctrine
solely upon what the book of Acts teaches. The
book of Acts is a transitional book. It is a
book that spans the gap between the old and the
new, between Israel as a nation and the church
as God's new people. in this age because of it
is a transitional book before we base a doctrine
on a verse from the book of acts we must be sure
that it's consistent with the rest of what the
new testament teaches for the new testament is
a progressive revelation well here in acts chapter
2 it says when the day of pentecost had come
they were all together in one place and suddenly
there came from heaven a noise like a violent
rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues
as of fire, distributing themselves, and they
rested on each one of them. And they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them
utterance. Now we really should note that it's
at least interesting that the term baptism in
the Holy Spirit has not been used in Acts chapter
2. The word is filling here. But we must quick
also point out that this is the fulfillment of
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had
prophesied. On this occasion, there was some
phenomena that took place. There was the sound
of this mighty rushing wind, the tornadic type
sound. There was the appearance of tongues of
fire that was above the heads of each of the
disciples. And they were given then the ability
to speak in what are called glossolalia, these
other tongues. Now, what are these? Well, the
context here, and I pointed this out just recently,
so I'm not going to take time to look at the
verses in detail, but the context here clearly
says that these were foreign languages which
they had not learned. They were not speaking
in some kind of an angelic or heavenly language
here, but they were speaking in dialects. which
were understood by the people gathered there
in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost from
all over the world. They marveled that they heard
these disciples speaking in their languages.
The disciples had never studied those languages.
They were common and ordinary, and we could say
in the right sense, even ignorant, unlearned
men. And yet they were speaking in these many
multiplied languages, a miracle produced by the
Holy Spirit, a miracle of known languages. And
so we are told, now that's what happened on Pentecost
and what we need today is a new Pentecost. What
we need today is a new Pentecost to take place.
May I say to you that we can no more repeat Pentecost
than we can repeat the cross of Calvary. The
work of Pentecost is as much a once for all work
of God as the work of Jesus Christ on the cross
and at the empty tomb. What happened on that
day was a very special thing. And there were
parts of this that were repeated again. Now remember
that it's totally Jews at this point who are
believing in Christ as a result of the preaching
of these apostles in tongues. It is a totally
Jewish church at this point. But God's purpose
was for it to broaden out to the Gentiles. And
that begins to happen as we move over in Acts
to chapter 8. It first goes to those who were
half -breeds, half -Jew, half -Gentile, the Samaritans.
Now the gospel went to them. Many of them were
believing, being saved. And it says in verse
14 of Acts 8, Now when the apostles in Jerusalem
heard, that Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent Peter and John who came down and
prayed for them that they might receive the Holy
Spirit. You say, well, they believed and yet
they had not received the Holy Spirit yet. That
is true. That is true in this particular case.
Now, why was it that God did not give them the
Holy Spirit the moment that they believed? Why
were these apostles from Jerusalem necessary?
having to be present for them to receive the
Holy Spirit. You see, it was absolutely vital
to provide for the unity of that infant church,
else there likely would have been a Jewish church
and a Samaritan church. But God wanted to emphasize
to these Samaritans that what they had received
was actually from the Jews. As Jesus told that
woman of Samaria in John chapter 4, salvation
is of the Jews. And so it was essential that
someone from Jerusalem come down and that those
Samaritans understand that what they were going
to experience was actually the same thing that
had happened in Jerusalem. And it was important
for the Jews in Jerusalem to know that too. And
so what happened? Well, it says he had not yet
fallen upon any of them. They had simply been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. But it
says then they began laying their hands on them
and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Notice
it does not say that there were any tongues involved
in this. To say that there were tongues here
is to argue from silence, and that's a weak thing
to do forever. We should never argue from silence.
It simply says that they did receive the Holy
Spirit at this point, but it says nothing about
the supernatural phenomena that took place at
Pentecost. Now turn over to chapter 10. And here
we see the first full -blooded Gentile. being
saved and brought into the body of Christ. His
name was Cornelius. In chapter 10, verse 44,
Peter has preached to this man, and by the way,
he is acquainted with the Jews' religion. He's
a God -fearing Gentile, but he's not saved. He's
a full -blooded Gentile. So Peter comes in to
preach the gospel to him. He does it. And right
in the middle of his sermon, imagine this, he
didn't even get to the invitation. An amazing
thing happened. While he was still speaking these
words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who
were listening to the message. What was happening?
As Peter was preaching, they were responding
in faith. They didn't need just as I am with
four verses at the end of a sermon. They were
responding immediately as he was preaching the
gospel to them. And as they responded in faith,
immediately they were saved and the Holy Spirit
fell upon them. Notice there is not subsequence
here. There is not a second work. But immediately
the Holy Spirit came upon them. And it says all
the circumcised believers, that is the Jews who
had come with Peter, were amazed because the
gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon
the Gentiles also. They were hearing them speaking
with tongues and exalting God. And so on this
occasion there was that phenomenon of tongues.
Now why did God cause it to happen here? Well,
I think the answer is clear, that he wanted again
the Jews in Jerusalem who hated Gentiles to understand
that what was happening among the Gentiles was
fully 100 % of God, that they were just as much
a part of the church, that they belonged to Jesus
Christ as much as the Jews, and that without
becoming Jews first, but being circumcised. And
so he demonstrated this by giving them the Holy
Spirit and the speaking in tongues. Not the fire,
not the sound of the wind, but that evidence
of the speaking in other tongues. Now, there's
only one other time in the book of Acts when
tongues are mentioned. In all the people who
are saved in Paul's missionary journeys, only
one time do we find tongues ever mentioned. And
again, it has a Jewish connection. Chapter 19
of Acts. I'm hurrying, folks. Believe me. Verse
1, And it came about that while Apollos was at
Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper
country, came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
It does not say believers. It does not say Christians,
but they were disciples. And we'll find out in
a moment whose disciples. He said to them, Did
you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
Now why did he ask them that question? Because
he knew that when a person believed, they should
receive the Holy Spirit at that moment. Not something
they wait for, seek, pray for. He says, when
you believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?
And they said, no, we've not even heard whether
there is a Holy Spirit. And he said to them,
into what then were you baptized? And here they
tell who their leader was. They said, into John's
baptism. So who were these Jews? They were men
who had heard about John's proclamation, John
the Baptist's proclamation about the coming Messiah,
but they had not to this point ever heard about
Jesus Christ. Their hearts were prepared. They
had heard about the baptism unto repentance,
which John taught, but they had never been saved.
These were not saved men at all. wonderfully
prepared, but they had never heard the gospel
yet. And so Paul said to them, John's baptized
with the baptism of repentance, telling the people
to believe in him who was coming after him, and
that is Jesus. Now Luke undoubtedly condenses
what Paul said. So he began to tell them about
Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus. Water baptism.
Why were they water baptized? Because they had
believed in him. And it says, when Paul had laid
his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on
them and they began speaking with tongues and
prophesying. So Paul prayed for them. He laid
hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now why? The answer is that here were Jews who
once again needed to understand that what was
taking place to them was related right back to
Jerusalem to the day of Pentecost. They were
not to start a new movement that was called the
disciples of John the Baptist who loved Jesus.
They were to lay aside their old discipleship
and their old leader, and they were now to be
a part of what the Holy Spirit had begun on the
day of Pentecost, and what they experienced on
this occasion was the evidence of that. And so
we see here the only four occasions after Acts
2 when tongues are mentioned, or three occasions
rather. Now the teaching is the sign of the baptism
of the Spirit is speaking in tongues and all
should speak in tongues. Would you turn over
to 1 Corinthians chapter 12 a minute and look
at verse 30? Paul is talking about two people
here who were all baptized by the Spirit. Verse
13. Down in verse 30, he says, All do not have
gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak
with tongues, do they? Do you see the point there?
Here are people who have been baptized with the
Holy Spirit, but Paul writes to them and he says,
You're not all speaking with tongues, are you?
And the rhetorical answer is no. That is the
accepted answer. As he writes that, they were
not all speaking in tongues. Some of them were,
legitimately, though they were abusing the gift.
But tongues was a legitimate gift for that church.
But not all of them were. And therefore, in the
basis of what the Word of God says, this teaching
that all should speak with tongues as a sign
of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is false. Remember
that tongues was a sign gift. And it was a sign
not to believers, but according to chapter 14,
verses 21 and 22, it was a sign primarily to
the Jews, unbelieving Jews, national Israel,
that judgment was coming. Judgment was coming
upon them as a nation. And they would not hear
the clearly spoken word of God and accept their
Messiah. Therefore God was giving them this phenomenon
in which they were hearing people speak in languages
they did not understand. And that was a sign
to them of judgment, just as happened back in
the day of Isaiah. There's a third teaching of
some charismatics, and that is that direct revelation
is still given by God to believers. And this
revelation is given through tongues. through
interpretation of tongues, which really go together,
the two of them, by words of knowledge and wisdom,
by prophecies, and by what are called rhemas.
I occasionally tune in to a television broadcast
in which some people pray for the sick and get
words of knowledge as to who is being healed.
Maybe you have seen that as well. At least they
call that words of knowledge. As best as we understand
what the words of knowledge and wisdom were in
the Old Testament, it is not related to what
is called today by some people the words of knowledge.
As a matter of fact, what takes place there on
television could be done by somebody who doesn't
even claim to have the words of knowledge. But
when you are telecasting to multiplied millions
of people and you are saying, now there's somebody
out there who's being healed of this and that,
Somewhere out there, you're going to find somebody
who suddenly had some kind of an experience,
and he's going to call in and say, hey, that
was me. And God gave you that information about
me, didn't he? When in fact, that may not have
been the case at all. But simply the mathematical
likelihood of that happening has taken place.
I think that perhaps this third teaching that
I've mentioned is the most dangerous aspect of
the charismatic movement. That is that God is
still giving revelation today. I remember seeing
a magazine produced by an organization headed
by one Kenneth Copeland, in the front of which,
Thus saith the Lord. And then he gave the prophecy
that God gave to him to give. And he was claiming
that what was said there was just as fully inspired
as Isaiah and Matthew and 2 Timothy. That he
was receiving the word of God and delivering
it to people today. That is an exceptionally
dangerous thing. And it totally undermines the
authority of God's infallible word. Is the gate
still open to doctrine? We believe not, but cults
believe it's still open. That's why the Mormons
have their Book of Mormon. That's why other cults
have their additional writings from their founders.
For these, you see, are additional revelations
given by God. Once we open the door to say that
there are additional revelations from God today,
there is no stopping it. It is the releasing
of a flood that then cannot be contained. At
the conclusion of the book of Revelation, chapter
22, verses 18 and 19, God says through John that
we are not to add to or to take from the writings
of this book. And because of its unique location
in the Bible and the fact that it's the last
of the inspired writings coming about in 90 A
.D., we believe and are convinced that what is
said there refers not only to the revelation
of Jesus Christ that John wrote, but to the whole
of the 66 books. I remember getting a letter
from a friend of mine who was in a church that
I pastored. And this was after I came here to
Roseville. And he said, the Spirit has revealed
to me why you really left the church in Kentucky.
Well, I was quite interested in that. And he
went on to say, the Spirit has told me that the
real reason that you left the church in Kentucky
is because of fear. You were afraid of cancer
of the throat, and that caused you to leave that
church. Now, God is my witness. Not once had
the fear of cancer of the throat entered my mind
in making the decision to leave that church.
It might have been in my mind since his letter.
And I wrote back and I said, dear Rick, you know,
I appreciate your concern for me, but I said,
some spirit may have told you that, but it wasn't
the spirit of God. You see, when we open the
door to say, well, God is communicating directly
to me, giving me new revelation, new rhemas,
and that is one of the key words, new rhemas,
R -H -E -M -A -S, a transliteration of a Greek
word. When we say that God is doing that, then
there is no stopping to what God may say. And
how are we to know who to believe? There's an
acquaintance of mine here in the Twin Cities
who is a charismatic, and we got into a discussion
on a certain occasion regarding this matter of
God giving Ramos. And I said, well, what about
the final authority of the Bible? And he says,
well, we believe the Bible is the final authority.
You see, when we get our prophecies and we get
our Ramos from God, he said, then we go to the
Bible to find out which of our rhemas are infallible.
And I said, well, that's very interesting that
that means that God is giving you rhemas that
are not infallible. In other words, God is giving
revelation that is fallible. Is that right? Well,
we got on to a different subject then. I believe
that we must reject as... being true, this teaching
that God is still giving revelation today. God
has given His revelation. It is completed. It
is the truth, the faith, the body of doctrine
once for all delivered to the saints here. And
then the final teaching I'm going to point out
tonight is that the gifts of healings are still
being given to individuals today. That it's never
God's will for a believer to be sick. For a believer
to be sick shows lack of faith. I got a real
chuckle out of a certain television personality
in one of these shows a few weeks ago. She had
been sick for about a whole week with the same
kind of affliction I've had here the last week
and a half or so with the flu. And she was just
getting back to the telecast, and then she began
to talk to people out there in television land
who had this, and she was reprimanding them if
they were sick because they should have more
faith than that. And I thought, well, dear lady,
what have you been doing for the last week and
a half, taking your medicine? Where's your faith?
Is it true that sickness only comes because we
have lack of faith, that it's never God's will
for us to be sick? Absolutely not. In fact, I
think that is a cruel and insidious teaching
that preys upon people who in some cases are
terminally ill. and who are looking for something,
and then someone comes along with this teaching,
and so they say, well, I've got to get faith
together, and then they don't get healed, and
they are distraught. It leads to not only disillusionment,
but to, I think, a dangerous introspection of
oneself. Is it ever God's will for a person to
be sick? Yes, it is. Job was sick by the will
of God. Paul, whatever the thorn in the flesh
was, was sick by the will of God. He never got
rid of that. Paul, if he had the gift of healings,
did not heal Timothy, but rather commanded him
to take certain medicinal steps for his healing.
Furthermore, if we look at the gifts of healings
in the New Testament, we realize that when a
person exercised that gift in the New Testament,
there was always a healing. And it did not necessarily
depend upon the faith of the one who was being
healed. There were not healing lines in which
people came up and some were healed and some
weren't. But when a person was healed, he was
healed and that permanently, not just until the
person got off the stage and got off the emotional
kick. The healings were definite. They were permanent.
They were verifiable. Now for all the claims
of healings that we hear about today and all
the television interviews that we see and all
the books that are written, it would be interesting
to know the real stories a little bit later after
those interviews and after those testimonies.