STR Ambassador
May 4th 2004, 06:09 PM
If you follow this simple piece of advice, you'll never be taken in by any new fad, new teaching, or new manifestation.
New Movements of the Spirit?
by Greg Koukl
Whenever I face a difficult theological problem, I start with what I know for sure and use that to organize the field, eliminate options, and clarify the task. I move from the known to the unknown.
The so-called "laughing revival" is a case in point. Its manifestations of uncontrollable laughter, animal roars, violent shaking and loud wailing supposedly announce the imminent return of Christ.
Clearing Away the Bad Arguments
Some charge ahead with no thought for their spiritual safety, hungry to be "tickled...in accordance to their own desires," to use Paul's words (2 Tim. 4:3). Others immediately dismiss anything they've never seen or heard of before. Curiously, both are guilty of judging by experience rather than by principle, one by encounter and the other from want of encounter.
Recently a friend of mine attended a worship conference punctuated by hideous laughter. When the altar call was given, conferees stampeded to the front, some falling down, convulsing on the floor in front of her. She leaned over to the person next to her and whispered, "In the Bible this only happened to those who were demon possessed." She was immediately accused of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
My friend's observation was fair, biblically accurate, and fully appropriate in light of the spiritual chaos surrounding her. Yet, she was rebuked for even raising the issue.
This won't do. Justifications based on being "fools for Christ," and warnings about "quenching" the Spirit, putting God in a box, or "touching" God's anointed are of no help in discerning truth here. Instead, they actually discourage careful, biblical analysis.
Frankly, I'm about 20% agnostic on this issue. The other 80% makes me want to run the other way. Part of me says that the Holy Spirit may be involved with this, at least in some measure. The genuine revival associated with the preaching of Jonathan Edwards in the mid-18th century received similar criticisms. But even Edwards noted that tares were sown in with the wheat of the revival of his day.
Edwards' counsel is to judge the spiritual effects, not the physical causes. Judge by the fruit produced. This is good advice, but it immediately raises a problem.
The Problem with Checking the Fruit
What is the fruit of the so-called Toronto blessing? People get excited, they laugh, they roar like animals, and they have a new infusion of joy. Some allegedly have a deeper experience with Christ, evidence that God is deeply involved in this new blessing.
But that's not all. Consider another example. Recently a tearful young lady confided in me that deeply committed and productive Christians in her church were slowly being marginalized because they had misgivings about the "blessing." Being out of step with the Spirit, they were relegated to second-class status, subtly disqualified from meaningful involvement. Some were so discouraged they dropped out of ministry entirely.
This was also fruit--bad fruit--but it wasn't evident immediately. A dishonest shipper never places rotten produce on top of the pile. Even a casual shopper knows enough to turn the strawberry basket over to see what's hidden underneath. Initial appearances can be deceiving. The good-looking fruit is always on top. Bad fruit is not obvious at the beginning. In time, it's discovered at the bottom of the pile, quietly spoiling the whole barrel.
The critical question is this: What fruit remains? Is this a durable change of life, or a temporary rise in affections, sustained by regular visits to the altar for another emotional fix? A week, a month, a year later is there a deepened Christian life?
Over time this young lady had seen joy and excitement give way to spiritual arrogance. She witnessed the subsequent division, the discouragement, the fine Christians dropping away. This is also part of the harvest. Unfortunately, it's often much more durable, cutting deeply into the life of the local church.
Genuine Revival
A recent spread in the LA Times featured pictures of effusive worshipers in local churches in Southern California and asked: Is this a revival in the church? It struck me that if the Times was looking for revival, it was looking in the wrong place. True revival is never measured by what happens inside the church, but rather by what happens outside the church.
Secular historians note that the Wesleyan revival in the 18th century so transformed the cultural landscape of England, it saved Britain from revolution. No one had to go inside a church and take pictures to know that God was moving. This was not a revival inside the church; it was a Christian revival outside the church among the people of England.
Ultimately, we should never measure a revival by how much swooning goes on in the sanctuary. Neither laughter, nor tears, nor howls, nor cheers mark the durable work of the Spirit, but only transformed lives that withstand the test of time.
Problems in the End Times
While I may not be sure the Spirit has inspired the "laughing revival," there's one thing I'm sure is inspired: Paul's last instructions to Timothy. These hold the answer to this question for me.
Second Timothy is Paul's last letter, his swan song, his final thoughts before dying. In it he passes the torch of the Gospel to Timothy with a sober warning: Difficult times are coming.
First, there will be trouble in the world:
"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." ( 2 Tim 3:1-4).
Second, there will be trouble in the church:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
Trouble is on the horizon, Paul says--trouble in the world, and trouble in the church. He then gives Timothy the antidote. His solution is found in three simple words: "You, however, continue...."
"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them....All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:14-4:2).
Paul never tells Timothy to look to the future for new movements of the Spirit. He says to look backwards and guard what's already been revealed.
This is Paul's message throughout his entire letter. "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me" (1:13). "Guard...the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (1:14). "And the things which you have heard from me...these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also" (2:2).
Paul says that a time will come when moral chaos will fall upon the world and theological chaos will fall upon the church. That time has arrived.
The antidote is the same for us as it was for Timothy. Steady at the helm. Guard what has already been entrusted to you. Continue in the things which you have already learned. Everything we need to be fruitful and productive, to be trained in righteousness, to be adequately equipped for every good work, has already been revealed. For Paul, all the old stuff would continue to be all the right stuff.
Just Ignore It
What am I saying? That the "Toronto blessing" is the trickery of men, a deception of the devil? That the "laughing revival" is a genuine move of the Holy Spirit after all? Neither. I'm saying we don't have to answer that question. We can play it safe and ignore it completely, with God's blessing.
How can you possibly be left behind in God's plan if you're busy following the marching orders He's already given? If you follow Paul's command to Timothy, then you're already in God's will. You don't have to feel like God has left you out. You don’t have to feel substandard or second-class. Nothing is wrong with you spiritually if you don't climb on this bandwagon. Why? Because since Pentecost and the final teaching of Paul, we always look backward for life, truth and spiritual stability, not forward. That's my point. I, for one, have got my hands full with my original marching orders. And so should you.
This is the simple rule that will always protect you: Continue in what has already been revealed. You can't grieve the Holy Spirit if you're faithful in this way.
New movement of the Spirit? I'm still busy with the old movement of the Spirit, being faithful to what's already been revealed.
Stand to Reason - www.str.org - Training Christian ambassadors in the areas of knowledge, wisdom, and character - http://www.str.org/free/commentaries/theology/newmovem.htm
New Movements of the Spirit?
by Greg Koukl
Whenever I face a difficult theological problem, I start with what I know for sure and use that to organize the field, eliminate options, and clarify the task. I move from the known to the unknown.
The so-called "laughing revival" is a case in point. Its manifestations of uncontrollable laughter, animal roars, violent shaking and loud wailing supposedly announce the imminent return of Christ.
Clearing Away the Bad Arguments
Some charge ahead with no thought for their spiritual safety, hungry to be "tickled...in accordance to their own desires," to use Paul's words (2 Tim. 4:3). Others immediately dismiss anything they've never seen or heard of before. Curiously, both are guilty of judging by experience rather than by principle, one by encounter and the other from want of encounter.
Recently a friend of mine attended a worship conference punctuated by hideous laughter. When the altar call was given, conferees stampeded to the front, some falling down, convulsing on the floor in front of her. She leaned over to the person next to her and whispered, "In the Bible this only happened to those who were demon possessed." She was immediately accused of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
My friend's observation was fair, biblically accurate, and fully appropriate in light of the spiritual chaos surrounding her. Yet, she was rebuked for even raising the issue.
This won't do. Justifications based on being "fools for Christ," and warnings about "quenching" the Spirit, putting God in a box, or "touching" God's anointed are of no help in discerning truth here. Instead, they actually discourage careful, biblical analysis.
Frankly, I'm about 20% agnostic on this issue. The other 80% makes me want to run the other way. Part of me says that the Holy Spirit may be involved with this, at least in some measure. The genuine revival associated with the preaching of Jonathan Edwards in the mid-18th century received similar criticisms. But even Edwards noted that tares were sown in with the wheat of the revival of his day.
Edwards' counsel is to judge the spiritual effects, not the physical causes. Judge by the fruit produced. This is good advice, but it immediately raises a problem.
The Problem with Checking the Fruit
What is the fruit of the so-called Toronto blessing? People get excited, they laugh, they roar like animals, and they have a new infusion of joy. Some allegedly have a deeper experience with Christ, evidence that God is deeply involved in this new blessing.
But that's not all. Consider another example. Recently a tearful young lady confided in me that deeply committed and productive Christians in her church were slowly being marginalized because they had misgivings about the "blessing." Being out of step with the Spirit, they were relegated to second-class status, subtly disqualified from meaningful involvement. Some were so discouraged they dropped out of ministry entirely.
This was also fruit--bad fruit--but it wasn't evident immediately. A dishonest shipper never places rotten produce on top of the pile. Even a casual shopper knows enough to turn the strawberry basket over to see what's hidden underneath. Initial appearances can be deceiving. The good-looking fruit is always on top. Bad fruit is not obvious at the beginning. In time, it's discovered at the bottom of the pile, quietly spoiling the whole barrel.
The critical question is this: What fruit remains? Is this a durable change of life, or a temporary rise in affections, sustained by regular visits to the altar for another emotional fix? A week, a month, a year later is there a deepened Christian life?
Over time this young lady had seen joy and excitement give way to spiritual arrogance. She witnessed the subsequent division, the discouragement, the fine Christians dropping away. This is also part of the harvest. Unfortunately, it's often much more durable, cutting deeply into the life of the local church.
Genuine Revival
A recent spread in the LA Times featured pictures of effusive worshipers in local churches in Southern California and asked: Is this a revival in the church? It struck me that if the Times was looking for revival, it was looking in the wrong place. True revival is never measured by what happens inside the church, but rather by what happens outside the church.
Secular historians note that the Wesleyan revival in the 18th century so transformed the cultural landscape of England, it saved Britain from revolution. No one had to go inside a church and take pictures to know that God was moving. This was not a revival inside the church; it was a Christian revival outside the church among the people of England.
Ultimately, we should never measure a revival by how much swooning goes on in the sanctuary. Neither laughter, nor tears, nor howls, nor cheers mark the durable work of the Spirit, but only transformed lives that withstand the test of time.
Problems in the End Times
While I may not be sure the Spirit has inspired the "laughing revival," there's one thing I'm sure is inspired: Paul's last instructions to Timothy. These hold the answer to this question for me.
Second Timothy is Paul's last letter, his swan song, his final thoughts before dying. In it he passes the torch of the Gospel to Timothy with a sober warning: Difficult times are coming.
First, there will be trouble in the world:
"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." ( 2 Tim 3:1-4).
Second, there will be trouble in the church:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
Trouble is on the horizon, Paul says--trouble in the world, and trouble in the church. He then gives Timothy the antidote. His solution is found in three simple words: "You, however, continue...."
"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them....All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:14-4:2).
Paul never tells Timothy to look to the future for new movements of the Spirit. He says to look backwards and guard what's already been revealed.
This is Paul's message throughout his entire letter. "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me" (1:13). "Guard...the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (1:14). "And the things which you have heard from me...these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also" (2:2).
Paul says that a time will come when moral chaos will fall upon the world and theological chaos will fall upon the church. That time has arrived.
The antidote is the same for us as it was for Timothy. Steady at the helm. Guard what has already been entrusted to you. Continue in the things which you have already learned. Everything we need to be fruitful and productive, to be trained in righteousness, to be adequately equipped for every good work, has already been revealed. For Paul, all the old stuff would continue to be all the right stuff.
Just Ignore It
What am I saying? That the "Toronto blessing" is the trickery of men, a deception of the devil? That the "laughing revival" is a genuine move of the Holy Spirit after all? Neither. I'm saying we don't have to answer that question. We can play it safe and ignore it completely, with God's blessing.
How can you possibly be left behind in God's plan if you're busy following the marching orders He's already given? If you follow Paul's command to Timothy, then you're already in God's will. You don't have to feel like God has left you out. You don’t have to feel substandard or second-class. Nothing is wrong with you spiritually if you don't climb on this bandwagon. Why? Because since Pentecost and the final teaching of Paul, we always look backward for life, truth and spiritual stability, not forward. That's my point. I, for one, have got my hands full with my original marching orders. And so should you.
This is the simple rule that will always protect you: Continue in what has already been revealed. You can't grieve the Holy Spirit if you're faithful in this way.
New movement of the Spirit? I'm still busy with the old movement of the Spirit, being faithful to what's already been revealed.
Stand to Reason - www.str.org - Training Christian ambassadors in the areas of knowledge, wisdom, and character - http://www.str.org/free/commentaries/theology/newmovem.htm