The Word and the Spirit

Ps Melinda Song

  

Ephesians 2:19-22, NIV

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Roots and wings are a good principle to follow when raising children. Many children fall away when they leave home for further studies. Children need strong foundation and also the opportunity to be free to learn to make good decisions based on a sound value system.

The same root and wings principle applies in our spiritual lives as individuals and as a church. We need to be grounded in the word and have the freedom to embrace the new work God is doing in the midst of us.

With plants we typically observe what is above ground, not the important part that is underneath—its root system. Yet roots have great significance in plant health. Eighty percent of all plant disorders include soil/root problems.

God’s Word transforms our lives—healing, guiding, and changing the way we live.

Solid Anchor

The first major function of roots is to keep plants upright and stable. Redwood trees…about 100 meters tall have stood erect for [about a] thousand years only because millions of individual fibrous roots dig into the ground, even though the depth of penetration is only up to about 5 meters.

During great winds, vegetation with a well-established root system will not be knocked over or uprooted, while plants that are shallowly rooted can be easily destroyed.

Spiritually, this analogy reflects our Christian lives. Many “storms” are raging throughout the world—worsening immorality and perversion, civil conflicts, wild weather patterns, social disturbances, and crimes of every kind. If we are solidly rooted, we will be able to withstand the fury of what swirls around us. But if we lack healthy spiritual roots, we will not stand much of a chance.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Word is living, it is truth and it is sufficient for any and every situation or trial that we may experience in our lives (1 Peter 1:22-25; Psalm 19:7-14).

Moisture and Nourishment

The second major purpose for roots is to provide a plant with moisture and nourishment. The roots are the beginning of the vascular system pipeline that moves water and minerals from the soil up to the leaves and fruits.

Plants and trees make every effort to send down roots as far as possible—or out as far as possible—to get to the water and minerals they need. We must do likewise in searching for the eternal, life-giving nutrients that our Creator provides in His Word. The Bible tells us in John 17:17 that God’s Word is truth. Also, in John 6:63, Jesus stated “...the words [of truth] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Strong Immunity

It has been discovered that roots fend off diseases and viruses by producing antibiotic microorganisms to help fight off pathogens both in the soil and in the air.

Spiritually, the world is full of all kinds of wrong beliefs generated by false religious systems, which could be characterized as “religious diseases.” Those who have not built up a strong, healthy, spiritual root system have been unable to ward off these deadly spiritual viruses.

Led by The Spirit and Empowered

Without the Spirit there would be no church.

• The church was birthed by the Holy Spirit
• Men filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit became witnesses of God.
• Signs and wonders followed.
• The Holy Spirit directed Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch.
• Holy Spirit orchestrated the meeting between Peter and Cornelius
• Paul kept by the Spirit from preaching in Asia

Every step of the way, God had to renew their wineskins to receive His new wine! We must always be in step, in sync and aligned with the move of God.

Let’s take a look at our spiritual heritage.

Our Evangelical Heritage

• The Bible is the ultimate authority for life and faith
• The sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the Cross is the only means of salvation
• There must be “Born again” experience and a life long process of following Jesus
• Importance of the Great Commission

Our Pentecostal Heritage

In addition to our evangelical beliefs, Pentecostals also believe that:

• Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience from salvation and water baptism
• The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today

Unfortunately there has been much “war” between the two camps.

They are caught in an either/or argument where people have to, or should choose between one or the other. Generally speaking, decisions are much more complex than simply choosing black or white. There is a whole spectrum of gray between black and white.

Arguing that there are only two pre-defined options in an argument keeps the options to respond limited and cannot be applied to every situation.

Jim Collins, a former Stanford Business School professor who spent six years researching great companies that had a track record of success over several generations. He grouped the great companies into gold medal and bronze medal categories. Bronze medal companies performed well over time. Gold medal companies performed extremely well over the same period. Collins wanted to find out what made the difference. His findings are written up in his best-selling book fc Built to Last. 

Collins observed that companies—like people—have a tendency to think in terms of "either-or" instead of "both-and." Most companies, he says, believe their options force them to choose between competing opportunities.

For example, a company can choose either to make a profit or to serve the needs of humanity. Collins then shows that highly visionary companies have the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time. Instead of choosing between A or B, these companies figure out a way to have both A and B.

This ability to resist the natural tendency to split the world into competing options, Collins argues, is one secret to a great organizations success.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald pointed out, “the test of first rate intelligence is the ability to hold opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”

In the physical world, quantum mechanics tells us that light has both particle-like and wave properties

Applying this to the spiritual level, we also believe that God is three-in-one; Jesus is the Lion and the lamb; both God’s sovereignty and human choice/responsibility have their part to play in salvation.

In the history of Christianity we can see the body of Christ swinging from one extreme to the other, rarely finding the middle way. Our tendency to swing is still present today but

God’s word and God’s Spirit have been working together since the beginning.

1. God created by His word, with His Spirit “hovering” throughout the process. (Genesis 1:2)
2. God’s written word is produced by the work of God’s Spirit: “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21 ).
3. In the life of our Savior, the word made flesh. After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, he returned, “in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14)  As he entered the synagogue of Nazareth, he read from Isaiah and applied it to himself. In Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…to proclaim.” And the power of the Spirit in which he ministered, leads him to “teach;” the Spirit leads him to “proclaim;” the Spirit’s power leads to “gracious words coming from his mouth.” (Luke 4:22)  In other words, the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus led to his teaching, preaching, and speaking God’s word.
4. In the book of Acts. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended and people declared the wonders of God. The early believers gathered together for a time of prayer.  At the end of their meeting, “The place where they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31) 
5. Conversion is both a work of the Holy Spirit and a work of God’s word. 

“So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:18)

“Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.: (John 3:5-6, 8).

The seed of the gospel can only be responded to when germinated by the Holy Spirit. The Scripture is plain that that the word alone is not enough to enter and change the heart of natural man (who is hostile to God's word) but that the heart must be opened and the mind illumined by the concurrent work of the Spirit.

Ezekiel 37 is a wonderful illustration of the intimate connection between the power of God’s word and the work of God’s Spirit.  In this chapter, the prophet is taken into the wilderness and shown a pile of dried bones.  He is told to prophesy – to proclaim God’s word – to the dried bones.  As the prophet preaches to the bones, they come together, they grow sinews and flesh, and they stand in line.  They are described in the end, as “an exceedingly great army.”

The Word and the Spirit are not at opposite points on a spectrum; one cannot be truly spiritual without being truly biblical, and vice versa. Let’s apply the genius of “both/and" to the one organization that truly is built to last, the church.

In his book I Believe in the Church, David Watson writes:

All Word and no Spirit, we dry up;

All Spirit and no Word, we blow up;

Both Word and Spirit, we grow up

All Word no Spirit, we dry up

There churches which focus on the Word of God to the point of excluding the Spirit and anything possibly to do with the Spirit. In the end they become dry because the Holy Spirit that brings life to the Word of God is gone.

Furthermore, when the Word of God is misunderstood and misused to minimize the gifts and work of the Holy Spirit, dry orthodoxies develop. The “rules” become more important than the spirit and intent of God’s Word.

If one has too much knowledge and no evidence of the Holy Spirit, they can end up with puffed heads and walk in pride using their knowledge.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1)

NOTE: We are not saying that all Word rich Christians are unloving or not spiritual but legalism, rigidity and religiosity is often the manifestation of being all Word and NO Spirit.

All Spirit and no Word, we blow up

When the ministry of the Spirit is done with a minimizing of the Word of God false doctrines and religious excesses can result. Believers may turn to a wrong spirit and follow every wind of doctrine and popular fad spiritual movement. Faith may become strong but will tend to be a groundless faith and turn counterfeit.

Others are too focused on the experiences of the Holy Spirit – as a church they end up seeking the experience rather than where the experience should be rooted (Jesus). In the end they are deceived and led astray.

Too much of the Holy Spirit without a foundation of the Word can lead to divination and mysticism.

“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way” (Proverbs 19:2)

Both Word and Spirit, we grow up

The presence of the Spirit will be seen in a love for God’s word, a right understanding of that word, and a speaking of that word.

We should be committed to the absolute authority and accuracy of Scripture, even where it flies in the face of ecclesial tradition, contemporary culture or intellectual fashion.

We should be committed to experiencing (and not merely believing in) the presence and power of the Holy Spirit today, eagerly desiring spiritual gifts and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

How to Fly a Kite

If wind conditions are good, face away from the wind and hold up your kite, letting it catch the wind. As the wind lifts the kite, let line out. If the wind slows or lulls, reel in some line back in to steady your kite.

Your line is the best way to maintain or regain control of your kite due to unexpected wind changes. The wind is like the Holy Spirit so we need the line to make sure we do not get blown away and get lost. But without the wind, the kite would not be able to do what it is meant to do – fly.

Our Rich Heritage

The largest Pentecostal denomination in existence today is the Assemblies of God with a membership of about 51 million worldwide. The preamble to our fundamental beliefs states that: The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice.

• #1 The Scriptures Inspired

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2Tim 3:15 -17; 1Thes 2:13 ; 2Pet 1:21 ).

Another distinct Pentecostal belief is that there is a second work of the Holy Ghost after initial conversion, in which the Holy Ghost dwells more fully in the believer, and which opens one up to a closer fellowship with God, empowering him or her for Christian service.

• #6 The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect, and should earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church.

With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Lk 24:49; Ac 1:4, 8; 1Cor 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Ac 8:12 -17; 10:44 -46; 11:14 -16; 15:7-9).

With the Baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (Jn 7:37 -39; Ac 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Ac 2:43 ; Heb. 12:28 ), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Ac 2:42 ), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mk 16:20 ).

My dream for TOP is this:

TOP is a Spirit and Truth Family Church that honours equally the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Word of God.

Ephesians 2:19-22

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Remember we are first a family of God and it is in the environment of loving and caring relationships in community that we grow as individuals and as a church.

May we love another, be rooted in the Word and Spirit-led and Spirit empowered.