Paper on 'Am I Being Deceived?'

Toward Reconciliation

This book categorically lays out the psychological and practical traits of Spirit and Bible radicalisms. Particularizing perspectives on the extreme ends of what the book labels Real Christianity separates it from the counterfeits, the New Age Movement, and Phariseeism; this categorization paints solid lines delineating two extremes from Christianity and helps the laity conceptualize the distinctions. Placing the Christian at the center, “believ[ing] that the Bible and the Holy Spirit should go hand in hand” (p. xvii), orients the Christian in a unique position to mediate both sides toward the truth. The book offers many details in its exposition of what it considers counterfeits and reveals the errors of neglecting either the Spirit or the Word. I find the book most helpful in its attempts to find the balance between the polarization of spirituality. While I see a high-level value in classifying philosophical and ideological dogmas, the gospel charges Christians to be in the ministry of reconciliation. To this end, I must begin with self-inquiry, then with humility, engage others through cordial discourses and the willingness to listen to views different from mine.

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him…These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
— John 14:23, 25-26 (ESV)

The book’s strength expresses in its first chapter, which states, “Christianity embraces both the Bible and the Holy Spirit” (p. 1). According to Jesus, to love him is to keep his word; however, the Lord would soon be taken away from the disciples, who would no longer hear directly from him. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus promised the Comforter would abide with them forever. The purpose of the Holy Spirit was to teach them and remind them of the things that Jesus had taught them. According to the Lord’s teaching, the disciples must rely on the Holy Spirit to keep his word. Through the Spirit’s inspiration, the New Testament was written to the Church as a living document “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12). As a Christian, I must continue to grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures and mature in my reliance on the Holy Spirit for understanding.

The book reminds me to highly esteem the position of the subject of inspiration — the Word — and the Inspirator. To take one at the expense of the other, as the book goes to great lengths to disseminate, is not only erroneous but dangerous. I have been on both sides of these extremes and acquainted with the reductionistic philosophy of sloppy arrogance. During the early years of my conversion, the Lord showed tremendous signs and wonders in our ministry. We witnessed miraculous physical healing and restoration of broken relationships. I knew the Bible was an essential part of a Christian’s maturity; however, the immediacy power of the Holy Spirit operating in ministry was so compelling that the written text became auxiliary. Lacking the biblical foundation, I remained underdeveloped spiritually despite gaining vast experience operating a global spiritual enterprise. When the Spirit of truth came, I had no biblical construct of the truth to discern if the Holy Spirit was indeed leading me or the product of my subjective emotional experiences. Even though Pilate was in the presence of Truth, he had no basis for discerning; in sincerity, I would, as Pilate, ask, “What is truth?”

When my delusionary foolishness dissipated, revealing my utter lack of knowledge of God, in desperation, I picked up Charles Spurgeon’s book, Lectures to My Students, and began to read. Reading Spurgeon, I realized this was a man through whom the Spirit of God revealed the truth of the Scriptures. According to the book, the New Age Movement’s seeking spiritual experiences (p. 9) resembles my early spiritual encounter. Whereas the New Age Movement based their experiences outside the Scriptures, I nebulously used the Bible to justify my preposterous subjective contextualizations — guided solely by idiosyncratic perceptions.

Taking a hard right turn toward allowing the Bible to speak for itself, I immersed myself in learning the texts as a biblical tyro. The Bible became my constant companion. As I drank every word from the pages, new and exciting revelations leaped from the printed text into my mind. I did not need teachers to instruct me or books to guide my interpretations, and I did not want traditions to impede my direct-to-God access with antiquated orthodoxy. Though I never admit to rejecting the Spirit, I have dismissed the Spirit’s authority by relying on unverifiable nascent revelations that could have been the product of my hubris cognitive inventions — I had become a Pharisee, “accepted the Bible but rejected the Spirit” (p. 14).

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
— 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

God has given the Christian to deliver the message of God’s love embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without an exemption, the Scripture has “concluded all under sin” (Gal 3:22); no one in his righteousness can present himself before God. But God has promised us the faith of Jesus Christ that we might receive grace to believe and be reconciled to God. The ministry of reconciliation begins with critical self-inquiry to understand our starting point. Paul admonished the Corinthians,

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
— 2 Corinthians 13:5

Whomever I encounter in life, my responsibility to the gospel is to reconcile them to God by first listening and understanding who and where they are. Knowing I have been saved by grace through the Lord’s death, I have nothing to boast about. Without rigorous excogitation, I am in danger of hubris and arrogance, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). Our Lord listened intently, even to those who opposed and ridiculed him; he answered their questions and interacted with them. Jesus was killed by the people he came to save as a testament to his meekness and humility.

The intersection of the Word and Spirit is the cross where Jesus was crucified. At the cross, there are no boastings or contentions, only grace. In life, I will meet many at the extreme ends of this intersection; I will sometimes be on these fringes in my idiosyncratic nature and ambiguous proclivities. Even so, the grace of Jesus will be more than sufficient for me, and I hope to extend the same generosity as I share Jesus with others.