Some Thoughts

From a recent email conversation:

[Whether we understand 'speaking in tongues' as 'unknown to men' or 'unknown to me', and granting for the sake of the argument that whatever it is, is still valid for today,] it’s important to remember that “not all speak in tongues.” That reminder speaks volumes about things like using speaking in tongues as a litmus test for conversion or assurance (read: it can’t be), or for classifying our brethren into the “haves” and the “have nots”. No spiritual gift ought to have such a predominance that it overshadows simple faith in the simple gospel. This was part of the Corinthian error Paul so harshly rebuked.

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Admittedly, my views on the person and work of the Holy Spirit have undergone much change [in the past few years]. Many of my assumptions were wrong. The Holy Spirit, despite what many say today, does not desire the spotlight — he is the spotlight, and he aims his light at Christ. His work is humble, changing hearts under the preaching of the Word, sanctifying us, preserving us, convicting us, beckoning us closer. Some say the Holy Spirit is the neglected person of the Trinity. I might agree – because his ‘ordinary’ work is so day-to-day. He’s the guy who humbly picks up the garbage pail in my cubicle, keeping the place as it should be, even when I often fail to notice him and say “hey, thanks.” He is working now in us to conform us to the image of the glorious Son. [Imperfect analagy, yes, but I think my point is clear.] Sure, we ought to long for extraordinary works. But never at the expense of his “ordinary” work within the “due use of ordinary means” to make us like Christ and bring us to Christ. Our primary focus as regards the Holy Spirit, I believe, is to acknowledge, praise, and be nourished by this ordinary work – and not to be constantly asking him to (forgive me) “do another trick.” In my mind, that is what grieves him more than not seeking his more ‘visible’ gifts.

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And a little commentary. For a long time, I’ve considered myself both a Calvinist and a charismatic (not that I care much about labels, merely using shortcuts here to communicate more in fewer words). I still believe in the modern-day operation of the extraordinary gifts — though the canon of Scripture is closed (see Grudem’s The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today). But there is so much more to Calvinism / the Reformed faith than merely a predestinarian soteriology. There is such a richness of heritage, a legacy of such majestic proportions that reminds me of walking through an old house too quickly, only to suddenly begin noticing the care and craftsmanship of even the doorposts. There is beauty all around. And I want to walk more slowly, more patiently, more observantly. Rather than drafty old houses in need of modernization, these documents (that is, these ideas and understandings they pass on) are more akin to a cherished estate that’s been in our family for generations, been through a few wars (and has a few battle-scars to show it), and was built by our blood-ancestors. They ought to be valued, esteemed, preserved, defended - secondary standards though they may be. I suppose I’m saying that, much like my marriage (to mix the metaphor), the more time I spend in this beloved old “house,” the more deeply I know her, love her, and cherish her.

“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, [let us] guard the good deposit entrusted to [us].”