A devaluing of the Holy Spirit

In the introduction to Rediscovering the Holy Spirit, Michael Horton observed that the Spirit is the easiest person of the Trinity to depersonalize. Given arguments on a couple of recent threads, perhaps this is not only a timely observation but an appropriate generation to consider his book.

When I started studying in earnest the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer I was drawn to a work by John Owen (author of The Mortification of Sin) titled Pneumatologia. On this topic Owen presents the necessity of the Spirit to guide the believer into truth – that is, apart from this work of the Spirit (this work of God) man is unable to discern the spiritual things in a spiritual manner. Our natural minds (apart from the Spirit) can deal with argument, philosophies, and logic. But the unrenewed mind cannot divorce itself from its nature to see the spiritual beyond human wisdom.

R.C. Sproul also wrote at length on the work of the Holy Spirit. In one of his books, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, Sproul wrote that the Holy Spirit leads to truth because the Spirit is the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit instructs the believer in truth so that we may be a holy people.

Quoting Isaiah 54:13 Arthur Pink insisted that the believer is literally taught by the Holy Spirit – not only through revealing Scripture but also by revealing to the believer his or her own sins through a life of sanctification (The Holy Spirit).

J.I. Packer wrote (The Ministry of the Spirit) of the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding Christians to decisions through discernment of God’s will. Errors are not the fault of God, but rather when men falter in their dependence on the Spirit. He views the Spirit as illuminating the connection between Scripture and our lives, by personalizing and applying God’s will for us.

John Stott advocated a complete dependence on the Spirit, noting that the believer can posses absolutely no understanding without the Spirit (The Message of Acts).

So why is it that Christianity has come so far away from viewing the believer as dependent upon the Spirit – not just to get the believer to accept biblical doctrine but for his very existence?

How did we go from John Owen, who viewed the Spirit as guiding the believer to discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner to advocating the work of the Spirit as getting the believer to accept what is presented in Scripture?

 

I haven't read much Stott. I have two commentaries that I rarely reference. The Cross of Christ was good.

 

While I was using the previous threads as a springboard rather than continuing that discussion here, I strongly disagree with your assessment. The reason is that on those threads a comment was made about the reliance on the believer upon the Spirit to guide him or her into spiritual truth. The comment that sparked the disagreement over two threads was also made by John Owen without controversy or “talking past one another” generations ago. Something has changed.

I believe that part of this is excess by some churches. We’ve seen these things happen over other doctrines when theology becomes reactionary. But we need to consider why a comment about reliance on the Spirit so quickly sparks assumptions about excesses and false doctrines.

There are two errors I see. One is elevating the Spirit over Scripture in terms of measuring doctrine. But another is elevating Scripture over the Spirit in terms of apprehending spiritual truth in a spiritual manner. What we are talking about is the revelation of God (scripture) versus a reliance on God Himself and the work of God in the life of the believer. Both go together - they cannot be separated without error.

I think that the fact people like Horton are addressing the idea that a devaluing of the Holy Spirit in our churches has occurred may indicate that it is possible it has occurred. If Horton was alone, perhaps it could be more easily ignored a topic.

Francis Chan addressed the issue even in the title of his short book – Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.

 

I think it is elevating one aspect (Scripture, reason) over the work of the Spirit. We live in a very information driven culture.

But I have not read their books yet. I have Chan's book and will probably read it over the weekend.

 

Spurgeon preached a wonderful sermon on this topic - The Power of the Holy Spirit.