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January 28, 2019
It is a sad twist of irony that those who claim to be most focused on the Holy Spirit are in actuality the ones doing the most to abuse, grieve, insult, misrepresent, quench, and dishonor Him. How do they do it? By attributing to Him words He did not say, deeds He did not do, phenomena He did not produce, and experiences that have nothing to do with Him. They boldly plaster His name on that which is not His work.
Scripture itself warns us that Satan can do signs and wonders.
The apostolic gift of tongues was not some form of irrational vocalization. Rather, the apostles miraculously spoke in authentic foreign languages they had never learned (Acts 2:9–12).
a true work of the Holy Spirit can only be measured on the basis of biblical criteria. Emotional experiences may be powerful, but they are no proof that God is truly at work.
it is equally essential that believers exercise biblical discernment in recognizing lies.
We might frame these tests from 1 John 4:2–8 in the form of five questions: (1) Does the work exalt the true Christ? (2) Does it oppose worldliness? (3) Does it point people to the Scriptures? (4) Does it elevate the truth? (5) Does it produce love for God and others?
a true work of the Spirit exalts the true Christ. In contrast to false prophets, those who are truly empowered by the Holy Spirit place the primary emphasis on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, a true work of the Spirit shines the spotlight on the Savior, pointing to Him in an accurate, exalting, and preeminent manner. False teachers, by contrast, diminish and distort the truth about Him.
The Spirit’s work is always centered on the Savior. Any ministry or movement He empowers will share that same priority and clarity.
As Steve Lawson rightly observes, “The Holy Spirit’s desire is that we be focused on Jesus Christ, not Himself. That is the Spirit’s chief ministry. He is pointing us to Jesus. Bringing Christ more clearly into focus. When the Holy Spirit becomes an end in Himself, then we have misunderstood His ministry.”
As the Lord told His disciples in the Upper Room, the Spirit would be sent in His name, to remind them of His teachings, and to bear testimony to His work (John 14:26; 15:26).
The Spirit does not speak on His own authority, nor does He draw attention to Himself—rather, He desires to glorify the Son (John 16:13–14).
The focus of the church is not on the dove but on the cross, and that’s the way the Spirit would have it. As J. I. Packer puts it, “The Spirit’s message to us is never, ‘Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,’ but always, ‘Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him, and hear his word; go to him, and have life; get to know him, and taste his gift of joy and peace.’”17
Pastor Chuck Swindoll is even more explicit in this regard: “Mark it down: the Spirit glorifies Christ. I’ll go one step further: If the Holy Spirit Himself is being emphasized and magnified, He isn’t in it! Christ is the One who is glorified when the Spirit is at work. He does His work behind the scenes, never in the limelight.”
John saw a vision of the risen Christ, he fell to the ground like a dead man (Rev. 1:17). Compare that to modern experiences
