Through the years, I’ve been involved with many different ministries, met many different Christians in many different kinds of churches. It’s a blessing to see the body of Christ expressed with such diversity, yet united in the essentials, under one Lord. There is, however, a certain quality I have encountered that does not bless me. It shows up here and there and is sometimes subtle, sometimes more overt. It thrives under the pretense of devotion to Jesus, yet dishonors Him through the division it sows in His body. It is a kind of spiritual pride. More specifically, an attitude of superiority regarding one’s position on the Word of God vs. the Spirit of God.
Now, right from the get go, let me say that no informed Christian, orthodox in their theology, is going to discount the place of either the Bible or the Holy Spirit. Christians are meticulous to define and defend their position on each and, for the most part, doctrinal statements all read pretty much the same. So where is the problem? The problem emerges when a person or group begins to gravitate toward one side or the other and in attitude or practice begins to marginalize the other. Let me see if this sounds familiar: You believe the Bible is the word of God and you believe in the third Person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit. You read your Bible and you depend on the Spirit of God to help you apply it to your life, but those people over there, what are they doing? That is NOT the work of the Holy Spirit, that is just emotionalism! I mean, I’m not going to say they’re not Christians, but if they would just READ their Bibles they would know how far out on the fringe they are! God’s word contains everything needed to live the Christian life! I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
Or maybe you identify more with this: You believe the Bible is the word of God and you believe in the third Person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit. You believe the Bible when it testifies to the power of the Holy Spirit and you can’t understand what the problem is with those people OVER THERE! I mean, they are as dead as a doorknob! You’d think the Trinity consisted of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible! I’m not going to say they’re not Christians, but……….OK, enough of that.
This reveals an “us” vs. “them” attitude, an either/or way of thinking. I would echo the apostle Paul’s question: “Is Christ divided?” What is needed is a “we” attitude and both/and way of thinking. The “Bible” person (I am using this term only for argument) needs to open up to the possibility of experiencing the Living God more in the here and now. The “Spirit” person needs to realize that they don’t need to check their intellect in at the door to experience the power and Presence of God. Both/And. BOTH the Word AND the Spirit. I will develop this further in an upcoming article.
