|
|
|
- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
|
|
V. REBUTTAL TO THE HOLINESS PENTECOSTAL VIEW A. Scripture Does Not Teach Two Separate
Works in Sanctification 1. In discussing the three works in the
Holiness Pentecostal doctrine, we see that Scripture does talk about the
ministry of the Holy Spirit but not three levels of work. 2. In conversion, Scripture teaches the
convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:8). The Holy Spirit “convicts”
(elegchō - to expose, convict, or reprove) the sinner about his
sin to lead him to repentance. The Spirit exposes and reproves the sinner
concerning his sinfulness and unbelief (Jn 16:9), the sinner’s unrighteousness
and Christ’s righteousness (Jn 16:10), and the judgment the sinner will
receive if they do not come to Christ. This will be the same judgment that
the Devil will receive (Jn 16:11). 3. As discussed earlier, another ministry of
the Holy Spirit is sanctification, which includes initial Positional
Sanctification, ongoing Progressive Sanctification, and final Perfect
Sanctification when the believer goes to heaven. As for the present life of
the believer, he may subjectively observe that he grows in the Lord. This may
even take place in degrees of intensity during his life, but there are no
specified levels of sanctification in Scripture (2Pe 3:18). B. The Believer is Not Cleansed from All
Indwelling Sin 1. Part of the problem is that the Holiness
Pentecostals confuse Positional Sanctification with Progressive
Sanctification. When He 10:10 states that, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all,” it is referring to Positional
Sanctification. Though the word “sanctified” (hagiazō) is in the
perfect tense, it signifies that we have been sanctified at a point in time
in the past (Positional Sanctification) with ongoing results. The ongoing
results are not speaking of sinless perfection, but as affecting the dominating
force of our present indwelling sin principle. 2. Paul teaches that our sin nature has been
“rendered inoperable” as the dominating force of the believer’s life (Ro
6:6). The KJV’s language is misleading by the translation of katargeō
as “destroyed” or the NASB’s “done away.” Though katargeō can
be strong enough to imply “abolish” (1Co 15:26; Ep 2:15), the basic
sense means to be caused to be idle, useless, or rendered inoperative. Take
for example He 2:14, where the devil was not “destroyed” (KJV), but has been
“rendered powerless” over the power of death. The sin nature has not been
“destroyed” but has been “rendered powerless” as the dominant force in the
believer’s life. 3. We have already pointed out that Paul
still struggled with sin in the flesh (Ro 7:13-21) and had not become perfect
(Php 3:12-16). C. There is Only One Baptism of the Spirit at
Salvation 1. The Pentecostal View sees two spiritual
baptisms in Scripture. One is at salvation by the “Spirit” when He places the
believer in the body of Christ (1Co 12:13). The second is by “Christ” when he
places the believer in the Spirit for the second blessing (Ac 1:5). 2. Their argument is based on agency of
spiritual baptism. They see 1Co 12:13 referring to the Holy Spirit’s agency
of baptism and see Ac 1:4-5 as Christ’s agency. 3. Ac 1:5 explains the only two baptisms
represented in Scripture. One is John’s baptism is with “water” and the
second is Christ’s baptism with the “Holy Spirit” (one is instrumental “with”
(en - in, with, or by) “water,” and the other is instrumental “with” (en
- in, with, or by) the “Holy Spirit.”). These are the only two different
baptisms in Scripture. 4. 1Co 12:13 is not a different kind of
baptism from Ac 1:5b. In fact, 1Co 12:13 could be translated, “For ‘with’ (en
- in, with, or by) one Spirit we were all baptized.” There is no mention
in the Scriptures of different types of spiritual baptisms, especially with
reference to a time after salvation. Simply stated, the Father and the Son
are the agents or baptizers, who both sent the Spirit (Father - Jn 14:26; Ac
1:4; Son - Jn 15:26; Jn 16:7). And the Holy Spirit is the means or instrument
in both Ac 1:5 and 1Co 12:13. 5. Baptism of the Spirit is the Spirit’s
ministry whereby He places the believer into the body of Christ (1Co 12:13).
He does this for “all” believers at the moment of salvation. They are all
“made to drink of one Spirit” (enabled and empowered) by the Spirit when the
believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1Co 6:19) at the moment of salvation.
This was the baptism promised by Jesus (Ac 1:4-5, 8), which took place on the
day of Pentecost, not a separate baptism subsequent to salvation. D. Tongues was a Spiritual Gift Which was Not
Given to Every Believer 1. Though the gift of tongues was given to
those who were baptized with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were
not an evidence of Baptism of the Spirit. 2. Tongues was a spiritual gift given by the
administration of the Holy Spirit as He willed and to whom He willed (1Co
12:4, 11). Tongues was not given to every believer (1Co 12:8-10, 29-30), yet
every believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation
(1Co 12:13). Therefore, tongues cannot be the evidence of the Baptism of the
Spirit. 3. Furthermore, the Scriptures do not
admonish believers to seek tongues or the Baptism of the Spirit (Ro 12:6; 1Co
12:13). E. Scripture Does Not Teach a Crisis of
Experience (See Keswick View) |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
