CHARISMATICS/PENTECOSTALS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
By Ryan Hicks
It is common among some Charismatics and some Pentecostals to constantly talk about the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4), but in His dealings with man He has chosen not to be exalted, rather to exalt the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jon 15:26
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I [Jesus] will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
No where are we taught in Scripture that the Holy Spirit testifies of Himself, rather He testifies of Jesus! Why then do the people who claim to be filled with the power of the Spirit then always talk about Him and not the one He came to testify about? Why would the Holy Spirit lead them wrongly into testifying of Him instead the Son except it be they have received a wrong spirit?
I have had many testimonies from missionaries and brothers and sisters in other countries which tell of devils called "holy spirit" and "holy ghost." It seems that the devil has tried to deceive people into getting a "holy spirit" or "holy ghost" but not THE "Holy Spirit" or THE "Holy Ghost."
You may say that Jesus promised you that you could not get a evil spirit if you asked for the Holy Spirit, but here is what the Scriptures say:
Luke 11:11-13
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
The Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, but this does not mean people always ask Him. Many times they have rituals and vain repetitions for prayers, but no true seeking and asking the Father. They are so eager to receive a spirit, that they generally bypass the things required to receive the true Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Notice how Jesus says in Luke 11:13 that it would be our heavenly Father giving the Holy Spirit. Thus, we must be saved, truly saved, where we can call God our Father before we can receive the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures bear this point out more when Jesus said:
If you are going to receive the Holy Spirit's power in fulness for witnessing (not showing off and making a fool of yourself as many people do with their "holy spirit" devil) you must be saved and keeping Jesus' New Testament commandments. Notice that He connects your keeping His commandments with His deciding to pray that you receive the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. You cannot play games with God and then try to get the Holy Spirit's fulness of power for witnessing, because the only holy spirit you will get will be the devil named "holy spirit" like the missionaries talk about.John 14:15-17
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Also, in relation to Luke 11:11-13 it must be realized that it does not say that you cannot receive a wrong spirit, but that the Father will not give you what is wrong. If you get a stone, serpent, or scorpion then you can know God did not give that to you, but that you were asking amiss. James puts it this way, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3).
We need to avoid any religion or false Christianity that is constantly exalting the Holy Spirit and rarely mentions the Lord Jesus Christ who the true Holy Spirit, God Almighty, has come to testify of.
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