Results 1 - 5 of 5
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How? | Mark | Irish Eyes | 198247 | ||
Have I misunderstood what you are saying then, Doc? Are you saying that there IS or IS NOT any difference between the indwelling and the filling of the Holy Spirit? Please pardon my confusion. I would appreciate clarification in terms that do not come across as ambiguous to me. Perhaps members that have been here longer are more familiar with your writing and terminology. Please state unequivocally for my benefit, if you would be so kind, whether, in your understanding, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit are one in the same or not. (Aside: In way of explanation, I did not just simply pluck a portion of a verse from the book of Ephesians, but was, rather, reading it within the context of the entire epistle categorically). Going back to Azure's original question, from my understanding through the study of Scripture under the ministry of the Holy Spirit, one can only "... love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Deut 6:4 and Mark 12:30) through the supernatural ministry of the FILLING of the Holy Spirit. There are many Christians that are indwelt by the Holy Spirit that go through their entire lives without ever fulfilling "the first of all commandments" because they are never filled with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit other than at the point of salvation. Carnality and spirituality are mutually exclusive. There is no mixture or percentage between these two attributes. For instance, one cannot be 60 percent spiritual and 40 percent carnal. One is either 100 percent spiritual, through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, or one is 100 percent carnal and out of fellowship with the LORD. |
||||||
2 | How? | Mark | DocTrinsograce | 198256 | ||
Dear Irish Eyes, I hadn't meant to imply that you had "done the plucking." I figured you had simply been the beneficiary of teaching rooted in that practice. (The "second blessing" notion is very commonly taught, particularly in the last 100 years, in America.) You see, most of us are recipients of second-hand theologies. (That's a good thing, really, for we even get into more trouble when each one of us simply invents our own theologies!) Anyway, the unique challenge we all face, as individual believers, is to bolster in our minds the sound doctrines (Titus 1:9) and jettison the errors and lies (Ephesians 4:17-21). It is a tedious process, made more difficult by all the distractions, the concerted efforts of the Enemy, and the weaknesses inherent to our old natures -- to say nothing of the sheer volume of stuff we've got to work through! Praise God we aren't left to ourselves in this task! Let's see... you want an "unequivocal statement." I thought I had done, but, if not, I'll keep trying. By the way, if you need a definition of a particular phrase or term, please ask. I'm not using them in a unique fashion. You can find independent corroboration from any of a number of theological glossaries available online. The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation is fourfold: (1) regeneration (Timothy 3:5; Ephesians 2:1; 1 John 5:11-12); (2) indwelling (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22); (3) baptism (I Corinthians 12:13; Matthew 3:11); and (4) sealing (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). These are the indicatives I've been talking about. They are objective truths. Every Christian has all of the Holy Spirit he will ever have at the point of salvation. Experientially, individual believers will yield themselves more or less throughout their lives to the leading influence of the Holy Spirit (Romans 13:12-14). Our concerted efforts yield the fruit of the Spirit -- Christ-likeness -- because the Spirit is at work in us (Romans 8:13-23). (See that same seeming contradiction in Paul's statement of 1 Corinthians 15:10.) "If we live by the Spirit [indicative], let us also walk by the Spirit [imperative]." (Galatians 5:25 ESV) The topic of the doctrine of "carnal Christians" ( commonly taught by Bill Bright and others) is misleading, if not downright erroneous, depending on the context. That is particularly so among my own Baptist circles. If there is no fruit of righteousness, we have absolutely no Scriptural basis to assert that a person has been saved. Romans 8 makes it clear that carnality and lostness are synonymous (see particularly verse 9). Believers are never "out of fellowship with the Lord" because of imputation. We could start a new thread to discuss that, if you like. I'd posit that no believer, during this life time, entirely fulfills "the first of all the commandments." Christ certainly did and believers in glory certainly have, but the living Christian does not -- otherwise there would be no struggle with our fallen natures. Indeed, the struggle itself is evidence of salvation. Thank you for pushing me to re-articulate all this stuff. It's good practice. Assuming, of course, that I'm actually increasing in clarity! :-) In Him, Doc |
||||||
3 | How? | Mark | Irish Eyes | 198261 | ||
Thank you for the elucidation, Doc. I am familiar with quite a number of theological terms, but will most indeed ask if I find myself in need of any explanations. :-) | ||||||
4 | How? | Mark | DocTrinsograce | 198264 | ||
Hi, Cheryl... I'm sure you are. I've been known to get mixed up. Not long ago I got illumination and inspiration mixed up! How I managed that still mystifies me. I was fortunate that my professor recognized the error early on in the paper, and adjusted accordingly. I have a hard enough time keeping up with all the students a generation or more younger than I am! Anyway, the moral of the story is that you'll be helping us all out if you ask for clarification. In Him, Doc |
||||||
5 | How? | Mark | Irish Eyes | 198265 | ||
Thank you kindly, Doc. :-) Words are amazing, are they not? Without words there could be no thought, only instinct. In Him, Irish Eyes |
||||||