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The Word & Spirit
(Taken from the October 2005 edition or our Present Truth magazine.)
By A. Wilson Phillips

In the present hour of our 21st century, American cultural Christians continue to battle one another in a warfare of words over the issue of God’s Word and God’s Spirit. A.W. Tozer said in The Divine Conquest:  

... I would bring everything to the test of the Word and Spirit. Not the Word only, but the Word and Spirit. “God is a spirit,” said our Lord, “and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

While it is never possible to have the Spirit without at least some measure of truth, it is, unfortunately, possible to have a shell of truth without the Spirit. Our hope is that we may have both the Spirit and the truth in a fuller measure.

In my worldview, Tozer framed the argument well while speaking as a prophetic voice to his generation. God has been speaking to and through His prophets and apostles both in spoken and written words for about the last 3500 years. Unfortunately, we (humanity) have trained ourselves not to hear or listen to His delegated spiritual authorities. The question becomes, “If God is speaking today, to whom and through whom is He speaking?” I believe His Word and His Spirit are communicating to some of His covenant people.

God has been speaking since the dawn of creation.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…Then God said, “Let there be light”…Then God said, “Let Us make man (ah-dahm) in Our image, according to Our likeness...” (Gen. 1:1, 3, 26).

God’s Word and Spirit harmoniously worked together to create the entire universe, including mankind.

Unfortunately, pride and rebellion entered God’s creation through an archangel, Lucifer. God’s holiness demanded judgment (Ezek. 28:11-19; Is. 14:12-21), and His justice was served. He remained in control, for He upholds all things by His Word and Spirit (Heb. 1:3). God is both transcendent (outside of creation) and immanent (involved in creation).

Following the judgment of Lucifer, God created man in His likeness and image to partner with Him in governing His planet earth (Gen. 1:26-31; Ps. 115:16).

The serpent shows up in God’s redemption story/history in the garden of Eden. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against the voice of God—“His Word and Spirit.” The serpent is identified by God’s Word and Spirit as the devil, Satan, and the dragon (Rev. 20:2).

Man was caught in the middle of a word battle between the voice of the serpent and God. Sin/death entered the human race through Adam’s obedience to the voice of the serpent rather than the voice of God (Gen. 2:8-3:24; Rom. 5:12). Once again, God’s holiness demanded judgment against the serpent (Gen. 3:14-15). To mankind, God promised deliverance from sin/death. God said, 

And I will put enmity

Between you (serpent) and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed (Jesus Christ);

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel (Gen. 3:15).  

The cross event was in view. Through the incarnation, the God/Man would take the serpent out. 

God’s Word and Spirit declares: 

For it pleased the Father that in Him (Jesus Christ) all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:19-20).  

God’s promise to His covenant people was spoken and written concerning their redemptive history. He fulfilled His promise and destroyed the works of Lucifer, the devil (1 John 3:8). 

Today, Father God is still calling men/women to salvation through His Word and Spirit. Faith comes through hearing His Word (Rom. 10:17). God’s Spirit makes His Word come alive as we confess the lordship of His Word. God’s Apostle Paul spoke and wrote,  

But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Rom. 10:6-11). 

The Word and Spirit are still working harmoniously to bring men/women salvation from sin/death unto life. We must obey God’s voice through His Word and Spirit. Make your confession now. Hold fast to your confession of faith. God’s Word and Spirit say, “The best is yet to come.” 

A. Wilson Phillips is the co-founding and senior pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.

Back to the List of Present Truth Magazine Articles

 

A Foundation of Holy Spirit & Word
(Taken from the October 2005 edition or our Present Truth magazine.)
By Benjamin Davis

I deeply appreciate the foundation given to me through the Baptist church in which I was saved and trained during my teenage years. One key foundation, which was also reinforced in my four years at Southwest Baptist University, was the inerrancy of God’s Word, the Bible. God used these early years of my faith experience to teach me how to read, study, and depend on His Word. 

One thing not emphasized during those early years of discipleship and training was the need to develop a personal relationship with the person of Holy Spirit. I have since come to learn that an emphasis on both God’s Word and His Holy Spirit is necessary for a balanced life of truth in Christ. 

Some who emphasize God’s Word but not His Spirit often have come up with sayings that strengthen their position. For example, I have heard it said, “We are instructed to seek God’s face, and Holy Spirit is God’s hands.” At first, this may sound right. However, it does not line up with Scripture. The Word says, 

For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:11-12). 

Another translation states it this way, 

It is only a person’s own spirit within him that knows all about him; in the same way, only God’s Spirit knows all about God. We have not received this world’s spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us (TEV). 

In my early training about the Bible, I was asked, “Do you believe the Bible is all you need for life and godliness?” To be accepted in those circles, the easy answer would be “Yes.” However, Holy Spirit would not allow me to give that answer without qualifying it by talking about the Spirit and the Word. 

Jesus described Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). Then He said, “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Many believe that the miracles and supernatural manifestations of God’s Holy Spirit were given only for a short period of time to complete the Bible. Others believe He was given only to complete the covenant transition from 30 to 70 A.D. However, Jesus said,

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever (John 14:16). 

Holy Spirit still abides with us today to guide God’s people into truth and faith through the Word of God. 

Our heavenly Father will be forever renewing the truth of His Word and the truth of His Holy Spirit to His people. A strong relationship with both His Spirit and His Word will be required to live a life of faith in the 21st-century. 

Benjamin Davis is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.