Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones, in the afternoon.

I managed a jog with the dog in the rain. Then there was a good deal of discussion with the family surrounding the material in this composition. When the ladies with the little kids headed out for a round of shopping, Joe and I carried on with a lot more discussion. Anyway, they all agreed that the angle I’ve taken with this devotional is worth presenting—so now you can judge.

At present the sun is shining. We may be able to get in more outside work. We’ll see.

May the rest of your day be blessed.

Love, Dad/Ray.

What again is God’s diagnosis of the natural (non-transformed) human heart? Is it not DECEIT and wickedness? (Jeremiah 17:9) Question: Is the residue of that NATURAL SIN NATURE instantly and absolutely wiped out at conversion—upon one’s acceptance and declaration of Christ as Savior and Lord?—or simultaneous with one’s being “filled with the Spirit?” Wouldn’t it be nice if we could answer those questions with an unequivocable and emphatic YES? But the correct answer is obviously and painfully NO. Indeed, if Biblical revelation and practical Christian experience teach us anything, it teaches that sanctification and holiness by God’s standard (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 12:13) is not so much an event as much as it is a process. Therefore, we should not be shocked and surprised to learn that DECEIT goes to church. Every church is subject to this reality. With humans in the mix, along with their residue of varying degrees of DECEIT, church remains a mine-field of danger that calls for discernment, care, and caution.

My concern flows out of my own experience within church in general and pentecostal ranks in particular—including my own participation in DECEIT. I’ll risk being candid and honest. I’m reflecting on those settings of my church background where being “slain in the Spirit” was popularly regarded as a demonstration of the Spirit’s power and anointing. I have reason to believe that this concept contributed to the common practice of displaying a trance-like state where, at some point (perhaps being prayed for by a high-powered evangelist), the performer falls backward to the floor. As a kid I attended a church where this was such a regular practice that a group of church ushers served as “catchers” so that those who were falling would not hurt themselves by falling flat. Then, to accommodate the practice, there was a nearby stack of cloths that the leaders could grab and lay over the dress bottoms and legs of female fallers to avoid too much exposure. I don’t recall ever hearing of these believers being “slain in the Spirit” in the privacy of their own homes—only in public. Hmm. Don’t take me wrong—I’m not anti-pentecostal/charismatic. And I’m quite convinced that the Sovereign LORD is just as capable today to inspire and impart Spiritual gifts and manifestations as He ever was. Nor is this to make a blanket judgment regarding ALL falling—but I know something about the deceitful kind—I’ve been there, done that.

Why would I be talking about this kind of thing having begun with the FOCUS VERSE above? Notice that Ezekiel does what all others seem to do in the Biblical record when they encounter the awesome overwhelming presence of the Holy Sovereign Lord—they fall. But they almost always fall on their faces. The only exception I can think of was when Jesus was about to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:5-6—I love this! All these big tough non-worshiping thugs with their swords, clubs, and spears were “slain” to their backsides by the Spirit of God. In the margin of my Bible I have written, “Biblical big bang”—Jesus identified Himself and BANG!—they didn’t know what hit them.).

Notice too how Ezekiel gets up. He doesn’t move to his hands and knees then stands. He testifies, “Then the Spirit lifted me up.” Now that would indicate an authentic demonstration of the Spirit’s power. And it could be a superior standard of Spirit anointing to just falling. Anyone can fall. That’s natural. But how can anyone move from a horizontal position to a vertical position without personal effort? That’s supernatural.

To be sure, we all need help—we all need lifting—supernatural lifting—lifting from our NATURAL SIN NATURE and our natural bent toward DECEIT—to the point that we actually participate in the “divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4). Let’s turn in our hymnals to “Love Lifted Me.”