Why be open to the Holy Spirit? This question is important because the only link between us and the Throne of Grace is the Holy Spirit.
If he is quenched (1 Thessalonians 5.19) or grieved (Ephesians 4.30) we have almost certainly cut off the only link that will let us know how God is moving today, not to mention forfeiting any real intimacy with God (1 John 1.3). We must, therefore, maintain the best possible relationship with the Spirit.
Although God is the same yesterday. today and for ever, and therefore unchanging in his nature, he is not unchanging in the way he reveals himself, and does not always reveal himself in one generation as he did in another. We must therefore be open to the Spirit less we miss the way in which this God sovereignly chooses to manifest his glory.
Jonathan Edwards taught us that the task of every generation is to discover in which direction the Sovereign Redeemer is moving, then move in that direction. If we are closed ('God couldn't possibly work like that') to whatever God may wish to do or say today, we will miss his glory just as Israel missed recognising the Messiah when he appeared. You could never have convinced the scribes, priests or Pharisees that God's chosen Messiah would appear before their eyes and they not see him! But this is what happened!
If we are truly open to the Holy Spirit (because we are prepared to pay the price and go with whatever the stigma may be), there is probably more likelihood that we will not miss his glory when it is unveiled , nor forfeit intimacy with God.
Each generation's stigma
It is not so difficult to believe what God did yesterday. But what God did yesterday may have been highly offensive at the time. We may say: 'I wouldn't have objected had I been alive then'. But the only proof that that we would have accepted what God did in a previous generation is by affirming what God is doing in ours. Even the Pharisees felt themselves very pious because they affirmed yesterday's men!
Jesus confronted them on this very issue. 'And you say: 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets'.' (Matthew 23.30). But by rejecting the equivalent offence - rejecting Jesus Christ himself - Jesus said to them: 'So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendant of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!' (Matthew 23.31-32).
I would not be surprised if Whitefield's followers today would have rejected George Whitefield himself! Or if Spurgeon's followers today would have rejected Charles Spurgeon himself! Many who rejected Billy Graham when he came to London in 1954, today would love to be associated with him.
The offence in what God is doing in the present is usually changed sufficiently different from what he did previously in order to test our love of God and our true openness to the Spirit.
Not a single person listed in Hebrew 11 had the luxury of inheriting the stigma created for yesterday's man or woman of faith. Enoch 'walked with God' (Genesis 5.24). Noah 'walked with God' (Genesis 6.9). Noah might then have concluded: 'I have already proved that I please God as much as Enoch did since I am doing what Enoch did'. The result of Enoch's openness to the Spirit was that he was translated - God took him so that he did not see death (Gen. 5.24; Heb. 11.5). But Noah walked with God and was not translated (as he might well have wished) but had to endure a terrific stigma: maintaining it was going to rain and that judgment was coming upon the earth.
Abraham was not allowed to do what Noah did. Perhaps there would have been little stigma in building another ark! But Abraham's stigma was different. 'By faith Abraham, when called to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going' (Heb. 11.8).
All those described in Hebrews 11 were faced with a new and unprecedented stigma in their own generation.
Openness
Why be open to the Holy Spirit? Because God still speaks to today. 'Today, if you will hear his voice' (Heb. 3.7). The application of God's word by the Holy Spirit will include focusing on an aspect of that word which will be today's offence. The Holy Spirit continues to speak - clearly, directly and immediately; but he will never, never, never conflict with or contradict anything in the Bible, but only make it clearer! The Holy Spirit speaking today is not new revelation or in competition with the Bible (like the Book of Mormon - or the Koran - which contradict the word of God). The proof of the Holy Spirit's voice or manifestation will be that it vindicates and magnifies the Bible.
Openness to the Holy Spirit is what will out us in good stead not to miss what God is in today. There is no great stigma (speaking generally) in defending what Athanasius stood for. He stood alone and won. But nobody in the church will be ridiculed today for saying that Jesus Christ is truly God - co-eternal, co-substantial and co-equal with the Father. There is no great stigma today in defending justification by faith alone - even with some Roman Catholics. Martin Luther, however, stood alone, but he won the day. Today Christians generally grant that we are saved by faith alone in Christ's work on the cross.
The stigma may repeat itself. Creation over against evolution brings offence; hell over against annihilation brings offence, One must not therefore rule out that a challenge to an ancient truth once vindicated could re-emerge as a new battle that must be won, but the rule of thumb will be that today's stigma will be a new stigma and it won't be easy to stand for and accept.
How is openness known?
When we are open in our hearts as well as our heads. It was Lydia's heart that the Lord opened (Acts 16.14). It is possible to be theoretically open (that is, giving intellectual assent) but closed in our hearts. The chief impediment to openness to the Spirit is fear. 'For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim. 1.7).
We must become vulnerable which means that we are willing to be hurt - or embarrassed, cease protecting ourselves with defence mechanisms (setting up defences in our minds); excuses why we should not be involved; worrying about our reputation with friends - even closest friends, and such like.
We must be extremely sensitive to the Spirit. As we have seen, the Holy Spirit is a person who can be grieved or quenched.
We grieve him chiefly by bitterness - having an unforgiving spirit (which is why we slander people) (Ephesians 4.30ff). We risk quenching the Spirit chiefly by protesting ourselves from vulnerability, and by speaking against what God is presently doing - supposing that God couldn't be doing that! (Cp. Acts 11.1-3).
How can be become open if we fear we are not but want to be?
1. Be sure there is no unconfessed sin in our lives (1 John 1.9).
2. Be sure we bear no bitterness or grudge against anyone (Eph. 4.31 ff.).
3. Be sure we do not speak against anyone (James 3).
4. Be sure we have a solid prayer and Bible-reading life (Luke 18.1; 2 Tim.2.15).
5. Walk in all the light God gives us (1 John 1.7).
6. Learn to know the Spirit's voice (Heb. 3.7-8).
7. Develop a familiarity with the Spirit's ways and the ability to recognise his presence (Heb. 3.10-11).
Conclusion: some warnings
1. We must not assume we are open to the Spirit today just because we have been yesterday. Mary and Joseph proceeded without Jesus 'thinking he was in their company' (Luke 2.44). They were wrong.
2. We cannot assume we are open because we have taken a strong stand on some valid issue, for example, abortion, inspiration of Scripture, sound teaching. We can even have the gifts of the Spirit and not be open; after all, God's gifts are irrevocable (Romans 11.29).
3. We must not assume we are open to the Spirit because God is blessing us. We may be prospering, have been healed, have a good job, and know God's guidance, but that is evidence of his grace, not one's openness.
The consequence of not being open is horrendous. It could mean being unable to enter God's rest (Heb. 3.7-11), God swearing an oath against us (Heb.3.11); inability to hear him speak again (Heb.511ff) or even being unable to be renewed again to repentance (Heb. 6.6).
But if we are open to the Spirit - and able to recognise him at work - we are at peace with ourselves and we are not likely to miss what he is doing or forfeit intimacy with God.
Dr R Kendall
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