10-22-2016, 10:02 AM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Greater Ohio
Posts: 13,693
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Re: Reading the Bible does not Give us the Spirit
Quote:
Originally Posted by testallthings
Evangelical wrote:
There is a quote on the main page of this site that I just want to address:
The Spirit inspired the Word and therefore He goes where the Word goes.
The more of God's Word you know and love, the more of God's Spirit you will experience. ~ John Piper.
Many individuals, ministries, churches believe this, that by knowing, loving and teaching the Word of God, that we are becoming more filled with the Spirit.
It sounds logical, the Spirit inspired the Bible, therefore read the Bible and you get the Spirit! Read the Bible more and you get more Spirit! But it is correct? No, and it is in fact illogical. The Bible came from the Spirit, but the Spirit does not come from the Bible. It's like if I write a letter to my wife, does she get more of me by reading and loving my letter? No. Even if she studies my letter diligently and knows it inside out, she only gets me when she asks for me. Likewise, reading, studying, loving the bible, God's letter to us, does not get us more of God. What gets us more of the Spirit is when we ask for the Spirit.
I don't have the context of J. Piper's quote, but if he meant that just by reading the Bible we can experience God's Spirit than what Evangelical wrote seems right. I don't think J. Piper is so naive to assume that. Reading is the first step. Praying is the second. If we have these two steps I don't see why we can't experience God's Spirit.
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Always take note of the ole switcheroo when reading Evangelical.
Piper speaks of " knowing God's word enables us to receive the Spirit." Evangelical changes "God's word" to the book called the Bible. Obviously, people have read (or "searched" like the Pharisees) the Bible for self-serving interests, and did not receive the Spirit of God.
This is classic Lee.
Lee often warned us about reading the Bible "incorrectly." Why, however, did he not warn us about reading his own books?
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