Spiritual Insight
W. Carl Ketcherside
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It becomes ever more apparent that there is a conflict between brethren as to the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the written word. The problem does not concern the Spirit as an agent of transmission, for all those of whom we speak are agreed that the scriptures contain the revelation of God's will to man, and that "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." The question relates to the present relationship of the Spirit to the revelation appearing within the sacred canon.
On one side are those who feel that, once the scriptures were completed, the Holy Spirit withdrew into the background as an impartial observer whose task has been completed and whose only interest now is to see what others will do with what he has supplied. These regard the Spirit as in the same category with a truck driver who deposits a load of bricks on a building site and then parks under a shade tree across the street to see what kind of an edifice the builders will erect.
At the other extreme (and I do not like
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The danger in the two terminal concepts to which we have referred is the same--both of them oversimplify the situation. One makes the ascertainment of the divine will a mere human exercise in linguistics; the other makes it a divine involvement in every human enigma. Both seem to be derogatory of God, the first by elevation of man, the second by depreciation of divinity. I am not unaware that the gap may appear wider than it is and much of it may rest in the field of semantics. If we were able to communicate properly we might find that we had been shouting at each other across a chasm that we could jump over if it were not for the fact that we view each other through partisan telescopes held in reverse and which make others appear farther off than they really are.
With the kind indulgence of our readers I should like to share a few of my views with the understanding that I do not write dogmatically and will revere and respect as my brothers in Christ Jesus those who cannot concur in what I say.
1. God has revealed to us through the Spirit those things which could not be ascertained by sight, hearing, or rational processes (1 Cor. 2:9, 10). These things were "revealed by inspiration to his dedicated apostles and prophets" (Eph. 3:5). One of these declared, "We speak of these gifts of God in words found for us not by human wisdom but by the Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:13).
2. The Holy Spirit is as interested that we grasp the significance of the words of inspiration as that we have them. He has not "thrown the book at us" and retired from the scene, but He dwells in us for good. "Do you not know that your body is a shrine of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Spirit is God's gift to you?" (1 Cor. 6:19). "To prove that you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son" (Gal. 4:6).
3. It is essential that, as we mature, we develop "the gift of true discrimination." This enables us to distinguish between things that differ. It provides us with a proper sense of values. It is a gift of love that has become enriched by knowledge and insight. "And this is my prayer, that your love may grow ever richer in knowledge and insight of every kind, and may thus bring you the gift of true discrimination" (Phil. 1:9, 10). "We ask God that you may receive from him all wisdom and spiritual understanding for full insight into his will" (Col. 1:9). There is a difference between the written word and insight into the will of God about which the apostle wrote in that word.
4. We hold that the will of God has been revealed for this age. The last apostle closed his testimony with the words, "Come, Lord Jesus," and nothing will be added to it until Jesus comes. The next time the voice of the Lord is heard will be when "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." But man has not yet learned all there is to know about the revelation of God. There are unplumbed depths and unscaled heights. It is as appropriate for us to pray for "insight of every kind" as it was for Paul to write the prayer. And the Holy Spirit who "strengthens the inner man" and is our "Helper" will aid us in arriving at such insight into the will of God.
5. It is our conviction that the Spirit of God will not provide us with additional revelation. Revelation is exposure. The mind of God has been exposed and His will disclosed. Revelation is the uncovering for man by God that which man could not discover for himself. While the revelation is for all men, it was not to all men. It was to his "dedicated apostles and prophets." Our insight into His will
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6. It is also our conviction that insight comes from application of the mental faculties to truth and not from the application of truth to the mental faculties. Insight is penetration and it is not achieved by dumping ideas on the mind independent of the will, but by digging into ideas as an act of the will. The Holy Spirit does not impose the divine will on the mind but infuses the mind into the divine will. If the first were the case, every person would have the same degree of knowledge regardless of aptitude or ability. It is obvious that no two persons have the same capabilities, but when men are completely and unreservedly surrendered to the Spirit they may be led to insights to the extent of their personal abilities to grasp and utilize divine truth. We can be led only as far as we are able to go.
7. God respects the sovereignty of the human will and does not violate its prerogative by arbitrary imposition of the divine will upon it. Our insight into His will is conditioned upon our own willingness. "Whoever has the will to do the will of God shall know whether my teaching comes from him or is merely my own" (John 7:17). The Holy Spirit will exercise power over our hearts but will not overpower them. He will not commit His power to those who are not committed unto Him.
8. The depth of penetration or insight to be achieved at a given time is always conditioned upon a willingness to use to the fullest that which has already been attained. "Let us then keep to this way of thinking, those of us who are mature. If there is any point on which you think differently, this also God will make plain to you. Only let our conduct be consistent with the level we have already reached" (Phil. 3:15, 16). When one becomes reluctant to gain greater insight because of fear of the party or because of external pressures his growth halts at that point. We cannot live today on the level of yesterday. One cannot mine precious ore by allowing his drill to spin ceaselessly at the same depth. He can never attain the summit of a mountain by pacing back and forth in his tracks at the same level.
9. We do not gain insight at the same rate of speed. Each individual is different. The Holy Spirit furnishes the power and drive but our mental perceptions are the machines and He must use us as we are. All of us have been conditioned by environment and previous training. Some are dull, others sharp; some are blunt, others keen; some are ignorant and others educated. We cannot measure others by ourselves nor compare ourselves among ourselves. Our hope of eternal life is not conditioned on keeping up with each other but upon keeping hold of Christ. We are not saved by knowledge but by faith. Still it remains that we are sharpened by contact with the Rock and the mental friction we endure makes the task easier day by day. We grow in grace as well as in knowledge of the truth.
10. It is apparent that many have been impoverished because they have never learned the meaning of the divine statement, "If the Spirit is the source of our life, let the Spirit also direct our course (Gal. 5:25). Those who approach the new covenant scriptures as a legalistic code will soon become lawyers; those who approach them as love letters from a kind Father will soon become lovers. The Holy Spirit cannot aid those who are spiritual lawyers, for the record says, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." The fruits of the Spirit are borne in a realm which operates above law. "There is no law dealing with such things as these" (Gal. 5:23). Those who operate on the royal principle of love will be aided to insights which will transform their whole lives.
We realize that there are those who scoff at the idea of any aid rendered by the Holy Spirit. Smug and complacent as they wave their copy of the book in the air, they are content to believe that they have no further need of the Spirit. There are no depths beyond their human reasoning, no heights they have not scanned, no breadth beyond their reach. We would not deprecate the study of the sacred oracles for here the Father reveals His will. But
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In this age of crisis we need to penetrate deeper and deeper into the life of Jesus. Under the impetus of the indwelling Spirit we must allow our hearts and lives to be involved in the spiritual until previously undiscovered truths burst upon our hearts with enlightenment that will permit exploration into treasures of wisdom and glory we have never before realized. Passages we have read and explained will glow with new meaning. Answers for our own lives and those of others will be found in unexpected places. Passages which once appeared in a shadow will be revealed in brightness. We do not need a new revelation. We do need a revolution in our hearts and lives created by new insights into the will of God.