In Defense of the Holy Spirit
2 Peter 3:1-2
October 27, 2013
Over the course of the past few months
We have been talking about the Holy Spirit.
• We talked about who He is – namely God in us
• We talked about what He does
(Sanctifies, Equips, Seals, Guides, etc.)
• And we talked about how we are to respond to Him
Most recently learning that we are to
“Be filled with the Spirit” and we are to “walk by the Spirit.”
And I told you from the beginning that I really didn’t know how long this study would go, because I didn’t have a real good handle on where we would go from week to week.
And honestly I had thought about concluding with the last sermon
And moving on with our next study this morning.
However, I think we’ll go one more here this morning,
And it is in reference to the conference that Carrie and I just attended.
We spent last week in Sun Valley, CA (just outside of Los Angeles)
At Grace Community Church at a Truth Matters conference.
The theme of this conference was “Strange Fire”
(you can listen to it at gty.org)
And the root of this name comes from Leviticus 10
Leviticus 10:1-3 “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.”
Now we don’t know the specifics of what Nadab and Abihu did.
We know they offered “strange fire”,
Which could indicate fire from the wrong source.
But it wasn’t just the fire that was the issue,
It was that in their worship they failed to treat God as holy.
And not only did God consume them with fire, but adamantly stated,
“By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy”
Obviously this was a grievous offense.
God must be treated as holy.
And this isn’t an isolated incident.
Numbers 20:8-12 “Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.” So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
There again, what seemed like a small matter to us,
Was in fact a very serious matter to God.
Moses failed to treat God as holy
And he was denied access into the Promised Land.
• We could go to 1 Samuel 15 and see Saul disobey the Lord in regard to Agag and God departing from Saul from that day on.
• From there we could go to 1 Chronicles 13 and see David transporting the ark to Jerusalem. Now, they weren’t doing it as God had prescribed, for the priests were supposed to carry the ark, but David had it on a cart.
And when the oxen stumbled and the ark nearly fell, Uzza put out his hand to catch the ark, and the Lord struck Uzza dead.
You don’t mess with the holiness of God.
• We could move on to 2 Chronicles 26 and watch Uzziah try to enter the temple to burn incense to God even though that was only for the Levites, and God struck him with leprosy until the day of his death.
• We could even move to the New Testament to Acts 5 and see a man and woman named Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit about their offering, and we could watch God strike each of them dead.
And I think you get the point.
God is holy and He must be treated as holy.
Failure to do this is an offense to God and is dangerous for the offender.
We must worship God the way He commands to be worshiped.
• That includes a true understanding of who He is.
• That includes a true understanding of what He does.
• That includes a true submission to His required methods of worship.
And we know this.
If someone comes in and starts maligning the person of God we rise to defend Him.
If someone accuses God of being unjust or unloving or not real, we defend Him.
If someone comes in and maligns the person of Jesus we rise to defend Him.
If they say He isn’t God, or isn’t man, or wasn’t holy, we defend Him.
Well one of the points of this conference was
Why do we not do this for the Holy Spirit?
• If believers will rise to their feet to defend the person of God (and they do)
• And if believers will rise to defend the nature of Christ (and they do)
• Then why won’t believers rise and defend the person of the Holy Spirit?
We must defend the truth about the Holy Spirit.
Now we learned a lot at the conference (we’ll talk some later)
• Cessationsim
• Reformers view of charismatic doctrine
• Effect Charismatic doctrine has in Africa
But we can’t talk about this all right now.
But if I had to summarize the point of the conference
(and I only do this because it fits so exactly with what we have been talking about)
Here were the three main points of the conference.
1) THE SPIRIT IS BEING BLASPHEMED
And we say that because not only is He worshiped wrongly,
But He is accused of doing things that He does not do.
Matthew 12:31-32 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Jesus did true miracles and unbelievers attributed them to Satan.
Today people do false miracles and attribute them to the Spirit
• TONGUES TODAY IS NOT NEW TESTAMENT TONGUES
• PROPHECY TODAY IS NOT NEW TESTAMENT PROPHECY
• MIRACLES TODAY ARE NOT NEW TESTAMENT MIRACLES
And the burden does not fall on me
To prove what they are doing is not legitimate.
The burden falls on them
To prove what they are doing is Biblically legitimate.
What is done today is not the same.
Yet it is commonly attributed to the Holy Spirit.
It is false worship.
And yet it is staggering how unbiblical much of what goes on today
In the name of the Holy Spirit actually is.
• We have people “slain in the spirit”
• We have people “speaking gibberish”
• We have people “twitching and falling”
• We even saw a group doing “The Holy Spirit hokey pokey”
The Spirit is blasphemed
2) THE SCRIPTURE IS BEING IGNORED
This desire for new revelation, whether it be tongues or prophecy
Is really nothing more than a rejection of the true revelation,
Which is Scripture.
Has Scripture lost its sufficiency that we are in need of something new?
Certainly not!
Is Scripture no longer “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”?
When Jesus promised the apostles that the Holy Spirit would “guide them into all the truth” (John 16:13) or that He would bring to their remembrance “all that I said” (John 14:26) was He lying?
Experience has become the new sovereign,
Scripture is pushed to the back with a token place at best.
That is a real tragedy because the gospel (not experience)
Is the real power of God for salvation.
The Spirit is blasphemed, The Scripture is ignored
3) THE SAINTS ARE BEING SILENT
We don’t speak out against it.
We hear of stories, we hear of experiences, and we just let it go.
We don’t challenge it, we don’t call it out, we don’t condemn it.
We just let it go because someone told us that
To oppose it is to oppose the very work of God.
NOT TRUE
That is not the Holy Spirit, we have seen what He does.
We know His fingerprints.
He convicts, He guides, He glorifies Jesus, He sanctifies, He equips,
He seals, He intercedes, He gives life.
The fall out is that our silence gives them a supposed acceptance
And this false gospel is literally being broadcast all over the world.
The Spirit is Blasphemed, The Scripture is Ignored, and The Saints are Silent
And this just cannot continue.
Now, I don’t want to keep going on this conference,
Because at the very heart of it, those men may in fact be speaking the truth,
But we don’t stand on the authority of those men.
We stand on the authority of Scripture, so this morning
I want us to see this very thing in the Scriptures.
Now, hang on to your seat for a second, because this is going to hit you a little funny this morning, but our text is the entire letter of 2 Peter.
(I know, you just looked at your watch and thought, “no way”)
But hey, it’s pastor appreciation Sunday, so you’re stuck!
But I want you to see the letter as a whole because I want you to realize
That Peter sounded this same alarm as the last thing he ever wrote.
This letter was written around AD 23 or 24.
Peter was martyred in AD 24
This letter was written at the end, and incidentally Peter knew it.
2 Peter 1:13-15
Do you hear Peter’s concern?
The things he is writing aren’t anything new, they are reminders.
And the purpose is not to enlighten you to new doctrine,
But rather to stir you up to remember the old doctrine.
And Peter does it because he knew the time of his departure had come.
He was about to die and his one concern was that
The next generation would not lose sight of the truth.
And incidentally the truth Peter wanted them to remember was simple.
It was that Christ, through His word,
Has given you everything you need to live the Godly life.
2 Peter 1:1-4
You don’t need a supposed secondary filling of the Holy Spirit.
You don’t need some new experience with the miraculous.
Peter wants you to know that you have everything you need.
And he builds on that by telling you to act on that truth.
2 Peter 1:5-8
And you see it don’t you.
THIS is what a Christian pursues.
We aren’t after experiences or mystic events.
We are pursuing practical godliness that is evident in our lives.
If you live like this, you are useful to the Lord.
And that is what Peter is stirring them up to remember.
And incidentally all of these truths and matters of guidance
Are preserved for us in the Scriptures.
2 Peter 1:19-21
Do you see Peter’s point here in this first chapter?
• I am about to die.
• I am writing because I want to leave on your mind what being a Christian is really all about.
• It’s not about seeking mystical experiences or secondary fillings.
• You already have everything you need to live a godly life.
• The Scriptures explain it all – they are sufficient.
• You just need to pay attention to the Scriptures.
NOW WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE PETER WAS CONCERNED?
2 Peter 2:1-3
There it is.
You need to get a handle, not only on the truth, but also the source of the truth, which is Scripture because the deceivers are on their way.
There are people coming who will lie to you and manipulate you
And tempt you and seduce you and lead you to destruction.
And don’t think God won’t destroy these people and their followers.
2 Peter 2:4-10
God knows how to punish the ungodly.
So you be godly, as the Scripture indicates.
Don’t get sucked away by these coming false prophets.
BUT WHO ARE THEY?
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
Peter actually gives four criteria by which you can spot these people.
1) THEY REVILE THINGS THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND
2 Peter 2:10-13a
“revile” translates BLASPHEMEO
It means “to speak profanely or to rail at”
And because people see that they “revile angelic majesties”
Most assume that they speak bad about good angels.
Listen to me, if someone came in this church and started railing at Gabriel or Michael would you have any problem spotting them as false prophets?
He is talking about people who revile fallen angels.
HOW DO I KNOW?
Jude 8-10 “Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.”
They aren’t talking about reviling good angels,
They are talking about reviling fallen ones.
Even Michael wouldn’t do that, but these men will.
They are “Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.”
Even good angels don’t have the audacity to do what they do.
Ever seen it?
“We bind you Satan – we rebuke you Satan – we command you to leave Satan”
Peter says, “Watch out” they don’t have a clue what they are doing, it is all for show, they are not real.
(VERSE 12-13a)
And we see that sort of pompous junk all the time in this movement.
Peter was warning about them 1,990 years ago just before he died.
These false prophets revile the things they don’t understand.
2) THE REVEL IN THEIR WORLDLY EXCESSES
2 Peter 2:13b-16
“they count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime”
“revel” is a word that means “luxuriousness or daintiness”
In other words they put their luxurious lifestyles on display.
Jesus was poor
The apostles were poor
But not these people
And what is worse, you and I know where they got it.
They exploited the poor, promising them prosperity
For a seed faith gift of as much as they could give.
Is that not what Peter said earlier in the chapter?
2 Peter 2:3 “and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
That is what they do.
(VERSES 13b-14)
Don’t miss that Peter also uses words of sexual scandal,
And we’ve seen our share of those over the years as well.
And you get the picture of who these guys are.
In fact, Peter even gives you their mascot.
(VERSE 15-16)
• You remember that prophet for profit don’t you?
• Willing to haggle a price for what it would cost to curse Israel.
These men are no different.
They love their sin, they revel in it, they live luxurious lives
And have no problem putting it on display.
They aren’t new. (because Satan isn’t new)
Matthew 23:14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”
Peter compares them to Balaam and says it is “madness”
Do you see that these guys are coming?
• You had better cling to the more sure word of Scripture.
• You had better seek the godliness God requires, not the gold fortune they are offering.
Don’t get seduced by their reveling in their luxury.
Remember Asaph nearly did.
Psalms 73:3-9 “For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth.”
But God straightened Asaph out didn’t He?
Psalms 73:16-20 “When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.”
I know they look prosperous, I know they are inviting,
But don’t step into their snare.
And that is the tragedy – MANY DO.
They Revile what they don’t understand
They Revel in their worldly excesses
3) THEY RECRUIT THOSE WHO LOVE SIN
2 Peter 2:17-19
You see it again, these men have no value at all.
People say you can’t mess with these guys, because they must be doing some good, I mean can their television ministry be all bad?
Well, is a spring without water of any use?
There is nothing of value.
So why do people follow them?
BECAUSE THEY ARE OFFERING WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
People want prosperity and that is what they are selling.
(VERSE 18)
They use their sensuality to entice people.
That, by the way, is why they revel in the daytime.
No, it doesn’t look good that they preach from crystal cathedrals.
That is a clear contradiction of Scripture.
However, it’s hard to seduce a man who wants to get rich
If you preach from a barn.
So they put their riches on their arm
Because it makes their prosperity message sell.
The guys are so dangerous.
That’s why Peter says you had better stick to the scripture,
And seek out godliness.
If you venture off that path these men are waiting to ensnare you.
They recruit those who love sin
4) THE RETURN TO SIN THEY CLAIM TO HAVE OVERCOME
2 Peter 2:20-22
Peter nailed them didn’t he?
• Scandal after scandal after scandal
• Financial scandal
• Sexual scandal
And they return to it because that’s who they are.
Washing a pig doesn’t mean they aren’t a pig any longer.
And you can take a servant of Satan and put him in a church,
But that doesn’t make him a servant of God.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”
Peter wants you to know where these guys are headed.
AND THAT BRINGS HIM BACK TO HIS MAIN POINT.
2 PETER 3:1-2
Wake up, cling to the Scriptures, both the old and new testaments.
That is the problem.
• The Spirit is being blasphemed
• The Scriptures are being ignored
• And the Saints are sitting silent – or are sleeping
Someone has to wake up and expose these people.
Someone has to revive their concern for Scripture.
Someone has to promote true godliness.
Now if we stand to expose them does that mean they will stop? No
2 PETER 3:3-4
Mockers will mock, that is what they do.
The fight will come.
But listen, you have the truth on your side.
Don’t let them seduce you away from it.
Incidentally the truth they work against in chapter 3
Is that the judgment is a myth.
They say it won’t happen.
And if you are preaching a prosperity message and drinking up the world as fast you as you can, you had better hope it isn’t coming.
But we’ve heard that message too lately.
Half of these preachers aren’t sure if God will send people to hell or not.
Most are convinced everyone is getting in.
The judgment will come, they will be destroyed,
And sadly they will take others with them.
And obviously there is much more that could be said, but I’ll direct you to the close of the letter.
2 PETER 3:17-18
There is Peter’s closing plea.
It is a plea for you
• To know who they are
• To guard yourself
• To grow in the truth
• And in this way to glorify Jesus
See friends there is an entire movement that is pulling people away
By convincing them that the Holy Spirit is the One
Who authors all of these bizarre events.
• They convince people that He is the One behind their ecstatic utterances, their prophecies, and their miracles.
• And they convince people that He is the One who will make the rich, you know give them “Your Best Life Now”.
But that is blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
He didn’t come to do all that.
• He came to give you life
• He came to sanctify you
• He came to equip you to serve God
• He came to guide you
• He came to seal you
• He convicts of sin
• He guides us into truth
• He glorifies Jesus
And our command is to let Him fill us and to walk by His strength.
Not to get sucked away by the hucksters
And not to stand idly by while other people are led astray.
We have spent several months studying
Who the Holy Spirit is and what He does.
Now, if someone attacked the existence of God would we not rise to our feet and defend that there is a God and He is holy? That He is good and loving and gracious?
If someone attacked the deity of Jesus, would we not rise to our feet and defend that He most certainly is God? That He is the only Savior? That He is sufficient?
So why do we stand by and let people misrepresent the Holy Spirit
As someone that the Scripture never says He is?
We must defend Him as well.
We started this study saying that so many in the church
Are actually afraid of the Holy Spirit,
Namely because He has been so misrepresented.
People are afraid if they seek the Holy Spirit
Then the wildest and strangest behavior is going to happen.
They think what they see on television will happen to them.
That is not the Holy Spirit, and don’t let their blasphemy of Him
Cause you not to trust Him.
• You know who He is.
• You know what He does.
• Trust Him
• Worship Him
• Follow Him
• Defend Him
Because plenty of others are distorting Him.
John 14:16-17 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
