DotCom 8: Assumptions at Pentecost

It's Pentecost and inevitably talk turns to talk about the Holy Spirit (rightly so). Over the past few weeks I've heard some teaching on the Holy Spirit, read some books and had several discussions. I have detected that most people (including myself) make assumptions about the Holy Spirit without really checking out the scriptures or thinking things through well. I've listed some of the assumptions I've detected. I'm uncomfortable with most of them (at least without them being qualified in some reasonable way), and I believe some are simply false and misleading. They are in no particular order ...

Assumption 1: A church is somehow inadequate if it does not demonstrate ALL of the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament. This assumption fails to recognise that we no longer live in the first centuary and that the Holy Spirit is quite capable of deciding which gifts are needed for which church in any given situation.

Assumption 2a: We should have the same experiences as at Pentecost as outlined in Acts 2.
Assumption 2b: We can have the same experiences as at Pentecost as outlined in Acts 2.
I definitely disagree with 2a. The coming of the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost following Jesus' ascension was definitely a one off event. There is no biblical warrent to suggest that He came again with sound like a violent wind and what seemed to be tounges of fire and that we should expect that.
The Holy Spirit is sovereign, so I guess assumption 2b is correct - but I don't think we should be looking for those experiences.

Assumption 3a: Individuals have some how "missed out" on the Holy Spirit if they have not had certain experiences of one of the "manifestations" of the Holy Spirit.
Assumption 3b: Individuals have some how "missed out" on a special blessing of the Holy Spirit if they have not had certain experiences of one of the "manifestations" of the Holy Spirit.
3a is anathema to me. It smacks of the "two stage" initiation that is preached by the Roman Catholics and by some Pentecostal groups. To the contratry - Romans 8 (for example) categorically says to me that ALL Christians receive (are baptised in/by) the Holy Spirit when they repent and accept Christ's forgiveness. Two arguments are given in favour of 3a - one the disciples experience of first believing Christ and then, at Pentecost, receiving the Spirit. This is a false argument because - when they first believed the Spirit - living in Jesus - was right their with them and had not yet been released for the whole church. ie we are "post-Pentecost". The second argument is because of the story in Acts 8 which suggests that although the Samarians' believed in Jesus, they only received the Spirit after Peter and John came. I'm happy to take the story at face value. However, the writer, Luke, was clearly surprised at this (it was certainly not part of his normal experience as a companion of Paul). It is clearly not the norm - it is an experience not repeated in the NT. We should not take it as a norm for now. One cavaet - it appears God had a special reason to hact as he did (probably conected to being the first preaching out of Jerusalem and to a group previously antagonistic towards Jews). I must bow to the sovereignty of God and recognise that in special circumstances God could do the same again.

Assumption 4: Being like the NT church means experiences exactly what they experienced. No - we are in a different time and place and we, unlike they, have the benefit of all the NT writings ....

Assumption 5a: The Holy Spirit can be called into "being present" by impassioned pleas. No - he is already present in every Christian
Assumption 5b: The Holy Spirit can be called to manifest himself in certain (spectacular) ways by impassioned pleas. No - he is sovereign.
Having said this - the desire to feel closer to God through experiencing certain manifestations of the Spirit is an entirely reasonable and human desire. What is not reasonable is to rest our faith only on these experiences or to think we can some how order the Spirit around with "Come Holy Spirit Come ..." We need to be careful about the difference between expressing desire and commanding.

Assumption 6: The gifts of the Holy Spirit are limited to those identifiable in the New Testament. I don't see that Peter or Paul teach that the gifts they talk about are the only ones. I think they use a few lists as illustrative of the gifts. My suspicion are that there are many many more and that we, as a church, could do a lot more in affirming everyone's gifts - music, IT skills, research, business acumen.... again, I see we need to let the Holy Spirit be sovereign and not try and limit Him to certain activities or giftings.

Assumption 7: A gift belongs to an individual. This is a point of emphasis that is sometimes lost - I think all teaching about the gifts must put them in the Biblical context as gifts given to individuals in order to build up the church. The church's mission should be front and centre.

Assumption 8: The Holy Spirit is somehow more present when there are particular manifestations (toungues, prophecies, miracles) on show. I can't find any Biblical warrent for this, but it is an impression that is often given (even inadvertantly) at this time of year. The Holy Spirit is always present in all Christians. We do not get "more" or "less" of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person not a liquid - He can not be divided.

Assumption 9: Having an apparently supernatural experience in a Christian gathering is a guarantee of the prescence and action of the Holy Spirit. How I wish this was true! Unfortunately, all the gifts can be counterfieted - in fact it is likely that they were all on display amongst the pagans in Corinth. What is important is that in the actions of those present and in their future actions the fruit of the Spirit is displayed and that their teaching seeks to teach the truth at all times.

Assumption 10: I am somehow unworthy of having a gift of the Holy Spirity. No - God's grace is greater - he gives as he chooses and he has promised he always chooses to give ...

Assumption 11: Once I have a gift I'll always have it. I'm not convinced this assumption is true. Once again I come down to God's sovereignty. I believe in my own life I have been given gifts in words of wisdom and pastoring at times, but not at all times. Other gifts have stayed with me for a long time and are probably around which I should build my contribution to the growth of the church.