A Southern Baptist reader finds a closer relationship with God through the Holy Spirit

Last updated on: July 29, 2018 at 10:51 am by Adrian Warnock

A Southern Baptist reader finds a closer relationship with God through the Holy Spirit 2018-07-29T10:51:00+01:00 Adrian Warnock

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This is an extract from an email from a reader, who kindly agreed for me to share it with you. This is a fairly typical story of what happens when someone begins to encounter the Holy Spirit in a more personal way. To me this is what the Bible means when it speaks of us “receiving the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is at work in all Christians. It is just that some are more aware of his work than others. And all of us are in any case encouraged to “be being filled” with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). I found this story encouraging, and I hope you do too:

I am Southern Baptist, grew up with the cessationist mindset. Spent 10 years on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, mostly in the 1970s when charismatic gifts were totally rejected. In fact, in one of my New Testament classes (which I took as part of the required training) part of the final exam was to show from 1 Cor 13 that the charismatic gifts had been “done away” by the canonization of Scripture. I dutifully spelled out the argument as it was presented to the class, then wrote at the bottom of the page, “And I don’t believe a word of it!” Even then I felt like the argument was proof-texting at its most obvious. Still, I had a deep-seated prejudice against those gifts.

From time to time down through the years I have asked God for the gift of tongues — if it’s a legitimate gift — never to receive it. Still don’t have it….. But that’s jumping ahead.

Over the course of the last 3 or 4 years, I have come to the conclusion that God in no way rescinded those gifts. I think 1 Cor 12-14 teaches quite the opposite. The amazing thing for me is how coming to that conclusion has impacted my understanding… that our God is an awesome, amazing, supernatural God. Before, quite honestly, He was basically “The God Who Doesn’t Do Anything” …. very much the mindset that regardless of what Paul might say about prayer, “God doesn’t do that anymore”… doesn’t get directly involved in answering prayer. When I embraced the idea that tongues and prophecy in particular are still gifts of the Spirit, I realized that miracles and healings and all the others mentioned in that passage also had to be “allowed” as gifts of the Spirit, distributed where and when He chooses, to whom He chooses, in the frequency He chooses.

This embracing of those gifts has had a profound impact on my relationship with God. It had been growing in intimacy before that time, but now has reached new levels of intimacy. Not emotionalism, but the intimacy that comes with actually believing in the God of the Bible, the One who loves us (me) and gets directly involved in our lives. My worship has taken on new meaning, and is more real than it has ever been. I still don’t have the gift of tongues, although I frequently ask God for it. The closest I have ever come to it was when I was singing a song that I love in Spanish. I understood the sense of the words — it was joyful heartfelt praise. As I sang the Spanish, without knowing the exact translation, just the general meaning, it was perhaps the purest time of abandoned worship I have ever known. Not frightening at all, just sweeter than anything I have ever experienced. If that is what speaking in tongues is like ……. God, grant it!

Previous Post

March 19, 2014

Is the concept of privacy and discretion dead even among Christians?

Next Post

March 25, 2014 Kevin Sorbo interviewed on Inside Edition

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 and 2 Corinthians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy 1 John 300 Leaders A Life of Joy Abortion Acts of the Apostles Adrian on radio Adrian on TV Adrian's Story Albert Mohler Amazing Grace Arminocalvinist Spectrum Assurance Atonement Atonement Series Attributes of God Barnabas Best of the Blog Bible Bible Software Bible Translation Biblical Inerrancy Billy Graham Bob Roberts Books C. J. Mahaney Calvinism Cessationism Charis Warnock Charismatic Spectrum Charles Simeon Charles Spurgeon Church Leadership Colossians Complementarian - Egalitarian Spectrum Complementarianism Conferences Culture Daniel Debates Deuteronomy DGM08 DGM13 Discernment Doctrine Don Carson Ed Stetzer Eddy Leo Ephesians ESV Bible Translators Interview Evangelism in a Post-Christian World evolution Exodus Expository Preaching Ezekial Faith and Feelings Family Florida Galatians General Genesis Get Wisdom - Proverbs sermons Gifts of The Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2006 Global Faith Forum Godly Attitudes Gospel Gospels Grace Greg Haslam Grudem vs Piper: The Baptism Debate Healing Heaven Hell and Rob Bell Hebrews Henry Tyler Henry Warnock Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism Hope Reborn Hugh Palmer Irresistable Grace Isaiah J. I. Packer Jack Hayford Joel Joel Warnock John John Lanferman John MacArthur John Newton John Owen John Piper John Smyth Jonathan Edwards Josh Harris Justification Justin Taylor Kenneth Ulmer Leadership Leadership Lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel Lex Loizides Liam Goligher Lig Duncan Limited Atonement Lou Fellingham Mark Dever Mark Driscoll Martyn Lloyd-Jones Matt Chandler Mental Health Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? My Story N. T. Wright Nehemiah NWA08 NWA09 NWA10 Opinion OT History Books Pentateuch Personal Personal Revival Philippians PJ Smyth Podcast Politics Preaching Prophecy Proverbs Psalms Raised With Christ Reformed Charismatic Regeneration Relationships Resurrection Resurrection & Salvation Revival Rice Broocks Rich Man and Lazarus Rick Warren Rob Rufus Roland Allen Romans Sam Storms Sanctification Series Sermons Sermons on Philippians Serving Jesus at Work Sexuality Sin St Paul Steve Chalke Strange Fire Suffering T4G T4G Statement TAB09 Tamasin Warnock Teamwork Terry Virgo The Atonement Debate - Chalke book The Soulwinner The Spirit-Filled Church The Traitor Within Theologcial Spectrums Theosis Tim Challies Tim Keller Titus TOAM06 TOAM07 TOAM08 TOAM09 TOAM10 TOAM11 Todd Bentley Tope Koleoso Total Depravity Video Water Baptism Wayne Grudem Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the correct order of the armor of God as listed in Ephesians?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith, sword of the Spirit Shield of faith, helmet of salvation, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, sword of the Spirit, feet fitted with readiness Breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit, feet fitted with readiness Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit

Books by This Author Books by Adrian Warnock

See All Titles »