Devoid of the Spirit, Causing Divisions

Women in Papua New Guinea, gathered in prayer. 

Scripture:

Jude 17   But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸ for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” ¹⁹ It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. 

Observation:

Believers are encouraged to listen to the voices of the Apostles. The words from the apostles are the true and have been a warning, for they were greatly concerned with those who would infiltrate the Christian community. These individuals would scoff at the words of the Apostles, saying that they were expecting too much of the people. They offered a different kind of Christianity, one in which you could indulge in all kinds of sensual sexual behavior, with permission. 

There are people of the world, and there are people of the Spirit. Spirit-filled believers have been reoriented toward the kingdom of God, while the worldly are focused on what they can see in front of them, and what they can experience today. The world and its reasoning are all that these individuals need and therefore, they live without the Spirit. They may be a part of the community of faith, but they do not rely upon God, or the words of the Apostles. The fruit of the Spirit is not evident in the lives of these individuals and as a result, they are dividing the Church. 

Powers tells us, “True spirituality is always evident in the consistent coherence between one’s words and one’s deeds. As Jesus taught his disciples, you can recognize a tree by its fruit (Matt 7:16–20)” (NBBC).

Application:

This week I was doing some filing and I came across the Journal from the 2nd District Assembly of the Nebraska District, Church of the Nazarene in 1916. I took time to read through the Journal and make note of the features of those days, when Dr. Phineas Bresee was present and preaching. 

1. Dr. Bresee was punctual and began his meetings on time.
2. Dr. Bresee didn’t preach long sermons. The notes often said that he spoke “briefly.”
3. Dr. Bresee always preached on holiness and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Every single sermon!
4. Dr. Bresee used “teachable moments” throughout the sessions to educate the people on what was happening in the life of the church around the world, and the movement of the Holy Spirit. 
5. Dr. Bresee didn’t have to always be on the platform. Most nights, he didn’t preach, but others from the district did. He did most of his preaching during the assembly. 
6. Dr. Bresee frequently led all of the people in times of intercessory prayer, and specifically for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 
7. The altar was used as an invitation for everyone to come and join in intercessory prayer and for a continual filling of the Holy Spirit. 

What I discovered about those early Nazarenes was that the emphasis on being filled with the Spirit was significant. This was not just a once and done experience, but something that they sought time after time, so that they might live filled-up with the Spirit of God. Through their reports you could see that the fruit of the Spirit was being evidenced in their work and activities. There was a deep and abiding connection between the work of Christ through the Spirit in their lives and the work that they did in the world. 

The result of the work of the Spirit is unity within the body of Christ. The Spirit takes people on a journey closer to the Lord, and closer to one another. Love of God and love of neighbor abounds when living in the Spirit. Unfortunately, our churches are also filled with those who are devoid of the Spirit. They may be extremely talented and might be able to organize the work of the church in extraordinary ways, but they are relying on their own abilities and knowledge. The result is division in the life of the church, for ultimately, these people are more interested in their own personal success than giving God the glory. Dependence upon God and the work of the Spirit is very humbling. 

I read recently that John Wesley believed that revival would not come, unless God’s people sought out the infilling with the Holy Spirit. This is to be continuous and on-going in the life of a believer who desires to live life in the Spirit, and not in the world. Somewhere along the way, my tribe became a little nervous about this Spirit language. In 1916 we were still known as “The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.” Trying to distance ourselves from some of the activities of the early Pentecostal movement, we dropped the word “Pentecostal” from our name, but in doing so, we may have also dropped the emphasis on life in the Spirit. 

The warning from Jude is clear. Those who are devoid of the Spirit will not bring unity to the Church. The world would like to divide the community of faith and have us hurling bricks of words at one another across a great chasm. What if we returned to a focus on life in the Spirit? The Spirit unites us in ways that we cannot begin to imagine, taking those of us who may have different perspectives on the world, and bringing us together in Christ. Then, word and deed become one, to the glory of God. 

Prayer:

Lord, today, and every day, I need your Spirit. Amen.