Friday, January 9, 2009

Satan vs. The Holy Spirit

"The first way that Satan tried to cast contempt on the work of the Spirit was by seetting up a ministry without the Spirit. This was done by setting up a liturgical service to be read by the minister. No special gift of the Spirit is required to do this. So men were set apart to the ministry who had never once 'tasted of the powers of the world to come' (Heb. 6:5), nore received any gifts of the Holy Spirit for the work of the ministry. Those who claimed to pray by the Spirit were held in contempt and scorn was poured upon them.
The second way that Satan tried to cast contempt on the work of the Spirit was by setting p the Spirit without a ministry. In the first case, it was sufficient for the Word to be read without either preaching or praying by the Spirit. Now the Spirit is enought without reading or studying the Word at all. In the first way, Satan allowed a literal embracing of what Christ has done in the flesh. Now he talks of Christ in the Spirit only, and denies that he ever came in the flesh. John warned Christians of this deceit (i John 4:1)."

-John Owen, Communion With God, Pg. 194

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