The Doctor on Word and Spirit
I've had Dr Lloyd-Jones's sermons on Acts on my reading list for sometime and I was inspired to get reading them when I heard Terry Virgo mention enthusiastically what it was actually like to be "there" in the chapel when he was preaching through Acts. And what an amazing jewel of a quote I found! Consider the following - Doctor Lloyd-Jones on what HE thought about Word and Spirit:
"Now that is the balance in these matters. There may be signs, there may not be signs. And the power of the Spirit is as manifest in authoratative, converting preaching such as you get in great revivals as in the most spectacular miracles It is the same authority, the same Holy Spirit at work in both.
These two; the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We must never seperate them, and if we ever do we shall go astray.
Some people put their emphasis only on the Word; these are the intellectuals. "Ah" they say, "nothing matters but the Word". They spend their time reading and studying and they become authorities on theology and doctrine. As a result they may become proud of their own great knowledge and they may get the admiration of others who join in with them, but this is nothing but a little mutual admiration society. Nobody is converted; nobody is convicted. Heads packed with knowledge and understanding - useless! Word only - you see.
And there are people who put the whole of their emphasis on the Holy Spirit. They are not interested in the Word. They say; "It doesn't matter what a person believes". I heard of a man recently who shouted out in a great meeting - "Let yourselves go! Let yourselves go!". And they did let themselves go, I am told. But the New Testament has never told anybody to let themselves go. Never! The Holy Spirit does not merely produce an experience, the Holy Spirit uses the Word. He is the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of enlightenment. He is the Spirit who leads to understanding. We must never jettison the intellect that God has given us. There is no need to do that. The Holy Spirit can deal with our brains as well as with any other part of us. It is a false teaching that urges people to let themselves go. If you do that, you are letting yourselves go to a riot of the imagination and of the feelings, you are letting yourselves go to evil spirits and powers that are around and about you and ever ready to possess you and fool you.
The Spirit and the Word! "They spake the Word of God!". I repeat these things must never be seperated".
Reference: D M Lloyd-Jones. "Authentic Christianity - Volume 2 - Acts 4-5". Published by Banner of Truth, 2001. (pp208-209).
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