The Vision (3.22.24): The Anointing of the Believer

 

Image: Morning view, North Garden, Virginia, March 2024

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on 1 John 2:24-29.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things (1 John 2:20).

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him (1 John 2:27).

In the epistle of I John the apostle writes to a church that is battling false teachers (antichrists) (2:18) and has experienced schism (2:19).

One of his words of assurance is to remind them that they have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The term in Greek is chrisma. It appears only three times in the NT and all three are in 1 John 2 (vv. 20, 27). It is translated as “unction” in 2:20 and as “anointing” in 2:27.

The best way to understand this term is as a reference to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In his public ministry Christ promised the disciples he would send “the Comforter,” “the Spirit of truth” to them who would “dwell with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17; cf. John 14:26; 16:13). Paul also writes to believers about the “Spirit of God” which dwells in them (see Romans 8:9, 11).

In v. 20 Christ said that with the unction of the Holy Spirit believers will “know all things.” This is especially related to discernment. With the Spirit’s help they will be able to know the antichrists and not to follow them. John reinforces this in 2:27, “the same anointing teacheth you of all things.”

John also says something in 1 John 2:27 that might be easily misconstrued. He states, “and ye need not that any man teach you.” Was Christ calling for some kind of radical egalitarian community where there would be no human teachers? Or where, perhaps, everyone was a teacher? To understand John’s meaning we must appeal to “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), as articulated in the Reformation principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture.

What does the NT convey about teachers in the church? Christ gives “pastors and teachers” to the church, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body” (see Ephesians 4:11-12). Paul noted that local church bishops are to be “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). He stated that not everyone should be a master (teacher) (Hebrews 3:1). He also said that the one who is taught should support “him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6).

1 John 2:27 cannot be cherry picked to say that there is no role for teachers in the church.

John’s point, however, is to say that believers have a Teacher whose expertise and skill and power and influence will necessarily take precedence over every human teacher, and that is the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. Since the believer has this anointing, he will be guided into discernment. He does not, for example, rely on the magisterium of the Roman Church or the magisterium of the secular academy, but upon the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not some “extra-ordinary” gift for only some believers. It is an “ordinary” gift given to all believers. We are thankful for the Holy Spirit which dwells in each follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and teaches him all things needed for life and godliness.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

2023 Virginia Reformed Baptist Youth Conference: Audio and Pictures

 

The annual 2023 Virginia Reformed Baptist Youth Conference, organized by Christ RBC, was held July 21-22 @ Machen Retreat & Conference Center (OPC) in Highland County, Virginia. Daniel Vincent, a deacon and "gifted brother" from Covenant RBC, Warrenton, led the teaching sessions on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Encouraging weekend with some outstanding young people and adults. Find audio links below and scenes from the conference:

Image Get-to-know-ya games

Image: "Reformed Baptist Chopped" Dessert Cooking Competition

Image: Teaching Sessions

Image: Saturday mornng bacon

Images; Saturday morning walk

Images: Recreation

Images: Student created Spurgeon artwork under the shadow of Machen

Image: Students with the speaker and his family (center) on the steps of the meeting hall @ Machen

JTR

 

Book Review: Albert N. Martin, Preaching in the Holy Spirit

 

You can read my review here on academia.edu.

JTR

The Vision (12.14.18): The Work of the Holy Spirit

Image: Snow on cedar trees, North Garden, Virginia, December 2018

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on John 16:1-16.

And when he [the Comforter] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8).

Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth (John 16:13a).

He shall glorify me (John 16:14a).

In the upper room before he went to the cross, Christ promised to send to his disciples the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and he explained what the ministry of the Holy Spirit would be during the time between his ascension and his glorious coming.

He describes three basic works of the Holy Spirit:

First, the Holy Spirit will reprove the world (unbelievers) of sin, righteousness, and judgement (vv. 8-12):

Christ says that the Spirit will reprove the world in three ways:

First, the Spirit will reprove the world of sin (v. 9). Notice how sin is defined. No vice list is given: lust, excessive anger, envy, stealing, murder, etc. The prevailing sin, the King Sin, is unbelief.

Second, the Spirit will reprove the world of righteousness (v. 10). Righteousness here refers to the righteousness of Christ. The Spirit will show that the Lord Jesus Christ was an altogether righteous, just, and upright man. Correspondingly, it declares the unrighteousness of the world and makes plain their need for Christ.

Third, the Spirit will reprove the world of judgment (v. 11). I think Christ is here saying that the Spirit will bring unbelievers to understand that apart from Christ they are held under the sway or judgment of the prince of this world, blind in unbelief (John 14:30; 2 Cor 4:4).

Second, the Holy Spirit will guide believers into all truth (v. 13):

We turn from the Spirit’s work among those in the world (evangelism) to his work among the apostles and all believers (edification and sanctification).

The first application is to the Spirit’s guiding of the apostles, especially in writing the Scriptures. Secondly, it is applied to the Spirit’s guiding of all believers.

The Holy Spirit is called here “the Spirit of truth” (cf. 14:17; 15:26). The Spirit points men to Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life (cf. John 14:6).

Have you ever used a guide to take you to explore some natural wonder? Or to show you the hidden sites of some city?

The Holy Spirit is our guide to living the Christian life. He takes us to what is most important. He directs us away from danger and toward that which is holy, good, true, just, and beautiful.

Third, the Holy Spirit will glorify Christ (vv. 14-15):

We have seen the ministry of the Spirit to the world, to believers, and now to Christ (which is also related to the ministry to believers).

The work of the Spirit in believers will lead them to glorify Christ, to give him glory, to give him “worth,” to worship him.

Let us then look to the work of the Holy Spirit to reprove unbelievers, guide believers, and glorify Christ.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

The Vision (11.2.18): The Ministry of the Comforter

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on John 14:22-27.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).

Christ promises his disciples that the Spirit will be sent by the Father in his name (v. 26). Christians in East and West have differed over whether the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone (the East) or from the Father and the Son (West).

This verse is very important for teaching us about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in “this present evil world” (as Paul names it in Gal 1:4) and also about the inspiration of the Scriptures.

First, Christ promises the apostles that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things.

The Spirit is the primary Teacher of the church. The Spirit is the primary Preacher of the church. He is the great Instructor, Exhorter, Proclaimer, who stands behind every ordinary officer.

Calvin calls the Spirit “the inward Teacher,” noting that “outward preaching will be vain and useless, if it be not accompanied by the teaching of the Spirit.” He explains:

God has therefore two ways of teaching; for first, he sounds in our ears by the mouth of men; and secondly, he addresses us inwardly by his Spirit; and he does this either at the same moment, or at different times, as he thinks fit.

Second, Christ promises the apostles that the Spirit will bring to their remembrance all the things that Christ had said unto them.

This is key to understanding the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture. The apostles would be the men entrusted with the writing down of the Gospels (cf. “the apostles’ doctrine” in Acts 2:42). They recorded the commandments of Jesus, which we must obey. Paul says that all scripture is given “by inspiration of God” (1 Tim 3:16). Peter says that the “holy men of God” who wrote the Scriptures were “moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

The Bible is not a book that can be explained merely on naturalistic terms. How could the evangelists perfectly record all the things that Christ said? Because the Holy Spirit was bringing this into the remembrance of the inspired penmen. The Bible is a supernatural work.

The Lord has not left us comfortless in this age. He has sent to us the Comforter to teach us and to bring to our remembrance the words of Christ.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Owen on the Holy Spirit and the promises of Christ

Another gem from John Owen, Communion with God (Banner ed.):

A believer may be in the saddest and darkest condition imaginable. Even so, the Holy Spirit is able to break through all this and bring to mind the promises of Christ. By this work, the Holy Spirit enables Christians to sit in dungeons, rejoice in flames and glory in troubles. If he brings to mind the promises of the Christ for our comfort, neither Satan nor man, neither sin nor the world, nor even death itself shall take away our comfort. Saints who have communion with the Holy Spirit know this only too well. Sometimes the heavens are black over them, and the earth trembles under them. Disasters and distresses appear which are so full of horror and darkness that they are tempted to give up in despair. So how greatly are their spirits revived when the Holy Spirit brings the words of Christ to their minds for their comfort and joy. Thus, believers are not dependent on outward circumstances for their happiness, for they have the inward and powerfully effective work of the Holy Spirit, to whom they give themselves up by faith (p. 179).