As God’s people, we must pursue both the fullness of God’s Word and the fullness of God’s Spirit. Anything less is a deficient, non-biblical Christianity.
In my previous post, I highlighted something profound Jesus said to the woman at the well about the type of worship/service He has called us to pursue “in Spirit and truth.” Jesus added something profound and critically important, “for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers.”
- John 4:21-24 …(23) “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (24) “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God seeks a people who will pursue Him both in Spirit and Truth. We need both Spirit and truth to walk with God according to His design. The challenge with Christian tradition is that groups tend to pursue one extreme to the other’s minimization, which can lead us into a ditch of deficiency.
THE NON-CHARISMATIC DITCH of FATHER, SON, AND HOLY BIBLE and THE CHARISMATIC DITCH of FATHER, SON, AND HOLY EXPERIENCE/ENCOUNTER are both wrong.
With many of the current scandals being highlighted across the body of Christ, the anti-charismatic reporting seems to get the most attention. “It’s those people pursuing that weird spiritual stuff that is causing all the error.” We need to be careful with that posture lest we forget that many leadership scandals that have come to light over the past 25 years were from the non-charismatic world. Consider some of the following in non-charismatic realms.
- The Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse report from 1950-2002 highlighted in the Movie “Spotlight” in which 789 minors were abused by priests and deacons (it indicates the real numbers are likely over 1000).
- The 2022 report released by The Southern Baptist Convention revealed over 700 leaders guilty of sexual abuse with minors from 2000-2019.
- Many other prominent non-charismatic leaders have fallen, such as Bill Hybels, Gordon McDonald, Jerry Falwell Jr, Ravi Zacharias, and prominent Christian author Philip Yancy.
We must have both the fullness of Holy Spirit and be rooted firmly in God’s unchanging Word. The Holy Spirit never competes with Scripture. HE AUTHORED IT. HE REVEALS IT. HE EMPOWERS US TO OBEY IT!
Yet when our spiritual experiences are detached from God’s truth, it isn’t revival; it is instability. Psalms 119 says it so clearly 9 times in that one chapter, “Revive me according to Your Word.” Psalms 119:25, 37, 49, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159.
Jesus did not say the Father seeks worshipers in “SPIRIT AND EXPERIENCE,” but in ” SPIRIT AND TRUTH.” God does meet people with encounters. Scripture is full of supernatural moments.
- Moses at the burning bush.
- Isaiah in the temple.
- The disciples at Pentecost in Acts 2, and their powerful prayer meeting in Acts 4.
These encounters were never meant to replace obedience to God’s Word. They were meant to empower us and enable us to walk in it. When encounters are the goal, instead of Christ Himself and His unchanging word, we end up measuring our spirituality by:
- How intense the worship felt.
- Whether we cried, shook, or fell.
- Whether something unusual happened.
- Whether the meeting felt “charged.”
The apostle John, in his writings, was attempting to correct a dualism that was entering the church through Greek thought. People began to embrace a faith that believed it didn’t matter how people actually lived their everyday lives, as long as they had a revelation/belief/encounter. John recalled something Jesus said, which clearly revealed we need to walk in God’s truth in our everyday lives, not just beliefs or encounters. He said this to people who were encountering Him and believing in Him.
- John 8:30-32 As Jesus was saying this, many people believed in him. (31) Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The danger of dualism in the encounter/belief approach is subtle. We start chasing atmosphere and manifestations instead of the transformation that is firmly built on God’s Word. Consider the example of the disciples encountering Jesus after His resurrection on the Emmaus Road. They had the burning of the Spirit when Jesus walked with them and was speaking to them, but what was He speaking about? The Scriptures.
- Luke 24:32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
We all have emotions, and they can be stirred. God wants them stirred. The stirring should awaken us to walk in His truth, not just the emotion.
- Experience that flows from, and leads to His truth, is healthy.
- Experience detached from truth is unstable.
If the Word is not central, emotions/encounters become self-referential. We evaluate God’s presence by how we feel or felt, rather than by what He has spoken. Feelings fluctuate, but His word is “forever settled” as indicated in numerous places in Scripture (Psalms 119:89, Matthew 24:35, 1 Peter 1:24-25, Luke 16:18).
The Danger of “God Told Me” Spirituality
When Spirit is emphasized without deep grounding in Scripture, hyper-subjectivity rises. I have been in very emotionally and spiritually charged atmospheres in my 47 years of serving Jesus. When the experiences didn’t lead people to become rooted in God’s word, they simply became a form of “God Told Me” spiritually that was often self-centered, self-exalting, disconnected from His body, and full of deception. I have seen many people amid emotional stirrings and spiritual experiences use phrases like the following to disobey God’s word.
- “God told me.”
- “I got touched, and I feel released to…”
- “The Spirit is leading me differently.”
These can become substitutes and shields against God’s truth and any correction from it. We must remember Holy Spirit never contradicts God’s Word; He inspired it, and longs to lead us into obedience to it. Paul warned that even spiritual manifestations and experiences must be tested, 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Peter highlights an encounter that he, James, and John had on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17). They encountered tremendous glory, heard God’s audible voice, saw Moses and Elijah, yet Peter said, “We have a surer Word.” He was referring to Scripture containing prophecies recorded by holy men of God who were moved on by Holy Spirit.
- 2 Peter 1:19-21 We also have a more sure Word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Daystar (Jesus) arises in your hearts…
The Word: God’s Language to Us
In our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we need both His Life and Language to know, communicate with, and obey Him.
I learned this through a simple neighborhood experience. A family moved next door to us from Guatemala. They spoke very little English, and their Spanish was different from what little I knew. We smiled, waved, and greeted each other often. I could say we had interaction, and I could claim that I knew and had a relationship with them, but we did not have understanding.
Then tensions arose. They had several people in and out of their house, and I didn’t know who truly lived there. A truck full of trash would often pull into their yard late at night (which was a violation of city codes), and debris would regularly blow into my yard and throughout the neighborhood. Often, the next day, as I picked it up, my neighbor would sometimes see me, smile, and wave. Even the person in the truck would see me sometimes and smile. I found myself wondering, Does he think this is okay? Do they understand what’s happening? That truck shouldn’t be parking in their yard like that, and the trash shouldn’t be blowing all over the neighborhood! This led to speculation, not reality.
Without shared language, I could not know their thoughts, nor could they know mine. I could see behavior that didn’t make sense. I could feel frustration. But I could not truly communicate, only assume.
Everything changed when translation apps became available on our phones. Suddenly, we could speak and understand each other clearly. What smiles and gestures (encounters) could not accomplish, language did. Communication transformed the relationship.
That is what the Word of God does for us. It clearly reveals God’s will in all life situations. We may feel impressions. We may sense stirrings. We may experience emotions in prayer or worship. But without Scripture, we are left interpreting gestures and feelings separate from God’s truth. God’s Word is God’s revealed language and will. It is the translation of His thoughts into human understanding so we can be guided by His will.
God has not left us to guess what He is thinking. He has spoken His will through His word. As Spirit-filled people, we need to understand.
- Life without language leads to confusion.
- Experience without revelation leads to assumption.
But when the Spirit brings life, and the Word reveals His will, we do not merely feel near to God; we can understand and walk in His will.
- The Spirit gives life.
- The Word gives God’s clear truth, direction, and meaning.
Together, like the encounters with my neighbor, they allow us not just to wave at God but to truly walk with Him in Spirit and Truth.
3 essentials to keep out of the ditch of spirit without truth.
1. Anchor Every Spiritual Experience in God’s Word
- Encounters, emotions, and manifestations are meant to deepen our obedience, not replace it.
- Scripture is God’s unchanging language; it translates His will into clear direction.
- Without grounding in the Word, experiences can become self-centered, unstable, or deceptive.
2. Test and Interpret Spirit-Led Impressions Biblically
- Personal impressions or “God told me” moments must be weighed against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
- The Spirit never contradicts the Word He inspired (2 Peter 1:19-21).
- Proper discernment keeps spiritual life from drifting into hyper-subjectivity or error.
3. Pursue Life and Language Together
- The Spirit gives life; the Word gives clarity, guidance, and unshakable truth.
- Life without language leads to confusion; experience without revelation leads to assumption.
Together, Spirit and Word empower us not just to feel near God, but to understand, obey, and walk faithfully with Him in all His will (Hebrews 12:28).