5. If Sign/Revelatory Gifts Are Not For Today, and Not From God...

. . . Why Do They Produce Apparently Good Effects in Believers Lives?

Step 1.  Many Charismatics claim to be enriched by speaking in tongues, making prophesies, words of knowledge, casting out of demons and sign gifts etc.  They may have a greater interest in the Bible, prayer, and witnessing.  How could such positive results not be from God?

Step 2.  Any military strategist knows that an enemy will often give up ground in order to gain a greater victory (Joshua 8: 15-21).  Satan is not afraid of prayer, Bible study or bold witness that is contrary to the Word of God, especially when it promotes error and advances his own kingdom.  Satan does strongly oppose genuine prayer, Bible study and gospel preaching when it is done Biblically and in the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Satan is happy to pull back opposition to Bible study, prayer and witness, if he can woo the believer away from Bible decision-making and into experiential decision-making (which is Satan's greater sought after victory).

Step 3.  If a believer moves into experiential decision-making, Satan can withdraw his opposition to Bible study, prayer and witness.  The believer then attributes his advancement in prayer, Bible study and witness to his new tongues experience.  This serves to lure the believer deeper into his experiential decision-making and hence further away from 100% Bible authority only.  Hence, by giving some ground, Satan leads believers into greater deception.  The believer more strongly clings to non-Biblical experiences.

Step 4.  The believer who accepts sign and revelatory gifts is replacing Biblical authority with experiential authorities.  Interpretation of verses becomes heavily weighted towards vindicating his experiences.

Step 5.  People are genuinely saved, they in turn accept the signs and wonders message, and the deception grows.  The basis for Christian fellowship is no longer the Bible, but a common experience such as tongues.  That is why Roman Catholics, liberal protestants, some evangelicals, and heretics unite in ecumenical charismatic fellowship.  Tongues causes divisions in a church, just as it did at the Tower of Babel.

Many Charismatics are not completely certain that their prophecies are from the Lord.  Many are troubled at healings that relapse.  Many Charismatics say that they are Spirit-filled yet live inconsistent lives.

Satan's contest in Eden was to steal Adam's loyalty away from the Word of God ("Yea, hath God saith?") and for him to live independent of God and His Word.

DO CHRISTIANS KNOW WHEN THEY ARE BEING MISLEAD?

No, not always.  In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter in expressing his love for Christ, was deceived by Satan in trying to stop Christ from going to the cross.  Jesus looked past Peter's love and saw Satan leading Peter away from the revealed will of God.  

1. With the heart one receives or trusts Christ for salvation.
2. With the will one obeys Christ.
3. With the mind one abides in Christ.

Heart means:  Intellect, will, affections, loyalties.
Will means:  Action, commitment.

• Many Christians spend hours in Christian bookshops looking for a book to give them the secret of victorious living.  If they can't find the power of God in a book, they will seek it in an experience.
• The goal of the Christian life is to remain Spirit-filled.

ARE THERE ANY BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF SATAN GIVING UP SPIRITUAL GROUND IN ORDER TO GAIN SPIRITUAL ADVANTAGES?

1. Satan offered Christ the world's kingdoms in exchange for Christ's worship.  Matthew 4: 8-10.
2. Acts 16:16-18 The demonized damsel proclaimed that Paul's team were servants of the Most High God who proclaimed the way of salvation.  Why?  So that the gospel would be associated with the occult.

Many churches have changed from being a lighthouse to a weather vane.  Instead of lighting the way in the darkness, many churches merely turn with whatever fashion or worldly wind blows at the time.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is to take pre-emenence in all things.  The Holy Spirit's job is to reveal and exalt Jesus Christ.  The problem of powerless Christians is due to believers failing to surrender totally to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Living the Christian life is described by:  "Warfare", "fight", "run the race", "yield not", "work out", and "press towards".

 The Christian life is a disciplined life of constant vigilance, taking up the cross daily.  There are no shor tcuts to instant spirituality.

Roman Catholic Charismatics have greater zeal for Mary, Mass, and Papacy, and praying to saints, etc.  If Satan can achieve this, he will stop opposition to Charismatic churches so that apparent growth occurs.

2. Why Would God Allow Dedicated Christians To . . .

. . . Experience and Give In To Influences That Are Not From Him?


Every moment of his life, the Christian must battle spiritually with the world, the flesh and the devil.  This is part of the maturing process.  All believers are tempted with pride, worry, fear, sin and disobedience.  Does God allow believers to sin?  Yes, of course.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him".  James 1:12.

The Lord allows us to test every experience by Scripture, or to go by our feelings.  God will allow us to be tempted in all forms.  This includes the temptation to depart from Scripture by believing false revelations.  Signs and wonders can have sources other than God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Revelation 13:13, 14; Matthew 24:24).

Jesus warns four times of deception at the end of the Church age in Matthew 24.

If a Christian swaps the sword of the Spirit, and takes up feelings or human reasoning, he opens himself up to Satan's deception.

Many Christians in unemotional churches know very little Scripture.  In daily struggles with sin and temptation, believers are most vulnerable to the attraction of false instant spirituality.  Rather than live by the Word of God for victory, one may seek the apparent shortcut of tongues, prophecy, power evangelism, healing, etc. as the answer to his problems.

• Charismatic leaders who criticize Bible teachers who urge careful study of the Bible, are hence criticizing the legitimate spiritual gift of teaching.  They urge charismatics to follow them without questioning their interpretation.  They oppose non-charismatics by asking:  "Who did God use, the educated Pharisees or the simple Apostles?"  They thus forget 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God ... rightly dividing the word of truth".

Along the way we all have difficult times, as seen by Elijah under the Juniper tree (1 Kings 19:4, 5), David fleeing from Saul, Paul's beatings, etc.  Don't seek a quick fix to gain instant spirituality.  The devil offered Jesus a shortcut to earth's kingdoms by avoiding the cross.  The devil will offer us many shortcuts seeming to easily solve our problems.  We must stick to the basics:  study the Word, pray, confess sin, yield to Christ, abide in Christ, and take up the cross daily.  These require work, watching and warfare.

DON'T SWAP THE WORD OF GOD FOR AN EXPERIENCE.

The main damaging side effect of charismaticism is the welcoming and accepting of heretics, apostates, nominal Christians and Roman Catholics into the Church.  A person can pray to Mary, then speak in tongues, thus being accepted into many charismatic fellowships.  Charismatics emphasize unity at the expense of doctrine.