23 gentleness, self-control...
It is sad to see many professing Christians, who claim to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, show signs of uncontrollable actions in their worship services.
They, for instance, fall down and utter something unrestrainable and uncontainable in their worship services. They are beside themselves, out of control.
This is not the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit influences but never dominates and possesses one's personality. To do that is to dehumanize. The only ones who do that in the Bible are Satan and his demons.
Genuine speaking in tongues is not an uncontrollable experience. It is never a loose cannon experience. Things like that lead to confusion in the church, but God is not the author of confusion. He is a God of order.
1Co 14:27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.
28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.
30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
1Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
The fact that they are told to speak "each in turn," "to keep silent" and to "speak to himself and to God" when there is no interpreter, the fact that only a certain number (two or three) are allowed to speak "one by one" indicates that it is not an uncontrollable experience.
Uncontrollable things can never be regulated, that's why they are called uncontrollable. But Paul wrote instructions to regulate their experiences. It only implies otherwise, that these things are controllable experiences.
Paul himself said: "...the spirits of the prophets are subject to the
prophets."
The Spirit influences, yes, but He never subjugates and takes over our personalities. He does not violate the personhood that He gave us.
Whether these things are still for us today or not is not the subject of this article. The point that is only emphasized is the fact that any genuine experience from the Holy Spirit is something that does not encroach upon and disrupt our personhood.
God is a "gentleman." He does not rape.
Whether these things are still for us today or not is not the subject of this article. The point that is only emphasized is the fact that any genuine experience from the Holy Spirit is something that does not encroach upon and disrupt our personhood.
God is a "gentleman." He does not rape.
