The Direct Operation of the Holy Spirit - Chuck Davis
In recent years, there has been much discussion regarding whether the Holy Spirit operates directly on the heart of a child of God separate and apart from the Word of God. While numerous debates have occurred, I feel this question is easily answered if we would answer the question regarding the origination of our faith in God. Where does our faith come from?
Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing [unto him]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and[that] he is a rewarder of them that seek after him.” It is impossible to please God without faith. From where are we to derive our faith? Are we to rely on the Holy Spirit to “touch” our heart or is there some other means?
Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Our faith is to be found in hearing (listening to the word through our heart as we read the sacred pages) the Word of God. What is so special about the Word of God that it is the only source of our Faith?
Jesus answers this question in John 17:17 when, in prayer to God, he says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” God’s word is truth! It is the basis on which our faith is built. It was given to us by God as he spoke to the writers of the New Testament through the Holy Spirit. How many times was it given? Jude 1:3 answers, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” “The Faith” talked about here is the gospel and it was delivered once!
How is the word of God able to build our faith? Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” No other source can convict us of our sinful state except the Word of God. Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” The passage says “complete, furnished completely”, that means there is no need for anything else, what was given is all sufficient.
My friends, if we insist that the Holy Spirit operates directly on the heart of a child of God separate and apart from or in addition to their hearing, understanding and making application of the Word of God in their lives, then we are stating that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is false. If 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is false, then nothing about the bible can be considered true.
Is that what we believe? God has told us he has delivered the means by which we attain our faith once, and it will make us complete if we study it, accept it, obey it and apply it in our lives. Paul declared that the Word of God is able to build us up and take us to Heaven if we will only follow it (Acts 20:32). There is no need for “other guidance.”