Led By The Spirit
In Matthew 3 is a passage that has often been used as a proof-text for the doctrine of the Trinity: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:16, 17).
This is a classical text on the Trinity, but it is not to be a bare proof of the Trinity. The passage teaches much more, especially when we place it in the larger context of the next few verses: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1). As soon as Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit, He was led by Him. If He was thus led by the Holy Spirit, how much more we need so to be! We must not reduce these passages only to a theological statement, even a true theological statement; we must act on them in our lives. Then He goes on to the garden in a few short years and then to die on the cross.
John the Baptist made two prophecies concerning the Christ. Not only did he say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), but he also affirmed, “The same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33). This second prophecy indicates that not only was Jesus Himself baptized and led by the Spirit, but He also baptizes us with the Spirit. Are we, when we accept Christ as our Savior, indwelt by the Holy Spirit? Then we are meant to know something of both His leading and His power.
As we see the Lord Jesus dying on the cross, we who are Bible-believing Christians must fight for the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement. Theological liberalism deliberately destroys the atonement’s substitutionary quality, and liberalism controls much of the traditional church structures. So we may have to pay a high price ecclesiastically in order to be faithful to the Bible’s teaching. But no matter the cost, let us be faithful. We must stand at all costs for the substitutionary atonement.
The central thrust of the cross is the substitutionary atonement, but this does not exhaust its meaning. The cross also teaches a lesson in humility. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ... being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5, 8). This is where the Christian is to dwell if he is to know something of the power of the Spirit. just as Christ was humbled in the external space-time world, in the hard stuff of history, not merely in someone’s imagination, nor in some idealistic setting that makes His death a utopian statement withdrawn from life — so, too, a Christian should have a truly humble heart in the hard reality of the practical world. There is to be a practical reality of the seed falling into the earth to die.
One of the Pope’s titles is “servant of servants.” And what a tremendous title it is! But in Rome traditionally he has been carried in a gold-covered chair on the backs of men. I saw him need help trying to stand because of the weight of the jewels and gold which adorned him. Men had to take his arms and stand him upright. I do not know what is the case today, but in the past when the Pope ate, he ate on a raised platform while other people ate below this servant of servants.
We may react against this, but is it not true that a great deal in our own lives manifests about the same level of humility? We speak of humility and crucifixion, but we are like the Pope, speaking about being a servant of servants and then being carried on the backs of men. While we talk about humility and the power of the Holy Spirit, we spend much of our lives in the stance of Napoleon. As soon as we seek the Me rather than follow the example of Christ, we are walking in the flesh rather than in the Spirit.
Source:Schaeffer, F. A. (1996, c1982). The complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer : A Christian worldview. Westchester, Ill.: Crossway Books.
This is a classical text on the Trinity, but it is not to be a bare proof of the Trinity. The passage teaches much more, especially when we place it in the larger context of the next few verses: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1). As soon as Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit, He was led by Him. If He was thus led by the Holy Spirit, how much more we need so to be! We must not reduce these passages only to a theological statement, even a true theological statement; we must act on them in our lives. Then He goes on to the garden in a few short years and then to die on the cross.
John the Baptist made two prophecies concerning the Christ. Not only did he say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), but he also affirmed, “The same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33). This second prophecy indicates that not only was Jesus Himself baptized and led by the Spirit, but He also baptizes us with the Spirit. Are we, when we accept Christ as our Savior, indwelt by the Holy Spirit? Then we are meant to know something of both His leading and His power.
As we see the Lord Jesus dying on the cross, we who are Bible-believing Christians must fight for the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement. Theological liberalism deliberately destroys the atonement’s substitutionary quality, and liberalism controls much of the traditional church structures. So we may have to pay a high price ecclesiastically in order to be faithful to the Bible’s teaching. But no matter the cost, let us be faithful. We must stand at all costs for the substitutionary atonement.
The central thrust of the cross is the substitutionary atonement, but this does not exhaust its meaning. The cross also teaches a lesson in humility. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ... being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5, 8). This is where the Christian is to dwell if he is to know something of the power of the Spirit. just as Christ was humbled in the external space-time world, in the hard stuff of history, not merely in someone’s imagination, nor in some idealistic setting that makes His death a utopian statement withdrawn from life — so, too, a Christian should have a truly humble heart in the hard reality of the practical world. There is to be a practical reality of the seed falling into the earth to die.
One of the Pope’s titles is “servant of servants.” And what a tremendous title it is! But in Rome traditionally he has been carried in a gold-covered chair on the backs of men. I saw him need help trying to stand because of the weight of the jewels and gold which adorned him. Men had to take his arms and stand him upright. I do not know what is the case today, but in the past when the Pope ate, he ate on a raised platform while other people ate below this servant of servants.
We may react against this, but is it not true that a great deal in our own lives manifests about the same level of humility? We speak of humility and crucifixion, but we are like the Pope, speaking about being a servant of servants and then being carried on the backs of men. While we talk about humility and the power of the Holy Spirit, we spend much of our lives in the stance of Napoleon. As soon as we seek the Me rather than follow the example of Christ, we are walking in the flesh rather than in the Spirit.
Source:Schaeffer, F. A. (1996, c1982). The complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer : A Christian worldview. Westchester, Ill.: Crossway Books.
sung by Rick at 2:33 PM
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