Truth and the Danger of Overcorrection 

All of us who have driven for any length of time have experienced or witnessed the danger of overcorrecting. A slight distraction, a sudden movement by another driver, or an unexpected object in the road can cause an overcorrection that leads to disaster. This is true in all of life. We all tend to react to people, emotions, and circumstances and those reactions are not always right. Like a pendulum swinging from one extreme to another, it is easy to “go too far.”

The present culture and prevailing climate in churches tends toward error.

• Disgust with empty and powerless forms of worship can easily become fleshly emotionalism. Beware! Religious flesh is still just flesh.
• Anger toward abuse by authorities can tend toward outright rejection of God-ordained authority. The spirit of rebellion is subtle and destructive.
• The liberal doctrine of a “social gospel” can cause some well-intentioned Christians and churches to neglect all involvement with their community. Yet Christ’s love for the needy and our engagement with unbelievers is itself to be a platform for preaching the gospel.
• Rules and regulations built on preference and personal ideas instead of Scriptural principles cause many people to run to the opposite end of the spectrum, to a complete neglect of what the Bible says about personal holiness. One goes beyond Scripture and the other falls short of it. Both are wrong.
• Overemphasis on numbers in ministry can turn people off to the point that they become passive about the work of the gospel. Disdain for a man-centered ministry philosophy causes some people to give up all aggressiveness in evangelism. The old saying is true: there is a ditch on both sides of the road.

Finding the Truth and Avoiding Overcorrection

I remember one of my Bible teacher, Dr. Frank Sells, saying that truth is not found in the acceptance of one extreme or the other – it is often found in the acceptance of both. Is God sovereign or does man have a will that must be exercised? Yes! 

This reality extends to many theological areas. Repentance and faith are inextricably linked. Both faith and works are emphasized in the life of the New Testament believer. It is not one or the other; it is both.

One of the areas where this reminder is necessary is in relation to what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, there are those who go beyond Scripture, teaching things concerning the person and work of the Holy Spirit that Scripture does not teach. The overcorrection of many has been to never talk about the Holy Spirit.

We must not allow the excesses and errors of some to keep us from the truth that God wants us to know! In the words of Paul, I want to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12). We need “…all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Nothing less. Nothing More.

Avoiding the Dangers of Confusion 

The serious misinterpretation and misapplication of Scripture about the Holy Spirit has led to a great deal of confusion in our world. Sadly, many sincere believers have been robbed of what the Word does teach and what the Spirit longs to do.

Let’s allow the Lord Jesus to speak. We know that Christ had much to say regarding the co-equal, co-existent, and co-eternal Spirit. Remember that they had lived in unbroken union and communion in eternity past, and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Christ who comes to dwell in the believer. The Holy Spirit teaches us about Jesus and the Lord Jesus teaches us about the Holy Ghost.

Christ is the truth and every word He spoke was true. So can we trust what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit?

Study through our Enjoying the Journey series on this subject. Our study will primarily concentrate on John 14-16, the final words of Christ to His disciples on His way to the cross. I hope you will spend some time in this powerful passage and join us for this exciting study.

You may listen below, on your favorite podcast player, or at etj.bible. May we all learn and apply “What Jesus Taught About the Holy Spirit.”