>Hello Pastor Jim,
>
>I have a bit of a situation......In the course of a conversation with
a sister in Christ, she started to really press into me about my need to speak in tongues, do I want to speak in tongues,
and why don't I speak in tongues if I am indeed baptised in the Holy Spirit?!! I calmly told her that although I know
that speaking in tongues is indeed Biblical, I felt that it was a gift of the Holy Spirit that I do not have, and no, I did
not have any great desire to speak in tongues, unless the Holy Spirit had that in mind for me. I told her that I would rather
she didn't go there with me today, but she was fairly insistant about it. I didn't want to offend my friend, but I started
to feel irritated that she was almost insinuating that I wasn't truly a born-again Christian. I know what I am, I told her,
and I know what my relationship with God is, and thank you, but I would rather have control of how I pray to my Lord, and
asked her to stop the debate, that I wasn't knowledgeable enough to debate speaking in tongues with her. I think my tone took
her aback a bit, and later I apologized to her, telling her that I didn't mean to offend her, that she was entitled to her
beliefs, and that I was glad that she had that particular gift, but that I did not feel I do.
>
>What an
awkward situation that was. I think I handled it the best way I knew
how. What do you think?
>
In Christ Jesus,
(a concerned sister in Christ who won't be named here)
Dear (Sister in Christ),
You responded to that person (whoever she is) correctly. Speaking in tongues is not a sign of salvation or indication
of salvation but rather merely one of the many gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-21 makes this very clear, especially
looking at verses 10 and 30-where there's a rhetorical question with the obvious answer of "no" as you'd answer the other
rhetorical questions in that litany of questions). The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are the sign of salvation according
to Jesus in Matthew 7:15-20). This is why I like to say, "If a person uses the gifts without the fruit then he/she may be
building their own kingdom rather than God's kingdom and he/she may be bringing glory to themselves (by intentionally or unintentionally appearing
to be or trying to look "more spiritual" than others through the use of his/her gift/s) rather than to the Lord
Jesus as a result.
We must all be like John the Baptist who said "He must increase, I must decrease" in the way we live for Christ with
Him as our example (Philippians 2:5-11).
As a result of all of this, I'd say that the Fruit of the Spirit must always take
precedence over the Gifts
of the Spirit. Please do share this information with
whoever it is, as I hate for people to fall prey to false teaching
(which was
the subject of my message on Sunday, July 11th, based on 2 Peter 1:12-21). Maybe she could listen to
it at
www.newhope-cc.com once it is posted.
>
Again, I want to encourage you by saying that you did so well to respond
with the truth with
which you responded-as that's true love! Love means sharing with someone what they need to hear whether or not it's what they
want to hear or even what they unfortunately may have not been accustomed to hearing, but doing so in a way that is convicting
but not condemning, firm but gentle, truthful and graceful, like our Creator in Whose image we've been created (John
1:14). I am so "proud" to be serving and leading you as your pastor, as I see you've been given discernment :) something
we all need to ask to receive daily and something promised to us by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 7:7ff.).
>
Again, do
feel free to share these thoughts with this sister in Christ out of love for her as many have been led astray by
much false teaching amongst "Christian" pastors and teachers out there who are so confused about the truth and not always
being led by the Holy Spirit as their teachings are out of line with the Holy Word (the Bible) and the Holy Spirit would
never teach anything that contradicts the Holy Word!
>
>Yours in Christ Jesus,
>
>Jim
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