P
Petruchio
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Ok I admit you got me i thought you were trying to understand, but now i see you have just come into the baptist section to preach against are views, which is against the rules by the way.
Tush! There were reformed Baptists before there were Arminian or Pelagian ones, and there are plenty of them here who are indeed Reformed. You are the one who is the greater rebel, not me.
Let me answer you question about how they had power if not by The Holy Spirit. It was by the authority of Christ. In fact there are people who cast out demons who are not saved. In rev there be those who say but lord we cast out demons in your name and did works in your name, and Jesus will say I never knew you. but how could they cast out a demon then? Because the Name of Jesus has power. You seem to forget God is 3 parts The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
"Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"
(Act 19:13-15)
Looks like that doesn't always work, at least in exorcism, nor does it explain miracles of healing, curing leprosy, etc.
Furthermore, when the Jews blaspheme that Christ cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, Christ, in His reply, makes mention of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, obviously indicating that such miracles are performed by the Spirit Himself:
"And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:"
(Mar 3:22-29)
Hebrews 6, as another scripture against you, points plainly to something deeper during the Apostolic age, through men, who though were not regenerated (since, otherwise, it would be impossible for them to apostatize,) nevertheless shared in the gifts of the Spirit:
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
(Heb 6:4-6)
Or as Matthew Henry explains it:
" They may taste of the heavenly gift, feel something of the efficacy of the Holy Spirit in his operations upon their souls, causing them to taste something of religion, and yet be like persons in the market, who taste of what they will not come up to the price of, and so but take a taste, and leave it. Persons may taste religion, and seem to like it, if they could have it upon easier terms than denying themselves, and taking up their cross, and following Christ. (3.) They may be made partakers of the Holy Ghost, that is, of his extraordinary and miraculous gifts; they may have cast out devils in the name of Christ, and done many other mighty works. Such gifts in the apostolic age were sometimes bestowed upon those who had no true saving grace."
Such is plainly seen from the verse you keep mentioning, "many shall say to me, Lord Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in your name?" And yet Christ replies, "I never knew you," plainly intimating they were not true believers despite their miracles, contrast with the Sheep who He has always known, and who know Him.
A good warning also against many of the Charismatics, mind you. Sometimes God will perform a miracle or a wonder on behalf of some evildoer, but this only to try the Saints.
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deu 13:1-3)
What you think Gods word is telling you is not what it says. You can not read Gods word with arrogance and pride. God hates both those things and works against the person. I have learned first hand. Take the warning because you headed down a road of suffering to learn the lesson the hard way.
What is more arrogant and prideful than to proclaim to the world that you, through your own good sense, chose to be converted to the Christian religion? It is better to say, that not even your own conversion was your own work, but was the work of God on your heart bringing you irresistibly to His bosom. THAT is Christianity, not so any man can boast, but so that all men must fall on their knees before Christ.
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
(Joh 15:16)
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