Cessationism is an idea, mainly held by Calvinists, that the signs of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit Himself no longer work in the nowadays. They believe Revelations was the last revelation and thus there is no more healing, tongues, signs, dreams, prophecies, etc.
Most of this misconception comes from 1 Corinthians 13. Now some of you are probably scratching your heads in confusion. 1 Corinthians 13 is arguably one of the most popular and main-streamed Bible verses in the world. It is the one all about love. Love is kind. Love is patient. Sounding familiar? There is a second part there though.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:8-12
So the reason cessationism exists is because people have misunderstood the above collection of verses. Cessationists believe the ‘perfect’ is the canonical Bible. IE when Revelations was added to the Bible and it became the final Bible, it became the ‘perfect’. Now if you ask me that sounds a bit too much like Gollum and the Precious for my liking, but we’ll just pretend I didn’t say that.
If the canonical Bible were the perfect, it would make sense that the Holy Spirits work had ceased. The Bible says it right? However, the quote unqoute “perfect” is not referring to the Bible but is in fact referring to Jesus’ second coming/our ascent to Heaven. The Rapture in other words with finally going to our proper home.
The Perfect should actually be capitalized because it refers to Jesus as a title in the action of His return. Which really makes more sense if you think about it. Why would the Holy Spirit stop now? Even with the last ‘Revelation’, why would it be the last? The world is not perfect. We still need healing and revelation and prophecy and tongues. We still need Him.
However, when Jesus returns, we no longer need the Spirit because we have Him with us. Jesus even talks about this about the flip-side. How they do not need the Spirit before He goes because they have Him with them. How you do not fast when the Lord is in front of you.
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” ~ Matthew 9:14-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. ~ John 14
There is another verse or translation or continuance that mentions Jesus saying the Holy Spirit will be used as a witness of Jesus. People still need to witness Jesus do they not? Why would the Holy Spirit suddenly just not do anything? I guess because Calvinists think everyone is predestined one way or another they assume there is no need for Him, but I can assure you the Holy Spirit is very much alive and working.
There is still healing being done. Communication barriers still stand between people, now more than ever in my opinion, tongues are still necessary. God still needs to lead His people. The Perfect has not come. We still only know in part. We will not know fully until we are in Heaven, face to face with God.
NOW, I think there is one very important precursor to the final Revelation and etc.
I do not believe people will EVER get a revelation that adds to the Bible, removes from it, or would not fit it. So for someone to say they got a revelation through the Holy Spirit that Jesus wants us all to shave our heads and call each other Betsy… well that’s a spirit alright but it’s not the Holy one.
I don’t think the Holy Spirit would ever demand anyone be killed, harmed, or anything that would not make sense for His character. It is important we are using discernment when voices start speaking because it is not always Him.
However, the Holy Spirit is very much alive. It has not ceased. The lame are still walking. Our deaf can still hear. I truly believe the dead can still rise. I have seen ankles healed to the point someone could run without pain. Lumps or cancer dissolved. Babies born.
Our Holy Ghost is still witnessing, convicting, and working its power through us and on this Earth.
I started the Spiritual Gifts series on this blog a couple months ago and have not update it since, but I want to get on top of that, I also want to talk about the Fruits of the Spirit. Arguably the Holy Spirit is the most personalized part of God because it is the part that resides in us. Therefore, it is important to know about it, and use it because we need to be witnessing and producing fruit. We will talk about that in the next blog.
Thank you Father for giving us a Helper. For being willing to be so close to us that you are willing to fuse Yourself to us. I pray God we would see a surge of revival in the Holy Spirit. Send your fire over us. Father continue to heal and bring to life your children. Help us to go boldly in your name and proclaim in your power the miracles of the Lord.
I pray you would guide me to better explain the complexities of things we have to fight to comprehend. Help me to explain it in a simple way. I pray you would continue to bless those reading this and that they would see the work of your Spirit in their lives.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
God bless!
~ Ashley
P.S. Sorry if you’re a Calvinist and reading this thinking I’m taking shots at you. Not here to call anyone out, just for education.
A Light in The Darkness 