WHAT WE BELIEVE AND TEACH ABOUT MANIFESTATIONS AND GIFTS

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." 1 Cor. 12:7.

We, the Holiness People, do not subscribe to the theory that spiritual experience is to be measured by physical manifestation; neither do we allow that any outward phenomenon is to be regarded as the authentic sign of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Within the present generation a type of teaching has appeared which dodges the issue concerning the possibility of sin's destruction, and as a substitute, offers the seeker a sensational experience for which he is directed to seek and wait. All this has brought about an unfortunate confusion of thought, and some, without the courtesy of a due investigation, have rolled up into one bundle tongues advocates, snake charmers, rollers, poison drinkers, and whatever other fanatical hue may appear, placing them all under the generous title, The Holiness People.

Such a classification has not only been unfortunate; it has been decidedly unjust. The truth is that wherever any such hysteria has appeared, the Holiness People have been the first to refuse to countenance it, and they have not hesitated to denounce it.

That the New Testament has its distinctive teaching concerning spiritual gifts, all who have a working knowledge of their Bibles will readily agree, but that these gifts are offered for indiscriminate claiming serious students will emphatically deny, recognizing the Divinely inspired caution as it is given in 1 Corinthians 12:11:

"All these worketh one and the self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

The teaching of the New Testament makes a very clear distinction between the gift of the Spirit which is for all believers, and the gifts of the Spirit, that is, the gifts of which the Spirit is the Sovereign Giver, which are not for all believers to claim.

The gift of the Spirit is offered without reserve to every believing soul. It is the enthronement-gift of our ascended Saviour since He is now our exalted Lord. Concerning it, the Divinely pledged word for ever stands:

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." Luke 11:13.

The gifts of the Spirit, however, are very different. They are reserved under the strict vigilance of Divine Sovereignty, the Holy Spirit Himself dividing them within the Church severally as He will. ^[3] 1 Cor. 12-14.

3. The Signs Theory is dealt with at length in the author's larger work, "Foundations of Doctrine in Scripture and Experience." See chapter on Erroneous Views, pp. 138-158.