The Cause and Cure of Sipritual Depession - 3
The Cause and Cure of Sipritual Depession - 3
"And I said, this is my infirmity." Psalm 77:10
Superstition
Oh, you thought Christians can't be superstitious? Think again. Sometimes we are the most superstitious. How so? If any of us have been raised under experiential preaching, we often wrongly acquire our knowledge by feelings, not brainpower. Now, that’s not to say experiential preaching is dangerous, far from it. It’s the Augustinian way. But things tend to rot if not kept cool or go to seed if not tended. The old adage,
"The truth needs to drop 12 inches from the head to the heart,"
might have been true in the olden days, but for many today, it's feelings and signs that are looked for. I once was told by a woman struggling to attend the Lord’s Supper that the Lord had clarified. She was driving into a large valley that morning, and as she wondered if she was in the right place spiritually to attend, suddenly, the weathervane on top of the church was struck by the rising sun and hit her squarely between the eyes. Blinded! At that moment, she said, "I knew I could attend." How was that not a sign NOT to attend? Or to open a Chick-fil-A? No one knows. My point is this type of superstition (which is nothing more than Gnosticism dressed up Protestantly) relies on events, sudden impressions, illusive voices, and imaginary warnings for direction. But doesn't the devil himself masquerade as an angel of light? Could that not be him? Or my own mind? Could my senses also be deceived? Why do we think that every part of our being suffers from sin’s corruption EXCEPT our stomachs? As if our feelings were the only thing insulated from original sin. My brain lies to me all the time! So why not my feelings? And if this was to be the norm, what of faith? Is sight faith? “The justified” shall live by faith, Paul says in Romans 1. Let’s not kid ourselves; signs and wonders, superstitions in general, are just another form of sight.
Here is a last superstition: casting lots. “What? I never…!" Don't be so sure. How often have you opened your Bible, hoping that a text will leap off the page and address your problem? Well, it might, but that's not the point. The method is the point. It's lot-casting to open the Bible and land on the first passage, hoping for an answer to your aching void. That’s superstition, not unlike the Horoscope section of old newspapers. This is nothing more than spiritism, divination, and Christian tarro card reading. And this superstition lives in all of us. Using this method will almost always produce nothing. Instead, it is the progressive, continuous, orderly reading of a book, chapter, or thematic study that we grow by.
"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
In other words, study the Scriptures. Memorize 2 Tim.2:15,
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
And,
"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."
If you think that's just for seminarians, think again. It’s the prerogative of the priesthood of all believers.
One last superstition. The fear that you have committed the unpardonable sin. The sin against the Holy Spirit. Mat. 3:29 Many fear this is a sin they have committed. Ironically, many have never looked into its parts. "I just fear I have committed it," I hear people say. It's surprising that, in our day, these cases are so frequent with so many good expositors at our fingertips. In all of our acquisition of knowledge, we know less than our parents when it comes to the Word of God. This question has been definitively answered.1 If only we would take Augustine's advice, Tolle lege, tolle lege, “Take up and Read.” How many pains would be removed if we sought spiritual things in the way God revealed them? All this is a kind of religious mysticism, a superstition. This may be one cause of depression of soul.
To be continued...
Thomas Watson: "The Ten Commandments" - While dealing with the third commandment, Watson discusses the nature of using God's name in vain and touches upon the gravity of blasphemy against the Spirit.
John Owen: "The Holy Spirit: His Gifts and Power" - This work delves deep into the workings of the Spirit, and in it, Owen addresses the matter of the sin against the Holy Spirit.
"Apostasy from the Gospel" - Given that the unpardonable sin is sometimes associated with apostasy, Owen's writings on apostasy touch on this matter, elaborating on the nature and consequences of turning away from the gospel.
John Bunyan: "A Treatise of the Fear of God" - Here, Bunyan delves into various fears that believers may have, including the dread of having committed the unpardonable sin.
William Perkins: "A Discourse on the Damned Art of Witchcraft" - Perkins discusses various sins, including blasphemy, in the broader context of actions that are offensive to God.
"The Golden Chain" - In this systematic exposition of the order of salvation, Perkins touches upon sin, grace, and the work of the Spirit, addressing the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in this framework.
Thomas Goodwin: "The Work of the Holy Spirit in our Salvation" - In this detailed exploration of the Spirit's role, Goodwin addresses the nature and ramifications of grieving or blaspheming the Spirit.
Joseph Alleine: While "An Alarm to the Unconverted" is his most famous work, the subject of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is scattered and implicit, rather than being the central theme of a specific text.