Call to Commitment

 

 

In his book, Joy Unspeakable, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones refers three or four times to Charles Finney’s baptism in the Holy Spirit. I quote: “Take a man like (Charles) Finney. He was converted one day, the next day this happened to him. He knew nothing about it, he just found it happening to him…”

I believe that the original autobiography of Charles G. Finney was published in 1876, one year after his decease. I found a copy in my dad’s library, sometime in the early 1960’s, published by Revell in 1911 and still have it in my possession. I am going to post a few chapters on this blog, which I hope many will read. I first want to present his personal account of salvation and subsequent Baptism in the Holy Spirit from Chapter 2. I want to emphasize the fact that this was an experience claimed by many great men, used of God, many years before the Pentecostal Movement. It is contrary to today’s popular teaching that this Baptism occurs at conversion. Later, I also would like to give a sampling of Finney’s accounts of revivals in certain places and, perhaps, other experiences in his lifetime.

 

 CHAPTER 2:  His Conversion and Baptism in the Holy Spirit 

My Conversion to Christ 

On a Sabbath evening just at this time of my history, I made up my mind that I would settle the question of my soul's salvation at once, that if it were possible I would make my peace with God. But as I was very busy in the affairs of the office, I knew that without great firmness of purpose I should never effectually attend to the subject. I, therefore, then and there resolved, as far as possible, to avoid all business and everything that would divert my attention, and to give myself wholly to the work of securing the salvation of my soul. I carried this resolution into execution as sternly and thoroughly as I could. I was, however, obliged to be a good deal in the office. But as the providence of God would have it, I was not much occupied either Monday or Tuesday, and had opportunity to read my Bible and engage in prayer most of the time.

 But I was very proud without knowing it. I had supposed that I had not much regard for the opinions of others, whether they thought this or that in regard to myself; and I had in fact been quite singular in attending their prayer meetings and in the degree of attention that I had paid to religion while in Adams. In this respect I had been so singular as to lead the church repeatedly to think that I must be an anxious inquirer. But I found, when I came to face the question, that I was very unwilling to have any one know that I was seeking the salvation of my soul. When I prayed I would only whisper my prayers after having stopped the keyhole to my door, lest someone should discover that I was engaged in prayer. Before that time I had my Bible lying on the table with the law books, and it never had occurred to me to be ashamed of being found reading my Bible any more than I should be ashamed of being found reading any of my other books. But after I had addressed myself in earnest to the subject of my own salvation, I kept my Bible as much as I could out of sight. If I was reading it when anybody came in, I would throw my law books upon it to create the impression that I had not had it in my hand. Instead of being outspoken and willing to talk with anybody and everybody on the subject as I had been in the habit of doing, I found myself unwilling to converse with anybody. I did not want to see my minister for two reasons: First, I did not want to let him know how I felt; and secondly, I had no confidence that he would understand my case and give me the direction that I needed. For the same reasons I avoided conversation with the elders of the church, or with any of the Christian people. I was ashamed to let them know how I felt, on the one hand; and on the other, I was afraid they would misdirect me. I felt myself shut up to the Bible.

 I have recently terminated my expositional comments on the Second Epistle of Peter, having previously posted Peter's first epistle, as well as the Epistle of James. These three, of course, are from the General Epistles. I have also commented on a number of other books of the Bible, including Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Hebrews, James and Revelation, along with a devotional book on the Psalms. I am considering leaving expositional Bible teaching for a while and a number of ideas are going through my mind. 

 I would like to bring up old articles from this blog, which I think are especially important. Today, I was reading an article on the Mukti revival in India. I would also like to form written articles from recent messages by our sons Mike, Daniel, and David. Perhaps I will also repeat some of their older messages, already posted here. At the moment, I am thinking of going to an old autobiography of Charles G. Finney, published in 1911, which now is out-of-print. I found it in my dad's library, sometime in the early 1960's and still have it in my possession, although the cover is torn off and a few of the first pages are missing. At that time, early in my ministry, a fire began to be kindled in my soul, that continues to burn today in this 21st Century. I plan to copy a few significant chapters in their entirety. I believe that you will find these on this blogspot in the very near future. I would also like to uncover the heart of Jonathan Goforth, who saw missionary revival in China. 

 

2 Peter 3

 

Ungodly human shortsightedness

       1.      Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 

             2.      that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 

            3.      knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 

4.      and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 

5.      For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 

6.      by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 

7.      But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 

8.      But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

9.      The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

It seems proper that Peter should terminate his final contribution to the canon of Scripture by writing about the things of eternity. It is consistent with the Lord’s plan that the very last chapters in the Bible should take us into the new heavens and the new earth. The inspired word gives the account of this planet and the universe around it, from its creation to its destruction. After it tells human history, up to the time that the final despot and all God’s enemies have been judged, eternity is ushered in.

 In this chapter, Peter also will write about the final destruction of the universe, before he opens a door to a new one, which reigns in righteousness. He begins in the first verse with the theme of remembrance, which, he states, has been his purpose in both, but he particularly emphasizes it throughout this second letter. He uses the reader’s memory, in order to “stir up” their “pure minds”. Warren Wiesbe makes a statement, “It is possible to have a pure and sincere mind and yet have a bad memory!”

God saved righteous Lot

  

False Prophets and Teachers

       1.      But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers            among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who                      bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 

      2.      And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 

      3.      By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 

 Peter continues to prod the believers’ memory, reminding them of Old Testament stories, which were familiar to them. He warns them that there will be false teachers among them, as there were false prophets throughout the Jews’ history. Paul also warned the Ephesian elders, who met with him in Meletus, before he sailed on towards Jerusalem. I will first point out that Paul recognized the three-fold ministry of the elders, which we studied in 1 Peter, chapter 5. They are elders, but also, bishops and shepherds or pastors: “The Holy Spirit has made you overseers (bishops), to shepherd the church of God” (Ac.20:28).

 He went on to caution them: “From among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Ac.20:30). As long as we are in this deceitful world, we must beware of false people with wrong motives and their false doctrines. Jesus spoke of them in the parables of Matthew 13, telling of tares among wheat, a mustard seed which grew into a tree, leaven mixed into a loaf of meal, and bad fish netted along with good fish. In Matthew 25, He began, “The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins… five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” To the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus exposed the false doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, a false prophetess and her disciples. Can we expect less in these days of deep deception?

  

Destroying demonic literature in Ephesus

Verses 12-21 

 Spiritual benefits from memories

12.   For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. 

13.  Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 

14.  knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

15.  Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. 

In verse 12, Peter begins to show the importance of remembrance in spiritual life. David put himself in a compromising, hypocritical position, when he allied himself with one of Israel´s enemies. This was Achish of Gath, one of the five kings of the Philistines. His fault was in putting his trust in this man, instead of looking to the Lord for protection. Living a lie, finally caught up with him. He found himself with Achish, about to begin a major battle against his own people, Israel, as the Philistines mounted a major offensive against them. King Saul and David’s friend, Jonathan, died in this battle. God freed him from this dangerous situation, but things soon went from bad to worse.

 After a two-day’s journey, his army of 600 soldiers arrived at the city of Ziklag, which Achish had given to them. They discovered that the Amalekites had ransacked and burned the city, while they were absent, stealing the wives and children. David’s men were at the point of stoning him and he had absolutely no one to turn to. David was greatly distressed, the biblical account relates, and it is at this point, when David’s memory began to function. He remembered the hand of the Lord so heavily upon his past life, all the way back to his youth and “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” He went on to recover every one of the wives and children, but David won a greater battle in his soul, recognizing the grace of God in the victory. Grace became a ruling principle in his future kingdom. Read this valuable account in 1 Samuel 30. Memory strengthened and restored David with His Lord.

  Peter sees the need, on his part as a teacher of the gospel, to be faithful to remind the churches of things they already know. It is a great lesson for all Bible teachers that they should not be concerned about being repetitious. We have seen Peter, in the first part of this chapter, preoccupied with the possibility of stunted growth, short vision and stumbling in their walk of faith. Here, however, he sees people with experiential knowledge, presently living and established in the truth that has come into their lives.