The church should not have to choose between holy character (the fruit of the Holy Spirit) and powerful ministry (the gifts of the Holy Spirit). The split between charismatic and non-charismatic traditions is silly and hurtful. Charismatics and Pentecostals need the emphasis on holiness expressed in the Wesleyan and holiness tradition. Simply to be biblical, the Church needs to accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit without explaining them away with naturalistic definitions: prophecy is preaching, healing is medical skill, tongues is linguistic talent. Worldliness and sin have ravaged the charismatic church—the message of holiness is desperately needed. Within the holiness tradition, confusion about the gifts of the Holy Spirit has reigned regarding the office of the prophet, the gifts of healing and prophecy, and the gift of tongues because many evangelicals want to be biblical but fear the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
And all of this either/or-ism has been exacerbated by those who insist only those who speak in tongues have been filled with the Holy Spirit. Let God be God and pour out his Holy Spirit however He likes. Let the Holy Spirit distribute gifts as He decides. We can ask the Holy Spirit to come in sanctifying power to burn away deep-rooted sin. And we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us the gifts to powerfully testify to the resurrection of Christ. We can have both and we need both.
Burn-out and disillusionment can also nourish either/or-ism. Having spent a lot of time in the holiness tradition, I have seen enough carnal, and just plain mean, people claiming “sanctification” to make me give up any belief in the Spirit’s power to free us from sin. And in my ten years within the charismatic/Pentecostal tradition I have seen enough silliness and abuse of the gifts to make me wonder if the gifts are real or useful. But in both traditions, I have met those who are the “real deal”, humble folk who walked daily in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit and genuine believers who used the gifts of the Spirit to build-up others and set the captive free. The answer, a pastor once told me, to mis-use isn’t no use—it is right use. So I am stubbornly both/and about the gifts and fruit of the Spirit.
Jesus is clear that the Holy Spirit is sent to continue his ministry and express his nature:
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12
When asked if we want to have the fruit of the Spirit which is the character of Christ or to do the works of Christ as empowered by gifts of the Holy Spirit, we must boldly say, “Both/and !” Through the Holy Spirit, the Church can be like Jesus was and do what Jesus did.
