Several years ago, I read this powerful quote in Howard M. Ervin’s These Are Not Drunken As Ye Suppose – “Truth divorced from experience must always dwell in the realm of a doubt.” Go ahead and read it again, possibly a third time. To me, Ervin’s statement is so clear that I’ve questioned if I needed to expound on the importance of experiencing and seeing. So, walking in wisdom, I asked for an expert opinion on this question (which means I talked to myself). I asked myself the question and the answer was yes, so here it is.
Consider these scriptures.
“…the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.”
Mark 16:20 (The Message Bible)
“…Jesus proved to them with many convincing signs that he had been resurrected,…“
Acts 1:3 (The Passion Translation)
“And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [*a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions
and thus persuading them] …” 1 Corinthians 2:4 (Amplified Bible)
Would you agree with me that we live in a day where there are many who are hearers of the Word, but few are seeing and experiencing the Word-validating power of the Holy Spirit. To return to Erwin’s statement, without this undeniable demonstration, we leave room for those in our ministry to live in a realm of doubt. Speaking from personal experience, I am thankful that as a child and teenager, I saw and experienced God showing up in the classes and services to make His presence and power undeniably known. Consequently, there was no room for doubt in my life. I couldn’t neglect “so great a salvation”. (Hebrews 2:3)
Let me challenge you to be so convinced about God’s Word that you…
1. Boldly communicate the Will of God (the Word).
2. Give God the opportunity to validate His Word. Confidently put God’s Word to the test.
3. Give the glory to the One who deserves the glory for what He has done.
