Does the Spirit Negate God’s Commands?

Richard Hollerman

We have a prominent website entitled “True Discipleship” that may be accessed at www. Truediscipleship.com. Presently, we think that about 1,300 to 1,600 people access it daily. And I am on Facebook, with about 4,900 subscribers. So each day many people do find me in some way.

We have found that people do come and at least some (usually a small percentage) of them object to something that I’ve written. We find that these objections (few though there are) find fault and proclaim the following:

  1. Some believe that the Holy Spirit has said one thing to them whereas God has said that there is another response found in Scripture.

We think that this is a very problematic and even wrong and troublesome response. God in no way contradicts what He has inspired through the Spirit in His written Word. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” (Isaiah 8:20). Although a reference to the Old Testament “Law,” this says much to us. Consider also John 12:48 and similar passages.

  1. Others may say that they oppose “legalism” and this indeed is right. However, I have at least one article that shows the fallacy of making laws that God has not made.

But we do need to be careful that we do not reject the plain words of Scripture and say that this is wrong and false. God has given us commands to follow and we must obey them if we wish to please Him and show our love for Him. Especially see 1 John 2:3-5; 3:22, 24; 2 John 6).

  1. There are others who think that we should only concentrate on the larger sins and not the smaller Yes, this is true. We are to major on the “larger” commands of God rather than the lesser ones (see Mathew 23:23-28 and 1 Corinthians 14:37).

Yet, we know that all of God’s will is important. We are to obey all of it. While we need to do the will of God in “larger” matters we must not neglect the “smaller” ones either. In fact, who are we to make such a distinction? All of God’s will is important and when we are baptized into Him, we will want to do what Jesus wants regardless of what it is (see Matthew 28:20).

  1. There are some who would say that if the Spirit “baptizes” us into Christ, we need to submit to His “leading” regardless of what it may be. We must leave the other undone.

Much could be said. Yes, we definitely need to keep this in mind. If we are in Christ, we will be obedient followers of His (Matthew 28:20). But we might want to notice that Acts 1:5 is speaking about the apostles (vv. 3-4). However, many of those who use this argument seem to show very little interest in obeying what God wants. Most have not even been immersed in water (Mathew 28:18-19; Acts 2:38; 22:16; etc.). The words at Acts 1:5 lead us to the baptism into the body by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), yet some seem to think that this somehow eliminates baptism with water (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 8:12; etc.). Salvation is dependent on our relationship  to Acts 2:38 and like verses.

Regardless of this, we need to remember that God through the Holy Spirit will lead us to obey Him and not depend on “inner impressions” or an “inner witness” instead.

  1. Let us be careful of the temptation to look within ourselves and obey our “inner promptings” or subjective feelings. We need to come to Christ in regard to the plain and objective Word of God.

Our inner feelings can be and often are wrong. But we know that God’s Word is never wrong. It is always right and safe to follow. In Proverbs 28:26 we learn that we are not to trust in our own heart and this is true. We must come to Christ on His terms, according to His will, and do His will without wavering.

  1. A final point is that God is only interested in the spiritual matters of life rather than the physical. So goes the argument.

Actually, God is interested in both. We are to “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). We are to be holy in all of our behavior (1 Peter 1:15). Notice also 1 Thessalonians 4:7 and 1 John 3:3. God does concern Himself with the spiritual but He is also concerned about what we call the physical. As we read through the New Testament, we find multiple teachings on this.

Thus, we will surely consider the entirety of what people write and the objections that they may have, but let us keep these thoughts (above) in mind as we respond. Let us remember that we will answer for the Lord’s words in the final day (John 12:48) and we must give an account to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 12:34-37). We must not despise the Holy Spirit. We must not seek to obey with a wrong spirit. And we must not allow the “major” teachings of Scripture to crowed out the “lesser” ones (if there is this difference).

Let us have the right spirit, the right attitude, the right sense of right and wrong, and the right view of truth and righteousness. Let us always seek to submit to the Lord in all things. And this is true regardless of detractors.