This is the first of the distinguishing marks of religious affections in the For the Love of God series.
1. Genuine religious affections are spiritual.
Saying that genuine affections are “spiritual” is only helpful if we can identify what is truly spiritual and what isn’t. This is both a simple and difficult subject, misunderstood by many.
Each and every Christian has the Holy Spirit living inside of them as a down-payment on their eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). Edwards summarizes it this way,
The Spirit of God is given to true saints to dwell in them as His proper lasting abode; and to influence their hearts as a principle of new nature, or as a divine supernatural spring of life and action. (p.127)
That’s good enough. But how do we know when the Spirit is there, and when the affections are Spirit-produced and not originating from a counterfeit spirit or our own deceitful heart? It’s not like a light starts flashing on top of our head. So how do we know?
First, we recognize the Spirit’s work when we are convicted of sin. In fact, this is one of the Spirit’s primary tasks. False affections are not typically concerned with identifying sin or sorrowing over it. Counterfeit affections tend to ignore sin or rationalize it or redefine it. But the Spirit convicts us of sin.
John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Second, we also discern the Spirit’s work when we know and value Jesus. This too is one of the clear purposes of the Spirit: that we would prize Christ. Counterfeit affections have a self-focus and not about the great things of Jesus.
John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. 16:14 He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.
Third, we perceive the Spirit’s work when we see the various facets of fruit He produces.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;
Note as well the primary purpose of the Spirit in Galatians 5: to keep us from gratifying the desires of the flesh (v.16). Those who are spiritual are those who belong to Jesus Christ and have “crucified the flesh with it’s passions and desires” (v.24). So the Holy Spirit is not necessarily someone that we feel, but someone we recognize through our holy behavior.
Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The hypocrite is not interested in putting the flesh to death, but keeping his earthly passions and adding religious talk.
And even though there are more signs of the Spirit’s work, it is also important to mention we see the Spirit’s work when He illumines Scripture to us, that is, when He helps us to understand the Word. Those without the Spirit do not, they cannot, accept the things of His Word. That’s why the apostle Paul said,
1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
The Holy Spirit is not disclosing new revelation or dreams or fresh communication. Instead He helps us to understand better what He’s already written. He is not unveiling secret and hidden messages written in Scripture but bringing to light His original intent. Some people think that something is spiritual just because they can’t explain it. They think certain feelings or impressions or imaginations are spiritual. Instead, as Edwards summarizes,
The seal of the Spirit is the vital, gracious, sanctifying communication and influence of the Spirit and not any immediate suggestion or revelation of facts by the Spirit. (p.163)
So gracious affections are spiritual, and by spiritual we mean enabled by the Holy Spirit as we are sin-sensitive, Jesus-valuing, Scripture-understanding, and holiness-increasing.
