By Their Fruits: Is Jesus Dismissing Tongues?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Matthew 7:16, Acts 2, Acts 10, Acts 19, Galatians 5:22-23, John 14, Hebrews 12:14, Romans 8:14, 2 Peter 3:18, Romans 8, John 7:37-39

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--by-their-fruits-is-jesus-dismissing-tongues
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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I believe that the abiding evidence of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the spirit supremely love and the pursuit of holiness. That doesn't contradict anything that we teach. It's very interesting. You're correct. The Pentecostal movement broadly, which includes the trinitarians, speak of tongues as the initial physical evidence. The UPCI articles of faith actually say initial sign which I prefer and all throughout the UPCI manual we speak of that tongues is the initial sign. I like that because I think that a little bit more accurately captures the evidence you see in the New Testament.

So obviously the book of Acts- which we have another uh episode that covers uh this subject in great detail. I think maybe a couple of episodes. But when you look at Acts 2, Acts 10, Acts 19, the sign that showed people that they'd received the Holy Spirit was speaking in tongues. But when you talk about evidence, I would argue, and I'm comfortable with saying tongues is initial evidence, but only initial. But when you speak on evidence more fully, I would say the evidence of a spiritfilled life is being led by the spirit, which would include bearing the fruit of the spirit. You find in Galatians 5:22-23 a list of nine aspects of spiritual fruit.

There are other passages that use other terms. Uh Jesus in John 14 talks about um being bearing fruit and and uh and then of course the the whole concept of seeking holiness, pursuing holiness. If you're not desiring and seeking after holiness, how can you be filled with the Holy Spirit? Uh so Hebrews 12:14, follow peace with all men and holiness without which no one will see the Lord. So I would say the abiding and and then let me just give you uh Romans 8:14. As many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God. So in that context, it's talking about the ongoing Christian life, being filled with the spirit, mortifying the needs of the body, which is the concept of holiness.

And so it it's the context seems to say it's not simply people who are initially filled with the spirit but those who are continually being led by the spirit. They are the sons of God. So I would absolutely emphasize the abiding evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in our lives in the sense of not only having initially received the spirit in as an experience but having the Holy Spirit leading guiding controlling and when I say controlling I don't mean contrary to our will but submitting our will to God. the the abiding the evidence of the abiding presence of the spirit is bearing the fruit of the spirit and living a holy life.

And so if someone uh speaks in tongues, uh let's let's say we're praying in and next to me someone is speaking in tonesues. I think that would indicate yes, at one time they yielded their heart and they were filled with the spirit. But that doesn't tell me if they're living a godly life today. That doesn't tell me if they're doctrally correct today. Just because they speak in tongues, that simply says they have faith to yield for that experience. And God has given them that gift. He won't take it away. But they're still responsible to grow in grace and knowledge. Second Peter 3:18, grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

They're still responsible to allow the spirit to work in them, to guide them, to control them, to lead them as we see in Romans chapter 8. So, uh, that this fits together perfectly. The words of Jesus are absolutely what we believe that it doesn't negate the fact that there's a real experience of received the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn't mention that in the text you quoted. Of course, it was before the day of Pentecost. He doesn't say anything about water baptism in that context. He doesn't say anything about receive the Holy Spirit in that context, but he does in other contexts. In fact, in John 7:37-39, Jesus makes it very clear that if you believe on him, you'll receive the Holy Spirit.

But he doesn't go into detail in the passage you quoted, but he's just simply making a very true and important pertinent observation. If you want to know if a person is in relationship with him, if you want to know if a person is filled with the spirit, living the spirit, walking the spirit, then you look at the fruit of their lives.