The Scriptures or the Power of God?

“Jesus replied, ‘”Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.'” Too often, depending on which flavor of Christianity we subscribe to, we seem to see this verse as an “either/or” presupposition. “Those crazy Charismatics only talk about the power of God and their experiences. They don’t have any substance.” “Those boring, stiff Traditional brothers and sisters know their Bibles but they are scared to talk about the experiential side of their faith. They have solid doctrine and zero power.” Why does it have to be either/or? Paul certainly wasn’t an either/or kind of guy. He was passionate about his love for the Scriptures. He knew the significant role that they play in every believer’s life. Paul told Timothy, “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” Paul also was a man who was not afraid of God’s power. He told the Roman Christians, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done–by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit.” Either/or? Not me. I want to be grounded and saturated in the Word and full of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word changes people’s lives. The Holy Spirit sets people free and empowers them to obey the Word. The Spirit and the Word always work together. Maybe that was what God intended all along. Do you ever feel the tension to lean towards one side of the debate or the other? Would you consider joining our Support Team as Annie and I share God’s grace and power in Brazil? Obrigado! https://c3church.wufoo.com/forms/brazil-mission-trip-dave-and-annie-spell/