Casual Continuationist = Practical Cessationist

I recommend this post by Andrew Farris at Christians in Context called An Exhortation for the Casual Continuationist/Practical Cessationist

His point is that even those who say they are "continuationists" or "continualists" (those who believe in the continuing availability of all the spiritual gifts) are mostly practical cessationists. We do not practice much of what we say we believe in; i.e. there ain't much prophecy and miracles going on.

1. Cessationism is dead wrong, and it's obvious.
2. If cessationism is dead wrong, the only Biblical option is full-fledged but non-Pentecostal charismaticism....

Yet it appears to me that many evangelicals affirm step 1 but don't bother with step 2, and it is not because they are all reading Robert Saucy's "Open But Cautious" essay in the counterpoints book (as an aside, what am I not "open but cautious" about in evangelical theology...other than cessationism anyway?). A small fraction might have thought through the issue and arrived with Saucy. But most, I am convinced, simply don't address it. "Sure," they think, "the Spirit still works in the 1 Cor. 12-14 ways today." But after that mental affirmation, nothing.

This troubles me, for at least the following reasons:

1. If the Holy Spirit (i.e. God Himself dwelling among His people for the sake of their sanctification and perseverance, in case you forgot) really does give us gifts, why would we not unwrap them, so to speak? Affirming the continuation of the so-called "miraculous" gifts but not pursuing them is about as logical as affirming that I will die if I don't eat but refusing to eat the food that is right in front of me. I need what the Holy Spirit has to offer. The Church needs what the Holy Spirit has to offer. Why not pursue it?

2. If spiritual gifts (no matter how we conceive of them, but think "ministries"), are given to the church for the sake of its edification, why would we not pursue them? This is the same as saying that we do not think we need to be edified the way that the Holy Spirit thinks that we need to be edified.

3. 1 Cor. 14:1 explicitly says that we should earnestly seek to prophesy. Simple enough.

4. Every Christian, not just the leadership, is supposed to serve the body of Christ. Few if any ministries that believers experience together actually expect every believer to actively participate like spending time seeking the miraculous gifts. Seriously, when has your church ever had the problem that too many people are speaking at the same time and thus making your service disorderly (you know, because they all have edifying hymsn, prophecies, and words from Scripture to share; cf. 1 Cor. 14:26ff )?

More excerpts tomorrow.