The Scriptures and the Power of God

E. Stanley Jones was a missionary, a theologian, and a prolific writer. In his devotional book Victorious Living he gives some wise words on the balance that must be maintained between the historical Scriptures and the present day experience of the Holy Spirit in order to keep us from going into error:

"The key to discerning the Voice of the Spirit is this: Does that Voice speak according to the revelation in Jesus? If so, it is authentic, if not, we should question it. For instance, when Peter says, 'The Spirit bade me go with them making no distinction,' I feel that this is an authentic voice of the Spirit, for this is just what we see revealed in Christ--a mind that made no distinction between man and man. But if Peter, when he drew back and refused before Paul to eat with the Gentiles, had said, 'The Spirit bade me make that distinction,' we should have said: 'Peter, you are wrong. That was not the voice of the Spirit. It was the voice of prejudice and fears. Your wires are crossed.'

"Jesus said this penetrating word, 'Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.' The way to keep from erring is to know those two things: the Scriptures--the past revelations; and the power of God--the present continuous activity of God. Some know only the Scriptures--they do not link themselves with the creative activity of God here and now in themselves and in the present age. They err. For they echo only the past. Some know only the power of God now--they do not know in any real sense the Scriptures. They too err. For we cannot correctly discern God at work now unless we continuously check it up by that revelation we have seen in Christ. But that man will not go astray who is in constant fellowship with the power of God now working, and who constantly tests that working with the revelation through the historic Jesus. Revelation issuing in experience, and experience inspired and checked by revelation--these are the two things that keep life from erring. These are the two rails that keep us going safely ahead; but take off one rail or the other, and we land in the ditch."