The Sovereign Spirit: Discerning His Gifts

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Book Overview

Book by Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877886970
• ISBN13: 9780877886976
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Shaw Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Ending The Confusion

Lloyd-Jones has beautifully used the Scriptures and history to discern the right way in practicing the gifts of the Spirit. He encourages the use of the gifts as not ceasing with the completed canon of scriptures, gives us a balance between being quick to reject the supernatural ("do not despise prophecy") and our responsibility to be skeptical ("test the spirits"), and gives sound teaching on the gifts of prophecy and tongues, teaching that prophecy, by nature, is infallible and that both prophecy and tongues are not initiated by the "gifted" but rather by the Spirit. This book serves as some of the clearest teaching you will ever read on the topic and is a must for anyone questioning cessation of the gifts as well as confused charismatic souls like me. He also shows the problems with some Charismatic teaching that is still prevalent today. This book helped me in that I knew that much of the charismatic teaching on the gifts I had received growing up did not line up with Scripture but Lloyd-Jones showed what the Scriptures do teach. If you are confused about these things, or just want a greater knowledge of the Bible and the history of the Church, then this book will profit you much. It is worth hunting down as well as its previous companion, "Joy Unspeakable!"

The Most Balanced View of a Difficult Subject

I grew up in the Charismatic movement in many Charismatic churches in different states. When I became a senior in High School I became involved in a Baptist Church (my parents had been raised Baptist) and continued on into college. I have gone from one side of the issue to the other and have never been sure of this subject (cessation of the gifts vs. the gifts for today and the issue of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and when it occurs). Lloyd-Jones is unbelievable! His exposition and arguments have been used by the Lord (serious illumination) to help me in defining my beliefs and working out my doctrine. Things are more clear than ever now. I find it much easier to discern between the false and true experiences. I have seen and experienced some strange stuff being a charismatic (real and fake--from being "slain in the Spirit" and making up my own "spiritual language or tongue" (these weren't real but people were considering them real and so was I) to a most marvelous and glorious baptism with the Holy Spirit (it was real!)) and now I know it is okay and expected of me to question and "test the spirits" but to still be ready to believe a "suprising work of the Spirit of God" as Edwards put it. Many have criticized this book's theological conclusions and application but they are the most biblically solid. I believe that Lloyd-Jones can't be described as a Pentecostal/Charismatic or just simply an Evangelical (all though I'm sure he'd lean more towards saying he was an evangelical). I think he is truly unique. In this day when the Spirit is being quenched by the unjustifiable doctrine of cessation and the Spirit being discredited because of false experience and chaos within the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement, we need the teaching of this book! Historic, biblical, balanced, uncompromising, and a great understanding of the truth. This man rightly handles the word of truth.