Swimming and Driving Is Dangerous… for Those Who Cannot Swim and Drive
By
Julio
Severo
A
man who does not have the swimming experience sees extreme danger in swimming
in waterfalls and other places. His basis is his own experience — if he tries
to swim in these places, he drowns.
He
can also use the example of people drowning in seas, lakes, waterfalls and
rivers to show that swimming is dangerous. In fact, there are plenty of
examples of drowning deaths. He has plenty of examples to discourage people
from swimming.
Does
this mean that there should be a cessation of all swimming?
The
same is true of the steering wheel. Every year a very significant number of
people die from car accidents. Those who do not know how to drive can use the
numerous traffic accident cases as evidence that people should be banned from
driving.
Does
that mean that humans were not meant to drive? Does this mean that there should
be a cessation of drivers and cars?
No
way. Even if swimming and driving involve risks, the correct attitude is for
the swimmer and the driver to perfect themselves in the experience of swimming
and driving. Banishing does not solve the problem; it only removes necessary
options.
I
apply the example of a ban on swimming and driving to the cessationist
theology, which seeks to ban from the Christian life the experiences of
supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. Just as is ridiculous for someone who
does not know how to swim and drive to impose laws and banish people from
swimming and driving, even with theories against swimming and driving, so it is
ridiculous for theologians who have no experience of the supernatural gifts of
the Holy Spirit to impose human doctrines and ban Christians from having these
gifts, including with surprising theological theories against these gifts.
Like
everything else in life that is necessary and important, the use of gifts may
involve risks, just as swimming and driving always involve risks. But the right
way is not to avoid swimming, driving, and having supernatural gifts of the
Holy Spirit. The right way is to learn right and perfect yourself in these
necessary experiences.
If
the supernatural gifts were not needed to equip the church, Jesus would not
have given them to his first apostles and he would not give them today.
To
deny that Jesus gives these gifts today on the basis of the lack of this
experience among critics or by using the bizarre cases is the same thing as
criticizing the experience of swimming and driving based on the lack of
experience among critics and by using horrendous cases of drownings and
accidents of transits.
Banning
people from swimming and driving is sure to avoid nearly 100 percent of deaths
from drowning and traffic accidents, but it will bring numerous other problems.
Prohibiting
experiences of supernatural gifts, including revelation and prophecy, in the
church will certainly avoid bizarre cases, but will bring numerous other
problems, including spiritual disability.
Only
the immature, the fearful and the cowardly forbid people to drive, swim, and
have supernatural gifts.
Learn
to drive very well.
Learn
to swim very well in the River of the Holy Spirit.
Learn
to swim very well in your gift.
Learn
to let the Holy Spirit guide and direct your experience of supernatural gifts.
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