There’s a belief held in parts of the modern Church called cessationism, the idea that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as healing, prophecy, and tongues, were only for the early Church and have since ceased.
On the surface, this might seem somewhat acceptable. But when we step back and examine Scripture, history, and what God is doing across the world today, that conclusion becomes impossible to support.
A Global Perspective
Cessationism is not the dominant view of the global Church.
Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, believers don’t just believe in the gifts of the Spirit, they expect them. They pray boldly. They witness healing. They live with an awareness that God is active, present, and moving in power.
Meanwhile, here across the pond, much of the Western Church has grown cautious, shaped in part by centuries of intellectualism and skepticism. Gifts of the spirit have been sensationalized by popular ministries, made mainstream through modern media. These sensational claims, seeming blasphemous, have created even greater skepticism. And created a sense of discomfort in the body of western believers at large.
But the question is not what feels comfortable. The question is: What is true?
What Does Scripture Say?
The early Church didn’t treat the gifts of the Spirit as rare or symbolic, they were normal.
We see scattered everywhere throughout scripture:
- Healing through the hands of believers
- Prophecy strengthening and guiding the Church
- Tongues and interpretation
- Deliverance and miraculous signs
These weren’t isolated moments. They were part of everyday life in the Spirit. And nowhere does Scripture clearly teach that these gifts would cease before Christ returns.
In fact, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that gifts like prophecy and tongues will pass away “when the perfect comes.”
First Corinthians points us toward a moment when we will see “face to face” and “know fully.” That doesn’t sound like the closing of the biblical canon. That sounds like the return of Christ, the only perfect person to have ever lived.
What About Church History?
From the book of Acts onward, there have been consistent accounts of God moving in supernatural ways. Are all claims valid? No. Discernment matters. Testing these things matters. But the presence of counterfeits does not negate the existence of what is real.
Throughout history, and especially in seasons of revival, there have been moments where the Church has returned to a deeper dependence on the Spirit, and with it, a renewed experience of His power.
The Real Danger
The risk isn’t just in excess or misuse of spiritual gifts. The greater danger may be expecting nothing at all.
When the Church no longer prays with expectation… When healing is no longer sought… When the Spirit’s voice is no longer listened for…
We don’t just avoid error. We risk missing God. Pentecostal and charismatic expressions have exploded worldwide over the last century, likely for this very reason- they are seeing God move in miraculous ways!
A Call Back to Expectation
The early Church didn’t build movements around programs, buildings, or personalities. They built their lives around the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
And that same Spirit has not changed. Come and see!!
- He still fills.
- He still speaks.
- He still heals.
- He still moves.
The question is not whether He is willing. The question is whether we are. Why have our expectations and our faith grown so soft and lowly?
Cessationism, while unfortunately influential in parts of the Western Church, does not fully account for the testimony of Scripture, the witness of the global Church, or the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. To that end, I simply can not align with that teaching or belief. Once you know, you know. You can't unsee what you've already seen or un-experience something that has completely moved you. You can't un-encounter an encountering.
Now, that being said... we are not called to chase experiences. But we are called to walk in the fullness of what God has made available.
Not just to study it. Not just to talk about it. But to live it. And in doing this, there should be fruit. The fruit that we bare is not for our own consumption, but by design is a holy provision for others.
The bottom line is this- cessationism does exist in the modern Church, but not because God has stopped pouring out His Spirit. Rather, it is the result of what we’ve allowed to take root: Our doubts, our denying, quenching, and grieving the Spirit, our lack of actual faith, a reluctance to fully surrender, our walking outside of obedience, and our unrighteousness... these things all push the Spirit away. They all prevent the Holy Spirit from manifesting in His fullness. These things are crippling the Church of the life that was promised, the very anointing on God's people.
The issue is not His willingness. It’s our posture.
When the Church stops expecting the Spirit to move, stops making room for Him, and stops walking in bold, obedient faith, we don’t just avoid excess…we are living beneath what was promised.
~ Devin
Devin Osborne
