The one thing all cessationists have in common is religious strongholds. Some got there through rebellion, others through false teaching, but all of them are wrong. They’ve either never received the Holy Spirit, or they’ve quenched Him with fear and doubt. Even giving them a title like “cessationist” feels like trying to dignify unbelief, as if spiritual blindness deserves a name. I don’t refer to myself as a “continualist” just because I choose to believe God’s power over my flesh’s doubt.

When you walk in the unbelief of a Nazarene, you won’t see or experience the hand of God. Not because He isn’t moving, but because you refuse to recognize Him when He does. Go to Africa or India and try telling the persecuted church that miracles, signs, wonders, prophets and apostles no longer exist. Cessationism is the prideful affordance of the West. True faith refined by fire has eyes to see.

God hasn’t changed nor has His structure for the church. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers wasn’t a temporary setup. Jesus was detailed everywhere else but conveniently forgot to tell us that’s not how He wanted future generations of church to function? Doubtful. To believe in in pastors, teachers, and evangelists but not apostles or prophets is to cherry pick the Word of God. You don’t get to choose which parts of scripture are still valid. It’s either all the Word of God is true or none of it is.

Blessed, truly, are those who believe without seeing but cursed is the powerless religion that silences the Spirit and exalts man’s understanding above God’s presence.