DR. CHRIS HATTON, pastor of Blue Point Bible Church in Blue Point, Long Island, NY, a Sovereign Grace believing Baptist assembly on the South Shore of Suffolk County, will address the theme: "NEGLECTING THE HOLY SPIRIT: A Warning to Doctrinally Sound Christians Regarding Dead Orthodoxy."Today Dr. Hatton will discuss how all too often Christians who may be very meticulous in making certain that all of their "i's" are dotted and their "t's" are crossed when it comes to adhering to biblically sound teaching sadly make themselves vulnerable to dead orthodoxy, and a joyless, lifeless, sour and angry Christianity through the neglecting of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. This neglecting of the third person of the Godhead at times manifests itself in dull and listless worship services, an impatient and unforgiving spirit, an expressed hatred of the lost, an unenthusiastic evangelism and an apparent boredom with the awesome, amazing, exciting and profound truths of Scripture. This lackluster living should never be found among a people, namely the theologically Reformed, whose belief system acknowledges the vital role of God the Spirit in the resurrection of dead souls unto new life in Christ, and in the preservation and perseverance of those who are born from above in their faithfulness to their Lord and Savior. There is a palpable irony in the tragic reality that the neglecting of the Holy Spirit is *not* a rare sin among doctrinally solid Calvinists.
Our theme "Neglecting the Holy Spirit" is just one of 30 chapters included in the yet-to-be-published book written by Dr. Chris Hatton, "Spiritual Gleanings", which we hope will be in print in the very near future.
