Being “Filled with the Spirit” #3
Being “Filled with the Spirit” #3
In the previous 2 Blogs, I dealt with Eph 5:18-21, and the 4 things we are commanded to do, in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
In this Blog I will write about the 2 main benefits that accrue to us, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
As the Holy Spirit fills us, he works in 2 main areas:
1) He leads us into truth, teaching us and giving us wisdom regarding what is written the scriptures: he is the spirit of truth!
2) He leads us into holiness in our battle against indwelling sin and the old man: he is the Holy Spirit!
Just to clarify, I am not saying he does that only after we are filled; the filling and the leading us into truth and the leading into holiness all occur hand in hand, the one helping the other.
Firstly, regarding his leading us into Truth: He leads us into Truth, because he is the Spirit of Truth.
“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see Him, neither does it know Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you, and will be in you.” Jhn 14:17-18
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” Jhn 15:26
“But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” Jhn 16:13
In Jhn 14 and in Jhn 15 and again in Jhn 16 Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as The Spirit of Truth.
The Holy Spirit is our primary teacher. He uses men (preachers and teachers of his word), whether spoken sermons and teaching or written, but in the end, he is the one who gives light to the meaning of a particular text of scripture, showing us how it fits in with the rest of scripture; what truths it establishes, what errors it refutes; and how it applies to us our personally.
He NEVER teaches us, or leads us to do anything contrary to the written scripture!
Why can I say that so emphatically?
2Pt 2:20-21 clearly says, “But know this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation. For no prophecy at any time was produced by the will of man, but holy men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
The Holy Spirit inspired, “breathed into” holy (chosen) men and they wrote under his direction (not dictation, think influence), “controlling” them in such a way that they wrote the specific words he wanted them to write
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” 1Co 2:13
He is God, of course he can do this! This is exactly how the scriptures came into being: God the Holy Spirit caused men to write the specific words that are in the Bible – period! And he then preserved them down through the centuries. Could he do that? Of course! Why would he not do that? Would he want his word to be corrupted” Never!
The point is, only a deceiving liar would cause one set of words to be written, and then give subsequent teaching to groups or individuals that contradicts what he previously caused to be written down.
The Holy Spirit NEVER teaches us, or leads us to do anything contrary to the Scriptures which he caused to be written!
Any religious group that teaches something not found in the bible is not of God. Their words and teachings are not of the Holy Spirit.
Obviously religions that are expressly non-Christian, like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, New Age, etc are not of God; they don’t claim to be; and therefore their writing are not of the Holy Spirit.
What about groups claiming to be Christian?
What about Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, and Christian Scientists?
Each of these groups have added to the Bible; they each have either another book, or other writings, that they say are in addition to, and have the same authority, as the Bible.
The Mormons have the writings of Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon, which they say are of God, and hold to be of equal authority with the Bible.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have the writings of Charles Russell, and The Watch Tower Society writings, which they say are of God, and hold to be of equal authority with the Bible. They even have their own translation of the “bible”, the New World Translation.
The Roman Catholics have the decrees of the Pope, and their church’s traditions, which they say are of God, and hold to be of equal authority with the Bible. And they too have their own “bible books”, the Apocrypha which they have added to the bible. And FYI, the word “apocrypha” means “author un-known”!
The Seventh Day Adventists have the writings of Ellen White, which they say are of God, and hold to be of equal authority with the Bible.
Christian Scientists have the writing of Mary Baker Eddy, which they say are of God, and hold to be of equal authority with the Bible.
By that criteria, these groups are not of God.
When the cry of Sola Scriptura was raised during the Reformation, it was specifically raised against Roman Catholicism which added the decrees of popes/tradition/councils etc, to a level equal with Scripture, and supported it with an un-biblical doctrine of Papal Infallibility.
Now in our day, there are also the above listed groups to which we can examine by the principle of Sola Scriptura, and they fail the test.
And here too is where Charismatic groups need a warning. There is no new revelation!
A dear Christian brother, who is a Pentecostal pastor explained to me his understanding of the difference between Pentecostals and Charismatics. He said Pentecostals do not believe in new revelation, they believe the scriptures are closed, and that the Holy Spirit never leads us to do, or teaches us to believe, something that is contrary to the written word, whereas Charismatics, because the believe that the Holy Spirit is still revealing new truth, things not found written in the Bible, have opened the door to doing and/or believing things not written in the Bible.
Now secondly, regarding the Holy Spirit leading us into holiness: His name is the HOLY Spirit.
God’s desire is that we be like him, holy: 1Pe 1:15-16 “But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (life); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
The Holy Spirit leads unto into holiness; he does not lead us into sin.
It is the settled eternal desire of God that we be holy:
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Eph 1:4
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph 5:27
What does that mean? How does that happen? Who works so that it does happen?
The topic here is our sanctification, which in Greek comes from the same word as holy: hagios.
The Holy Spirit works in us, causing us to fight against sin; he causes us to hate sin and not want to sin. He leads us out of sin, and into holiness: he sanctifies us. This is often called progressive sanctification, because it is an ongoing process; it is progressive, meaning we grow, we increase in our hatred of sin, and we sin less frequently. We never stop sinning, but if we are Christians, meaning if the Holy Spirit is living in us, we sin less frequently; we do not do all the things that we used to do.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1Co 6:9-11
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ;” Eph 4:17-20
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Gal 5:19-25
The bottom line is, if the Holy Spirit lives in you, as he fills you, you will hate sin more and more, and therefore sin less and less. Flip side! If you do not hate sin more and sin less, either you are not allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you more and more, or he is not in you at all.
It is a mantra today, “We cannot know their heart”; that is not true!
By a person’s conduct and words, which are visible, be know what is in the heart of people, “for out of the mouth the heart speaks.” Mat 12:34
I can know the basic state of your heart.
You can know the basic state of your heart.
So to sum up, if you do the 4 things listed in Eph 5:18-21, you will give the Holy Spirit room to occupy more of you heart and mind, and you will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ; growing in Truth and Holiness.
12 March 2024