Weekly Word Archives

Worshipping God

LIVING THE SPIRIT FILLED LIFE

(CLICK YOUR BROWSERS "BACK" BUTTON WHEN FINISHED)

1. The Problem.

For many Christians, their Christian walk is an endless battle. It is not the life of victory they had been led to expect. They are confused and defeated. Quite often, there is a difference between what they think the Christian life should be and their actual experience in life. The harder they try, the more difficult the Christian life seems to be. Victory over sins, power in their prayer life, and leading others to Christ is just a fantasy in their minds. The high hopes of yesterday have been shattered by the reality of today. Yet these are the very ones who are candidates for a miracle.

In becoming a candidate for a miracle, the awesome riches of God’s grace and power are released in the Christian’s life. So, why do so many Christians live in spiritual poverty when they own all the riches of heaven and have all the promises of God available to them? Because they don’t realize the riches that are already theirs. They are either unaware or unbelieving of all that God has promised them.

2. The Divine Promise.

In Ephesians 5:18, Paul says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation (intemperance), but be filled with the Spirit.” To be filled with the Spirit means we become a different person. In 1 Samuel 10:6, God told Saul that the Spirit of God would come upon him and he would be changed into a different person!

This command to be filled with the Spirit is far more than just a command – it is also a relationship. It is a command to be in a relationship with the One whom God sent to complete the work of Christ in us and through us. Jesus describes it this way, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living
water . . .”

3. The Divine Person.

Sadly, to many Christians, the Holy Spirit is not One to be known personally as is the Father and the Son. As we study about the Holy Spirit in Scripture, we discover He has all of the characteristics of a person. He has a mind, a will, and emotions. He sees, He feels, He thinks, He acts. The Bible always refers to the Holy Spirit in the masculine, showing that the Spirit is not an “it.” The only thing the Holy Spirit does not have is a body.

The Bible teaches us that the Spirit is a Person, a holy friend who can be known personally. It also tells us what He came to do. He came to complete the work of Christ. Before Jesus went back to the Father, He promised to send “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit who would:

1.	Teach us all things and reminds us of all that Christ said (John 14:26).
2.	Bear witness of Christ (John 15:26).
3.	Make the world aware of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8,9).
4.	Guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
5.	Glorify Jesus Christ (John 16:14).
6.	Make known the things of Christ to us (John 16:15).

Being filled with the Spirit allows the power of God to flow through the human spirit, affecting both soul and body. It is His presence and power in our life that makes us a different person. We become a person who can live the Christian life victoriously and serve our Lord effectively.

4. The Human Decision.

I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God to present
Your bodies a living sacrifice to God . . .Romans 12:1

In looking at Romans 12:1, we need to ask ourselves this question: “To which of the Trinity is Paul referring when he speaks of presenting our bodies to God?” Since the Father is seated in heaven, He doesn’t need a body. Jesus already has a body. We can conclude that this passage must be referring to the Holy Spirit.

What Paul is begging us to do is to present our bodies to the Holy Spirit as living sacrifices. Why? Because He desires a body, our bodies, so that He might fill us and empower us to be different people through whom He can work. The love of God must have arms, and we are those arms!

Being filled with the Spirit is not a cure for all that is wrong in a Christian’s life. Rather, it is the power of God for all that is right in our walk with Jesus and our service for Him. As the Spirit’s power prepares us for worship and service, life is totally changed. You can be sure that such a life is possible and is already ours as we take it by faith. We can become a candidate for a miracle!

5. Directions for Being Filled With the Spirit.

Jesus said, “If any man is thirsty . . .” This speaks of desire. Do you really desire to have God’s best, to be God’s best?

1)	Desire is the first aspect of being filled with the Spirit. We can’t manufacture this desire but we can pray that God develop this desire in us.

2)	We are to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. This is an act of worship. It implies total submission to the Holy Spirit, so He might fill our entire being. Presenting ourselves involves two important things: First, that we search our hearts to make certain there is nothing in our lives that would keep us from knowing God’s fullness. Whatever the Spirit reveals to us we must acknowledge to God so that Christ’s blood can cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Second, we must lay all of our hopes, dreams, ambitions, and desires on the altar and surrender them to Jesus.

3)	Faith is the third facet of being filled with the Spirit. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the most important ingredient in our Christian walk. As we surrender to the authority of God’s Spirit, we must simply trust Him to do as He promised.

	How can you know that you are filled with the Spirit? There is a danger in looking for an emotional or physical sign to prove to yourself that you are filled with the Spirit. A Christian is filled with the Spirit by faith, not by experience. Don’t attempt to pattern yourself after another’s experience. God has a unique word for you as you follow Him in faith. Be patient and allow Him to do His work in His time and in His way.

6. Daily Living by the Spirit.

Being filled with the Spirit is not a one-time experience, but a day-to-day lifestyle. Spirit-filled Christians are faced with a three-fold enemy — Satan, the world system and indwelling sin. These influences seek to destroy our faith (John 10:10) and to press us into their mold (Romans 12:2). We are faced with the temptation to rely on our own abilities and ways of dealing with life rather than on the Spirit. When we operate out of our own resources rather than the Spirit, this is called living “in the flesh.”

When we do choose to operate out of the flesh, the Holy Spirit will bring this to our attention. God desires that we walk in the Spirit even more than we do. When we realize we are walking in the flesh, we have a choice to make — to continue in that direction or to turn to God, reject the “deeds of the flesh,” and once again allow Him to live His life through us. Galatians 5:16 promises that, as we live in the Spirit, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Living in the Spirit can be compared to a light switch. The power is always present, but we have to make the choice to allow that power to be released in and through our lives.