There have been four questions asked in the last two weeks that focus on the matters of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, baptism, and filling. Those questions were: What needs to be done when a believer “leaks?” How does the Holy Spirit confirm the believer’s true identity? What helps believers continue to be the proper and fitting place for the Lord to indwell? What can a believer do when they don’t feel so valuable to the Lord?
The answer is the same for all four questions. It is about personal relationship.
It is not uncommon among believers to think “relationship” when it comes to a personal connection with Jesus. Because of His humanity, it is much easier to see Him as possessing all the characteristics to which one can relate as a human being. The mere fact that He calls believers “friends” (John 15:15) gives a very human perspective to the way a believer relates to Jesus. Having that same kind of connection with the Holy Spirit—or even as some refer to Him—the “Holy Ghost,” is very difficult to grasp with head and heart. (Most everyone thinks of ghosts as very scary, not what one wants in a friendship!)
Yet, building a relationship with the Holy Spirit is the essence of Life by the Spirit. So when a believer “leaks”, it is the relationship with the Spirit that provides the “refilling.” It is the relationship with the Spirit that God looks to as being the “seal” that a believer belongs to the Lord (Ephesians 1:13). It is the life-long work of conviction and instruction of the Holy Spirit that transforms the believer to be in a relationship with the God of Universe. And it is through relationship with the Spirit of God that a believer can have the undeniable assurance that he or she belongs to the Lord.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14-16 ESV)
The Bible says that the Word is the Spirit of God (Ephesians 6:17). When feeling empty, unsure about one’s status with Jesus, anxious about the future, or distant from the Lord…open up the Bible and read. Think of the Bible as a love letter from one who is committed to you no matter what. How does it feel and what happens in your heart because of hearing from that person? Let that emotion happen in the relationship with the Holy Spirit—allow the love of the Spirit to overwhelm you, comfort, strengthen and encourage you.
Relationship—it’s the wonder of the Spirit’s indwelling and the joy of His filling.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Estimated Value
An amazing treasure came from Eastern Washington. Actually, it came right out of Cougville! Check out this link from the popular show on PBS, “Antique’s Roadshow,” for the highest valuated item the show had seen to that date. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEYLpgqOKDY&feature=related What made that painting so valuable? The frame? The Grand Coulee Dam scene? The personal note on the back? The style of the painting? To be sure, all those elements add value to the artwork. Ultimately, the half million-dollar (or more!) insurance value is because of the signature of the artist. Because of the influence and achievements of Clyfford Still, a simple house-warming gift becomes a treasure of immense value. (It makes one regret getting rid of the fish platter wedding gift!) Such is the “signature” of the Holy Spirit that one receives at the moment of salvation. Through His indwelling and filling, the Holy Spirit begins creating a piece of “art” of immense and eternal value. And just as the paintings of Clyfford Still reveal his distinctive style, by the Holy Spirit’s transforming power, He produces definitive characteristics that identify a person as one of the Spirit’s own. These character qualities are most commonly known as, “The Fruit of the Spirit.” But the fruit of the Spirit islove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV) The first three are qualities of a mind and heart reflecting a reconciled relationship with the Lord. Once receiving Jesus, the believer also receives the Lord’s love, joy and peace. The second three qualities give definition to the transformation of the believer’s relationship with others. Patience, kindness and goodness towards others paint a distinct identity of belonging to Christ. The last three virtues—faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—define the transformation of how the believer is to be within his or herself. Living Life By The Spirit is ultimately about His work to bring about these qualities within each believer. These works of the Spirit’s “art” are produced over a lifetime, and like a Clyfford Still painting, they become more valuable as the years come and go. Here’s a challenge: ask someone close to you—someone who loves you, but will be candid with you—if they see one or more of the nine qualities in your life. Hopefully, the person will see clear evidence of all the Spirit’s fruit…but even if they see just the tiniest amount of any of the nine in you as a believer, be assured that the Spirit dwells in you and you are a priceless, eternal treasure. What can a believer do when they don’t feel so valuable to the Lord? More to come!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Indwelling
Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit will indwell believers (John 14:16-17) is found in the New Testament, yet understanding the significance of what this blessing means can be found in the Old Testament.
There are two events that give insight to what it means for the Holy Spirit to indwell, that is, to live within a believer. The first event of these that paint the picture of what it means that the Spirit indwells the believer is from the book of Exodus. Prior to the event, the Lord instructed the Israelites on how to make a dwelling place for Him that was proper and fitting.
Through Moses’ leadership, the Israelites built the “Tent of Meeting.” When the work was complete: Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34-35 ESV)
As humble and as godly as Moses was, he couldn’t enter where the glory of the Lord resided. But because of what Jesus did on the Cross, everyone who receives by faith the gift of His grace, is like the “Tent of Meeting;” a properly prepared place for the full glory of the Lord’s Spirit to enter and stay. That’s amazing!
A similar event took place in the days of Solomon when the Temple was built for the dwelling place of Lord. Under Solomon’s guidance, a fabulous structure was constructed. On the day of its dedication: As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. (2 Chronicles 7:1-2 ESV)
It is almost too good to believe, isn’t it, that while the Lord’s glory prevented priests from entering the temple, the most holy Lord lives in believers. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)
How then, do believers live by the Holy Spirit who indwells? The answer is, according to His Glory! It was the responsibility of the priests in the Old Testament to ensure that nothing damaging, distorting, or destructive to the glory of the Lord was allowed in the Tent of Meeting or in the Temple. In the same way, believers must guard their minds and hearts for those things that would diminish the glory of the Lord—no words, no actions, no visuals, no thoughts, no attitudes or emotions.
What helps believers continue to be the proper and fitting place for the Lord to indwell?
More to come!
There are two events that give insight to what it means for the Holy Spirit to indwell, that is, to live within a believer. The first event of these that paint the picture of what it means that the Spirit indwells the believer is from the book of Exodus. Prior to the event, the Lord instructed the Israelites on how to make a dwelling place for Him that was proper and fitting.
Through Moses’ leadership, the Israelites built the “Tent of Meeting.” When the work was complete: Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34-35 ESV)
As humble and as godly as Moses was, he couldn’t enter where the glory of the Lord resided. But because of what Jesus did on the Cross, everyone who receives by faith the gift of His grace, is like the “Tent of Meeting;” a properly prepared place for the full glory of the Lord’s Spirit to enter and stay. That’s amazing!
A similar event took place in the days of Solomon when the Temple was built for the dwelling place of Lord. Under Solomon’s guidance, a fabulous structure was constructed. On the day of its dedication: As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. (2 Chronicles 7:1-2 ESV)
It is almost too good to believe, isn’t it, that while the Lord’s glory prevented priests from entering the temple, the most holy Lord lives in believers. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)
How then, do believers live by the Holy Spirit who indwells? The answer is, according to His Glory! It was the responsibility of the priests in the Old Testament to ensure that nothing damaging, distorting, or destructive to the glory of the Lord was allowed in the Tent of Meeting or in the Temple. In the same way, believers must guard their minds and hearts for those things that would diminish the glory of the Lord—no words, no actions, no visuals, no thoughts, no attitudes or emotions.
What helps believers continue to be the proper and fitting place for the Lord to indwell?
More to come!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Baptism
In exploring the matters of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, baptism and filling—it is important to understand what the Holy Spirit does and what it means for believers.
Of the three terms, “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” is the most controversial. For example, there are some brothers and sisters in Christ who hold the belief that after a person receives Jesus as their Savior and Leader, a second experience happens called the “Baptism with the Holy Spirit.” Others suggest that this second experience is necessary before a believer can be fully used of God. Still others are convinced that “baptism with the Holy Spirit” is connected to the believer being given a supernatural gift…speaking in tongues or performing miracles…and this is the sign confirming the Spirit’s presence. If there is no outward demonstration, it is believed that the person has yet to receive the Holy Spirit.
In the days the New Testament was written, the word baptize carried the meaning of a sunken ship, or clothing completely dipped in a vat of dye of a different color. For both the “baptized” ship and the clothing, there was permanent change of identity or status. To be baptized by the Holy Spirit means a believer has a permanently changed identity or status—specifically—a member of God’s forever family.
In the early days of the church, the Apostle Peter preached a sermon, and many in the crowd were convicted that they needed Christ. They asked Peter how they should respond…And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38 ESV emphasis added)
When a person comes to faith in Christ, he or she is immediately given two promised gifts: salvation and the Holy Spirit. It is the universal spiritual reality for all believers: For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV)
The most important understanding about the baptism of the Holy Spirit is this—the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers. Without this baptism, a person isn’t a believer.
How does the Holy Spirit confirm the believer’s true identity?
More to come!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Filling
There are some key terms to grasp to Live by the Spirit:
· Indwelling of the Spirit
· Baptism of the Spirit
· Filling of the Spirit
· Fruit of the Spirit
Jesus spoke of the indwelling in John 14 about the Indwelling of the Spirit and there is more to come on this matter. Baptism of the Spirit has been considered a controversial matter, but the Scriptures will bring clarity. Understanding the Fruit of the Spirit is far less debatable, but much more of a challenge for every believer. In fact, the Fruit of the Spirit is directly related to the Filling of the Spirit. So how are believers filled by the Spirit?
The letter to the Ephesians draws an interesting contrast between the excess drinking of alcohol and being filled by the Spirit. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18 ESV). When a person begins to drink wine, slowly but surely, the wine will in some way or another take control of the person. The more wine the person drinks, the more the wine has control over the person. Generally, a person who is full of wine has lost control of their self and is under the control the wine. It works similarly with the filling of the Spirit. The more the person is filled with the Spirit, the more the person is under the control of—or living by—the Spirit.
How does a believer fill their “glass” with the Spirit? The Spirit of God is often identified with the Word of God in the Bible, so reading, pondering, studying and memorizing the Word of God is absolutely necessary. When believers “drink” from the Scriptures, because the Word of God possesses the power of the Spirit, it transforms thoughts, words, emotions, actions, and attitudes to be those of the Holy Spirit. As everyone has a fairly regular routine for eating and drinking, so every believer needs to establish a regular routine for ingesting God’s Word.
Do you have a regular time to “dine and drink” the Word of God?
Other ways believers can be filled with the Spirit include:
Prayer: Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit is involved in talking to the Lord.
Silence and Solitude: Turn off the electronic devices, get away from the distractions, and just sit and be still before the Lord. Ever see someone try to drink and run at the same time—it doesn’t work well, does it? It’s tough to be filled with the Spirit when one is always on the run.
Relationships: Believers who have friends that ask whether one is living by the Spirit tend to seek being filled with the Spirit.
One insightful Christian leader observed that his real problem wasn’t filling of the Spirit, but leaking! How true! It’s a problem every believer faces. What needs to be done when a believer “leaks?”
Move to come!
· Indwelling of the Spirit
· Baptism of the Spirit
· Filling of the Spirit
· Fruit of the Spirit
Jesus spoke of the indwelling in John 14 about the Indwelling of the Spirit and there is more to come on this matter. Baptism of the Spirit has been considered a controversial matter, but the Scriptures will bring clarity. Understanding the Fruit of the Spirit is far less debatable, but much more of a challenge for every believer. In fact, the Fruit of the Spirit is directly related to the Filling of the Spirit. So how are believers filled by the Spirit?
The letter to the Ephesians draws an interesting contrast between the excess drinking of alcohol and being filled by the Spirit. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18 ESV). When a person begins to drink wine, slowly but surely, the wine will in some way or another take control of the person. The more wine the person drinks, the more the wine has control over the person. Generally, a person who is full of wine has lost control of their self and is under the control the wine. It works similarly with the filling of the Spirit. The more the person is filled with the Spirit, the more the person is under the control of—or living by—the Spirit.
How does a believer fill their “glass” with the Spirit? The Spirit of God is often identified with the Word of God in the Bible, so reading, pondering, studying and memorizing the Word of God is absolutely necessary. When believers “drink” from the Scriptures, because the Word of God possesses the power of the Spirit, it transforms thoughts, words, emotions, actions, and attitudes to be those of the Holy Spirit. As everyone has a fairly regular routine for eating and drinking, so every believer needs to establish a regular routine for ingesting God’s Word.
Do you have a regular time to “dine and drink” the Word of God?
Other ways believers can be filled with the Spirit include:
Prayer: Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit is involved in talking to the Lord.
Silence and Solitude: Turn off the electronic devices, get away from the distractions, and just sit and be still before the Lord. Ever see someone try to drink and run at the same time—it doesn’t work well, does it? It’s tough to be filled with the Spirit when one is always on the run.
Relationships: Believers who have friends that ask whether one is living by the Spirit tend to seek being filled with the Spirit.
One insightful Christian leader observed that his real problem wasn’t filling of the Spirit, but leaking! How true! It’s a problem every believer faces. What needs to be done when a believer “leaks?”
Move to come!
Monday, April 9, 2012
One Bite At A Time
There are some wonderful, if not supernatural, aspects to living life by the Holy Spirit! However, the foundation of the Spirit empowered life is fairly simple and routine according to Romans 8:5-6. It is the practice and discipline of setting one’s mind on the “things” of the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to theSpirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6 ESV, emphasis added)
If the Holy Spirit is wholly and completely God…and Jesus made it clear that He is…then those “things” are everything about the Godhead. What an overwhelming idea! How do we grab a hold of everything about God? God draws an awesome picture of the difference between humanity and Himself in these words: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higherthan your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9 ESV)
As hard as it is to grasp the fullness of God, it is not impossible for the believer to set his or her mind on the things of the Spirit as the Spirit is the believer’s helper. And setting one’s mind on the Spirit becomes easier when the motivational saying about eating an elephant is applied: it is done one bite at a time. In the New Testament, there are several bite-sized instructions that draw the believerinto the life of the Spirit.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV, emphasis added)
To set one’s mind on the things of the Spirit means focusing on matters worthy of God. For instance, to set one’s mind on whatever is true means thinking about Jesus because He is the Truth (John 14:6). To think about what is honorable is to consider what it means to live in the presence of the Lord (Romans 1:21). To meditate on pure things will expose the darkness of one’s passions and bring renewal to a believer’s heart (2 Timothy 2:22). It is amazing what the Spirit does through a heart focused and filled with Him.
Have you ever heard that phrase, “but be filled with the Spirit?”
More to come!
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