|
You shall receive power
April 14, 2011
Youth Camp, Urdaneta
1. What is the spirit-filled life?
The spirit-filled life is the Christ-filled life. The Spirit-filled Christian is one who, according to Romans 6:11, has considered himself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Christ is now on the throne of the life. He is Lord! The Holy Spirit came to exalt and glorify Jesus Christ. In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit a Christian must be dead to self. When he is dead to self, the Lord Jesus Christ, who now has unhindered control of his life, can begin to express His love through him. The One to whom "all power in heaven and in earth is given," and "in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," can now express that power through the spirit-filled Christian. The One who came to seek and to save the lost, now begins to seek the lost through the Christian. He directs the Christian's steps to those who are lost and to those who are in need. He begins to use the Christian's lips to tell of His love. His great heart of compassion becomes evident in the Spirit-filled life.
Actually, in a very real sense, the Christian gives up his life, his importance and defeat for the power and victory of Jesus Christ. This is what the great missionary statesman Hudson Taylor referred to as the :exchanged life." When a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is filled with Jesus Christ. He no longer thinks of Christ as One who helps to do some kind of Christian task but, rather, Jesus Christ does the work through the Christian. He does not want us to work for Him. He wants us to let Him do His Work through us. This is that glorious experience that the apostle Paul knew when he said in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." The Christian's body now becomes Christ's body to use as He wills; the mind becomes His mind to think His thoughts; the will is now controlled by His will; the total personality, time and talents are now completely His.
The beloved apostle goes on to say, "…and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." Whose faith? The faith of the Son of God, the One who loved us and gave Himself for us, the One to whom "all power in heaven and earth is given." Think of it! Can you grasp what this mean? If you can, and if you yield your will to God the Holy Spirit and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is in your life moment by moment, you are in for a great adventure. The Lord Jesus Christ will begin to draw scores of lost men and women to Himself through your yielded, Spirit-filled life.
2. Why are so few Christians filled with the Holy Spirit?
Basically, the problem involves the will. Man is a free moral agent. He was created by God with a mind and will of his own.
God would be breaking His own spiritual laws if He forced man to do His bidding. At the time of conversion the will of man is temporarily yielded to the will of God. In Romans 10:9, Paul tells us that, if we confess with our mouths Jesus as Lord, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved. Man must be willing to "repent," which means to turn from his own way to go God's way, before he can become a child of God. However, after conversion, the heart frequently loses its "first love." The radiance and glow that accompanied the spiritual birth experience are gone, and many Christians no longer walk in "the light as He Himself is in the light"(1John1:7). They no longer seek to do the will of God, but for various reasons, have chosen to go their own way. They have chosen to work out their own plan and purpose for life. Believing themselves to be free, they become servants of sin and finally they say with the apostle Paul in Romans 7:19, 20, 24:"For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me from the body of this death? There is no one more miserable than a Christian out of fellowship with Christ.
In this spiritual condition there is no longer any joy in the Christian walk, no longer any desire to witness for Christ, no concern for those who are desperately in need of the forgiveness and love of our savior.
What are the reason, then, that one who has experienced the joy of His presence, would reject the will of God and choose to go his own way? Why would a Christian sacrifice the power and dynamic of the spirit-filled life in order to have hid own way?
① Lack of knowledge of the Word of God: God's Word contains glorious truths concerning the relationship that the Christian has with the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This lack of information has kept many from appropriating the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Think of it - every Christian is a Child of God(John1:12). His sins have been forgiven and he may continue to be cleansed from all sin(1John 1:7) as he continues in fellowship with Christ. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit actually dwell in the heart of every Christian, waiting to empower and bring each child of God to his full maturity in Christ.
② Pride: Pride has kept many Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Pride was the sin of Satan(Isaiah 14:12-14). Pride was the first sin of man as Adam and Eve wanted to be something they were not. Pride is at the root of most of man's self-imposed estrangement from God. The self-centered, egocentric Christian can't have fellowship with God: …for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble"(1Peter 5:5).
③ Fear: Fear of man keeps many Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit. "The fear of man brings a snare"(Proverbs29:25). One of the greatest tragedies of our day is the general practice among Christians of conforming to the conduct and standards of a non-Christian society. Many are afraid to be different; ashamed to witness for the One "who loved us and gave Himself for us." Remember, in 1Peter 2:9 we are told: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." The Lord favors those who fear (reverence which leads to obedience) Him"(Psalm 147:11). Jesus said, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and my words, of him shall the Son of Man be shamed"(Luke9:26).
Many Christians are fearful of being thought fanatical by their fellow Christians and others should they be filled with the Holy Spirit.
④ Secret sin: Unconfessed sin keeps many Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps God has reminded you of a lie you have told that has damaged someone's reputation; or stolen merchandise or money that has not been returned; or an unethical transaction; or cheating on an exam, or any number of acts that He wants you to confess to Him. He may be able to hide these things from our friends and others, but we can not hide them from God.
"Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart"(Psalm 44:21) Is there anyone whom you have not forgiven? If, so, God will not forgive you(Mark 11:24-26). However, if we confess these sins to God as the Lord directs us, we are forgiven and cleansed(1John1:9).
⑤ Worldly-mindedness: A love for material things and a desire to conform to the ways of a secular society keep many Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever"(1John 2:15-17). Man lives a brief span of years and is gone from the earthly scene. Every Christian should make careful and frequent evaluation of how he invests his time, talents and treasure in order to accomplish the most for the cause of Christ.
"Only one life, will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You can not serve God and Mammon. But seek first His Kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you"(Matthew6:24, 33)
⑥ Lack of trust in God: This keeps many Christians from making a full surrender of their wills to Him and from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Many Christians have a fear that amounts almost to superstition that if they surrender themselves fully to God, something tragic will happen to test them. They may fear that they will lose a loved one. Some fear that God will send them to some remote section of the world as a missionary to some savage tribe, against their wills.
You can trust God with your life, your loved ones, your money, your future, everything! Not only is He a loving Father, But God's love is wiser than that of any earthly and is more tender than that of any earthly mother. So do not be afraid to trust God with your whole life, every moment of every day, and He will fill you with His Holy Spirit.
Some of you may wonder, "Is it necessary for me to gain victory over all of my defeats and frustrations before I can be filled with the Holy Spirit?" Absolutely not! Just as Jesus Christ is the only one who can forgive your sins, so the Holy Spirit is the only one who can give victory and power.
3. How can a Christian be filled with the Holy Spirit?
First, we need to know that just as people have many different experiences when they receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, so they have different experiences when they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
For example, one man responds to the invitation to receive Christ in an evangelistic campaign, another kneels quietly in the privacy of his home and receives Christ. Both are born again, and their lives are changed by the power of Christ. Of course, there are scores of other circumstances and experiences through which sincere men meet the Savior and become "new creatures in Christ."
In like manner, and in different ways, sincere Christians are filled with the Spirit. It would be made clear at this point that to be "filled with the Spirit" does not mean that we receive more of the Holy Spirit, but that we give Him more of ourselves. As we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit and are filled with His presence, He has greater freedom to work in and through our lives, to control us in order to better exalt and glorify Christ.
God is too great to be placed in a man-made mold. However, there are certain spiritual laws that are inviolate. Since the Holy Spirit already dwells within every Christian, it is no longer necessary to "wait in Jerusalem" as Jesus instructed the disciples to do, except to make personal preparation for His empowering. The Holy Spirit will fill us with His power the moment we are fully yielded. It is possible for a man to be at a quiet retreat and become filled with the Holy Spirit while walking down a busy street in a great city. Such was the experience of Dwight L. Moody. It is even possible for a man to be filled with the Holy Spirit and knowing something wonderful has happened, yet be completely ignorant at the time of what has actually taken place, provided he has a genuine desire to yield his will to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I do not want to suggest that steps which I am about to propose are the only way in which one can be filled with the Holy Spirit. This spiritual formula is offered, first, because it is scriptural, and second, because I know from experience that it works.
Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What are your motives? Are you looking for some ecstatic experience, or do you sincerely desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with greater power and effectiveness? Do you want, with all of your heart, to help others find Christ?
This is the spiritual formula that I urge you to prayerfully consider:
① We are commanded to be filled with Spirit.
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit"(Ephesians5:18). This is an admonition of God. Do you think that He would ask you to do something beyond that which you are able to experience?
② We shall receive power for witnessing when we are filled.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth"(Acts 1:8). If you have no desire to be Jesus Christ's witness or if you have no power in your witness, you may be sure that you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came in order for the disciples- and for you and me - to receive power. Why do we need power? To be Christ's witnesses right where we are and in the remotest part of the earth. Can you sincerely say that this is your motive for wanting to be filled with the Spirit?
③If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, 'It any maine 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." 'But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was no yet glorified"(John 7:37-39). "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for thy shall be satisfied"(Matthew 5:6).
When a Christian is ready to respond to the gracious invitation of our blessed Savior, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink," he is ready to relinguish his will for the will of God. Therefore, this third step involves a complete surrender of your place where you joyfully anticipate knowing and doing His will is best.
Up until this moment the Holy Spirit has been just a "guest" in your life, for He came to live in you the moment you became a Christian. Sometimes He was locked up in a small closet, while you used the rest of the house for your own pleasure.
Now you want him to be more than a guest- as a matter of fact, you want to turn over the title deed of your life to Him and give Him the keys to every room. You invite the Holy Spirit into the library of your mind, the dining rooms where you have previously engaged in secret, shameful activities. All of this is past. Now, He is the Master! The challenge of Romans 12:1, 2 has become clear and meaningful to you and you want to"...present your body a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." And you no longer want to be conformed to this world, but you want to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, "that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
Now you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within you. You are not your own anymore for you were bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, you now want to glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).
Now, with all of your heart, you want to seek first the kingdom of God(Matthew 6:33).
Now you want to seek"the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God"(Colossians 3:1, 3)
Now you can say with joy unspeakable, as Paul did, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the live which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me"(Galatians 2:20). You have exchanged your life for the life of Christ.
If you can say these things and mean then with all of your heart, you are ready for the fourth step. However, before we take up the discussion of this next step, I feel constrained to all your attention to the words of our Savior found in John 15:18, 20. "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before is hated you.....' A slave is not great than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.
"The Spirit-filled Christian life is not any easy one, though it is a life filled with adventure and thrills, the likes of which on cannot possibly experience in any other way.
Whether or not we are Christians, wea are going to have problems in this life. Christians or not, we will one day die, If I am going to be a Christian, I want all that God has for me and I want to be all that he wants me to be. If I and to suffer at all, and on day die, why not suffer and die for the highest and best, for the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel!
Before we leave this thought, let me ask you a question, Have you ever heard one of God's saints who has suffered for the cause of Christ express any regrets? I never have! I have heard only praise, adoration and thanksgiving to God for the privilege of serving Christ, no matter how difficult the task. On the other hand, I have heard many who have received Christ late in life to tell how sorry they are that they waited so long. Do not develop a martyr's complex, but do not expect a "bed of roses" either.
Now for the next step in receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
④ We appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit by faith.
Remember that, if you are a Christian, God and Father, Son and Holy Spirit are already living within you, Great spiritual power and resources are available to you. Like a miser starving to death with a fortune in boxes and jars about his cluttered room, many Christians are starving spiritually, living in defeat, failing to utilize the spiritual fortune that is their heritage in Christ,
In Ephesians 5:18, Paul admonishes, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation but be filled with the Spirit."
Further in 1 John 5:14, 15, we are assured, "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from Him," WE know that it is God's will that we be filled with His Spirit. Therefore, as we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, we can know according to the Word of God that our prayer is answered.
Like our salvation, the filling of the Holy Spirit is a gift of God- we do not and cannot earn either. Both are received by the complete yielding of our wills, in faith, when we have confessed our sins and met the other conditions mentioned in Lesson Four.
Here is a review of the steps that we have discussed in preparation for the filling of the Holy Spirit:
⑴We are admonished to be filled.
⑵We are promised power for service when we are filled.
⑶We are to yield our will to God's will and seek first the kingdom of God.
⑷We are to appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit by faith.
⑤ We must expect to be filled,
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder os those who seek Him"(Hebrews 11:6).
Do you believe God wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Do you believe God has the power to fill you with the Holy Spirit?
In Matthew 9:28, 29, Jesus talked to the blind men and asked of them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him,"Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "Be it done to you according to your faith."
Find a quiet place where you can be alone and read again the portions of Scripture given in the preceding paragraphs. You do not have to wait for the Holy Spirit. He is already dwelling within you if you are a Christian, He is waiting for you to allow Him to fill you. Remember, "Be it done to you according to your faith." "He is a rewarder of those who seek him.
Have you honestly yielded you life to Christ, your will to His will?
Do you believe that you are filled with the Holy Spirit at this moment? If so, thank Him that you are filled. Thank Him for Him in dwelling presence and power. Thank Him by faith for victory over defeat and for effectiveness in witnessing. Praise God and give thanks continually(Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
4. How can a Christian know when he is filled the Holy Spirit?
There are tow very good ways of knowing when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.
First, by the promises of the Word of God. And second, by personal experience.
If you have faithfully yielded to the will of God and sincerely surrendered your way to Him in accordance with the steps outlined in the presentation, if you have asked Him to fill you- He has done it!"And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And is we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests the we have asked from Him"(1John 5:14, 15). Is it His will that you be filled, according to Ephesians 5:18? Then, can you believe that He has heard you? Now, can you know that you have the petitions that you desired of Him?
God's Word promises us that we can know. Therefore, on the basis of His Word you can know that you are frilled, if you have met the conditions which are given in His Word.
What about feelings? You may or may not have and emotional response at the time you kneel in prayer and ask for the filling of the Spirit. In counseling with many students, as well as adults, I have found that the majority experience a calm assurance that they filled, and with this assurance comes a spirit of expectancy that God is going to use them in a way thy have never been used before to introduce others to Christ. Greater faith in God and His Word is born in the hearts of those who have been filled with the
Holy Spirit. Results? Greater faith, power, boldness and effectiveness in witnessing.
First, there is the fact of God's promise in His Word. Then there is the exercise of faith in the trustworthiness of God and His promises. Faith in the fact is followed by feeling. Remember: fact, faith and feelings- in that order.
5. What results can one expect from being filled with the Holy Spirit?
Now comes the real test that will determine if you are truly filled with the Holy Spirit. As time goes on, do you find that you have a greater love for Christ? Are you more concerned for those who do no kinow His love and forgiveness? Are you experiencing a greater faint, boldness, liberty and power in witnessing? If so, you are filled with the Spirit. Jesus Christ is beginning to express His life and love through and in you.
Remember, Jesus promised that we would receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon us, After receiving power we will naturally sant to be His witnesses wherever we are(Acts 1:8).
It is definitely true that you will have a greater love for Christ, for your fellowman and for the Word of God when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, Also, the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22, 23, will become more evident in your life.
However, we must remember that there is a difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is given for power and boldness in witnessing for Christ, Many Christian leaders agree with Dr. R. A. Torrey, who said, "I have gone through my Bible time and time again checking this subject and I make this statement without the slightest fear of successful contradiction that there is now one single passage in the Old Testament or the New Testament where the filling with the Holy Spirit is spoken of, where it is not connected with testimony for service."
We hasten to add that as a Christian abides in Christ, living in the fullness of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, listed in Galatians 5: 22-23 - is developed and the Christian becomes more mature spiritually. The maturing of the fruit of the Spirit is a lifetime process which goes on continually as Christ is being formed in the life of the Christian. Some Christians give greater evidence of the fruit of the Spirit than do others, because of a greater degree of yieldedness and give allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and His life within us, and the more we allow Him through us, the more evident will be the fruit of the Spirit.
The development and maturing of the fruit of the Spirit is a long process, but the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given at the time a person becomes a Christian. Though every Christian who is filled with the Spirit receives power for witnessing, not every Christian receives the same gift, according to 1 Corinthians 12. Some are called to be apostles, some prophets, other evangelists, pastors and teachers(Ephesians 4:11). Therefore, we must let the Lord direct us into His place of service for us.
Do not try to imitate the ministry of someone else. Be patient. Do not try to decide what you should do with your life or where you should serve Christ. He will express His life in and through you as you continue to study His Word and remain obedient and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Through God's Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will discover what God's will is for you.
6. Is there more than one filling of the Holy Spirit?
Yes, there are many fillings of the Spirit for the yielded Christian. We should be filled for each new opportunity of Christian service. The admonition to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18 literally means, in the original Greek, to be filled with the Spirit constantly and continually - to keep on being filled. The Scripture record several instances where Peter and the disciples were filled with the Spirit.
7. How can a Christian continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
The Christian is utterly and wholly dependent upon the Holy Spirit for all spiritual victory and power. Therefore, the more yielded he is, the more liberty the Holy Spirit will have in working through his life in bringing others to Christ and bringing him spiritual maturity in Christ.
Here are some practical suggestions that will assist you to live in the fullness of the Spirit:
A. Meditate on these glorious truths:
Jesus Christ literally dwells within you. You are dead to self and sin and to all personal and selfish desires. You are alive to God through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:11). Remember, you have exchanged your life with all of its sin, frustrations and defeats for the victorious and triumphant life of Christ, in whom all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily from, and in Him you have been made complete" (Colossians 2:9, 10). Just think, the one who dwells in your heart is the one who claims all power in haven and in earth! This is why the apostle Paul said,"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"(Philippians 4:13). You have buried "Old Adam," screwed the lid down on the coffin and covered him over with six feet of sod. Jesus Christ is now helping you to live the Christian life with your old sin nature. Rather He is now using your body as HIs Temple, you mind to think his thoughts, your heart to express His love and compassion, you lips to speak His truths.
His will has become your will. At first you may find it necessary to acknowledge and confirm many, many times during the day that this transaction has taken place. You may find it necessary to change your whole way of thinking and praying. Don't think, "What can I do for Christ?" or pray, "God, use me to do this or that for You." Pray rather,"Lord Jesus, I am Yours totally and completely without reservation. Use me as You wish. Send me where You will, for I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God, "Seek to abide in Christ(1 John 2:6). What is involved in abiding in Christ? Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love..."(John 15:10a). To abide is to keep His commandments. To keep His commandments is to obey. The abiding life is an effortless life. How slowly do we arrive at this simple fact, that true New Testament living is effortless.
A branch does not try to produce fruit, any more than the electric light bulb tries to shine. Neither has any need to try; they simply draw upon an inexhaustible supply of life and energy. In doing so they scarcely touch the fringe of their resources. The Christian has infinitely greater resources. The one who created vegetable life and electric energy is the one who lives in us. Why do we need to try? Only because we are not abiding? If I find myself still trying, I am not as yet an unchoked channel through which His life may flow.
Meditate on the following portions of Scripture: John14, 15 and 16; Matthew6; Colossians3; Ephesians5; Romans 6, 8, 12 and 14; 1Corinthians13; 1John 1; Hebrews 11; Galatians 5; and Psalm 37:1-7, 23, 24.
I suggest that you secure a notebook and make an outline of each of these chapters, listing especially those suggestions that you feel will aid you in abiding in Christ. Continue to use your notebook for outlining other portions of Scripture and for recording key verses you would like to memorize. There are many other portion of Scripture that will help you to abide in Christ.
B. Make it a practice to spend definite time each day in prayer for God's guidance of your life and for the souls of men. Make a list of people whom you would like to have find Christ. Pray for them daily(Ephesians 6:18 and 1Samuel12:23).
C. Spend time daily reading and studying the Word of God. Make a practice of memorizing key portions of Scripture(see Hebrews4:12; 1Corinthians2:9-12; Psalm119:4, 9, 15, 16, 97, 98, 103, 105, 130).
D. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Confess and turn from sinful practices.
1John1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The moment you do something you know is wrong, you will grieve the Holy Spirit if you do not confess it. What do we mean by grieving the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is holy and He is displeased and saddened when a Christian commits sin and continues its practice. Therefore, if you want to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to have power in witnessing for Christ, live a yielded, holy life.
E. Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy spirit for He is omniscient. He has infinite wisdom and knowledge and will lead us into all truth(John16:13). Never say "no" to Him. As you grow accustomed to the Spirit-filled, Christ-directed life, you will have many wonderful experiences such as Philip had(Acts8:26-29) when the Holy Spirit led him to speak to the Ethiopian; and as Paul had(Acts16:9) when he was called to Macedonia to preach the gospel.
As you ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, you are about to begin the greatest adventure of your life. Remember that you are asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit rather than filled with self. As He(Jesus, Holy Spirit) takes control of your life, you will become more like Christ. The Holy Spirit is not the author of confusion and emotional extremes. He has come to exalt and glorify Jesus; therefore, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, it will be your constant desire to do the will of God and that which will please and honor Jesus Christ.
Why did Jesus come into this world? "To seek and to save that which was lost"(Luke19:10).
What will please Him most? We shall please Him most as we help fulfill His Great Commission, by going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature and letting Him live His life through us.
How is this to be accomplished? By the power of the Holy Spirit.
Think of it - you and I are privileged to be used by our Savior in helping to reach a lost world with the glorious "good news"!
We dare not sin against the Lord and against those who are waiting to hear by hesitating another moment.
Ask Him to fill you now!
Let's pray for ----
|