As we looked at the last lesson, I clearly showed you that the baptism into the Holy Spirit is a submerging of our lives into Christ’s wisdom and power as an integrated part of the word of the cross. If you have not listened to Lesson 15: The Baptism into The Holy Spirit, then I encourage you to do that before listening to this lesson.
The Holy Spirit working through our lives gives us power to perform works of service and wisdom to implement the will of God. It’s the grace of God connecting us to the throne of the lamb in holistic worship dedicating our whole lives to Christ living through us. It’s the joining together of God’s space and man’s space - the intersection of the heavenly realm and the earthly realm. It’s the only way we can fulfill the original mandate given to man and fulfill our individual calling.
Baptism into the Holy Spirit is about being clothed with the Spirit and empowered with gifts so that we can do works of ministry. Over the last 30 years what I have noticed is that when it comes to the baptism into the Holy Spirit, we try to put God into predefined boxes and at the same time we expect all people to react to being touched, changed and transformed by the Spirit in the same way.
As I showed you in this last lesson the Bible doesn’t define the experience of being filled, governed and transformed by the Spirit as clearly as people try to make it. A lot of what I call the predefined boxes and limitations we put on the Spirit has that to do with man's need to control things. Man likes to put things into neat little boxes so they can understand it, define it and be in charge of it. The problem is that you can’t put God into a box nor are you going to be able to understand everything that has to do with the God who created the mysteries of the universe. You have to learn to live with some ambiguities during this age. When it comes to living the Spirit filled life there is a degree of mystery that you have to learn to embrace and live by faith.
It’s by faith that we channel the power of the Spirit.
As I’ve said in previous lessons you can’t see radio waves or Wi-Fi running through your house? You can’t see 5g transmissions because it moves by the power of the air beyond what we see with our eyes. Do you see the wind? No. Now you can feel and see the effects of the wind, but you can’t see the wind. The wind can produce an enormous amount of energy and power if it’s harnessed and channeled correctly. We live in a spiritual world, but we are trapped in a physical body tied to this earthly realm. However, it’s the spiritual realm which makes the natural realm function properly.
Let me give you an example. Humans are kind of like a pneumatic power tool. You can have the best pneumatic power tool in the world, but if you don’t have any wind to generate power for the tool then it’s just a useless piece of metal that really can’t accomplish anything. The power tool is dependent on the wind. Man was created in God’s image who is Spirit and when He breathed His life into the man, he became a living soul. If we don’t have the Spirit operating in our lives, then we are just a clay jar and not very useful for the kingdom of God. However, if we learn to yield our lives to His Spirit then we can become His conduits giving light, love, peace, wisdom and restoration to a cold dark world.
Faith is the channel by which we pull the unseen spiritual realm into the seen and it’s the unseen hand of the Spirit of God that heals, restores, provides and guides us. It’s the river of grace flowing from the throne of the lamb, and we just become the channel that the word of life flows through. It’s through faith that the unseen realm of the kingdom is breaking in upon this world like a river.
As I’ve walked along this journey, I’ve discovered that we are finite. We have limits and we are only going to understand so much this side of the second coming of Christ. It’s exactly what Paul was talking about in I Corinthians chapter 13 when he said we see in part, we know in part, since living in this body of flesh is like looking at a mirror dimly. The Message Translation says it this way, we don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.
We have to learn to live with the tension of not knowing everything because you are never going to understand all the mysteries of God because He is beyond our full comprehension.
False religions and cults will tell you they have all the mysteries of the universe figured out. However, I would be very wary of anyone who thinks they have it all figured out because the source of heresy and false doctrines is always pride. It’s what Paul warned the Corinthians of in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3. Here Paul told the Corinthians that I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning speech, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. I stay anchored to the cross because the river of the cross is deep and wide where the mysteries of God are unveiled.
Humility and faith are two main keys to living the Spirit filled life. If you want to walk in the Spirit, then you will have to learn to walk by faith and humbly trust His guiding hand. You have to trust that the unseen Spirit of God is guiding you, teaching you, empowering you and working through you in ways beyond your limited understanding. Remember this one truth that the Spirit never untether us from the cross because the Spirit always points to Christ the foundation.
In previous lessons we talked about the temple and the priesthood. I clearly showed you the pattern of worship through the blood, the water and the Spirit which is demonstrated in living the cruciform life by faith working through love. Man was created to be filled and governed by the Spirit living a holistic life in communion with the Creator. Religion is living a life independent of the life-giving power of the Spirit of God. It’s not holistic, but compartmentalizing your life into the secular parts and religious parts with the fruit being hypocrisy. It’s living from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The religion of lawlessness is living a life filled and governed by the spirit of this age.
The works of lawlessness are sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, manipulation, greed, perversion, aggressive violent behavior and such activity that opposes the life of the kingdom of God. The religion of legalism is also living a life filled and governed by the spirit of this age; it’s just the other side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I talked to you about syncretism in the last lesson which is the merging of several different religious ideas together to come up with a new one. It’s a mixture, a blending and actually goes back to the garden with its source being the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Chinese call good and evil the ying and the yang. All religions and cultures have their form of the tree. You have white magic and black magic, but it's still magic and inspired by Lucifer, the one who deceived from the beginning.
The good side seems respectable, moral and upright. However, Jesus called the good, moral, upright and uptight Pharisees 'sons of the devil'.
He said in John chapter 8 verse 44 that you are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character. The religion of legalism is based on man’s self-effort, built on the traditions of man and rule-based living. It’s the fig leaves representing all types of religious activity that make you appear as moral upstanding citizens. People do them for the applause and recognition of man.
The good side of the tree of religion is much more subtle and easy to be entangled in and deceived by because you can justify your behaviors since it's many times wrapped in good intentions. The old saying applies which says the road to hell is many times paved with good intentions.
The religion of legalism usually has good intentions, but the end result is hypocrisy which is self-deception.
It all boils down to worship. If you worship at the altar of self and have not fully embraced the cross, then your motives will be perverted by the works of the flesh. The fruit of religious legalism is hypocrisy and deception because dead works can only produce death. Jesus did not come to give us a new religion, but he came to give us His life empowering us from the inside out through His life-giving Spirit.
Jesus in talking about his departure from this earth and His ascension to the right hand of the Father spoke of sending the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit that will enable us to live life from the inside out. In John chapter 14 he says I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
In John chapter 15 he says when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. In John chapter 16 he says when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine, therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The Spirit of God will lead us into all truth, but like Pilate people today are confused about what truth actually means. The night before Jesus was crucified Pilate who was interrogating Jesus asked him a question. In John chapter 18 it says, so Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. Then Pilate said to him, so you are a king? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. Pilate said to him, What is truth?
If I was to do a man on the street interview and walk up to people asking them this question. What is truth? The answers I would get would be as varied as the person to whom I am asking the question.
In today’s world truth like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In our postmodern world truth is relative. Everyone has their own truth made in their own image so what is true to one person could be completely false to another person.
If you have been following this school of discipleship, then you know that Jesus was more than a prophet. He was either a liar, lunatic or Lord because He identified himself not just as king of the Jews, but as God, the Great I AM. Jesus is the personification of truth, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.
John opens his gospel up clearly declaring that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The fountainhead of all truth is found in the person of Christ the Creator of all things.
Truth is found in the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who was slain before the foundations of the world. The centrality of truth is found in the work of the cross which is the mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed in the simplicity of that redemptive message. It’s the stumbling stone that humanity trips over as they run after the idols of lawlessness and legalism.
It's the message that Paul declared in the first chapter of Corinthians. The Message translation says that the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell-bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. You see the spirit of antichrist is anti-cross and anti-covenant, rejecting the blood, water and Spirit.
Anti-christ is rejecting that Jesus was actually God manifested in human flesh to die for our sins through his death, burial, resurrection and ascension to be seated at the right hand of the Father. Salvation is about submitting to the person of Christ who is the fountainhead of life and truth.
Everyone wants to know what is the unforgivable sin. What, many times, they are asking is what can they get away with? I’m going to let God make those judicial decisions because He only knows the depths of a person’s heart. However, there is the unforgivable sin and it is not having sex with animals or committing murder, but it’s rejection of the Holy Spirit. It’s the Spirit that convicts us of our depravity, arrogance, self-willed independent life separated from God and points us to the redemptive work of the cross.
Rejecting the Spirit is rejecting the God of covenant and the only source of eternal salvation. God is Father, Son and Spirit who has revealed himself through the covenant of blood, water and spirit which is the source of all forgiveness, life and reconciliation through the cross. It’s the Spirit who convicts us of our need of the cross, convinces us of our continued reliance on the redemptive work of the cross and the coming judgment at the return of Jesus to this earth.
If we reject the Spirit. The spirit of grace and truth found in Christ, then we are without hope in this world.
Since Christ's ascension and until His return the Holy Spirit is here to be our Helper. Remember Lesson 1: Who Is God? I taught you that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is just as much God as the Father and the Son. The unseen hand of God is felt, experienced and known through the Spirit who resides in us and upon our lives as a part of the body of Christ in this earth. It’s the mystery of the Godhead.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 17 thru 18 that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Helper in John chapter 14 verse 16. This word means “one who will come along aside you.” W.E. Vine says that the entire thought behind this word “suggests the capability or adaptability for giving aid.” It’s the aiding power of the Holy Spirit that helps us. We need the Holy Spirit! He is the one Jesus sent to be with us.
Oswald Chambers writes, “The Holy Spirit is the one who makes everything Jesus did for you real in your life.” R.A. Torrey said, “It is only through true surrender that we can know and experience the fullness of God’s loving intent for our lives.” The question is not how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us does the Holy Spirit have? Jesus was submitted totally to the Father’s will, and He was filled with the Spirit without measure. For us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit then we must completely surrender our will to His will.
Let me address a misconception concerning walking in the Spirit as if it’s some type of a weird or non-practical experience. The reason a lot of people reject those who say they are baptized in the Spirit is because a lot of times they're like a box of granola cereal. Nutty, fruity and plain flaky weird people. Being filled with the Spirit should not make us weird, but help us to be stable, sound and grounded in Christ. It produces the fruit of the Spirit which is simply the character and nature of Christ. The Spirit also releases gifts to us and they flow through us empowering us to perform works of service. Wisdom and power is the anointing upon our lives so that our lives display the light of Christ to a dark world that desperately needs help. It is the Spirit bearing witness through our lives that Christ has been risen from the dead.
I’ll repeat this again as in previous lessons which is that sound doctrine produces sound living. I’ve also talked about meditation in previous lessons which is very important. Now when it comes to meditation there is a difference between Biblical meditation and mystical meditation. Biblical meditation is focusing upon the word of God and mystical meditation is emptying your mind and opening yourself up to any idea.
Biblical meditation keeps you tethered to the cross and is learning to be filled with the Spirit daily.
I’ve seen many good people shipwrecked on the rocky shores of mysticism. Mysticism is moving away from the foundations of the cross to false doctrines, weird behavior and can lead to a complete departure from the faith. The mystic is focused on deep spiritual hidden truths that they promise lead to some great hidden mystery for the chosen, but mysticism leads to spiritual deception and results in unsound living. Colossians chapter 2 verses 16 thru 19 says it this way concerning the religious mystic.
The Message Translation says: don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come, the substance is Christ. Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They’re a lot of hot air, that’s all they are. They’re completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head, and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.
Mysticism is opening yourself up to the spirit world and there are a lot of spirits that will accommodate you, but we want the Holy Spirit in our lives not other spirits in our lives.
The Holy Spirit will always lead you to the word of the cross where Christ the fountainhead of all truth is found. The blood gives us freedom from the guilt of sin. The water gives us freedom from sin's power. The Spirit gives us freedom to live as Christ would have us to live. The threefold cord of the covenant gives us freedom, but at the same time it restricts us. Paul says for you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Mysticism will ultimately lead to the works of the flesh which is antithetical to a life governed by the Spirit.
You can always know what spirit you are yielding to by tasting the fruit it produces. God is love and the Spirit will always fill us with the fruit of love. Living the Spirit filled life is all about loving God with all of our hearts and loving others along our journey.
Jesus’s life as the Son of God could be summed up as obedience to the will of the Father by being surrendered to the Spirit. It’s a life producing the fruit of the Spirit. It is living life by the wisdom and power of the Spirit and doing the good works we have been called to accomplish in this life. It’s simply living life under the power of the Spirit because that is how we were truly created to live. It’s not living some religious life, but learning to live our lives governed by the Spirit.
It is Jesus’s example of obedience that we are to follow, and it is only by being filled with the Spirit that we will be able to accomplish the task.
Living the Spirit filled life is about the vertical life of worshipping and loving God with all of our hearts so that truth is in the inward parts. It’s only through surrendering to the Spirit that we can live the cruciform life. I’ll take you back to Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 where Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". The cross is the only pathway to living the Spirit Filled life. If you refuse to embrace the way of the cross, then you are refusing the covenant and if you refuse the covenant then you are refusing the Spirit filled life. It’s a simple message and we need to stay focused on that simplicity because it’s the key to freedom, purpose, fulfillment and our mission.
Dr. R.A. Torrey in his book The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit writes, the Spirit guides in the details of daily life, and service as to where to go and where not to go, what to do and what not to do. It is possible for us to have the continual guidance of the Holy Spirit at every turn of life. Not only in Christian work, but in all the affairs of life - business, study, relationships and everything we have to do. To be sons and daughters of God is to have our lives governed by the Holy Spirit.
Paul spoke very similarly in the book of Romans as he did to the Galatians. Let’s look at Romans chapter 8 verse 10 thru 17 where Paul says: "if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 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, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Let us now look back at the priests in the Tabernacle who were anointed with oil before they performed their works of service. The anointing oil was made according to divine guidance and instruction given to Moses just like the tabernacle. Hebrews chapter 8 verse 5 says it was all just a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, see that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.
In the next section we are going to get into this subject into more detail, but the ancient faith of the Hebrews was based on a heavenly pattern and that pattern was the pattern of the cruciform life, manifested through Christ, the lamb slain before the foundations of the world. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 21 thru 24 says that Moses sprinkled the tent and all the vessels used in worship with blood. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
The blood, water and Spirit is the heavenly pattern and the anointing oil is symbolic of the manifest presence of the Spirit. The anointing oil was to be made out of 5 ingredients. Each of these ingredients represented God’s power, truth, service, surrender and wisdom. If we examine these five ingredients, we find a recipe to living an anointed life. A life God can pour out His Spirit upon and use to accomplish His will and purposes. Let's take a quick look at what each of the anointing oil ingredients represents.
The first ingredient, myrrh, is a fragrant oil that's actually mentioned in the Bible 152 times. Myth represents meekness: A spirit of surrender and submission to the will of God. Meekness is NOT a weakness...It’s actually power under control harnessed in service to be used by God.
Myrrh is a fragrance that comes from the trunk of a commiphora tree in Arabia. It's produced in the form of a gum that looks like tears coming out of the trunk. Alcohol is added to remove any impurities, and then it is steamed. As the steam passes through the gum, it’s melted into oil, and that oil becomes a perfume. Meekness is the raging river no longer flowing wide and wild, but submitting to the dam so that from it might come hydroelectricity which is power harnessed and tethered to the cross.
The second ingredient is cinnamon. The sweet-smelling spice comes from a tree that grows straight and firm to 30-40 feet tall. Its symbolic meaning is standing for what is right because you are standing in the Spirit of truth. It’s staying true to the foundations when everything is being challenged.
At this moment in history, when so many are being shaken from the truth because lies, deception and delusion run rampant we are called to simply stand. Paul in talking about spiritual warfare said in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 11 thru 13 to put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. The truth has a name – Jesus Christ – and we can stand firm being found in Him.
The next ingredient is calamus, which is a reed that grows in swamps. This plant's head is filled with oil and bends down when it’s time to be harvested. Likewise, the calamus represents bending low to God in humility. In our culture, our corporations, businesses, and governments are all built on a pyramid with the leader on top. But Jesus was a servant leader who turned this structure upside down. When his disciples asked, “Who will be the greatest in your kingdom?” He essentially said the one who is willing to bow low and serve others. Humility of heart is key to being filled with the Spirit.
The next ingredient is cassia. Cassia is a laxative... So, what’s the spiritual significance? It represents inner cleansing and surrender. It’s living the cruciform life and as Paul said no longer living lives for ourselves, but learning to allow Christ to live in and through us. It’s pouring our lives out and emptying ourselves of our own agendas so that we can be filled with the Spirit and fulfill the will of God for our lives.
The last and perhaps the most important ingredient in God's recipe for an anointed life is olive oil. Olive oil represents the presence of God in our lives. If you go back to Lesson 6: Messiah, you will see under the old covenant 3 figures were anointed with oil when placed into their service for God. The prophet, priest and king were all soaked with oil and the anointing was symbolic showing that it was only through the power and wisdom of the Spirit that they could adequately serve. Jesus fulfilled all three of these roles. As members of the body of Christ we need to daily seek to be filled with the oil of God’s Spirit.
Life in the modern world can be very disorienting and confusing. We have so many things grabbing for our attention to distract us from our purpose. Let’s turn back to the priest and the Temple because once you entered the Temple the only light you had was from the oil in the lamp stand. The anointing oil of the Spirit brings light, healing and restoration. The promised Spirit is how we fulfill the will of God in this age. It’s us no longer living, but Christ living through us by faith and love. Its living lives tethered to the cross and empowered by the throne of grace with the river of God’s Spirit flowing through us. Let’s take a look and see how we can personally live the Spirit-filled life.
Wisdom is solving problems and implementing solutions. Power is the Spirit's ability working through us to live in ways beyond our own abilities.
To live a balanced life of the Spirit you have to embrace both the wisdom and power of the cross. In this age like the priest in the tabernacle we are walking dependent on the light of the Spirit. It requires great humility, faith and wisdom to live a life governed by the Spirit.
The only light the priest had as they performed their daily service to God was the light that came from the anointing oil and without it they would have been in complete darkness. I could give you numerous examples throughout the years of the gentle guiding, directing, empowering and words of wisdom helping me along my journey.
The Spirit is gentle like a dove. He’s not a taskmaster, but a guide that lights our way. The children of Israel as they walked on their journey had a cloud over them by day and a fire over them by night. The community of the faithful moved as the cloud moved. It was their protection from the grueling desert sun, the fire provided heat, light and the manna from heaven was their daily provision and sustenance. It speaks of our dependence on the Spirit in our daily lives. We need to seek to be filled with the Spirit daily.
One author has noted that if there are any conditions to receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, it seems that the first possible condition is to become aware of our need, and the second is a hunger for this condition to change. Jesus Himself said, “he who hungers and thirsts... shall be filled”. Whatever we are hungry and thirsty for, we will be filled with!
Daily spiritual discipline is the pathway to living a Spirit filled life.
I will give you 3 simple keys. 1. Consistent study of the word 2. Consistent prayer 3. Consistent meditation which all leads to a life filled with the Spirit. In the same way that the priest daily sacrificed and followed the pattern of the tabernacle, consistency and discipline are the foundations of being filled with the oil of the Spirit. Living the Spirit filled life is the key empowering us to be ourselves.
Jesus said in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. The word for power is dunamis in the Greek which means inherent power. It stems from duna which the basic meaning is capable. So, the Holy Spirit imparts power into our lives, and we surrender to him so that we are capable to do the will of God. Now how that power will be manifested through our lives depends upon the work to which God has called us to. We are each individuals, so don’t compare yourself with others, but seek the Spirit's ability to work in you because no efficient work can be done without this power.
Dr. R.A. Torrey says that “it is not for us then to select some gift and look to the Holy Spirit to impart the self - chosen gift. It is not for us to select some field of service and then look to the Holy Spirit to impart to us power in the field which we have chosen.”
We each have been uniquely called, and the Holy Spirit will give us His inherent power, making us capable to fulfill our specific calling. We are only called to be ourselves and it is only through the Holy Spirit’s power that we can fulfill our purpose in life. If we surrender ourselves completely to His will, then He will impart the power and gifts that will be needed for the field of service He has chosen for us.
No matter what vocation you fulfill, you will need the Spirit’s power, wisdom, strength guidance and insight, helping you fulfill your purpose. We are all called to be priests before God filled with the power and wisdom of the cross descending from the throne of the Lamb. If you look at the life of Christ, and the disciples in the book of Acts, you will see they lived their lives dependent on the Spirit’s power and ability working through them. Although we all have a specific calling, we are all called to proclaim Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts chapter 4 verse 31 the disciples came together and prayed for God’s power to be demonstrated through boldness to preach, and for signs and wonders to be done in Jesus’ name. They were then filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word with boldness. Just like our prototype Jesus, we need to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are to be empowered to proclaim the word of God with boldness and see people delivered, healed and set free we will need the aiding support of the Holy Spirit working through our lives.
There is a high priority placed on being filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.
It’s part of the message of the cross and the threefold covenant of the blood, water and Spirit. Whole chapters in John are given to help us understand our need for the Holy Spirit, and the book of Acts has been termed the ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’. We cannot neglect nor under-emphasize the importance the Bible places on being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Himself says, “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.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.” In the New American Standard they say this verse shows a continuous action, literally saying, “let him keep coming to Me and let him keep drinking.” We need to continually drink in the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. If we are to have power to live the life of Christ, do His works and fulfill our purpose in this life, we must surrender all to the Spirit of God.
Simplicity is the key to transformation.
I want to leave you with three components I have relied on and that have always proven to help me to know if I was being governed by the Spirit. Number one is to have faith that God wants to direct my life and be in charge of my life. The scripture I’ve relied on over and over is Psalm 37 verse 23 which says the steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. If we will commit our ways to him he will guide us, guard us and provide for us along our journey.
Number two is to lean not on my own understanding because His ways are higher than my ways. Proverbs 3 verses 5 thru 6 says, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Number three is to let the peace of God act as an umpire in my heart. Colossians chapter 3 verse15 in the Amplified version says let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state].
The peace of God is one of the main fruits of knowing that you are walking in the light of his understanding. The guiding rule of peace and tranquility inside of my heart has helped me so many times keeping me on the right pathway. Keep it simple because living the Spirit filled life is living the cruciform life focused on the wisdom and power of the Spirit flowing through our hearts.
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Next Lesson: Lesson 17 - The Laying on of Hands
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