Pastor A

Peter was, without a doubt, the most “human” of all the disciples. Perhaps this is why he demonstrates so well the whole idea of being controlled by the master. Peter’s “self” was dynamic, aggressive, ambitious, talented, successful. But “self” on the throne of his life had led only to inconsistency and spiritual defeat.

How did the Master gain control of Peter’s life? How did Jesus transform the unstable Simon Bar-Jona of the Gospels to Peter, the Rock of the Book of Acts? It began when Peter quit running his own life and quit operating by his own ambitions, his own ideas, and his own strengths. When Peter let God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, control him completely; Peter’s life changed forever.

How will Jesus control your life as a Christian in this twenty-first century? Just as he did Peter’s: when you stop doing it yourself and yield to His control in every area. Then He, through the Holy Spirit, will fill you, empower you, and use you in ways you could never have imagined. It won’t be easy to die to self. But Jesus cannot control you unless you willingly step aside and make Him your Lord and Master.

Acts 1:8, “But ye SHALL receive power, AFTER that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…“

God does not give us in His Word some magical formula for being filled with the Spirit. However, He has given us several principles which relate to this vital area.

There must be a complete yielding to God. After you have confessed all sin, your life is clean and ready to use in service for Christ. But before he uses you, there is more to do; you must take the initiative. The next step is to yield your life. The apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.“ 

Perhaps the most effective way of yielding yourself totally to the Lord is to envision yourself at the altar, ready and willing to die for your Lord. This is well illustrated by one missionary society which once had in its emblem the illustration of an ox standing between an altar and a plow. The caption read, “Ready for either.”

There must be a willingness to ask God for filling. This is so simple, yet it is so important. Because He has commanded you, now plainly ask Him to empower and control your life.

There must be a belief that it is God who fills. Once you have asked to be filled, believe that you have been. There is no waiting period. The Holy Spirit fills immediately. Imagine that you have a bank account with a balance of $10,000. One day you need some spending money, so you go to this bank. When you get there, you write a check for $100. Now you walk cautiously toward the teller’s window, fall on your knees and plead: “Please, Mr. Banker, give me some money. I need it desperately. I beg you. Please cash this check.”

Would you do something like this? Of course not! With $10,000 in the bank you would confidently claim the money that already belonged to you. We can apply this same truth to the filling of the Holy Spirit. The record of God’s Word says that the “bank account” of spiritual power has unlimited reserves. This account is ours to draw from freely. We do not have to beg God for what He has already made available.

Colossians 2:6, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:“

God does not give us in His Word some magical formula for being filled with the Spirit. However, He has given us several principles which relate to this vital area.

There must be a desire to be filled. You cannot be empowered by the Holy Spirit if you do not want to be. God never uses an unwilling servant. Your heart must be gripped with the genuine desire for His controlling of your life.

There must be an examination by the Holy Spirit. This is seldom a pleasant experience, but it is certainly a necessary one. David once prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The Christian who wants to be filled with the Spirit must pray no less earnestly.

There must be a confession of sin. It does no good to be examined and stop at that. What doctor would examine a sick patient without prescribing medicine to cure the illness? When your life has been examined and you discover that it is polluted with sin, the sin needs to be “cured.” And the only cure is forgiveness. This really narrows it down, because only God can forgive sin. A tremendous promise in God’s Word says in I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“

To confess is to fully admit that you are guilty. We do not have to beg for mercy… just admit we are guilty. Our lawyer (Jesus) has already paid the penalty and provided the mercy. That is one awesome promise!

The Holy Spirit Glorifies Christ. Numerous Christian groups have made the awful mistake of emphasizing the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the exclusion of the Lord Jesus Christ. This violates what the Bible says about the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus. John 16:13-14, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.“

We see in this passage that the Holy Spirit does not “speak of himself” but rather glorifies Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit is emphasized and uplifted more than Jesus, something is wrong. To be filled with the Spirit is to be filled with Christ.

The 15th chapter of John describes this condition as “abiding.” It has two aspects: the believer abides in Christ, and Christ abides in the believer. The Bible compares this relationship to a vine and its branches. The two are united for the purpose of bearing fruit. This union comes from the Holy Spirit living in the heart of the believer. And the power comes from the vine, not the branches. The branches bear the fruit; they do not produce the fruit.

The “abiding” relationship not only results in spiritual fruitfulness, it also creates joy in the life of the Christian. Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.“   

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, he shamed them by asking them in I Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.“

The people to whom Paul wrote this letter were not A-1, super-spiritual, consistent Christians. Not a chance. They were guilty of fornication and adultery. Besides this, they were fighting with one another to the point of legal action in the courts of Corinth. They were in a sorry condition. But Paul did not hesitate to write that the Holy Spirit was still indwelling them. Their sin was grieving Him and quenching His effectiveness, but He did not move out. When the Holy Spirit indwells, it is permanent.

The Holy Spirit Guides into God’s Truth. The Holy Spirit leads the believer to the discovery of spiritual truth. He makes clear the Word of God, which must be spiritually understood and He guides the believer into God’s will for his life. I Corinthians 2:9-12, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.“

The Holy Spirit Fills. One of the least understood and appreciated ministries of the Holy Spirit is His work in “filling” the believer. Perhaps you wonder, “If He lives in me, how can He fill me? Hasn’t He filled me already?” Once again, the English language gets in the way. The filling of the Spirit is the controlling or empowering of the believer’s life by the Holy Spirit. Let’s go back to the example of the Corinthian Christians: the Holy Spirit indwelled them, but He surely did not control them. Why not? Because they didn’t allow Him to. As a result of their deliberate sinfulness, they were not experiencing spiritual victory, growth, or fruitfulness. Paul called them “carnal”, meaning “worldly.” But they didn’t have to be.

They limited God’s power in their lives. And the majority of Christians today do the same thing… just as needlessly.

The Holy Spirit has a multi-faceted ministry in your life as a Christian. In fact, His work in you began before you became a Christian. Consider:

The Holy Spirit Convicts. Have you ever wondered what makes you aware of your sin? Your conscience? Maybe so. Often it can, but not always. The Bible says that the conscience can be seared to the point that it will not say “yes” or “no” to moral questions; in fact, it will not say anything? I Timothy 4:2, “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” What then reveals rightness or wrongness? The Scriptures clearly explain that the Holy Spirit convicts of “sin, righteousness and judgment.” He is the One Who speaks in the secret places of your heart and shows you your need of confession. Review yesterday’s passage found in John 16.

The Holy Spirit Indwells. At the very instant of spiritual birth, when an individual by faith receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that person is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. He takes up permanent residence in the believer. Romans 8:9-11, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:15-16, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:“

Galatians 4:6, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.“

He does not come into one’s life on a temporary basis; there is no “probationary period.”

Many Christians do not know who the Holy Spirit is, nor what he does. Some imagine Him to be some sort of “it” floating about the universe, mysteriously influencing the affairs of men. Others think of Him as an important spiritual being, but not as God.

Who is the Holy Spirit? And why do so many know so little about Him? The answer is simple: the nature and personality of the Holy Spirit are revealed in God’s Word. Those who do not know Him just have not studied the Bible.

The Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons of the Trinity; equal with God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. He has all the attributes of God because He is God. He is a Person, not an “it” and knowing Him and His work is essential to spiritual maturity.

Consider the following verses regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit and tomorrow we will find out some of the specific responsibilities of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.“

John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.“

John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.“

John 16:7-15, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.“

During the time Jesus was tried, crucified, buried, and resurrected from the dead, Peter was living a tumultuous life on earth. However, something happened in Peter’s life after the roller coaster ride of denial of his Lord. For forty days Jesus lived with the disciples prior to His ascension into heaven. For ten more days, the disciples stayed in Jerusalem, waiting and praying. Some have suggested that the new power in Peter’s life was his knowledge of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Unquestionably, that was a thrilling thing to know; but it was not the key to Peter’s consistent spiritual victory. He had known about the resurrection for all but three days of those seven weeks and had experienced no new power. The “secret” was what Peter and the other disciples were waiting and praying for during those ten days in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, before He ascended into heaven, had said to them in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.“

The new power in Peter’s life was not the result of something: it was the result of Someone – the Holy Spirit. Once Peter was controlled by the Holy Spirit, he became a powerhouse for his Lord. No longer did he have to rely on his own abilities to motivate and lead others. Now he was charged with the very power of God Himself. Of course, Peter sinned and blundered even after his discovery; but these failures were the exception, not the rule.

Maybe you are riding a spiritual roller coaster like the one Peter rode for such a long time. You want to get off, but you do not know how. Take heart, because you can experience in your life the same transforming power that changed Peter from an unpredictable disciple to the “rock” of the early church.

What heart preparation is essential to effective Bible study? Yesterday we examined the first two; today we will consider two more essentials.

A dependency on the Holy Spirit is essential! This may come as a shock: you cannot understand the Bible on your own. You need help. And, praise the Lord, it has been provided. Jesus explained that one important ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach believers what the Scriptures mean. Consider John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.“

As you read the Bible, depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you, and He will. Just as promised, He will show you what His Word means and how its truths fit into your life. A young art student had been standing in a gallery for some time studying a certain painting, trying to determine its meaning. He started to walk away when an older gentleman tapped him on the shoulder and said, “How would you like my interpretation of the painting?”

“Sure,” the art student responded. The man then began to explain the significance of each color and figure in the painting. After quite some time, the young man asked excitedly, “How do you see so much in this picture? Have you studied it before?”

“No,” the man said. “I painted it.”

As you read the Bible, just depend on God to show you the true significance and meaning of His Word. He will.

A willingness to obey is essential! We will never totally understand the Bible in this life. There are truths in God’s Word too profound for us to completely comprehend with our finite minds. Isaiah 55:8-9 sums it up, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.“

But even though we cannot totally understand the Bible, we must willingly obey its teaching. James warned against hearing the Word without doing the Word, “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” The truth of God’s Word should be revealed in our lives primarily through what we do, not what we say.