Be Filled

Today’s message summary of April 17, 2016 from Asst. Pastor Travis Jackson:

To be filled is to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit.

By and large, Western Evangelicals have misrepresented what it means to be filled by the Spirit. The Spirit is more than just being filled as if one were turning on electricity to operate an appliance. There has been a usurpation of the true doctrinal teaching of the Spirit, and it deceives people of what it truly is.

This heretical teaching in that it gives the impression that a person does not receive the indwelling of the Spirit upon conversion when accepting Christ.

Your belief system changes your theology, and your theology dictates your actions. If you believe in this and other types of movements that advocate the propagation of the prosperity gospel, then you are being deceived. Spiritual gifts are not something that you need to learn about or even pay for.

In examining one of the church’s core values, they state that they believe that the manifestation of the Spirit means that we are spiritually mature. My interpretation of this is that if you are not speaking in tongues or manifesting these special gifts, then you are not spiritually mature.

There are many videos on YouTube that proclaim that the Spirit can be tossed around like a baseball. Those who were “tossed” the Spirit would fall backward when they “caught it.”

First Timothy tells us that in the latter times, many will depart from the faith and embrace demonic teachings (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

To pronounce something different about whom the Holy Spirit is and what He represents is truly a dangerous thing.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God. He is equal to God the Father and God the Son, and there is no difference between any of them; however, there is a distinction in the presence and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. We worship one God, but we understand there are three persons. This is a mystery that our minds cannot comprehend; however, we still worship one God.

If you were baptized, then you understand that you were baptized in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

The Role of the Holy Spirit

Acts 13:2

As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.”

The Spirit audibly spoke to the Apostles. He always spoke to men, and He is still speaking to men today.

When you ask God for wisdom, it is the Spirit that grants wisdom.

For the Spirit searches everything–even the depths of God.

The Holy Spirit illuminates the text of Scripture to give understanding to what is being read.

Ephesians 4:30-32

And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption. All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

You grieve the Holy Spirit when you reject His instruction.

The unforgivable sin is when a person rejects the efforts of the Holy Spirit to bring a person to Christ (Matthew 12:31).

 

Being filled with the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies the believer to be more like Jesus Christ. He is insurance for us that gives us assurance of a perfect union with Jesus. For those who are unsure of their salvation, I encourage you to speak to either Pastor Gus, or me because there is a chance that, in your uncertainty, that you are not saved.

Being filled in the Spirit has different connotations; for example, the Greek word “pimplemi” means to be filled. “Pimplemi” always refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18

And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit.

For those who are being saturated with the knowledge and presence of the Spirit, He will give you the ability to minister to others in His power.

 

Application

If you are saved, you are in Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is sanctifying you. In order to be sanctified, you must be filled with the Spirit. You need to absorb Him through His Word like a sponge. The question for you is not about whether the Spirit is present–the question is whether or not you are filled with the Spirit.

The Spirit fills a believer–dwells from within–when you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

Are you filled?