Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 24 – June 1992

Being Filled With The Spirit

Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Ephesians 5:18-21

Reading: Acts 2:1-17

Singing: 345, 155, 345, 348, 344.

Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate the fact that the Holy Spirit was poured out.  No longer was the gift of the Spirit given in a trickle to a few chosen people.  But as the prophet Joel announced: In the last days, God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people.'  And on Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended in glory, Christ gave His gift to His own.  'All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.'

Now, you notice the particular language used in the Bible.  The Spirit is 'poured out' and the disciples are 'filled with the Spirit.'  What does it mean to be 'filled with the Spirit?'  Well, we will learn from our text.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead be 'filled with the Spirit.'

It is important to understand what it is to have the fullness of the Spirit.  Many struggle here in terms of what it actually means, and in terms of experiencing the Spirit in their life.  As Christians we know that we have the Spirit.  It is the fruit of grace flowing from Jesus' ascension.  All that we have is a free gift from Jesus because of what He has done.  Christ has died; we have been forgiven.  Christ has arisen, we have received new life.  Christ has ascended and was glorified; we receive the Holy Spirit.

So the Bible is clear.  As believers we have the Spirit.  Not one of us need doubt that.  But then, we ask: If we all have the Spirit, why is there a difference in Christian experience?  Why are some Christians full of life and joy and others down and out and often showing so little obedience to the Lord?  Do we perhaps need something extra?  Do we need a second baptism in the Spirit?  No!  The Bible nowhere teaches that.

But the Bible does make a distinction between the gift of the Spirit and the fullness of the Spirit.  The gift of the Spirit is what God has given to all His children.  It is a possession that we will never lose.  For the Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession (Eph.1:14).  However, the fullness of the Spirit refers to a condition which is intended to be continuous, but which may fluctuate.  The fullness of the Spirit is something we need to work on daily so as to continually be filled.

Each Christian has the Spirit of God.  We have Him in all His glory and power.  So fullness does not refer to the amount of the Spirit we have.  For He is a person and cannot be divided.  Rather, fullness refers to how much we are under the influence of the Spirit.  It refers to how much we submit to His control, how much we acknowledge His presence and follow His leading.  Paul writes in our text: 'do not get drunk on wine instead be filled with the Spirit.'

We see here the idea that we should be under the influence of the one rather than the other.  When we are under the influence of alcohol we lose control of ourselves and we know the terrible results.  When we are under the influence of the Spirit we do not lose control, rather we gain control of life as we allow Him to control us.

We note that Paul gives a command here, 'Be filled with the Spirit.'  That means that we have to do our part.  We have to respond.  The gift of the Spirit does not depend on us or what we do.  It is God's sovereign gift, by Christ's doing.  But being filled with the Spirit is dependent on us.  It requires our obedient submission to the control of the Spirit.

Being filled is something that is often repeated.  We have to work at it to keep it at a certain level.  We are not puppets in our relationship with the Spirit.  We do not just dangle on His strings.  We are in covenant, in partnership with the Spirit.  We co-operate with Him in our life of obedience to Christ.

So to remain filled takes a response on our part.  We must be submissive to the Spirit.  We must respond in obedience.  If the filling is not maintained it is lost, but if it is lost it can be recovered.  In Ephesians 4:30 Paul admonishes, 'Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.'  There again we can see the permanency of the Spirit.  We are sealed with the Spirit.  But we can grieve the Holy Spirit.  Grieving the Holy Spirit comes about through sin when we go against His leading.

Paul mentions in Ephes.4:31 things like bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, along with every other form of malice.  These things grieve the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit is grieved He ceases to fill us.  That is, we are not submissive to His leading.  In a sense our sin pushes Him out.  For example, if we have a glass full of water, and then place stones in it the water spills out.  Repentance is the only road to be filled with the Spirit again.

In our text Paul is commanding the Christians to go on being filled.  Our N.I.V.  translation, 'be filled', is not so accurate.  The tense of the imperative in the Greek means to continually go on being filled.  It is something that must always, continually, be worked on.  The fact that Paul gives a command here, shows that it is all too possible for Christians to have the Spirit and not be filled.

But how do we determine, or measure, if we are filled with the Spirit?  How do we know whether we are living under His influence?  What is the result of being Spirit filled?  Some suggest that it is shown by 'speaking in tongues', but a careful look at Scripture shows that the evidence of being Spirit-filled is not so much in spectacular gifts.  Even in New Testament times it was not the gifts of healing, or tongues etc.  that demonstrated the Spirit's fullness.

We see that in the Corinthian church.  They very much had the gifts of tongues etc.  But Paul writes to them (1Cor.3:1): 'Brothers I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly.'  They indeed had the Spirit, but they were more under the influence of the world than of the Spirit.

By their speaking in tongues they may have claimed a certain fullness.  But it was not the fullness of the Spirit.  Their worldliness was seen in their childish understanding and in their fighting.  Says Paul (1Cor.3:23): 'I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready.  Indeed you are still not ready.  You are still worldly.  For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly?'

In Paul's writing it is the fruits of the Spirit that show His indwelling.  Fruits such as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness and self-control.'  We see it also in our text.  The command ‘be filled’ is followed by four present participles that point to four benefits: speaking, singing, thanking and submitting.  Our N.I.V.  translates 'speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ' (vs.19-21).

These are the results of being filled.  We note that these results are in terms of relationships.  The Spirit's fullness does not involve just some private mystical experience or some internal feeling.  It is much more a relationship with God, and our fellow Christians.  The first thing we see here as evidence of being Spirit-filled is speaking to one another.  It strikes us that speaking is the first consequence.  But it is not surprising since the first fruit of the Spirit is love.  And Paul admonished the Corinthians that the greatest is love.  Without love the other gifts were of no value.

We may feel that we have a close communion with the Lord.  But we cannot claim the fullness  of the Spirit if we are not on speaking terms with other Christians.  The first sign of being Spirit-filled is communion, fellowship.  The fellowship is of course a spiritual one, not just worldly togetherness.  Says Paul: 'Speak to another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.'  That does not mean we just sing to each other.  Rather, Paul means that true fellowship is expressed in worshipping together.  Often in our worship we call upon one another: 'Oh Come let us sing unto the Lord.'  Being Spirit-filled means we encourage each other to worship God.

That leads us to the second consequence of being Spirit-filled: 'Singing and making music in our heart to the Lord.'  Here the emphasis is not towards one another but towards the Lord.  The Holy Spirit loves to glorify the Lord.  He is Christ's gift to show that Jesus is glorified.  If we are under His influence, then He pulls us together and draws us to glory in the Christ.  The Spirit-filled person loves to talk of the Lord and what He has done on the cross.  The gospel is the song in his heart that overflows to his lips.

Thirdly, by the Spirit we will be thanking God always for everything, in the name of Jesus.  Most of us give thanks sometimes for some things.  The Spirit-filled believer gives thanks always for all things.

Thanksgiving is a sign of trust.  Even in the most difficult circumstance we are thankful for God's grace in Christ.  Grumbling was one of Israel's major sins.  Its offence was in the fact that it was a symptom of unbelief a lack of trust in God.  The Spirit makes us look at Christ.

We know that God has given His all and thus will provide all we need.  And so we give thanks in the name of Jesus.

Finally, we can see our being Spirit-filled by our submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Being humble, serving one another is a sign of the Spirit, for it is His nature.  He serves the Christ to bring Him honour.  The verb 'submitting' occurs 32 times in the New Testament a sign of its importance in Christian behaviour.  Look how it follows on from our text: 'Wives submit to your husband, husbands love your wives, children obey your parents, fathers do not exasperate your children.'  Submission shows that we are living under the influence of the Spirit.

So fullness in the Spirit is seen in worship and fellowship, praising the Lord and submitting to one another.  Well, then are we Spirit-filled?  If not let us stop grieving Him by our sin.  Let us repent and seek His forgiveness.  Then co-operate with Him and yield to the Spirit.  Let Him fill you and lead you.  Instead of charging into a situation on your own steam, pray for guidance.  We must consciously recognise that God Almighty is residing in us.  And every moment of the day rest in His strength, work by His power, follow His leading.  That will bring peace our hearts and thanksgiving in all situations.

AMEN