Being Filled With The Spirit

Below is a story regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the life of a young missionary (name unknown) in the China interior in the 1890s. I've been studying bible verses and listening to loads of sermons on the baptism of the Spirit in preparation for a Holy Spirit evening at Life Group. This account is absolute spot on with my present understanding that 1, the Spirit is a person to be personally welcomed and accepted into one's life (we don't need to plead, but simply ask and believe); 2, the purpose of being filled is to be clothed with power to continue the work of Jesus Christ; 3, the evidence of being filled is a supernatural effectiveness in ministry and witness; 4, the filling is not a condition of salvation, but a gift; and 5, manifestations may well occur at the point of receiving, but this is not always the case and is neither the main goal, purpose or evidence of being filled.

Here's the excerpt... it's quite long but very good!

Four years in China had taught her something of the joy and blessing to be found in the deeper fellowship with the Master, but something also of the deadening influences of heathenism, the power of evil within as well as around her, and the blank despair of seeking to help others when her own soul was out of living touch with Christ. How she longed for 'the exchanged life', the life she saw in others, but knew not how to attain. Praying in an anguish no one suspected for light and for help, it was the last Sunday before Christmas when a word was spoken that, under God, brought the deliverance and made all things new. After the evangelistic service in the C.I.M. hall, an entire stranger – a Christian seaman – came up to her and said earnestly:

'Are you filled with the Holy Ghost?'

Filled with the Holy Ghost? She remembered no more of the conversation, but that question burned deeper and deeper into her heart. This, then, was the explanation of all the inward failure, the sorrow that seemed unavailing, the purposes that came to nothing. God had made a provision, given a Gift that she had never definitely accepted. She knew that the Holy Spirit must be in her life in a certain sense, for 'if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his'. And yet, just as certainly, she knew that she was not 'filled with the Spirit', and was experiencing little of His power.

But how afraid she was of being misled, of running into error and mistaking emotion for reality! The Word of God was full, now she came to study the subject, of the personality and power of the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles - what was it but the acts of the Holy Ghost, transforming and quickening lives just as she knew she needed to be quicken and transformed? O yes, why had she never seen it? It was indeed the Holy Spirit, to make unseen things real to her and impossible things possible. And there stood out in Gal. 3. 13, 14 the words:

'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ... that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.'

What was she doing with the infinite Gift purchased at such a cost? She saw that just as Christ is ours by the gift of God, and yet we have each one personally to receive Him, so with the Holy Spirit. She saw that He too was a Person, just as real as the Lord Jesus, and to be just as truly welcomed by faith into the heart that cannot do without Him as a living link with the risen, glorious Lord. All the rest that can be told is that she took the step, though with fear and trembling - scarce knowing what it meant - and trusted the Holy Spirit to come in and possess her fully, just as she had trusted the Lord Jesus to be her Saviour. Feeling nothing, realising nothing, she just took God at His word, and then and there asked that the promise might be fulfilled, 'When he is come (to you) he will reprove (or convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment'. Her chief sorrow for many months had been that she seemed to have little power for soul-winning, and hardly knew of any who had been brought to Christ through her instrumentality. It was Christmas week, and believing that a real, a definite transaction had taken place alone in that quiet room, she asked in faith that God would give her to see the proof of it in actual conversations every day that week, in connection with meetings that were being held.

And every day that week the prayer was answered. More than twenty people, young and old, sailors, visitors, and residents in Shanghai, it was given her to help a definite decision for Christ, while the joy and liberty of her own heart were so manifest that others could not but long for and seek the same blessing.

Biography of James Hudson Taylor, 1973 edition, p456-8

"if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
Romans 8:9

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."
Galatians 3:14

Hudson Taylor and the Holy Spirit

Hudson Taylor had an interesting perspective about the possibility of a gradual filling of the Holy Spirit. It's the first time I've come across that perspective and I'm not yet sure how fully I agree. I'm still working it out.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is mentioned frequently in the book of Acts, and the terms does suggest a sudden, total and full immersion. Jesus specifically tells his disciples to "stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49), which again suggests a sudden and complete equipping of the saints for tasks to come.

In any case, here's the excerpt. I guess God is by no means constrained in the method he chooses to fill us with the Spirit. We may all experience it differently.

"Now the heart can no more be filled with two things at the same time than a tumbler can be filled with both air and water at the same time. If you want a tumbler full of water to be filled with air, it has first to be emptied of the water. This shows us why prayer to be filled with the Spirit is often gradually answered. We have to be shown our sins, our faults, our pre-possessions, and to be delivered from them. Faith is the channel be which all grace and blessing are received; and that which is accepted by faith, God bestows in fact. Being filled does not always lead to exalted feeling or uniform manifestation, but God always keeps his word. We have to look to His promises or rest in them, expecting their literal fulfillment. Some put asking in the place of accepting; some wish it were so, instead of believing that it is so. We have never to wait for God's giving, for God has already 'blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ'. We may reverently say, He has nothing more to give; for He has given His all. Yet, just as the room is full of air, but none can get into the tumbler save as far as the water is emptied out, so we may be unable to receive all He has given, if the self-life is filling to some extent our hearts and lives."
Biography of James Hudson Taylor, 1973 edition, p349

Weak Enough for God to Use

"All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them."
Biography of James Hudson Taylor, 1973 edition, p349

It seems, rather than being strong enough for God to use, we need to become weak enough. A person fully aware of their weakness and fully aware of God's strength is one who relies totally on Him. They are less likely to push in their own strength, but rather cry out to God continually, knowing that they are destined to fail by themselves.

I do often wondered if God deliberately chooses people who aren't the obvious choice for this very reason. And I wonder if He may pick me for some task which I feel totally ill-equipped to complete in my natural self. My faith better be real enough!

Another quote from the biography of Hudson Taylor on this point:

"I myself, for instance, am not specially gifted, and am shy by nature, but my gracious and merciful God and Father inclined Himself to me, and I who was weak in faith He strengthened while I was still young. He taught me in my helplessness to rest on Him, and to pray even about little things in which another might have felt able to help himself."
p487

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.""
1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Notes on Proverbs 3

"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.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
   fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
   and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the LORD with your wealth
   and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
   then your barns will be filled with plenty,
   and your vats will be bursting with wine.

My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
   or be weary of his reproof,
   for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
   as a father the son in whom he delights."
Proverbs 3: 5-12

Absolutely packed full of goodness! So much there. Here are my own thoughts on this passage of Scripure:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

It says to trust with you heart. Interesting that it says 'heart' and not 'head'. If we trusted with our head, our trust would be based on knowledge, rationality and understanding. But we are denied all three. Instead, we are commanded not to lean on our own understanding, which is another way of saying we may have no clue what's going on.

Quite liberating in a way, because we're not then limited by our own IQ, but rather God's, which is infinite.

I would describe the heart as your innermost convictions, beliefs and desires that underpins your entire person. In this your heart is much deeper that your head. It's the 'wellspring of life' (Prov 4:23). If this heart is set trusting in the Lord, you are anchored well.

"In all your ways acknowledge him" - it's a deliberate act. It takes a decison. We can acknowledge him in some of our ways, that's easy. We give the easiest things over to Christ's headship. Things we don't really mind, that we don't feel the cost of handing over control. But the more precious things, these we can hold onto in a fashion that's "off-limits" for Jesus.

"and he will make straight your paths." - what an awesome promise. The Lord will draw a line in front of you and show you the way. We will know where we're going. Our path will be a simple one. But simple doesn't mean easy. We could have many battles along the way. Perhaps our biggest battle is faith in God when it really counts.

"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil."

Three specific commands that will safeguard our soul through life. All three require a conscious effort, and the reason they're listed must be because we have a natural inclination to do the opposite. Holiness will not happen on it's own, our flesh will not take care of itself. We have to walk humbly and make war on sin.

In the next verse we are given a serious incentive:

"It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones"

Love it! Who wouldn't want that? Having your bones refreshed - who else can give you that level of refreshment? Only Jesus!

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce"

Giving to God is honour to God. It's so easy to forget! We can fall into thinking that it's just something we're supposed to do. But no! It's personal, a display of love and service to our illustrious Master. Honouring God extends to the whole of our wealth, it's not just our giving. It's all of our expenditure executed as an act of worship.

"Firstfruits" - give to God before anything else. Slip the giving in there before the rent, the electricity bill, the weekly food shop. In this God is the number one priority. Other things can fall by the wayside. And this is one of the ways we acknowledge him.

A brilliant guide to giving is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

We are under no law as to what we give, but simply to decide in our heart. We should be lead by the Spirit and prayerfully submit it to God. We can give as much or as little as we want, in the knowledge that we will reap what we sow. Generosity is the issue, rather than a hardline legalistic percentage of your income.

Our giving should be a joy to us. Your heart, your desires and your passions need to be aligned with the Kingdom of God. Faith needs to override fear when money's tight. If giving is painful and a chore, we should get time to check our hearts, our faith in God, our true desires.

"then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

We see the same promises in the Old and New Testaments. And they're pretty amazing. It's the whole idea that you can't out-give God.

"My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."

The beginning of Proverbs is like a father instructing a son. It's done in love. We all need discipline and correction from time to time. The question is, are we prepared to walk in humble repentance?

Proverbs 9:8-9 says

"Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
   reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
   teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning."

It's not easy to be a wise man. Sometimes a rebuke is like a slap in the face. Your gut feeling is to strike back, especially if they've touched on an area that's very sensitive. It takes a lot of self-control and humility to simply take the hit, and then thank the person.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit is similar. It pin-points the sore spots, like a surgeon with a scalpel. It's very sharp and is delivered with pin-point accuracy. Our natural reaction can be to wince, curl up in a ball and sulk.

Anxiety Sparks Prayer

"Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you"
1 Peter 5:7

No matter how big or trivial, there's no distinction. It simply says 'all'. Feeling anxiety levels rise is a call to prayer. If we struggle in prayer, but are natural born worriers, we should have plenty of material to keep us going. In this, many, many things will be committed to the Lord in prayer. God always hears and God always responds.

This action of 'casting' also implies that we will no longer carry the weight of our anxieties. To throw something off we may need some strength. It suggests a perseverance in prayer. It suggests that we pray until we feel the burden lifted. A five second one-line prayer isn't always enough. Let's get on our knees.

Sown Amongst Thorns

"For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."
2 Peter 2: 20-22

This description of the person that once believed but becomes entangled again by the defilements of the world runs parallel to the parable of the sower. It echoes perfectly the seed sown amongst thorns: life that springs up for a short time and is then choked away. It perfectly describes so many people I've known over the years - so gutting, but so fitting.

There must be a number of reasons why they are in a worst state, and better if they had never known the gospel message. Here are my thoughts:

1. It totally dishonours the name of Christ. It discredits the gospel message, weakening it's power in the lives of those around them who are themselves in need of salvation, and have witnessed their falling away. For this they stand accountable to God, and thus carry extra weight on their shoulders.

2. They themselves may be much less likely to consider the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ again in the future, having played about with it once already, concluding that it "didn't work". Hebrews 6 remarks that it's like crucifying Jesus twice. They may feel that there's nothing left for them.

3. They have had knowledge, insight and blessings that many people have never experienced. They are not blind like the rest of the world. They do not have the same the same excuse. Their knowledge holds them accountable, which cannot go well on the day of judgement.

C.T. Studd on Evangelism

"Remember than mere soul-saving is comparatively easy work and is not nearly so important as manufacturing the saved ones into Saints, Soldiers and Saviors."
C.T. Studd, Cricketer and Pioneer, p70

John Stam on The Great Commission

Excerpt from a speech delivered to the Moody Bible Institute graduating class in 1932 by John Stam:

"Let us remind ourselves that the Great Commission was never qualified by clauses calling for advance only if funds were plentiful and no hardship or self-denial involved. On the contrary, we are told to expect tribulation and even persecution, but with it victory in Christ, and in personal communion with Him, a joyful unspeakable and full of glory that cannot be affected by outside circumstances."

Illusions and Giving

Randy Alcorn, in that little book, The Treasure Principle, says, "I’m convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home" (p44).

Wrestling with Hebrews 6

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned."
Hebrews 6: 4-8

A brutal and sobering passge of scripture. It seems to be saying that it's impossible for us to bring certain people back to repentance. And if repentance is impossible, you are in a place that is beyond salvation. People who were once amongst God's people, tasted the goodness of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and then fell away. There are two points that come to mind:

1. Were these people genuine Christians?
2. This word "impossible" is, in either case, very scary.

It makes reference to people who have previously repented. People who were enlightened, and even shared in the Holy Spirit. Does this mean they were genuine Christians? One thing's for sure: they outwardly appeared to be so, had partaken in the Christian life, and shared a degree of enlightenment. Having had all this they then decided that the world was better than Christ and returned to their previous way. In this they openly and publically shame Christ, bringing disgrace to His name, wounding the gospel and it's effectiveness in those around them.

In Jesus' parable of the sower there is seed which takes root and quickly springs up but is in shallow soil and dies; and also seed which is choked by thorns and thistles. In both cases there is a response to the gospel, and there is new life which springs out, but then dies away. This to me makes the most sense in interpreting Hebrews 6. I think faith often comes by degrees. A tree when it first grows is nothing but a tiny plant. Step on it and you squash it. But gradually, when protected, it grows and grows, over time it becomes established and forms an immovable living entity. A massive oak tree is hard to push around.

It almost seems like there's this transitionary period that's critical in a new believer. It's like becoming a Christian isn't merely flicking a switch, but a gradual process of roots going down and life springing up. There's a testing of faith over time, and some faith doesn't survive. So are these people true Christians? Hebrews 3:14 says "For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." The test of truly authentic faith is that it perseveres to our last day on Earth. A person can therefore have many spiritual experiences and blessings, claim to be a Christian in all the right ways, and yet fail this long test of faith.

The most difficult word in all of this is the word "impossible". It's incredibly scary, but it's right there, in the Bible. It says some people can't be bought back to a place of repentance. Being in a place where you are unable to repent puts you beyond salvation. Very, very sobering should any of us fall into this pit, showing utter distain for the cross of Christ, and proving we were never of Him.

"Whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
John 6:37

This last point is an important one. God will never reject anyone who repents. Should a backslider return to Christ in humble repentance, they are guaranteed acceptance. The question is whether or not they themselves can repent.

Notes on John 10: Apostasy?

"So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
John 10: 24-30

It says that none can be snatched out of the Father's hand. The question is whether one can choose to step out of God's hand, committing apostasy? It's an interesting point which I've been chewing over, and I'm definitely veering towards the answer "no". The verse above not only states "no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand" but "they will never perish". That seems quite an all-encompassing statement. It doesn't say "most will never perish". It says "they". It's all inclusive.

In any case, I just can't fathom how anyone, truly experienced in God's grace, knowledgeable of eternal Hell, with the fear of God instilled, can ever step out of the promise of infinite paradise for the momentary pleasures of this world. Something has to have gone pretty badly wrong. I guess you can argue that's pretty much what Satan did when he rebelled against God. Insane. The origins of Sin via Satan is one of the most mysterious things. How did it originate in a perfect, sinless being?