The Fullness of the Spirit
IN THE STUDY:
We bring to a close the long study of the Gift, Gifts, Fruit and Fullness of the Holy Spirit. Never has the Holy Spirit been so eagerly sought or completely misunderstood as in our generation. One misunderstanding centres on the filling of the Holy Spirit.
There are several New Testament examples of people who are said to be filled with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Stephen, Saul, Barnabas and the seven Deacons are all mentioned as being filled with the Holy Spirit. However, no one else is mentioned in the New Testament outside of the two books written by Luke.
Some people speak of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This reference goes back to John the Baptist who said that while he baptised with water one would come who would baptise with the Holy Spirit (Matt.3:11: Mark 1:8). The risen Lord indicated that He was the one who would give the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) and Peter re-emphasised it (Acts 11:16).
These sayings centre around the Day of Pentecost for the Jews and the home of Cornelius for the Gentiles. On both occasions the baptism of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in tongues. This special baptism of the Holy Spirit emphasized the beginnings of the faith among Jews and Gentiles and there is no further indication in scripture that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was to be a continuing separate practice for every believer.
Indeed, a passage like 1 Cor. 12: 13 indicates the unity of believers because of their common baptism into Christ and their common possession of the Holy Spirit. There is no precedent in the New Testament for one person to ask another if they have been baptised by the Holy Spirit. If a person had been baptised into Christ then it was accepted that he was baptised of the Holy Spirit. The connection between water baptism and Spirit baptism recurs throughout the Book of Acts. Saul was both filled with the Holy Spirit and baptised (Acts 9: 17 – 18). So was Cornelius (Acts 10: 45 – 48). So were the twelve men at Ephesus (Acts 19: 5-6). It is further mentioned when Titus speaks of both the washing of regeneration and the renewal in the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7).
It is quite wrong to separate baptism in water and baptism by the Holy Spirit. Some have done so to justify the practice of confirmation and others to support Pentecostal teaching. But in the New Testament both were at the same time. (Acts 2:38).
However, it is important for Christians to be filled by the Holy Spirit. The emphasis some make on the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a separate event emphasizes a spectacular event that may happen to some Christians. But filing of the Holy Spirit is necessary for all Christians. All believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time of their baptism in water. They must go on growing until they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
FROM THE PULPIT:
How can we be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit?
1. Remember the Holy Spirit is God’s gift of grace. It is not received by our striving (1. Thess.4:8).
2. It is a gift not given to all men. God gives life, sun and rain to all but the Holy Spirit only to those who are willing to open their lives to Him as people spiritually receptive (1. Cor.2:4). Like the cross the receiving of the Holy Spirit is foolishness to the natural man.
3. All Christians have the Holy Spirit from the time of their baptism but not all possess the fullness of the Spirit. If we neglect, quench or grieve the Holy Spirit by our careless attitude, irreverent behaviour and spiritual neglect we have ourselves to blame.
4. We need to ask for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us so (Luke 11: 13; John 7:37). Paul urged believers to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
5. We must repent from sin and be baptised (Acts 2: 38).
6. We must live a life of obedience (Acts 5: 32) by faith (Gal.3:1-5).
Without the Holy Spirit we cannot live Christian lives (Rom. 8:9,14). Even more wonderful than the filling of the Holy Spirit in this life, is the realisation that the possession of the Holy Spirit is only the first indication (earnest, guarantee 2. Cor. 1:22;5:5; Eph. 1:14) of what is yet to come in the glory of eternity.
AMONG THE PEOPLE:
An earnest, young Pentecostal woman was saying to me “But surely you want to be baptised by the Holy Spirit?” I indicated to her that when we speak of baptism of the Holy Spirit we are referring to the once and for all Gift of the Holy Spirit; but when we speak of the fullness of the Holy Spirit we are speaking of what needs to come to us continually. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is part of our initiation into the Church and into the faith, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is a growing experience of Christian maturity.
In Luke 3 and 4 we read of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus in three senses.
a. He came upon the Lord Jesus to equip Him for His ministry at the point of His Baptism
b. Jesus returned from the Jordan filled with the Holy Spirit as his normal spiritual state and
c. He was led and strengthened by the Holy Spirit during the time of temptation.
All Christians receive the Gift of the Holy spirit at their baptism. Like our Lord, we are to grow in grace and into the fullness of the Holy Spirit during our lives. At times of special need, temptation, or demands for special Christian service, we have the promise of His strengthening presence.
Thank you for making this study part of your life. If you have enjoyed this study on the Holy Spirit, why not introduce it to a group of friends for a group study. You will all be blessed!
