Filled With The Spirit (2)
Filled With the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Last week we explored the baptism of the Spirit. We only scratched the surface. Who the Spirit is and the role He plays (or should play) in our lives is a vast topic, which we may explore more thoroughly in September. So, like last week we’ll explore one aspect.
John Wesley, an 18th Century English evangelist and theologian, from whom we Nazarenes gain much of our doctrine, strongly believed that
The process of sanctification (growing in holiness and Christian maturity) was mostly about the renewal of the divine image (imago Dei) in humanity.
If we go back to Genesis, God created humanity as image bearers – we are to reflect God’s character or essence. E.g. God is love; therefore we should love like God and reflect His love.
This image bearing is always in the context of relationship (relationship with God, others, self and nature).
These relationships, in their initial conception, can be understood in terms of freedom. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and H.R. Dunning, a prominent Wesleyan theologian teach that humans were created with
“Freedom for God and for others. Freedom from self and freedom from earth.”
What does that mean? Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve were initially naked and felt no shame. Nakedness refers to their total innocence. Because of their innocence, they could freely love God and each other and freely receive love without any anxiety, fear, impure motives, doubts, no façade or any negative emotion, and so on. Freedom from self and from earth is being able to exist without self-sins like pride, self-centeredness, self-loathing … without being dominated or oppressed, enslaved and so on.
That kind of freedom is nearly impossible to comprehend because that freedom and the image of God was damaged, disrupted and estranged. Humanity, as Martin Luther stated, has “curved in upon [itself.]” Dunning said this,
“It is this self-centeredness, manifested in variegated forms, that stands as the barrier to a return to humankind’s created destiny. It destroys personal relations because of
anger, jealousy, exploitation or a plethora of other forms of self-assertion, and it appropriates the resources of the earth for its own selfish ends.” ~ H.R. Dunning
In other words, the fruit of the human condition apart from Christ is death and destruction. Therefore, it is God’s desire and plan to reverse our condition and as I already stated, to renew the divine imagery in humanity.
Think about this – too often we make Christianity primarily about “getting saved,” going to Heaven, and getting God to do help us. There’s truth there, but that’s only part of it and it misses the bigger picture. God wants to renew, restore, regenerate, make us alive, to be new creations, be a part of His family …. He wants to sanctify, to fill us with His Spirit and presence, and to renew the Imago Dei – which also means living in freedom for God and for others and being free from the tyranny of self.
True freedom is not doing whatever we want. That is the essence of sin. It’s pride. It’s self-centered. It’s anarchy. It is destructive. It’s from the devil. True freedom is based on true godly love, which has boundaries. Because I love my family, I have boundaries. That’s a different sermon.
Like last week, I’m going to read several Scriptures without a lot of commentary. Pay attention to what the Word of God is saying – especially to you.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
How many Christians are still believing lies?
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Referring to the Jewish year of Jubilee which is all about freedom.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
The Holy Spirit desires to dwell where? Within us.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
What do you hear the Word of God telling us? I think it’s safe to conclude that
The Christian Life is intended to be a journey toward freedom.
The freedom Scripture is talking about is not just some theological theory, and only when we get to Heaven. This is freedom is real and we can experience it in this life.
What is this freedom and how do we get there? We’ll come back to that. Listen to a few more Scriptures.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
The Spirit gives us victory over indwelling sin, and its governance, oppression, and power. He gives victory over physical, spiritual, and relational death.
If we allow the Spirit to dwell within, He then becomes the “source of divine power for sanctification and the secret for spiritual victory in daily living.” ~ John A. Witmer
This power and victory are for those who
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Last week we talked about the baptism of the Spirit – being filled. This morning we have heard God’s Word speak of the Imago Dei, freedom and living according to and being led by the Spirit. If I am reading this correctly, and I believe I am, then true freedom and living by the Spirit are connected.
Questions:
Where is the Holy Spirit active in your daily living?
How much direct influence does the Spirit have in your life (in your decisions, in your character development, in your home, and in your church)?
Take a moment and think.
How much internal freedom and personal victory do you experience?
What might that mean? Think about this – this is not exhaustive, but through the Spirit we can be from sin, condemnation, judgment, Hell and guilt. We can be free from the lies we believe, false identities that we or others have created, curses, fear, self-destruction, chasing the wind, offense, hyper-sensitivity ….
On the flip-side, we can be free to love and be loved without pretense. Free to receive salvation. Free to give and receive grace, forgiveness, compassion. Free to live. Free to follow Jesus. Free to my authentic self in Christ, free to hope, to serve, to be content, free to be divinely human (2 Peter 1:3-4) – free to allow Spirit to renew God’s image in us.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Free to follow the Spirit – not the changing desires and opinions and demands of others, the world, and even the flesh.
If you want true freedom, then begin now to walk according to and keep in step with the Spirit? The Spirit sets the pace every day, every moment. We are to keep our eyes and mind fixed on Him. We are to go in the same direction – not drifting to the left or right, not getting head or lagging behind. We cannot follow the Spirit if we’re leading, or more accurately ignoring the Spirit (Luke 9:23).
How do we walk according to, keep in step with, and be filled with the Spirit so that He can lead us to true freedom in Christ? Here are
5 things to consider – directly from A.W. Tozer’s book, How To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit.
which I highly recommend.
1. Present your body to God (Rom. 12:1-2). “God can’t fill what He can’t have.”
2. Ask to be filled with the Spirit (Luke 11:13).
God wants to fill us!
3. Obey Him (Acts 5:32).
Live by the Scriptures. As Tozer said, “Simple, but revolutionary.”
4. Receive the Spirit by faith (Ga. 3:2).
Consider this,
“I am talking about something different now, an advance over [initial salvation]. I am talking about [the Spirit’s] coming and possessing the full body and mind and life and heart,
taking the whole personality over, gently, but directly and bluntly, and making it His, so that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit.” ~ A.W. Tozer
5. Cultivate an awareness of the Spirit (John 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:7).
Intentionally ask for a new awareness. Invite the Spirit into every moment.
If you want to receive Jesus Christ – Admit. Trust. Commit.
Regarding the Spirit, Rather than me telling you what to do, what do you want to do with this message?