Born Anointed Filled And Lead Of The Spirit
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And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Christ Was Born of the Spirit
1. Just as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and Christ was born, so also does the Holy Spirit come upon the unbeliever, when he accepts Christ for his Saviour, and he is born a child of God.
2. We are made partakers of the Divine nature by the new birth. From henceforth we are called the "children of God," and Christ is not ashamed to own us as "brethren."
3. The nature which was begotten of Mary was a holy nature.
The Bible says, "That Holy Thing which shall be born of thee." The nature which was begotten in us, when we believed in Christ, was also a holy nature.
The Bible says, "Created in righteousness and true holiness."
4. The nature which was begotten of Mary was a nature not only that "knew no sin," but it was a nature that could not sin.
The nature which is begotten of God, in us, is also a nature which cannot sin.
"Whatsoever is born of God, doth not commit sin." That which sins, in a child of God, is the old nature, the nature received from his earthly parents.
The nature born of God is an impeccable nature.
If this were not so, it would always, even after the believer had spent ages in the Kingdom of God, remain possible that he might sin. This is true, because the new man, born of God, is never "born again."
5. We are, in our second birth, as much the children of God, as we were in our first birth, the children of earthly parents. The Bible speaks of God in Hebrews 12:9, as the "Father of Spirits."
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
6. It might be well also to show that we have a nature "superior to angels," because our nature is born of God, and angels are created of God.
Christ Was Anointed of the Spirit
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Christ had walked some sixty miles to the Jordan to be baptized of John, and now immediately, following His baptism, Christ is seen praying.
It is not difficult for us to discover the objective of that prayer.
In Isaiah 42:1, this remarkable promise had been given concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold;
Mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;
I have put my spirit upon him:
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
1. The Scripture above reveals a definite promise, Christ was to be anointed with the Holy Spirit.
No marvel then, that He stood in the waters, following His baptism, and prayed, awaiting the promise of the Father.
No marvel, too, that His prayer was immediately heard and that the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and lighted upon Him.
We, too, who believe in Christ Jesus, need the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and, this very blessing is our birthright.
John the Baptist had preached concerning Christ: "He that cometh after me is mightier than I. * * He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."
Christ gave His disciples a like assurance.
We read in Acts 1:5:
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And so it was, that, "When the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:1, 2).
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
From Pentecost, even until now, all those who believe in Christ are "baptized by one Spirit into one Body."
2. In John 1:33 we read these words,
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
When Christ, then, was baptized with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit came to remain with Him.
This, again, is true of the believer. The Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost and has remained upon His people.
Frequently we hear the question, "Can Pentecost be repeated?"
If, by that question, one means can the Holy Spirit descend from Heaven upon a praying congregation or individual, we answer, "No." Christ said, "I will send you another Comforter that He may abide with you for the age.
" And if the Holy Ghost is here, during all the days which lie between Calvary and Olivet, why should we pray for Him to come?
What we should do, is to recognize that He is here.
We should claim by faith every spiritual blessing which is ours in the Holy Ghost.
3. It may be well to read John 3:34:
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Many times believers seem to think that they are possessing some of the Spirit, but this is not true.
The Holy Spirit in all His fullness and blessing, is God's gift to His Church.
The danger lies not in the fact that God has given the Spirit to us "by measure," but rather in the fact that we are giving ourselves "by measure" unto the Spirit.
Christ Was Filled with the Spirit
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
It is one thing to have the Holy Ghost upon us, and another thing to have the Holy Ghost within us.
It is one thing to have the Holy Ghost indwelling us, and another thing to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
1. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers, but all believers are not filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit may be in the throne room, without being on the throne; the Holy Spirit may even have a right-of-way in the believer's life, without having all the way.
To be filled with the Spirit pre-supposes the abandonment of the life to God.
What we yield, He accepts; and what He accepts, He fills.
A life that is not surrendered, consecrated, yielded, abandoned to God, cannot be a life filled with God.
2. In Ephesians 5:18 we read:
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
When one is drunk with wine, the wine dominates him to the finger-tips; when one is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is dominated through and through by the Holy Spirit. The invariable result is recorded in verse 19.
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
The Spirit-filled will be "speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in their hearts to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things, * * submitting themselves one to another in the fear of Christ."
Christ Was Led of the Spirit
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
1. First of all it may be well to note that Christ was tempted immediately following the "filling of the Spirit." It is particularly true that Spirit-filled believers will be subject to the assaults of the devil.
The Christian who is living a carnal life will hardly be troubled very much by satan. It is the one who surrenders all, who feels the power of the adversary. Illustration: It is said that when the Brooklyn Bridge was in course of construction, the engineer called the "chief" to examine the screw that was digging the great hole, wherein the pillars were to be placed, that would swing the bridge. The engineer asked his chief: "Have we gotten to the bed-rock?"
The reply was, "Not yet, you are grinding out nothing but soap stone." A few hours later, the chief again looked down into the deep hole. He called the engineer and ordered the engine stopped. "You have struck bed-rock," said the chief.
"How can you tell so quickly?" was the query of the engineer.
The answer is significant.
"Can't you see the great screw is shooting fire?"
When the believer gets to bed-rock, he will realize that "it is shooting fire."
"Yea and all that live Godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution."
2. Jesus was led of the Spirit. We too may be led of the Spirit.
We read, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John."
Are men and women sent of God?
The Bible says, "To every man his work."
Certainly, God has a plan for every life. We are "created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, which God hath afore prepared, that we should walk in them."
Our highest aim should be to know God's plan, and to walk in it.
This is being led of the Spirit.
When the Brooklyn Bridge, of which we have just spoken, was being built, the chief architect received an injury which laid him aside for months.
From his bed-chamber he gave his orders for the continuance of the work. Finally, when the bridge was completed, he was carried on a stretcher to look at the finished product, he himself had planned.
Minutely he examined every detail, and then, with the survey completed, he clapped his hands and said, "It is just according to the plan."
3. When Christ, Who was led of the Spirit, was about to leave this earth, for the Father's right hand, He said, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do."
May we also be led of the Spirit, and finally when our task is done, may we be able to say, "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my course."