Sabbath: The Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 1:8; Eph. 5:18; Acts 13:52; Luke 11:8-10; Acts 5:32; Gal. 5:16-26.
Memory Text: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV).
As Christians, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Without Him, our witness will be powerless and our Christian life nothing but a burden. We might have learning, talent, and eloquence, but without the Spirit, we cannot experience life as God intended for us to. We will not have the assurance of salvation and will not know the joy that comes from serving our Lord. We will be Christians in name only, and a Christian in name only is not really a Christian at all.
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Jesus, however, wants us to live life to its fullest. He wants to give us life as it is meant to be, a life that is fulfilling and meaningful because it is rooted in the Source of all life: Jesus Christ. He is the Creator of all life, and the only way to eternal life. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6, NKJV). This fullness is possible only by being joined to Him, and this can happen only through the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives.
This week we will study what the Bible says about the baptism of the Spirit and what it means to be filled with Him. We will also look at some evidence that testifies that we are, indeed, filled with the Spirit.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 4.
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It seems to me that being filled with the Holy Spirit means to be fully given to the motivation of the Holy Spirit at any given time and situation.
This brings us to the sealing issue. It seems that there is to be a time when we are sealed in the character of God. This seems to be a point in our life in which we have invited the Holy Spirit to bring the Love and character of God into every issue of our life and we have accepted that as our lifestyle. If we don't sin we will no longer need a Mediator. We will live without a Mediator but never without the Holy Spirit.
Very well put. I would add that even if and when sin has fully been put away, and we have no more need of a mediator, we will still have a cup to drink. The little time of Jacob' s trouble, that he went through, as well as Jesus had, will still happen. Though no more to rid us of sin, it will still be needed. I suppose, mostly to have us loose the love and security we have been accustomed to in this world, and to eagerly wish for our new home soon to be ours. All things work together for good for those who truly love Jesus.
I have never heard of sinful humans not needing a mediator. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. I am in need of enlightenment apparently. Anyone no longer in this world of course, has no application to what is under discussion, that I am aware of.
Paul, when we are sealed by the Holy Spirit we no longer sin. In this state we will not need more mediation for our sins. They will have been mediated already and no more sin is likely. Of course, we may not know when this has happened.
After the close of probation when the filthy are proclaimed filthy still and the holy are proclaimed holy still (Revelation 22:11), Jesus leaves His mediatorial role in the temple and will return to Earth as a mighty conqueror. At this time we are sealed in the state we are found.
There have been those in our past found to be sealed in the character of God such as Enoch and Elijah. (These are only the ones recorded in the Bible). But we are admonished by EGW to strive to be among that number. I believe we are also told that some in every generation have been sealed by the Holy Spirit in that character. Study EGW's writings about the "sealing." It is very interesting.
This sinless life we are talking of is the result of mortality bathed in divinity. The continual exposure and saturation of saints with the charms of the Holy Ghost leads us towards perfection.
How we depend on the Comforter!
Don you have presented a question to me, We will live without a Mediator but never without the Holy Spirit.I thought the Mediator was the Holy Spirit. What's the difference?
Evie, the Mediator I am speaking of is Christ in His Mediatorial role of pardoning us for our sins. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is essential to keep us from sinning. His Love is essential for motivation of a truly sinless life.
The memory text has special meaning to me.
Without the Holy Spirit we would not be able to discern the thief and may trust him with our valuables instead of the 'life giver' in the Person of Christ.
Without Holy Spirit given discernment characteristics of the thief are developed and we may be deceived into believing we're right and valid in doing what we do no matter what effect our actions have on others.
It's the Holy Spirit who redirects our paths, changes our minds and transforms our motivations so that we reflect God centered values rather world or self-centered values.
When addresding the question of baptism and being filled by the Holy Spirit one tends to go to Acts 2:1–4: the day of Pentecost. The disciples had adhered to Christ's instruction: they went to Jerusalem; they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and filled all the house where they were sitting. So they were filled with an overwhelming sense of God’s greatness, vision and passion for His work. Here we see Jesus pouring out His Spirit. In Acts Paul says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.” The Spirit unites all believers to Christ so that we are part of His body and a fellow-heir with Him of eternal life. Being baptised by the Holy Spirit we are united to Christ and empowered to do mighty deeds. Peter preached one sermon and three thousand people were converted. We too can have the same experienced when we are baptised and filled with God's Holy Ghost.
But what if the Holy Spirit asks you to do a little task? Are you going to do that? or are you going to wait until asked to do a mighty task?
Remember that Peter preached and the Greek widows were ignored until they appointed Spirit-filled men to look after them. Looking after the needy is just as important as preaching a mighty sermon.
As the lesson point out that it is "impossible" to be a christian without the Holy Spirit within us, I wonder if I could ask: "How do you know that you have the Holy Spirit"? and actually, as the lesson says, If you do not have the Holy Spirit, your "down", and there is no more!
So,in my life, if I cannot recognize that I have the Holy Spirit in my life, I am "done" as, what I thought, what I would like to be, a christian?!
Johnny, each of us has self to subdue. The problem is that we cannot do what needs to be done to subdue our evil "self." We need help. The helper we need to change our direction from selfish motivation is God in the person of His Spirit. He can bring His Love into our experience in any given issue of our lives to motivate us differently than we would motivate ourselves.
This is like light coming in to darkness. I would say that when we see evidence of God's Love motivating our life instead of our selfishness we are seeing evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Kindness, Temperence, Mercy, Grace, the Righteousness of Christ, etc. (all the attributes of God's character). When we truly give ourselves to God He becomes responsible for our salvation.
If we don't see these atributes developing in our lives we are probably holding on to some "right" that we cherish that is not the character of God. God will reveal this to us when we give up all to Him and we can overcome everything evil in our lives.
There are conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is to use us and the other way round.
Renouncing desires of flesh and set yourself apart from the desires of the world. Carnality is enmity against God. Emptying oneself of of any defilement will be fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.when we, as individuals examine ourselves, we can find answers as to whether the Holy Spirit can abide in us or not.
Does the Bible only teach that we should be baptized in the NAME of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost? Why not the NAMES.....Why in other books, for example, in the Book of Acts, the disciples only baptized in the name of Jesus?
Akhir, I think that the three names speak to receiving the character of God in our physical nature our spiritual nature and our mental nature.
The Bible says that God made us like Himself. He is triune so mankind was made like Him in body, Spirit, and mind. In our baptism we need regeneration in all three persons of our being. If we were reborn in our body but not our mind it would produce caos not peace. If we are reborn in only our mind but our spirit stayed selfish, our mind would soon go back to selfish motivation resulting in total failure. If we are reborn in spirit but our mind refuses to go along with that we also meet failure in the Christian walk.
If we are reborn in the Spirit of God and our mind agrees with this and our body cooperates with this we achieve success in all of our soul resulting in peace and harmony in our soul
and true salvation.