Have You Received The Holy Ghost Since You Believed Series

This next step in our Christian life is called sanctification, or being filled with the Holy Spirit. ‘But I thought we already had the Holy Spirit.’ Yup. But He didn’t have all of you. More than that, it’s a continuing process. Ephesians 5:18-21 says, “be filled with the Spirit.” On the surface, we think we know what that means, but if we look at the Greek construction, we realize that the verb is in a present continuous tense, that is, the sentence could more accurately be translated, “be being filled”, continually. That’s the heart of Christianity; that’s where the power is. We can stumble along in our 1.3 litre Suzuki, and probably still get to Heaven, or we can buy into a V 10 Chrysler hemi, and get there in style. All we have to do is ask, give Him our all, and HANG ON!

You see, in the Christian life, you never really ‘arrive’ until you get to Heaven. There is always more work to be done, and more growing to do. (Sounds a bit like farming.) Even Paul, who wrote almost half of the New Testament, said, in Phil 3:12, near the end of his life, 12I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. There is always more growing-- more work to do.

I’m not sure what you think about Heaven , but I suspect there will be more work to do there. God disapproves of laziness, and there is a certain satisfaction for a job well-done. The difference in Heaven, I believe, is that there will not be any weeds! Our labours there will be pleasant and productive. But, until then, we have work to do here. Gal 6:9,10 encourages us, 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. All people need Christ, but most of them have other needs we could help with, as well; the smelly, the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the lonely, the drunk… Take your pick. They all need your help.

Jesus said, in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” In verse 23, He says it again, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” How? By the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of the Father, is the Holy Spirit.

But what commandments is Jesus talking about—the Ten Commandments? In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus answers this very question asked by a lawyer. 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment.39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The whole message of the Bible is tied up in these two, short verses, for if you love God with all your heart, you will not sin against Him, and if you love your neighbour as yourself, you will help him, and not sin against him.