Would You Like a Refill? – John 14:15-18, 25-27
It’s been said…
God is like Pan Am … He makes the going great.
God is like General Electric … He lights your path.
God is like Bayer Aspirin … He works wonders.
God is like Hallmark Cards … He cares enough to send the very best.
God is like Coke … He’s the real thing.
God is like Tide … He gets the stains out that others leave behind.
God is like VO5 Hair Spray … He holds through all kinds of weather.
God is like Sears … He has everything.
God is like Scotch Tape … You can’t see Him, but you know He’s there.
As we continue along on our journey through the Apostle’s Creed, today we will look at the invisible presence of God on earth today… the Holy Spirit. Although the normal question asked is, “What is the Holy Spirit?”, the better question is “Who is the Holy Spirit?”
One of the distinctives of traditional Christian faith is the doctrine of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit coexisting in the unity of the Godhead. Even though the word Trinity isn’t found in the Bible, the concept is clearly taught. Jesus draws attention to the Trinity in His baptismal statement in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19). Paul closes off his second letter to the Corinthians with this verse: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:2 to the believers “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.”
Confession of belief in the Trinity shows up in the Nicene Creed (A.D. 381) and the Roman Symbol, a short statement of belief from at least as far back as the fourth century. And of course, The Apostles’ Creed, formalized in the sixth century and forming the basis for much of evangelical Christianity’s doctrine, states specifically, “I believe in God the Father Almighty … and in Jesus Christ His Son … and in the Holy Spirit.” Let’s read it together:
I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into Hades; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church universal, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
The Holy Spirit is not just a force like electricity, as Jehovah’s Witnesses believe. He is a person, the Spirit of God Himself on earth today. Wesleyans believe that God the Father is seated in heaven right now, Jesus (God the Son) is seated at the Father’s right hand, praying for us, and God the Spirit is on the earth, and in believers’ hearts. Each one is God, and there’s only one God. But He shows up in 3 persons, perhaps so that we can understand Him better.
It’s been said God is like water: solid, liquid and gas. It’s been said that God is like a piece of runny, gooey pie: you can cut it into 3 pieces, but it’s all the same. And it’s been said that God is like an egg: yolk, white, and shell. All one egg, but three parts. However you want to picture it, no matter who says different, it’s true. As we sing, “God in three persons, blessed Trinity.”
In the context of this sermon, we don’t have time to look at all the truths about the Holy Spirit. But we’ll look at these 2 main ones.
1) The Holy Spirit is personal.
That is, He’s not a force like electricity. He’s not a ghost like some long-dead ancestor. Here are some reasons we believe He’s personal:
a) by the uses of His Name. We use His name when we baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.¨ The Father and Christ are persons and we connect the Spirit’s name with them because the Spirit is also a person.
b) by the personal characteristics ascribed to Him.
- knowledge: 1 Corinthians 2:11 – the Holy Spirit knows God’s thoughts
- will: 1 Corinthians 12:11 – He decides who gets what gifts
- mind: Romans 8:27 – the Spirit prays, and God knows His mind
- power: Romans 15:13
c) by the fact that He is treated as a Person.
- can be grieved: Ephesians 4:30
- can be resisted: Acts 7:51
- can be lied to: Acts 5:3
- can be sinned against: Mark 3:29
We also believe, as I have said, that 2) the Holy Spirit is God.
a) The Spirit is shown to be God by the divine attributes ascribed to Him.
- omniscience – 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
- omnipresence – Psalm 139:7-10
- eternal – Hebrews 9:14
b) The Spirit is shown to be God by the divine works which are ascribed to God only.
- creation: Job 33:4 – “The Spirit of God has made me”
- impart life: Genesis 2:7
- author of Divine prophecies: 2 Peter 1:21 – “carried along by HS”
- brought order: Genesis 1:2
c) The Spirit is shown to be God by what the Bible writers said:
- Acts 5:3-4 – Peter said Ananias lied to the HS; then he said he lied to God
- Acts 28:25-26 – Paul quoted Isaiah 6:8-9 from the OT, and said the HS said it; but when you read that passage of Isaiah, the Lord said it. Therefore, both Peter and Paul called the Holy Spirit God
Now that we have looked at what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit, what does that mean for us? What is His job on earth? The Bible says His job description covers a lot of ground.
1) He Convicts Of Sin - John 16:8
2) He Calls Us To Eternal Life - Revelation 22:17
3) He Regenerates – Titus 3:5
4) He Seals Us Unto The Day Of Redemption - Ephesians 4:30
5) He Causes Us To Remember - John 14:26
6) He Teaches Us God’s Will - John 14:26
7) He Comforts In Time Of Sorrow – John 14:16
8) He Gives Us Power To Overcome The Devil - 1 John 4:4
9) He Empowers Us For Service - Luke 11:13
So what is our relationship to the Holy Spirit? As Christians, how are we connected to the Holy Spirit? The Bible says that when we initially ask Jesus to forgive us and lead us, the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and lives inside us. The Bible also calls this the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor.12:13: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
This means that we have been immersed, that is, baptized, in what God has for us. This means we have gotten a dose of His power, His grace, His mercy, His holiness, His purity, His love. We have, as Peter says, tasted and seen that the Lord is good.
But there is more too. Wesleyans believe in a baptism in the Holy Spirit. Wesleyans believe that even after someone comes to know the Lord through repentance, there is still a second work of grace that God wants to do.
Now, I know that many Christians disagree over this issue, and that’s OK. We must agree to disagree. But we look at passages like Ephesians 5:18 which says: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” The original language says: Always be being filled, or be continually filled. That’s a process, folks. That’s not a one-time-for-all-time thing. That’s an ongoing thing.
Pastor Jack Hayford, author of the song “Majesty”, says this: “The Spirit-filled condition does not stop with a single experience, but is maintained by continually being filled, as commanded here.” This is not to be confused with Pentecostal doctrine, which says that the evidence of being filled with the Spirit is speaking in tongues.
Wesleyans believe that a better sign of the Spirit filling, rather than power, is purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.” V7 goes on to say: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 says: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Did you catch it? Because of our love for God and what He’s done for us, we set ourselves apart. We are to live holy lives. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is not to make ourselves feel good, or to condemn others, but to be pure channels of God’s love for the world. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not about using Him, but being used by Him.
Life in the Spirit is not do’s and don’ts. Romans 14:17 says “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” It’s not so much your exact actions, but more your motives and your heart. It’s about being right with Him, delighting yourself in Him, and living in peace with Him and others. Yes, you may do things that grieve the Spirit. But that’s why we’re told to be continually filled. Keep coming back to Him.
So how do we get a fresh touch from Him? How do we get a new touch of fire in our souls? 3 thoughts from the Book of Acts:
1) Believe – Acts 11:17 – believe there’s more God has for you
2) Ask – Acts 4:31; Luke 11:13 – asking means you know you need Him
3) Obey – Acts 5:32 – disobedience and sin quench His work in you
D. L. Moody said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.”
So what are you full of? Of yourself, and your own abilities, and pride, and righteousness? Or are you full of a greater power? Are you full of His Spirit? Have you had a fresh infilling lately? Has God Himself moved inside your heart? Would you seek Him today to change your life and fill you up?
