The Spirit-Filled Life: Part 3

Welcome to the Preaching the Cross Radio Podcast, before the Radio Ministry of Pastor James W.

Knox of the Bible Baptist Church of Golden Florida.

Our prayer is that in some of our Bible study programs will bring the law to a craving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and enable the faith to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior.

Now here's your host, Pastor James W.

Knox.

And warm Christian greetings to each and every one of you.

I am Brother James, and in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, I welcome you to the Preaching of the Cross Radio Broadcast.

We hope and pray that you'll be able to stay with us for the next half an hour as we try our very, very best to help you, to enable you to look to the Lamb of God, for He alone is able to save you, to look to God the Father, for He alone is able to provide for your every need, in particular those spiritual needs, and to look to the Word of God, for we would know nothing as we ought of the Father and of the Son, were it not for the blessed and holy Bible that God has given unto us.

We began two programs ago a series of studies entitled The Simplicity of the Spirit-Filled Life, The Simplicity of the Spirit-Filled Life.

We dealt first of all with the great Bible truth of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We noted that in Old Testament times the Holy Spirit came upon men, but after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, beginning on that first day of Pentecost which followed the resurrection of Christ, that the Holy Spirit of God actually came to dwell within those men and women who had put their personal faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then we saw the Holy Spirit's relationship to these believers in a sevenfold aspect.

The Holy Spirit is a gift, not something purchased, earned, merited, deserved, sought after.

The Holy Spirit is a gift.

The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer.

The Holy Spirit seals the believer.

The Holy Spirit is the earnest or down payment of the believer's inheritance.

The Holy Spirit anoints every believer.

The Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into the body of Jesus Christ.

And the Holy Spirit fills believers.

But here we cannot say fills every believer.

And we will pursue that truth as we make our way through the remainder of this study.

Now, one reason why so many who long to be filled with the Spirit do not experience what they desire is because they confuse the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit with the gifts of the Spirit.

Now let's remember that God is an intelligent God who deals with intelligent people in an intelligent way.

When we confuse the result of the Holy Spirit's filling with his gifts, and demand as an evidence that he has filled us certain manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit, the result is darkness, disappointment, and going from meeting to meeting and from one cult to another.

The Holy Spirit, Christ's love gift to each believer, gives gifts to each one in whom he dwells.

These gifts are for the building up by the body of itself in love.

1 Corinthians chapter 12, and I'm going to begin reading at verse number four, just as soon as I can find it.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

There's Romans, followed by Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 12, verse number 4.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man the prophet withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to by the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit, to another working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Notice, to each member of the body, the Holy Spirit gives a special gift, dividing to each one severally, and then the Bible says, as he will.

It may be that any one of the gifts or any number of them, but not one Christian has been passed by, all Christians have been given some gift.

These gifts are an evidence of relationship to the body of Christ.

They are not an evidence of being filled with the Spirit.

When we demand any special gift, as, for instance, the gift of prophecy, or as so many today are doing, demanding of God the gift of speaking in tongues, when we demand these special gifts as an evidence of being filled with the Spirit, we go contrary to the Word of God and open our path to every kind of confusion.

Now I'll grant you, there are men, most likely on this very radio station, who will teach you that a certain gift or a particular gift is an evidence that you've been filled with the Spirit.

And that may be that man's teaching, that may be his denominational uh position, but you cannot find that statement, you cannot find that doctrine taught in the pages of the Word of God.

What we do see on that day of Pentecost that took place uh right after the resurrection of Jesus Christ is that the gifts of the Spirit were greatly used when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.

And it is very likely that the Holy Spirit will do exactly the same today, that is, use the gifts of the Spirit when He fills anyone with Himself.

You see, when He fills us, He is then free to use every part of our being, of our body, of our talents with which we were born, and our spiritual gifts which we received at our new birth.

The filling of the Spirit and the giving of the gifts are two very separate matters.

However, the filling of the Spirit and the exercise of the gifts will go hand in hand because the gifts of the Spirit are given that they might be used by God, and the one who is filled with the Holy Spirit will be the one who surrenders and yields to God, that these gifts might be put into operation.

So you can see how there'd be some confusion.

But please don't make the mistake of thinking that a gift of the Spirit exercised is an evidence of being filled with the Spirit.

They are not the same.

It is very likely that one may not even be conscious of what his gifts are.

One may easily know the talents God gave him and not know the Holy Spirit's gifts to him.

So it becomes increasingly necessary that one be filled with the Spirit, in order that he who gave the gifts may use them through the individual believer.

We find in the case of the Corinthians that uh in everything, well, let me let me read you how how God wrote it in this uh letter.

In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 5, the Bible says that in everything you are enriched by him.

1 Corinthians 1:5

And in verse number 7, so that ye come behind in no gift.

So these people were rich in the things of God, and and there wasn't anybody that had uh more gifts or better gifts than they had, because they had received the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But they were not filled with the Spirit, as you find in chapter 3 and verse number 1, and I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

So they they had the Spirit, they had the gifts of the Spirit.

In fact, they had as much Holy Spirit gifting, if you will, as anyone that ever lived.

But they were not filled with the Spirit, and therefore, with all of these gifts, including the indwelling of the Holy Spirit himself, they were not living the Christian life.

They had all the gifts.

And so today, one may be able to speak with tongues and still not be filled with the spirit.

One may be able to work, uh seemingly work miracles and still not be filled with the spirit.

One may be able to teach the Bible or preach the word or evangelize a city and still not be filled with the spirit.

You see, the gifts of the spirit are for service, they are given to each child of God regardless of his spiritual maturity.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is that in everything we may please him.

Then the Holy Spirit not only gives gifts to members of the body of Christ, but he gives men as gifts to the body as well.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Bible says, and let me find you verse number 28.

1 Corinthians 12 and verse 28.

And God hath set some in the church.

First apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly, teachers, after that, miracles, then gifts of healing helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Notice God had set some, that is, these are people, these are these are individuals.

In Romans 12, verses 4 through 8.

Romans 12:4–8

The cross-reference here says, For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, all right, that's people, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy, according to the proportion of faith or ministry, let us wait on our ministering, or he that teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity, he that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness.

Notice these are people.

These are people.

Some of those to whom God has given special gifts are given by him to the others for special work.

They are God given men to the rest of the body for its growth and development.

Such men as Paul and Peter and John, later times uh uh Luther and Knox and the Wesleys and and Murray and Moody and Turnbull and Pearson and uh these men, these special gifts of gifted men to his body, have been among those precious things upon earth since Jesus Christ left the scene.

But let us always remember that the gifts of the Spirit are not an evidence of fullness, but rather, according to the Bible passages we have looked at, they are an evidence of relationship.

Even though you may be a gift to the rest of the body, this is not an evidence that you are filled with the spirit.

For many who have been given to the rest of the body seek to live their lives apart from the filling of the spirit.

Now you know they're great gifted preachers and teachers of the Bible that do not live Holy Spirit controlled lives.

They use curse words in the pulpit, their marriages fall apart, their strife and division everywhere they go.

Now, are they gifted by God?

Oh, certainly they are.

Are they indwelt by God's Holy Spirit?

No question about it.

Have they been given by God to the body of Christ?

Absolutely.

Are they filled with the Spirit?

Certainly not.

Now, if you've been looking for one of the gifts of the Spirit as an evidence that you are filled, will you not now take your eyes from things, from gifts, from evidences, and get your eyes upon him whose will it is that you be filled?

Will you not now rejoice in what he has already done, and begin to thank him for the gifts which the Holy Spirit has given you?

You may not know what that gift is, but to each has been given a gift to profit with all, and as you thank him and turn your being and talents and gifts over to him, to use as he will, then you will find the precious gifts of the Spirit being used by God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and you'll find you'll find yourself in the very thrilling and blessed center of God's will.

Many Christians are also troubled because they do not have what they have heard to be called the witness of the Spirit.

They hear people talk about the witness of the Spirit.

They hear people say they have great assurance and know they are filled with the Holy Spirit because of the witness of the Spirit.

Let's see from the Bible, that's always the place to look.

Let's see from the Bible what the witness of the Spirit really is, so that we may not be looking for a wrong evidence of being filled with the Spirit.

There are three things to be kept in mind in regard to a witness.

He must witness to or before a person or persons.

That's what a witness is.

I mean, there's no such thing as a as uh somebody witnessing to themselves.

That that defies the very meaning of the word.

He must bear witness to a fact, and he must bear witness with someone or something else.

The Bible says in Matthew 18, 16, that a mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established.

Now, the following Bible texts give all that the word of God says about the witness of the Spirit.

You'd think with all the talk there is about it, that there'd be uh just a tremendous number of verses, but there aren't.

There aren't.

The Bible says in the book of Romans, chapter eight, the book of Romans, chapter eight, and verse number sixteen, the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

I am born of the spirit, I am enabled by him from my heart to call God my Father.

The Holy Spirit, one person, bears witness with my spirit, another person, to God the Father, there's another person, to the fact that I am his child.

My spirit, energized by the Holy Spirit, says my Father.

The Holy Spirit testifies to the Father concerning the fact that I have been born again.

It is not a witness to me, but with my spirit.

That is not a matter that can be felt or known by any of our senses, as it is entirely in the realm of the spiritual, and the spirit testifies before the Father.

But I know within my heart that God is my Father.

Second passage that we need to look at is in Acts chapter number five.

Acts chapter five, and I'm going to read verses thirty through thirty-two.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom he slew and hanged on a tree.

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

And we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Here we see the Holy Spirit bears witness to men concerning the fact of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, with men who had knowledge of these facts.

Now today the Holy Spirit attests to the truth with anyone who witnesses to this fact before men.

It was to this one fact that the Holy Spirit bore witness with Peter on the day of Pentecost when three thousand were converted.

If men today will testify to this fact, not from hearsay, but because of their personal knowledge of the death and resurrection and exaltation of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit will in our day bear witness with them to the truth of the fact, and men will be converted.

In first John chapter five, there's a third passage that talks about the witness of the Spirit.

And let's start reading at verse number six.

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ.

Not by water only, but by water and blood.

And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one.

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater, for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his son.

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.

He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his son, and this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son.

Here we see that the Holy Spirit bears witness with the Word, to the person who believes the Word, to the fact that He has eternal life.

The Word bears witness to this fact.

He that hath the Son hath life.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to my spirit, or to me, that because I believe the Word of God and have received God the Son, I now have eternal life.

Number four.

And there's only four.

Only four places when the Bible speaks of this witness of the Spirit.

The fourth place is in Hebrews chapter number ten.

Hebrews chapter ten and verse number fifteen.

I'll read down all the way down through verse eighteen.

Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us.

For after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord.

I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more remember or no more offering for sin.

Here again the Holy Spirit witnesses to us with the word, this time not to the fact of eternal life, but to the fact that God will remember our sins no more.

When we believe God's Word, the Holy Spirit seals its truth.

Think about that.

The Holy Spirit seals its truth to us so that we know whom we have believed.

And with this there comes God's peace regarding sin.

Now, now let's let's review these four statements again.

First of all, the Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit.

That's that's two that's two persons agreeing together as to a fact, the fact that I'm a child of God, and before or in the presence of God the Father.

Then secondly, then secondly, the Holy Spirit bears witness with with me as I preach the gospel to you, as you preach the gospel to the lost man, you and the Holy Spirit agree, there's the two witnesses to the fact Jesus died, was buried, rose again, before you see get a witness to somebody, before the lost, before the unbeliever.

That's the witness of the Spirit.

Then, thirdly, we saw from 1 John that the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, there's the two witnesses, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, bear witness to the fact that I have eternal life because I've believed on the Son of God.

And who do they bear witness to?

They bear witness to me.

And then fourthly, the Holy Spirit bears witness, and the word, the Son of God, bear witness, there's the two witnesses, to the fact that the believer's sins will be remembered never again, and they bear witness to whom?

To the believer.

So in every case, in every case, there are two witnesses.

In every case, there is a fact that is being attested to, and in every case, someone is receiving the witness.

In not one of these statements is there a reference to the Holy Spirit's filling anybody.

The witness of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit are not the same thing.

In each case, the witness is to the facts that someone has eternal life, that someone is God's Son, that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, that he is alive today, that sins are forever put away, that is the witness of the Spirit.

But the witness of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit are not the same thing.

So again, again I say, Let us thank God that the Holy Spirit Himself witnesses with us to the Father and to men, that we know we are the children of God, that we know Jesus rose from the dead, that we know we have eternal life, that we know God will remember our sins no more forever.

And as we thank him, as we We thank him for the witness of the Spirit and rejoice in what God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost have done for us.

We will find ourselves moving ever closer to that object of God's desire, which will become the object of our desire.

That is the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Now, my friends, we've got a lot of ground left to cover.

We're going to talk on the next broadcast, God willing about must I tarry?

You've heard that expression, no doubt.

And then we'll begin to look at the purpose of being filled, the conditions for being filled, and the evidence.

We've got a lot of material left to cover, but we don't have time left to do so on this broadcast.

And I know that some of you aren't going to be able to listen next time around for whatever reason.

So here's what we're going to do.

We are making these studies available to you on cassette recording.

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And that's in the catalog, then a listing of a number of books that uh that I've written uh with God's help and the help of the people here, and uh those are listed in there as well.

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Until then, I'm Brother James.

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