Philippians: The Book of Christian Joy

Philippians 3:1 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you."

Introduction to Philippians

Today's post is about considering the overall message and significance of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi. Commentator Paul S. Rees has this to say about Paul's letter to the Philippians: Paul, while in prison (probably in Rome, possibly at Ephesus, improbably at Caesarea) writes a letter of thanks, love, and solicitude to the Christians in Philippi. They have sent him a gift by Epaphroditus their messenger; and they will soon receive, at Epaphroditus' hand, this Epistle of cheerful, almost blitheful gratitude." Reese later notes: These believers were the first fruits of the apostle in Europe. Bringing the Gospel to them had been a costly venture. Acts 16:12-40 tells the story. It was at Philippi, which proudly flew the flag of a Roman free city, that Paul and Silas had been flogged half to death. It was here that they had been brutally jailed." 1

Upon my own reading of Acts 16:12-40, we see that section of Acts begin with the conversion of Lydia the purple trader and end with the conversion and story of Cornelius the Jailer. It is in Acts 16:31 that we read one of the clearest explanations of the Gospel: "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." 

A quick look at a map of the ancient Medditeranean world will enable the reader to see Phillipi in relationship to the other lands of the Bible and the travels of the Apostle Paul.

Dr. Woodrow Kroll, longtime host of the radio program "Back to the Bible", writes the following about Phillipi: Philippi was just a minor village in Thrace until about 356 b.c when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered and rebuilt it, enlarging and fortifying the city, giving it his name ("Philip's City"). Years later Philippi became a major city in Mecedonia and a Roman Colony. It was situated on the Ignatian Way, the Roman road that linked the Adriatic and Ignatian Seas." 2 It would be in the time of Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, recorded in Acts 28, that Paul would had composed Philippians along with three other letters: Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.  

The key verse of Philippians

As quoted at the beginning of today's post, Philippians 3:1 appears to be the key verse to unlocking the main theme of the letter - joy.  Paul states in that verse: "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you."  The NASB does a great job of rendering the Greek of this text, in that it shows how Paul's is writing of the same things or "same types of things" he had written previously and was prepared to write again - namely the theme of Christian joy.  The great commentator R.C.H Lenski writes: "Joy is the music that runs through this epistle, the sunshine that spreads over all of it. The whole epistle radiates joy and happiness."3 Normally in a New Testament Epistle, the first half is dedicated to doctrinal instruction (which would be Philippians 1-2), whereas the second part (Philippians 3-4) deals moreso with practical application.

Grand Themes in the Book of Philippians

With the grand theme being: "The Book of Christian Joy", we discover upon reading through Philippians, other important themes.  For sake of convenience I will simply lay out each theme and the verse references that are found in Philippians.

1. Joy 1:4,25; 2:2,17-18; 4:1

2. Rejoicing 1:18,26 ; 2:16-18, 28; 3:1,3; 4:4, 10

3. Confidence/confirmation 1:6,7,14,25; 3:3,4

4. Mind/thought-life  1:27,2:2,3,5; 3:15,16,19; 4:2

5. In Christ 1:1,13,14,26; 2:1,5,3:3,14; 4:7,21

6. In the Lord  2:24,24; 3:1; 4:1-2

7. The Gospel 1:5,7; 1:27

8. Work of God Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13, 14-18

9. Call of God/Will of God  2:12-13,14-18; 3:12-14; 4:13

10. Christian life  1:21-22; 2:12-13; 3:14; 4:13

Quick outline of the Book of Philippians

Having considered some introductory matters, as well as the key verse and major themes of this "Book of Christian Joy", we will close out today's post by considering a suggested outline.  It is hope the reader can take this and use it for their own spiritual enrichment or as a resource to teach or preach to others.

Outline of Philippians

Key Verse: Philippians 3:1

Key Theme: The Book of Christian Joy

Christian Joy's confidence - Philippians 1

Wherever there is joy, there is confidence.  Christian joy supplies confidence in:

a. Living 1:1-6; 21-26

b. Suffering 1:18-19

c. The Gospel 1:12, 27-30

Christian Joy's thought-life - Philippians 2

Christian joy's thought-life is cultivated in the following ways:

a. Formed by Christ's humility 2:1-5

b. Flourishes under Christ-centered doctrine 2:6-11

c. Functions to live for Christ 2:12-30
    i. Living for Christ stated 2:12-18
   ii. Living for Christ exemplified 2:19-30

Christian Joy's goal - Philippians 3

The goal of Christian joy is to rejoice in Jesus by...

a. Rejoicing in what Jesus did 3:1-7

b. Rejoicing in what Jesus will do 3:8-11

c. Rejoicing in what Jesus is doing 3:12-21

Christian Joy's necessity - Philippians 4

Christian joy is needed in the following areas....

a. Relationships 4:1-3

b. Prayer 4:4-9

c. Contentment 4:10-14

d. Possessions 4:15-23

Endnotes:

1. Paul S. Reese. Proclaiming the New Testament volume 4 - The Epistles to Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Page 15.

2. Woodrow Kroll. Places in the Bible. Countryman. Nashville, TN. 2005. 224-225. 

3. R.C.H Lenski. Interpretation of Saint Paul's Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Wartburg Press. Page 691. 

The moral and supernatural characteristics of the filling of the Spirit

Acts 11:24-25  "Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord."

Introduction and review:
In recent posts on this blog we have looked at what is meant by the term "filling of the Holy Spirit".  We noted from our study of Acts 11 the following characteristics of Barnabas as a Spirit-filled believer:

1. Clear testimony  11:23a

2. Confident joy      11:23b

3. Consistent in Faith 11:24a

4. Kingdom fruit 11:24b

5. Counted reliable  11:30

The Spirit's filling ministry is marked mainly by increases in moral integrity and on occasion seasons of supernatural enablement
The above heading on this next paragraph represent where this author stands on the nature of the Spirit's filling ministry.  One writer who has aided greatly in seeing how Christians filled with the Holy Spirit are primarily impacted in moral categories and in exceptional cases, supernatural seasons, is author and theologian John R.W. Stott.  He writes the following about the filling or what he terms "the fulness of the Spirit" : "The Spirit's fullness involves not a private, mystical experience so much as moral relationships with God and our fellow man." 1 Certainly we should see a difference in a Christian who is filled or under the influence of the Spirit's working in their lives. However it must also be maintained too that being that the Spirit is the One doing the work in concert with the believer's willingness to be shaped by such filling, such a work is supernatural. 

Stott later on writes in that same booklet the following statement which I think brings clarity with regards to those Christians upon whom the Holy Spirit may Sovereignly pour out unusual amounts of supernatural graces and giftings: "I do not for a moment deny any of these things. Nevertheless, these are not the usual, general, or common purpose of God for all His people, but the unusual, particular, and exceptional ministries of the Holy Spirit to some. Those to whom the Sovereign Spirit grants such experiences should indeed bow down and worship God in gratitude. But they should not, if they are true to scripture, refer to any of them as the baptism of the Spirit. Nor should they urge the same experiences upon others as if they were the spiritual norm. Nor should they suggest that such unusual spiritual experiences are the secret of either holiness or usefulness, since many in the history of the church have been powerful in character and ministry without them."2

With the mainly moral and occasional supernatural dimensions of the filling of the Spirit laid out, let us now briefly aim to put some Bible underneath these statements, being that without the scriptures, we have no authority by which to understand life nor the Christian life. 

Scriptures that lay out for us the Spirit-filled life in its moral and supernatural characteristics
For sake of brevity, we will lay out as much as possible the main texts in the Epistles that explain to us the Spirit-filled Christian life.  The Book of Acts certainly gives us concrete illustrations of such (such as Peter, Paul and Barnabas), however we also need explanations and clarifications of such events and experiences, which is why we turn to the Epistles.

1. Romans 8:5  "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds onthe things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

In Romans 8:1-5 the Apostle Paul lays out a full description of the Spirit-filled life with regards to how it operates  - namely by the law or power of the Spirit.  Much like an aircraft "operates" by the law of lift in counteracting the "law of gravity", the Spirit-filled Christian relies upon the indwelling Spirit to influence him or her to govern their drives, emotional life and thought lives by the Spirit's work of filling and leading them.

2. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?"

The distinctions made between "carnal" and "spiritual" should not be taken too sharply to refer to two classifcations of Christians, but rather two ways in which Christians can operate.  All Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit and all Christians have the new nature. However some Christians choose to rely upon their soulish realm of mind, emotions and will in living their lives, rather than the Holy Spirit inside their human spirit.  The terms "spiritual" and "carnal" define the source from whence the Christian is operating or being influenced. The goal of the Spirit-filled life is always to submit one's soulish realm under the influence of the Holy Spirit in the human spirit. Remember - the Spirit-filled life is not a matter of you getting more of the Spirit, but rather Him having more of you.

3. Galatians 5:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."
Paul here is explaining the Spirit-filled life in another fashion as that which defines the Christian's manner of living or walking. It is in this chapter of Galatians we see both the primary moral emphasis of the Spirit filled life (Galatians 5:22-24, 26) and the supernatural aspect undergirding the moral fruit (Galatians 5:25). 

4. Ephesians 5:18 "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."  

This passage is the clearest one in all the New Testament that demonstrates the obligation every Christian has to be Spirit-filled.  Here we see the heart of this teaching - namely being under the influence and control of the Spirit. In context we see how the filling of the Holy Spirit is to be a constant and repeatable experience of the Christian, whereby they consciously submit themselves to the Spirit's leading through the scriptures.  Ephesians 6 of course lays out the practical outcomes of the filling of the Spirit in the realm of marriage, raising children, employment and spiritual warfare. 

5. Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

This passage functions as a parallel to Ephesians 5:18 and ties together the Holy Spirit's ministry inside the Christian's human spirit to the Holy Spirit's ministry to the Christian through the scriptures.  It is a manifest impossibility to be Spirit-filled apart from exposure, study and submission to the Word of God.  Being that Paul write Ephesians and Colossians at almost the same time, we can see why his remarks are so closely related.  

6. 2 Peter 1:4-5a "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, havingescaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence...."

Though we may not necessarily see the term "filling in this passage", yet this is Peter's way of describing the same reality.  Both the primary moral dimension of the Holy Spirit's filling and ministry and its attendant supernatural aspect is described fully here in 2 Peter 1.  Years ago author Jack Taylor described the Spirit-filled life as the "much more life".  As Peter dsecribes the Spirit-filled Christian in these verses, he is speaking of someone who sees the need to "add" onto their faith.  

Closing thoughts
The hope is that with these last few posts, that the reader has gotten initiated to this very important and often neglected area of the Spirit-filled Christian life.  The reader is encouraged to look at the passages in today's post, as well as the remarks made over the past couple of posts to bring into sharper understand this curcial truth for Christian living - the Spirit-filled life. 
Endnotes:
1. John R.W. Stott. The Baptism and Fulness of the Spirit. Intervarsity Press. 1965.

2. John R.W. Stott. The Baptism and Fulness of the Spirit. Intervarsity Press. 1965. Page 36

Four Antidotes to worry

Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Introduction and review
Yesterday we zeroed in on Matthew 6:25-34 to consider the three negative truths about worry.  We mentioned how Jesus' teaching against worry comprised the practical realm of His vision in Matthew 6 on the powerful, practical Christian life.  We also noted that the word translated worry in Matthew 6:25,27,28,31 and 34 speaks quite literally of a person's mind being pulled in all sorts of different directions. The three negatives of worry that we gleaned from Jesus' instructions were:

1. Worry is worthless.  Matthew 6:25-26
2. Worry doesn't work. Matthew 6:27-30
3. Worry's wages pay nothing. Matthew 6:31

In today's post we are featuring the four antidotes to worry that we find in this text and throughout God's Word. 

Distinguishing between concern, responsibility and worry
Before we move into the four antidotes to cure the worry is your life, let me say a word  to those who may be tempted to assume that we should not be moved to concern or responsibility.  Concern refers to being able to target specific attention on an area in a responsible way honoring to God. Romans 12:8 gives an example of what it means to exercise proper concern: "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." Likewise, taking responsibility means taking care of the things in life as God's steward. 1 Corinthians 4:2 "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy." Worry is different from concern and responsibility.  Whereas concern and responsibilty operates on "what is true", worry operates on "what if's". As Oswald Chambers has noted: "Worry is caused by calculating without God." To not take responsibility is negligence; to not be concerned is ignorance. However to worry is sin.  Whereas responsibility and concern for the Christian proceeds from faith, worry proceeds from fear.  

Jesus four antidotes to worry in Matthew 6:25-34
Whenever I think of these four antidotes, they could also be four great doctrinal foundations upon which to lead a church, a family or your life.  Jesus lays them out to us as antidotes to defeating worry.  Please note them.

1. Jesus. Matthew 6:25a
Who is speaking these words of instruction to us? Jesus Christ - God in human flesh. (John 1:1, 14)  He is the foundation (Ephesians 2:20); the anchor of faith (Hebrews 6:18) and the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:1). When the sea vessel of my faith begins to be blown around by the winds of worry, I only need to call to the Master and he through His word will say: "peace be still!" Notice the second antidote...

2. Sovereignty of God. Matthew 6:25b-32
I remember one time seeing a church sign that said these words: "Rather than telling God how big your problems are, you need to tell your problems how big your God is!"  God's Sovereignty is His comprehensive control over all peoples, places and times.  Jesus shows how Sovereign God is in His Provision (6:25b-30) and His All-knowingness or omniscience (6:31-32). Consider some of these other verses on God's Sovereignty. 1 Chronicles 29:11 "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, OLord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all." Romans 11:36 "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory and majesty forever, amen!"  So we see how Jesus and His Sovereignty are effective antidotes against worry.  The bigger God is shown to me, the small my problems become. Let us then consider the third antidote....

3. The cross.  Matthew 6:33
Jesus notes in Matthew 6:33a "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness....".  Even though Jesus spoke these words some three years before His cross, yet the Bible is clear of there being only one way in which we can access God's righteousness - through the finished work of Jesus on the cross and from the empty tomb.  All that preceeded the cross lokked forward to it, and everything else thereafter proceeds from it.  The cross is the place to flee to for the Christian looking for asylum from worry.  Hebrews 12:3 states - "For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Worry will cause anyone to lose heart - yet the cross is where we go when we feel our faith weakening and our resolve loosening.  So we look to Jesus, God's Sovereignty and the cross to remedy worry.  Praise be to God there is one other antidote in Matthew 6:33-34 - God's promises.

4. God's promises.  Matthew 6:33-34
Matthew 6:33-34 states - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." There are at least 8,000 promises in the Bible.  2 Peter 1:4 reminds us - "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, havingescaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." Lamentation 3:23-24 states - 
"The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

An illustration - His mercies or lovingkindness is new every morning
Whenever we consider Lamentations 3:22-24 in concert with what we read in Matthew 6:34, we have a very potent combination of promises to effectively deal with worry. To illustrate how God's promises work against worry, lets picture those lovingkindnesses spoken of by Jeremiah in Lamentations as 5 crisp one dollar bills, placed in my hand by God every morning.  Throughout the day I encounter typical challenges - some planned and some unknown.  The toast for breakfast burns in the toaster - a fifty cent problem.  On the way to work someone cuts me off - another fifty cent problem.  At lunch I discover I have a flat tire - a two dollar problem.  Once fixed, I work through the rest of my day and on the way home, that same guy cuts me off - fifty cents, and when I get home, I realize the toaster may need fixed - another fifty cent problem.  Now by the end of the day I have a dollar's worth of lovingkindess or mercy left to operate. Suddenly I get a phonecall and find out that the boss would have me to come in a half-hour early to tackle another big project.  Now to me that may very well be a two dollar problem - and here I am with one dollar of mercy left.  I'm tempted to say - "Oh God, I cannot take much more.  I don't have what it takes to tackle that situation.  Then He reminds me of verses such as Lamentation 3:22-24 and Matthew 6:34. That night I fall asleep and the next morning, bright and early, God is there to meet me with five dollars of fresh lovingkindness.  I have five dollars of grace to tackle a two dollar problem.  Come to find out that what I thought was a two dollar problem was really not worth fifty cents of worry!  

Closing thoughts
You see, when we consider God's promises, as coming from the Sovereign God, paid for at the cross by Jesus, we have discovered the antidotes to worry: Jesus, God's Sovereignty, the cross and God's promises.  Matthew 6:25-34 gives us the antidotes we need to defeat the disease of worry.  May you and I regularly take what the Great Physican has prescribed to us here in these verses.

Three negative truths about worry

Matthew 6:25-26 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

Introduction: The three-legged stool of Powerful, Practical Christianity

The vision of the powerful, practical Christian life given by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 outlines for the reader the three-legged stool upon which the Christian life rests.  The first leg is that of the doctrinal in Matthew 6:1-15. Jesus unfolds the heart of prayer as he teaches the disciple's, upon their request, what an effective prayer-life looks like, sounds like and acts like. The second leg that the Christian-life rests upon is the supernatural leg, as seen in Matthew 6:16-24. Jesus points his listeners to the supernatural provision of fasting that God's people can practice in making more room for God in their life.  Without doctrine, the supernatural cannot be explained and without the supernatural, doctrine becomes dry.  However there is a third equally important leg that enables Jesus' listeners to act on both - the practical leg in Matthew 6:25-34. In applying sound doctrine and relying upon God's supernatural power, Jesus gives His listeners exhortation on how to avoid worry.  These three legs: the doctrinal, supernatural and practical comprise Jesus' vision for the powerful, practical Christian life in Matthew 6. 

Zeroing in on Jesus' warning not to worry

With that introduction, we now zero in on Matthew 6:25-34 to consider the subject of today's post: Three negative truths about worry.  As we just mentioned, this comprises the practical realm of Jesus' address on the powerful, practical Christian life.  The word translated worry in Matthew 6:25,27,28,31 and 34 speaks quite literally of a person's mind being pulled in all sorts of different directions.  In today's post we aim to look first of all at worry itself, with tomorrow featuring four antidotes to worry that we find in this text and throughout God's Word. 

3 negative truths about worry

1. Worry is worthless. Matthew 6:25-26

Matthew 6:25-26 is where Jesus points out the worthlessness of worry.  Could you imagine a bird sitting in his nest with his wing propping up his head and his brow furrowed, wondering where he is going to get the next worm? It is proposterous to think about - which is Jesus' point.  Worry is worthless. David reminds us in Psalm 127:2 "It is vain for you to rise up early,To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors". For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep." But notice what else Jesus has to tell us about worry....

2. Worry doesn't work. Matthew 6:27-30

Jesus states in Matthew 6:27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?"  The rhetorical question posed by Jesus has a very clear and self-evident implication: no one, because worry doesn't work? Then Jesus gives a second illustration from the realm of nature or general revelation - the flowers of the field coupled with a scene from the special revelation of the Bible - Solomon in all his glory.  Solomon, the richest and wisest man who ever lived (with the exception of Jesus) was adorned in robes of wealth, and yet the fields, full of weeds, have dotting their hills and meadows vibrant colors far more vibrant than Solomon's jewels.  Worry has never once added anything to life - but only taken from life.  It doesn't work and it is a worthless exercise but notice thirdly what Jesus says about worry....

3. Worry's wages. Matthew 6:31-32

Jesus says in Matthew 6:31-32a "Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things....". Jesus lists three typical problem areas that people think they will solve by worrying: "What will we eat? What will we drink" and "What will we wear for clothing?" Adrian Rogers has noted that worry is the interest we pay today over the debt of anxiety that we have about tomorrow. Worry does not add to your life, it subtracts. 

Those are the three negative truths about worry. Tomorrow we will consider the four antidotes to worry.  

Noting further thoughts about the Spirit-filled life

Acts 11:22-24 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

Introduction and review

Yesterday we began considering what is meant by the Bible's teaching on the "filling of the Holy Spirit". We considered Barnabas as an introduction to this important truth - being that he is described as being Spirit-filled and is a great illustration of what the Spirit-filled life can look like, sound like and act like.  We also compared the Spirit-filled life to rechargable batteries, noting that the Christian who is repeatedly filled with the Spirit following their conversion will have all they need to live the Christian life and be a blessing to others. Today we want to explore the Spirit-filled life a bit further by considering what some Bible teachers of the past have to note about it.  We will then conclude with some implications to be seen about the Spirit-filled Christian life. 

What some well-known Bible teachers of past and present have to say about the Spirit-filled Christian life. 

Charles Stanley notes the following about the filling of the Holy Spirit in his book - "The Wonderful Spirit-filled life": "A big part of the Spirit-filled life is learning to recognize the fingerprint of the Holy Spirit. Once you know what to look for and once you begin looking for it, you will be amazed at how real the Holy Spirit will become to you. Learning to recognize the Holy Spirit is the first step in learning to live the Spirit-filled life."1 It has been often said that the issue of the Spirit-filled life is not about getting more of the Holy Spirit as it is of Him getting more of you.  As we saw a few days ago, the Spirit's work of baptizing a believer connects them to the Person and Power of Christ.  We cannot get more nor less of the Spirit, since He shares in the same eternal nature as the Son and the Father.  You cannot add nor subtract from an Infinite Person.  However as Christians, we are finite and thus there can always be more of us under the Spirit's control and influence.

The late Bible scholar Dr. John Walvoord notes that the Spirit-filled life is the primary source of spiritual experience. He writes: "A careful study of the nature of the filling of the Holy Spirit will reveal that it is the source of all vital spiritual experience in the life of the Christ."2 

Thus at stake in the Spirit-filled life is the producing of my experience of Jesus' Person and power by way of being under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit. Positionally I am made right with God by His supreme declaration of justification over me at saving faith.  If justification can be considered to be the center-piece truth of the Christian's conversion, then the Spirit-filled life ought to be considered the center-piece reality governing the Christian's post-conversion life.   

Oswald Chambers in his book: "My Utmost of His Highest" notes this about the Spirit-filled Christian life: "God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, 'Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.'" 

Closing thoughts for today
In looking at what these three authors have said about the filling of the Holy Spirit, we can note how from differing angles, the Spirit-filled life is about bringing you from a point of passivity about God to activity in God.  On the same token, the Spirit-filled life's aim is to train you in abandoning self-sufficiency in favor of looking to Jesus Christ as your all-sufficiency.  In as much as the Spirit-filled Christian life is about the Holy Spirit getting more of you and you being saturated by Him, truly the Spirit filled Christian will be marked as one who is truly saturated and filled with Jesus Christ. 

Endnotes:

1. Charles Stanley. The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life. Nelson. 1992

2. John Walvoord. The Holy Spirit. Zondervan. Page 189

Introducing the Filling of the Holy Spirit

Acts 11:22-24 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

Review from past couple of days: Spirit-baptism and water baptism
The past couple of days we have taken some time to consider the Holy Spirit's important work of "plugging" people into Jesus at saving faith through what the Bible calls "The Baptism of the Holy Spirit".  Once a person is converted to Christ by grace through faith, having been "plugged in" by Spirit-Baptism, they then "go public" by bearing witness to others through the Christ-ordained rite that is designed to be a sign signifying the  reality of such an event - the ordinance of water baptism.  

Water baptism is the Christian's first major step of their obedience in post-conversion and pictures not only what took place in the Spirit's baptism of them at saving faith,but also communicates their desire to be  under Christ's Lordship and following the Spirit's leading through the scriptures.  With that brief review, we now turn our attention to the focus of today's post that describes the Spirit's primary, repeated ministry in the Christian's life - what the Bible calls the "Spirit-filled" life.

Introduction: Rechargeable batteries and the Spirit-filled life

It is amazing how many batteries one can go through when raising children as active and fun-loving as our own.  Often our smaller children (or even the bigger ones) will come to my wife or me and inquire about batteries. No sooner do we buy those big packs of 10 or more batteries then to find out that we need to purchase more batteries! That is where my wife made the choice to purchase rechargable batteries and a battery charger! As long as we keep those chargers plugged in, the kids will never run out of energy for their toys, but will simply know by looking at the chargers filled with rechargeable batteries whether or not they have what it takes to power their favorites things. 

What ought to characterize the Christian throughout the remainder of their post-conversion life? The Spirit-filled life.


Just as in the illustration above, you and I as Christians - whether new to the faith or converted for years - continue to live life in this world - with the batteries of the Christian walk needing  recharged.  The Spirit-filled life can be likened to the repeated need to be recharged and influenced by the Spirit following one's conversion to saving faith.  

Meet a Spirit-filled man by the name of Barnabas

Acts 11:19-30 details the events the were still following from the persecution of Stephen the Martyr in Acts 7-8.  The church had blossomed and grown despite the hardship and tribulations that she endured.  Acts 11:21 records a major development in regards to the progress of the church at Antioch - "And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord." These people were getting converted as a result of the Spirit's work through the preaching of the Gospel. But now with the people becoming new believers, what was going to be needed? How was this fledgling Christian movement in Antioch going to continue on from this point? Enter the man Barnabas and the key trait which he possessed - being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 11:24, quoted at the beginning of today's post, records how Barnabas "....was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith."  In the remainder of time that we have I would like us to briefly consider what the rest of Acts 11 (particularly 11:23-25 and 30) has to teach us about the filling of the Spirit in regards to is characteristics.

Characteristics of the Spirit-filled life. Acts 11:23-25, 30

1. Clear testimony  11:23a

2. Confident joy      11:23b

3. Consistent in Faith 11:24a

4. Kingdom fruit 11:24b

5. Counted reliable  11:30

Certainly there are other scriptures in the New Testament that bear out more examples and more traits - yet Barnabas' is a great introduction to the Spirit-filled life in terms of what it looks like, sounds like and acts like.  Barnabas (whose name means "son of encouragement) was the type of Christian you enjoyed being around.  The Spirit-filled Christian not only has enough "rechargable energy" for their own Christian walk but they operate in the "over-flow" of the Holy Spirit to the affecting of others.  I think it is only apropos that in the very first place that we find the name "Christian" being used to describe Jesus followers that it should be attached to this idea of being "filled with the Holy Spirit." Having looked at the traits that accompany the Spirit-filled life, we will explore further truths about this wonderful Biblical truth tomorrow.