BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT… Part 4.
Manifest nearness of the Lord
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit (Eph. 5:18 Amplified Bible, emphasis added).”
Prior to his death, burial, and resurrection Jesus told His disciples that He was sending the Paraclete. They already knew Him in measure, for He dwelt with them. Yet there was a day when He was going to take up residence within them.
God’s desire and plan was that this indwelling would be permanent.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you (John 14: 16, 17 NASB).’”
Jesus continued, describing the greater realm of intimacy with God which His disciples would soon realize:
“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.’
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him (John 14:20-23 NKJV, emphasis added).’”
Undeniably, God’s objective is that our temples of flesh would serve as permanent dwelling places for His manifest presence.
Because we are so prone to distractions, our attention is sometimes diverted from pure heart devotion to Him. Hence, one may be essentially clean, even though the silt from the world soils his soles.
Jesus addressed this problem with Peter prior to washing his feet. “Jesus said to him, ‘He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you (John 13:10 NKJV).”
In other words, though Peter was declared clean by the Lord, he still needed to receive further cleansing ministry.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit removes any hindering residue of the world for those who are cleansed by the blood of Christ.
It is possible for one to walk in all the light of which he is currently conscious, and yet possess a gnawing sense that “something is missing.” (This applies equally to those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit in days past, and to those who have never experienced the Spirit baptism.)
If one is presently obeying the Word of God and yet lacks the abiding, tangible sense of God’s presence, he can be rekindled in the awareness of His nearness by being filled with His Spirit.
Receiving the Spirit anew comes by the hearing of faith, just as He comes during an initial infilling (Gal. 3:2-5).
The word that confirms His promise, purpose, and desire for us to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is the basis for faith. Soaking in His stated will for us releases that word.
Looking to Him, and meditating on what He has declared to us concerning the promise of the Spirit is the starting point for all who would receive afresh. Of all the many benefits that God promises His people, none can begin to compare with the promise of His manifest presence!
It is His good pleasure to lavish the kingdom upon His own, and this includes, most of all, Himself.
Blessings