In The Disciple

by Toms, A. F. | Category: The Holy Spirit | Jul 1977

The Day of Pentecost

The Lord Jesus promised His disciples during the forty days of His appearance to them: "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5), although it is doubtful if they understood at that time the full significance of His words. But it happened as He said. "When the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).

This was the fulfilment of the Master's word on the great day of the feast, "He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believed on Him were to receive" (John 7:38,39). We notice that each believing one personally and individually received the Holy Spirit that day. And since that day whenever a person receives Christ as Saviour, the Spirit of God takes up residence in his heart, just as certainly but not with the same visible demonstration as at Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit in the believer

Five expressions are used in the New Testament to describe the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all believers. Such are said to be born of the Spirit, for the process of the new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit, who uses some portion of God's Word to the quickening of the one who was previously dead through trespasses and sins. At that moment the person is also baptized in the Spirit into the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit being the Medium through whom the believing one is joined inseparably to Christ as a member of His Body. This is the teaching of 1 Corinthians 12:13. The Baptizer is the Lord Jesus. Some have misapplied this verse by introducing the term 'the baptism of the Spirit', and teaching that it is an experience subsequent to salvation, but nowhere in the Scriptures is that taught. When the Lord Jesus said to the apostles that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence, He was clearly referring to what happened at Pentecost.

"Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19) asked the apostle Paul of the Corinthians, in some of whose lives there were disorders which required correction. It is a solemn consideration that "the Spirit of God dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:9), and because of this we are not our own. We have been purchased with the blood of Christ, and to mark us as His own, God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13 makes it clear that this also happens when we believe. In each case where the seal is mentioned the redemption of the body is in view. The Holy Spirit has been given as an earnest of our inheritance, pledge of the fact that the body will be resurrected, and the whole person, spirit, soul and body finally received to glory. So that with the mark of identification comes also a deep sense of security.

Fifthly, "ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things" (1 John 2:20). In the Old Testament, priests, prophets and kings were all anointed for service. Every time the cruse containing the holy anointing oil was poured over the head of a man thus set apart for God, it spoke the same message that it is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4:6). The anointing with the Holy Spirit is particularly associated with the teaching of those who are called to the service of God. "He shall teach you all things" (John 14:26). "The anointing which ye received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you" (1 John 2:27), but it is clear that the experience is common to all believers, for in 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 it is linked with the sealing of the Holy Spirit and His presence in our hearts.

But each experience carries its own responsibility. The born again soul is expected to manifest the new life within, living to glorify God by the indwelling presence of His Spirit, and to serve Him in the power of His anointing; which brings us to another aspect of the subject before us -the Holy Spirit in the disciple.

All disciples are believers, but not all believers are disciples. "If ye abide in My word, then are ye truly My disciples" (John 8:31), the Lord Jesus said. A disciple is a person who disciplines himself to follow Christ and to obey His word. And this is where the Holy Spirit comes to the help of those who are willing to submit to His control. "No man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3) and acknowledging His Lordship is the very essence of discipleship.

Let us now consider briefly two expressions which are used of the Holy Spirit's work which we might call conditional, in that they depend upon our co-operation. It will be noticed that both are commands to be obeyed.

Walk by the Spirit

"Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh". "If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk" (Gal. 5:16,25). Two different Greek words are used for "walk" in these verses, the first peripateo, the general word for "walk" and the second stoicheo, "to walk in line", suggesting in step with others. So whether in our individual lives, or in our service in fellowship with other disciples, each step is to be taken under the direction and leading of the indwelling Spirit.

Sandwiched between these two verses is the delightful teaching regarding the fruit of the Spirit, which He alone can produce in our lives.

"He shall glorify Me" said the Lord Jesus as He introduced His disciples to the ministry of the other Comforter whom He would send. One of the ways in which He fulfils this promise is by forming Christ in us (Gal. 4:19). The word "form" means "to give outward expression of inward character" and Kenneth Wuest explains that we use the word in English idiom when we speak of a player's form being excellent. We mean that he gives outward expression of an inward ability. If we walk by the Spirit He will produce in us those lovely traits which were seen in perfection in the life of the Lord Jesus. This is what God so much desires, the new life within expressing itself in Christ-like behaviour; and so shall we reflect the glory of the Lord, being transformed into the same image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). This also is the work of the Lord the Spirit.

Be filled with the Spirit

Consider now the second command. "Be not drunken with wine wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). It might be more accurately translated "be getting filled" for the tense is present continuous. In the will of God this is something which is to continue every day of our lives. The meaning of the word "fill" is indicated in the phrase, "sorrow hath filled your heart" (John 16:6). Sorrow had pervaded the disciples' hearts and taken possession of them, and that is exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do with us. He wants to take possession. The flesh resents this, of course, and so "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). But if we crucify the flesh with the passions and lusts thereof, the Holy Spirit will be able to fill us and take control and lead us into the abundant life which Christ came to give.

How does this work out in practical terms? The Lord's teaching in

John 7:37,38 helps us, and two conditions are mentioned. "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit". To thirst and to believe; those are the two conditions. If the fulness of the Spirit is to be a reality in our lives we shall need to thirst after it. We must deeply desire the Holy Spirit to take control in every area of our lives, putting sin out and enthroning Christ. Do we thirst after this? And do so continually? For Rotherham translates it, "If anyone be thirsting, let him be coming unto Me, and drinking". And secondly we must believe. We believe for salvation, taking God at His word. We must believe also for this fulness. Life and the abundant life are both received by faith. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Eph. 3:17). And then, as we have seen, there is to be the conscious walking by the Spirit in every department of our lives.

"Christ liveth in me"

The effect will be seen and felt by all whom our lives touch. In Ephesians 5 the apostle Paul sets the filling of the Spirit in contrast to the drunken behaviour of a person under the influence of alcohol. Unsteady walk, waste of time, foolish talk, loud singing and resentment of any interference would seem to be in his mind as he exhorts to walking in wisdom, redeeming the time and understanding what the will of the Lord is, all lovely characteristics of the Spirit-filled life. He brings a melody into the heart, a deep sense of thankfulness to God at all times for all things, and a willingness to subject oneself to others, in the fear of Christ. Are not these traits which all who love our Lord Jesus seek after?

Among many believers today there is an increasing desire for visible demonstration of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and they seek it in the gift of tongues and other miraculous gifts. It is true that these gifts were given at the beginning of this dispensation, and they were an indication of the Holy Spirit's presence. But Hebrews 2:3,4 makes it plain that there was a particular reason for these gifts. God was still speaking directly through His apostles and prophets, and to confirm to men that the words they spoke were truly from Himself, He bore witness with them by signs and wonders. It should be remembered that at that time the New Testament Scriptures were not completed.

Is there no demonstration then today of the Holy Spirit's indwelling? There is indeed. A careful study of the dealings of God with men reveals that miraculous gifts were only given for very limited periods and always for specific reasons. God's normal way of working with men is to expect

that they will believe the Word which He speaks. "And he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6). Therein lies a principle which abides for all time. Those who exalt miraculous gifts do well to ponder it prayerfully. Let us seek after that demonstration of love and joy and power which the Holy Spirit delights to produce in the lives of those who yield to His control and which others will not fail to see.

Toms, A. F. | Jul 1977
The Holy Spirit