Another Way To View The Spirit Filled Life
In recent years, I have become more fascinated with God's great promise of filling believers with His Presence. The New Testament is filled with references of various kinds concerning the Spirit filled life. It is my opinion that Christians should be as concerned about receiving and experiencing this promise as God was in giving it! I have seen a condition among American Christians that is tragic & appalling. It is the idea that we acknowledge the Spirit filled life as right, desirable, needed, available, & prominent in God's plan for Christians, while doing little or nothing to gain the full impact of this promised reality from God. I include myself in this critique and have found sometimes an alarming 'disconnect' between my so called doctrine & a practical hungry longing to seek for the fulfillment of, "There is one coming after me who was preferred before me. I baptize with the water but HE will baptize with the Holy Spirit & fire."
But I have great news. God has planned this blessing for those who believe in Him & HE does not intend to be stopped by mere human disinterest or our dulled desire. John describes this blessing of being filled in a number of ways but I want to examine just one passage tonight my friends. Jn.15:1-10, Jesus speaks to His disciples about ABIDING IN HIM (the vine). Abiding means to be or remain completely attached to Jesus. This can be nothing less than being filled with the Presence of God! I notice in just a quick look, several aspects of the Spirit filled life in these 10 verses. Let me examine these with you please.
1) Jn.15:5,8 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me, you can do nothing." "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." The abiding life (Spirit filled life) is a fruit bearing life. Fruit simply means that which is produced naturally from the normal course of living. Only life can produce fruitfulness. Spiritual fruit has 2 aspects. First, it is the character of Christ revealed in the believer. People are incapable of acting, thinking, or being motivated as Jesus was without the Holy Spirit being active in their life. Thus we have the reference to the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5. These wonderful character traits are the very nature of Jesus reproduced in believers. The 2nd aspect of fruit is the lives around us affected by our testimony & God's life & power flowing through us. These 2 aspects are what God is after & it is what HE will get. THERE IS NO DENYING HIM!
2) Jn.15:2, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, HE takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, HE prunes it, that it may bear more fruit." The Spirit filled life (abiding life) is a pruned life. God prunes (trims back or disciplines) His children so that the fruitfulness they have enjoyed can be enlarged. Now there are several things about the 'pruning' that must be noted and most of these are not fun.
a) The pruning happens to EVERY BELIEVER!
b) There is no escaping the pruning for God will not be
denied about this.
c) The timing belongs to Him. God is absolutely willing to sacrifice our happiness or our previous success to gain even more fruit.
d) Finally, if there is no fruit, there is no pruning, just an eventual judgment because fruit is the ONLY PROOF OF LIFE IN GOD!
3) Jn.15:4, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me." The abiding life (Spirit filled life) is a dependent life. By that I mean ONE GLORIOUS FACT! The strength and force of abiding rests on God rather than us. I am not implying that we have no responsibility in this abiding process. No, the command is to us to remain attached to the Lord. But have you ever realized just how committed Jesus is to you having Him near? HE (Jesus) is the vine. HE bears the weight. He has the life flowing through Him. He sees to it that we are supplied with a never ending supply of His Presence! We on the other hand, are but branches. NOTE:
> Being filled is not dependent on our strength of commitment but His!
> Being filled is not dependent on our hunger as much as it is on His desire to be close to us.
> Being filled is not dependent on our power to hang on as much as it is on His power to hold on.
> Being filled is not dependent on what we do as much as it is on what HE has & is doing.
> Being filled is not dependent on what I know as much as it is on what HE intends.
> Being filled is not dependent on all the prayers I can pray as much as it is dependent on the ONE PRAYER Jesus prayed when HE interceded for all of us in John 17.
> Being filled is not dependent on my record of obedience as much as it is dependent on HIS record of obedience.
> Being filled is not dependent on the price I am willing to pay as much as it is on the price HE already paid!
My point is not that we shouldn't seek Him & respond to His goodness. It is not that we aren't required to act on our faith, of course we should, and God responds to us for sure. But HE has initiated everything & HE has patiently endured our weakness. Jesus has foreseen all our troubles & difficulties. HE DESIGNED THE SPIRIT FILLED LIFE TO HELP US & BE CLOSE TO US! This is His doing - HE IS THE VINE, and because of that, HE bears the weight of the branches! When believers begin to figure out that God fills believers because HE has willed to do so, a trust & a confidence comes over them as they walk through this life knowing how close Jesus is! Instead of wondering if HE will fill us, we can count on Him that HE is doing that already. This should inspire seeking all the more rather than just taking this for granted. Real faith & love do not take things for granted but rather seek to please & respond to the ONE who has shown so much love, loyalty, patience, endurance, etc,.
4) Jn.15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you." The abiding life (Spirit filled life) is one of answered prayer. Not just any prayer but the God directed prayer which is what Jesus means by His word abiding in us. The amazing thing about my life after Jesus came into my heart is the astounding fact that God has heard my cry over & over again and answered me by granting my petitions. Healings, provisions, interventions, rescues, direction, comfort, etc., all of these and more besides have been my portion. And let's be clear about something, I am not some powerful prayer warrior or some great intercessor. Neither am I a paramount of virtue or have I achieved any significant place in perfect obedience. Truth be told, I do not deserve the answers I have received but the Spirit filled life does not work on the basis of what I deserve but on the basis of what JESUS HAS EARNED on our behalf. He has drawn near & resides with me so that HE can do 2 THINGS! First, to shape my life to think & value what HE does, thus directing me to live His cause (live for HIS glory). Second, to hear and answer my cry in this difficult life so that I may be helped, may be comforted, and may be reminded (while I am in this weak physical body) that JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH ME!
5) Jn.15:9, "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; abide in My love." The Spirit filled life (abiding life) is a life of love. The love that Father has for Christ, HE now shares with us. There can be no greater comfort that to know that the living GOD actually loves me - little old me. That love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom.5:5). As we believe this, we come to recognize His nearness, His care, His faithfulness, His mercy, His intentions for our future, etc. These things bring a joy that cannot be described in human terms and that cannot be experienced in any other earthly reality! But also, we live this life of love by abiding in it = or by practicing it with our brothers & sisters. This is THE GREAT MARK of Christianity. It separates us from all other religions. It is the great trait & the great command. All other commands are controlled by this one - so the apostle Paul said. Truly, the abiding life (Spirit filled life) is a life of love!
6) Jn.15:10, "If you keep my commands, you will abide in my love; just as I have kept my Father's commands, and abide in His love." The abiding life (Spirit filled life) is an obedient life. I have often heard that Jesus is our great example. This is of course true but still misses the mark of what HE really came to do for us. HE is not only an example but an inner strength, a power, a life force, but not just a force but a person. This person does for us what we are unable to do in our sinful weakness. He took on Himself our sins, so that we might become the righteousness of God. We not only receive His righteousness as a free gift, but we receive power to become like Him. He lives again in us to recreate that same righteousness. This is so GRAND, that it cannot be over valued or over- estimated. I can only beat my sin as I lean on Him for His strength. We spend all our lives learning how this works & still it is a great mystery at the end of our lives. But, thankfully, it is no mystery to Him for He is able (and intends to) to complete that which HE began in you & me. This is why we may fail but we continue to gain ground because HE is filling us in order to bring about our obedience just as HE was obedient to His Father.
Hallelujah! That's what I say! Pour it on Jesus for Your servant wants & needs to be filled. Do what You promised - what You are so perfect at - filling Your children. Be of good cheer my friends. Jesus has an answer for our sinful need, HE not only died to pay for us but HE lives within to FREE US. Even so Lord Jesus, do Your great work within!
