SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIANS

ACTS 2:4

A. CHRISTIANS CAN EASILY BE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS
  1. Nominal Christians:
    1. They belong to a Christian organization.
    2. Contribute to the work of the church.
    3. Live under certain restrain, but do not know the life-giving relationship with the Holy Ghost - Rev. 3:1, 14-17
  2. Spirit-filled Christians:
    1. They belong to the church of God.
    2. They contribute to the work of the church; and they live under the restrain of the Holy Spirit - EXAMPLES -
      1. Elizabeth - Luke 1:41
      2. Paul - Acts 9:17; 13:9
      3. Stephen - Acts 6:8
      4. Peter - Acts 4:8
B. MANIFESTATION OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST
  1. Existing confusion among Christians:
    1. Claims of Pentecostalism.
    2. Denials by other church organizations.
  2. The Holy Spirit reveals Himself:
    1. Through the gifts he bestows upon the believers - 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph. 4:8-13
    2. Is known by the fruit seen in the lives of the people that are full of His power - Gal. 5:22-25; Matt. 7:16-20
  3. All the spiritual gifts are to enable the believers:
    1. To live a victorious life over sin - 1 John 5:4, 5; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7
    2. To do effective witnessing for Christ - Acts 1:8- 11; Matt. 28:18-20; Isa. 43:10
    3. To become transformed into the image and likeness of the Son of God - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18; Rom. 8:29
    4. These are some of the chief ends of being filled with God's Holy Spirit.
C. BEHAVIOR OF SPIRIT FILLED CHRISTIANS
  1. Negatively:
    1. They will not parade their own goodness, as the hypocritical Pharisees did - Matt. 6:1-5; 23:1-37
    2. They will not emphasize any single achievement which could detract from Christ.
    3. This truth is fully revealed in the testimony Christ gave us the Holy Spirit - "for he shall not speak of himself . . . He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" - John 16:13, 14
  2. Positively:
    1. They will center their testimony in the person of Jesus Christ - EXAMPLES -
      1. Paul is a typical example of a spirit-filled Christian - 1 Cor. 1:23, 24; 2:1-6; Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20
      2. Barnabas is another witness to the filling of the Holy Ghost - Acts 11:24
    2. They will magnify the gospel of Jesus Christ and not themselves - Gal. 6:14
    3. They will be loyal to God's law -- key scriptures - Isa. 8:20; 30:8, 9; 48:18, 19; Rom. 3:31; Rev. 12:17; 14:12
    4. They will reveal the fruit of the Holy Spirit -
      1. Love - John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 5:1-6
      2. Joy - Acts 8:8; 2 Cor. 7:4
      3. Peace - Rom. 5:1-3
      4. Long-suffering - Jas. 5:11
      5. Gentleness
      6. Goodness
      7. Faith
      8. Meekness
      9. Temperance - Gal. 5:22-25 All these graces are the fruit of the Holy Spirit and they are the true evidence of the Spirit filled life we speak of.


Design © John Bryant 2011