The Christian life is not one lived by a set of rules and regulations, but one that is spiritual. It is spiritually given and spiritually controlled. That which is born of flesh is flesh, but that which is born of Spirit is spirit (John 3:6). Most of the things we learnt, we learnt from the world, but now that we are born again and in the Spirit (Rom 8:9), we need to learn life in the spirit. Rom 12:11 commends believers to fervency in spirit The word, “fervent” as used in Rom 12:11 is the Greek word, “zeo” which means being aglow, being on fire, or hot. Bible encourages us to be aglow in the spirit. While Rom 12:11 tells us what to do, 1 Thes 5:19 tells us what we should not do. It instructs us not to quench the spirit”.
The word “quench” is from the Greek word, “sbennumi” which means to extinguish or put out, just like water is used to put out or extinguish fire. As Christians there is a glow within us, a light within that can either be suppressed or expressed. Acts 1:8 speaks of reception of power through the Holy Spirit. Clearly, every believer has been empowered, that much is clear from scriptures. Through the Holy Spirit, the Christian received the life and fullness of God – which is the empowerment from on high promised by Jesus. As a result we are not ordinary. Although we are in the world, we are not a part of the world. God’s seed is within us (1 Jn 3:9). We bear His name, have His life and have the seed of greatness within us. We represent Him on the face of the earth. His seed within is self-sustaining and the new creature has more than enough power and potential to be a blessing to humanity. He has given us dominion. We need to do away with the beggarly mentality and begin to live life in the Spirit (Gal 5:16,25) . The spirit within us though trapped within an unredeemed body has received God’s life, and as such our bodies should not control over us, rather our spirits should control our bodies (Rom 8:12-13). Such is the power which the Spirit of God has bestowed on us.
When the Spirit comes upon a person, he no longer remains the same, but becomes a different person. Under the OT, the Spirit came upon Kings, Priest and prophets and gave them special enablement to perform the functions their offices demanded. Whenever the Spirit of God came upon them under the Old Testament, they ended up doing extraordinary things which they could never have done (Zech 4:6). Saul is a good illustration of this truth; he became a different man when the Spirit came upon Him (1 Sam 10:6). In a much greater dimension, the Spirit of God in the New Testament makes us different. The Holy Spirit came to make men born again/new creatures and bestows new life, and that is God’s empowerment and anointing.
Unfortunately, the anointing is a concept that has been grossly misunderstood. It is seen by most as that which makes people fall or something received during a special service. To anoint means to rub or smear with something. The day we got born again the Holy Spirit imparted God’s life/eternal life to our dead human spirits and we were made new. Thus we are anointed. The Holy Ghost dwells in us and lives in us. We are His temple and vessels. We have been anointed with His Spirit beyond measure (1 Jn 2:20,27, 2 Cor 1:20).
We need to express the inner man for that is our true self. The question then is how do we express the life within? How can the reality of the inner man go beyond mere head knowledge? Clearly, we need insight and understanding. Be filled with the spirit is also critical. Eph 5:18 admonishes us not to be drunk with wine wherein is excess, but to be filled with the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit does not mean receiving the Holy Spirit again, or being empowered again. The Spirit of God was given us in fullness (John 1:16,Jn 3:34), consequently, to be filled with the Spirit as used in the foregoing context means something else. It means that the whole of our being should be under the influence and control of the Spirit of God as to direct our conduct. This is why the analogy of a person drunk with wine to excess is apt. The same way a person’s faculties, actions, and speech is influenced by alcohol when drunk, we are admonished to be completely influenced and controlled by the Spirit of God.
Consequences of being filled with the Spirit
Utterance: One of the major consequences/results of being filled with the Spirit of God is utterance. A person filled with the Spirit would be easily predisposed to speak utterances inspired by the Spirit of God. It is not a coincidence that most times people were filled with the Spirit, there were utterances (Mt 10:18-20, Lk 1:41, Lk 1:67. Acts 2:4, Acts 4:8,31, Acts 13:9. This is especially valuable for witnessing (Col 4:5, Eph 6:19)
Instincts: Another consequence of being filled with the Spirit is what can be described as “instincts”. This can also be called spiritual sensitivity, insight or knowledge. The advantage of this is that it enables a believer to respond appropriately to circumstances, whether known or situations not envisaged. Paul for example because of this knew that His boat will capsize and was able to instinctively react appropriately when others were confused and terrified. This also enabled him to react appropriately when a viper fastened itself to his hand.
Factors that enable us to be filled with the Spirit
Prayers: this is one of the most important keys to being filled with the Spirit and releasing God’s power in the world. The more we pray, especially in other tongues, the more influenced by the Spirit we become.
Meditation on an acceptance of divine truth: Meditating on God’s word is integral to being filled with the Spirit. Knowledge of these divine truths is the first step to accepting and meditation on it. The right kind of knowledge that enables this is what Philemon 1:6 touches on. The word, “knowledge” as used in Philemon 1:6 is from the Greek word, “epignosis”, which means full discernment or a full grasp. It is the kind of knowledge that sees the full picture. This kind of knowledge (of all we received through Christ) is what Philemon identifies as fundamental to Christian progress and effectiveness. It is not the kind of knowledge that one gets once and for all, but which must be pursued continually.
Things that quench the Spirit
Not walking in love (Eph 4:30-32)
Frivolities and several things taking our attention (1 Tim 4:7-8)
Murmurings e.g the Israelites (1 Cor 10:10)
Association e.g the kind of friends you keep (1 Cor 15:33)
Satan
Pastor Dike Obi