The Dynamic for Holy Living

Christian Living Series 9 of 9

November 8, 1987

Ephesians 5:18

In his practical closing, Paul comes back to the theme that has been his prayer throughout this entire letter: to be the kind of Christian God wants you to be, you must BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT!

It is not just a parting thought . . . a wonderful "luxury" option. It is absolutely vital! Why?

I. IT WILL SUSTAIN YOU IN UNCERTAIN TIMES (So that you can KNOW!)

Christians don't have all the answers . . . there is mystery involved at every level, in every discipline. But Christians can know hope and riches of glory and power!

Ephesians 1:15-19 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,

It is possible to be so "sold out" to God that the heuristic quality of faith will drive you closer, and not farther away from a personal relationship with Him. As we grow in maturity, and as we grow older and (hopefully) wiser, we realize that we know less and less of the great truths of life. We can either take an obscurantist position, and say: "The earth is flat!", or, we can go with the "obvious" or the current fad belief, and say "The old is out-dated, only the new is true!", OR, we can say: "We may not know all the answers— but we BELONG to the One who does!"

This is one great reason why we need to be filled with the Spirit. It doesn't give us the answers; it does make us aware of the certainty of HOPE, the RICHES OF GOD'S GLORY, and the POWER THAT TRANSFORMS LIVES!

But there is another great reason:

II. IT WILL MAKE CHRIST AT HOME IN YOU, AND YOU IN CHRIST

3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 90: 1 begins: "Lord, THOU hast been our dwellingplace . . ." "90" is a Psalm of Moses! Did you ever think what sort of "home" Moses had?

I love to travel and see new things. But I love to be "at home." I have a strong need for "home!" A strong sense of PLACE. But more and more the Christian realizes that "home" is NOT a place— it is a PERSON! ABIDE IN ME! Make JESUS AT HOME IN US!

Unless and until we are 'at home' with Jesus here and now we will not be likely to KNOW HIM when He returns, or to BE AT HOME WITH HIM throughout eternity. But we have the privilege of . .

Making HIM at home in OUR heart learning the privileges of development, intimacy, responsibility, growing reality ..the PERMANENCE of Christ RESIDENT!

We need "eternal security!" We find that security in LIVING WITH JESUS, AT HOME IN HIM! But there is at least one other reason:

III. IT WILL MULTIPLY YOUR EFFECTIVENESS

EPH 5:15-21 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is]. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Whatever we have . . . Even if we seek to use it 100% for God . . . Is only 100% of what we have. But when we bring it to Jesus and let him use it . . . then He can work His will and do as He pleases! HE can feed 5,000 . . . it is HIS business!

HOW may we be filled, and thus begin to make a difference?

We ARE full now . . . there are no spiritual vacuums. So God can only fill what is available to Him!
The "death" of entire consecration: (we have said some extravagant things here. But there is a truth we dare not dodge!) We cannot be filled with GOD unless and until we are empty of self: the cross, the dying, the renunciation of the right to self: In viewing the paradox, the mystery of Christian faith we are guilty of seeing the side we want to see. We say "Self is not dead!" And that is true. But still— self must die!
The CRISIS of entire sanctification: When we know that we have surrendered for time and eternity— completes the CRISIS of RECEIVING SALVATION . . . but it is not all there is to the sanctified life!
The (on-going) PROVING of the Spirit-filled life: carrying forward, learning the discipline:

CONCLUSION (heroes:)

But the world is waiting for people who will be filled . . . and go on being filled . . . and let God simply LIVE IN AND THROUGH THEM!

Less than two miles from where Rev. John Paton now lives (he was here three weeks ago)- in Blantyre, Scotland, is a little park. At one end of the park is a building that looks to me like several cement bookshelves stuck together, with semi-enclosed stairways going up the front. Between the floors of those stairways are toilets— the urban equivalent of the old outhouse - one toilet to a floor of several two-room apartments. In one of those two-room apartments lived a weaver and his wife and several children. One of these children was gifted. Perhaps more than one . . . but David disciplined his gifts, and became a medical doctor.

Wonderful!?! Yes, indeed! He had hauled himself by his bootstraps out of abject poverty into social prominence and financial security! He had reduced the total of the poor, and added to the total of the taxpayers! But THAT was not where David stopped! He gave that degree, and his learning, and his social prominence to God. And God said: Take your gifts far, far away! David is buried today in the main aisle of Westminster Abbey, in London. All but his heart, that is! THAT is under a baobab tree in Africa! And all the world has heard of the love of David Livingstone!

Later-day— Mother Teresa: great in her humanness and weakness

Esther Sanger—...and what of YOU?

#80 (Exalt Him) Fill Thou My Life, O Lord, My God