Subject 12 : The Faith of the Apostles Creed
● Sermon on the Holy Spirit 9 : The Spirit-filled Life
(Ephesians 6:10-17)
“Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the
breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of
faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God.”
To
be filled with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:16-18 tells us, “Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine,
in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”
For
people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, they must first of all
believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and live for this
gospel. It is because the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the hearts of
those who have sin nor He fills such hearts. In other words, the first
priority for us is to become sinless in our hearts by wholeheartedly
believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Second,
we must redeem our time, for only those who redeem the time can serve
the gospel faithfully and live their lives led by the Spirit.
Time
does not wait for us forever. A week goes by in a blink of an eye.
Going to bed after Sunday evening church service, we wake up in Monday
morning. We talk with someone on the phone and meet someone, and the
whole day is already gone by. When we think it’s Tuesday, we are already
into Wednesday. We attend Wednesday evening worship service, and then
Thursday goes by, followed by Friday and Saturday, and in no time we are
facing another Sunday. Like this, it is only those who redeem the time
and faithfully serve the works of this gospel that can be filled with
the Holy Spirit.
Third,
those who know exactly what the will of the Lord is and serve this will
are filled with the Spirit. Why? Because only when we know clearly what
is the will of God in today’s age is, can we finally make His will our
objectives and do His works. We can do the works of the Lord led by the
Holy Spirit when we are united with the Lord. If we live without knowing
what the will of the Lord is, then we cannot avoid but live foolish
lives. Therefore, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must first of
all know the Lord’s will clearly.
Fourth,
we must strive to gather together. We can be filled with the Spirit
only if we strive to come together in God’s Church, praise the Lord, and
always thank God in the Lord’s name. But those who neither listen to
the Word of God and nor give thanks and praise to Him for the salvation
and the works that the Lord has given them cannot be filled by the
Spirit. The ones who can be filled with the Spirit are only those who
always praise, thank, and strive to gather together in the name of Jesus
Christ, as well as believe in God’s will and Word manifested in His
Church. As such, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we should not
forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25).
When
we hear the Word, it is important for us to hear it with our sincere
hearts, not merely with our ears. And it is very important that we lead
our lives of faith with our hearts. What we do without our hearts has
nothing to do with the Lord, “for man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Therefore, those who
listen to the Word with their hearts can truly say “Amen” and be
thankful. Also, because they can mediate on the Word that they heard,
they can be filled with the Spirit. However, those who do not receive
His Word with their hearts, even as they heard the same Word in the same
meeting, they cannot say “Amen” and be thankful. The Holy Spirit is
pleased by all our worship, praises, and prayers that are given to God
with our sincere hearts.
For
us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, there is no worldly shortcut. The
only shortcut is to just believe in the Word of God and accept it into
our hearts. This is why we must cherish our meetings and we must not
regard them lightly. Only then can we be filled with the Spirit and
defend our faith until the day of the Lord’s return.
Fifth,
those who believe in the Word of God are filled with the Spirit. When
Ephesians 6:11 tells us to “put on the whole armor of God,” it is
telling us that we must lead our lives of faith by believing in the Word
of God. By hearing the Word of God spoken to us through His Church and
believing in it, we can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Sixth,
we must hold onto the Word of God with our hearts. Ephesians 6:13 also
tells us to “take up the whole armor of God.” The word “take” here
signifying an active faith. In other words, it is to read the written
Word of the Bible and to hold steadfast in our hearts to what we have
read.
The
66 Books of the Bible are filled with the Word of God. But no matter
how abundant the Word is, if we do not hold onto it, then there can be
no fullness of the Spirit. Regardless of how well we attend church and
hear the Word, there are still many times when we become spiritually
tired, empty and weary. There are many times when we somehow become
weak. This is why we have to take the whole armor of God; that is, the
Word of God. Even if it is just a single passage, if it is appropriate
and necessary for you, then you must hold onto it. Holding onto the Word
in your hearts in this way is none other than taking it, and this is
the answer to living a life filled with the Spirit. And you must
meditate on the Word, and live your lives by believing that everything
will be fulfilled according to the Word. This is none other than the way
to be filled by the Spirit.
In
leading our lives of faith, if we do not hold onto the Word of God,
then we cannot keep our faith. There are both good times and bad times
when we lead our lives of faith in this world, and there are also times
when our hearts sink low and become weak. In times like these, then no
one can encourage our faith; only we ourselves should encourage our
faith by believing in the Word of God and holding onto it. No one else
can hold you steady. And even if someone were to hold you, your hearts
cannot avoid but be always empty. Therefore, in such times, we must hold
onto the written Word even faster.
When
you hold onto the Word of God, this Word holds you steady and enables
you to live immersed in the promised Word of God. Because the Word holds
you, even if you are facing difficult circumstances or your thoughts go
astray a bit, the Word wakes you up, making you return to your rightful
place, live by faith, be immersed in the Spirit, and live a life that
is filled with Him. This is why it is important for us to take the
written Word of God.
When
the people of Israel in the Old Testament were living in the
wilderness, God brought down manna to them. Gathering manna and bringing
them home, the Israelites cooked them in all kinds of different ways
and ate them. Like this, among the countless written Word of truth, the
Word of life, you and I hold onto the Word that is absolutely necessary
for us, believe in it, and take it. When you do so, this Word then makes
you pray, strengthens your faith, enables you to live in hope, and
makes you serve the gospel. And it allows you to be blessed before God,
to never leave Him but be near Him before His presence. It is,
therefore, very important to take this Word to be filled by the Spirit.
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