Being filled with the Spirit…

 

Being filled with the Spirit of God is not the same as having a dual personality, yet it is like that. Those who experience this often say and do things that they remember yet forget, that they wonder “where did that come from?” Yet they know it was the Spirit and not themselves.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

This verse sort of describes it but not entirely. It is more like:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

And even this isn’t quite it because the love of God is not focused on me and is without self-evaluation. He puts the focus on others, so thinking I am patient and kind is a self-evaluation that ruins it.
Consider also the idea of master. In the original language, this word is sometimes translated  “master” as in the owner of something, but sometimes translated “Lord” when it refers to Jesus. Why the difference? Jesus put it this way:

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)

Sometimes Jesus referred to Himself as “master,” at least in my ESV translation.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:20)

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. (John 13:13)

Yet the idea of “master” contrasts with the idea of friends, implying another kind of relationship. This contrast shows up in the story of the prodigal. The straying son returned and was treated with a loving embrace and a party. However, the older son who had lived under the father’s felt badly used, and he said:

Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him! (Luke 15:28–30)

This person slipped from being a partner with his father to the attitude of a misused slave. This story and the above references point to the difference in attitude that comes when I am controlled by the Holy Spirit or when I am walking according to my old sinful nature called the flesh. One is a friend of Jesus more occupied with love for others than having my way.

In contrast, the flesh is about living for me, my way and my wants, doing things out of obligation rather than love, resenting the blessing of God on others, and feeling like God is simply too bossy. To have a Lord and Master is not the same thing as being mastered. To know the love of God pushes thoughts of self into oblivion and brings love for Him and for others out of my heart.

PRAY: Jesus, this is good counsel for me today. I do have plans, but also hear Your voice concerning the needs of others. I want to obey You, but not with the sense of obligation but because I love You. For that, I know my need to be filled with Your Spirit for otherwise my sinful self will take over and will certainly ruin everything. I confess to You that I belong to You and have been called Your friend. Fill me today that I may act like one, and be more concerned with others rather than being selfish and wanting to do my own thing.

He is who He is

We watched a small portion of the US Republican Convention last night. This morning it occurred to me that if Donald Trump becomes president, there will be people who respect him because they support and agree with him, and people who must call him ‘the President’ whether they respect him or not. No matter what their opinion is, the president IS the President.

After Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He said to them . . .

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.” (John 13:13)

“Lord” was usually a title of respect something like our word “Sir” rather than a designation of authority. In the ancient world, calling someone “Master” was more like calling them “Sir” rather than our contemporary definition of the word “Lord.”

However, there is a sense throughout the Gospels that the disciples were thinking of Jesus as an authority figure as well as ‘Sir’ or even ‘Master.’ They knew He was worthy of their respect. This verse seems to have that sense of “Lord” meaning someone who has authority over all things, rather than a mere title.

That said, whether I call Him that or not, Jesus IS Teacher and Lord. My opinion does not change who He is. This is not a popular way of thinking. Many assume that if they think a person is bad or good or anything else, that opinion makes it true.

How I think about another person affects both of us. If I don’t like that person, they may treat me with a different attitude because of it. However, how I think about Jesus affects the way I respond to Him, but it does not change who He is. The more I get to know Him, the more He changes me, but He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But my sinful self must change. Wanting to do my own thing always goes against His instructions and His commands. Chambers says Jesus never insists on having authority but leaves people free to make their choices. While this seems true from a human perspective, the Bible says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21) He is Lord of all. Regardless of the ‘freedoms’ we think we have, His purposes will stand.

Chambers says that if the Lord insists upon obedience, He would become a taskmaster and cease to have authority. I understand what he is trying to say, that forced obedience on my part is not true obedience, but I do not agree that Jesus never insists on obedience. My experience with Him presents many occasions where His insistence came through loud and clear. His will is done —  regardless of my kicking and screaming. He IS Lord; I am not.

Obedience is a bad word only for a rebellious heart. Calling Jesus Teacher and Master is resisted only by those who refuse to learn His ways, refuse to respect Him, and refuse to cooperate, but eventually every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, even those who don’t want to do it.

Light only for the next step

Earlier this week my husband and I made a major decision. I felt that we needed a third opinion and asked our son to give it. At first, he was uncertain what to say, then he began to question my motives for this decision.

Those questions irked me, making me aware once again how people do not like to think about motives. However, he was on the right track. The outcome is that my husband made the decision because he thought it would be best for me and I made it because I thought it would be best for him. But at heart, it was not something either of us wanted for ourselves.

This reminds me of the tale about a woman who sold her hair to buy her husband a gold watch chain, and he sold his watch to buy her a tortoise hair comb. Of course the expression of selfless love is poignant, but I’m thinking that better communication would have made this story, and ours, have a more practical result.

At least in our case, the decision is reversible. We can change it, yet that poses a bigger uncertainty. I’m quite happy that we cancel out, but hubby still wants to do it for my sake, not because I’m wanting it but because he thinks it would be best for me. What do I do with that? This morning’s devotional reading takes me to a prayer . . . 

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:1–2)

The “faint” heart is translated in other versions as “overwhelmed” — which describes my emotions about this current situation. I sense God bidding me to come close and talk to Him about it. At the same time, I’d like some direction in plain, black and white words from the Bible. I want to know what to do.

In looking for a solution, another devotional reading catches my eye. This one offers this verse . . . 

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. (John 13:13)

The author of this reading says that the terms “teacher” and “Lord” both imply that Jesus Christ knows more than I do. Of course that is true. When I call out to Him, I can be certain that He knows what I do not know. Whatever He tells me will be based on a wisdom that my eyes may or may not see. That is, obedience is usually a plain “do this because . . .” but sometimes it is only a “do this” without explanation. I’m to walk by faith, not by sight.

God also knows the future. Whatever is best for me, or for my husband, cannot be decided by what life is like right now or by what we think might happen later. Going to the Lord means that we want our choices based on the wisdom of One who is “higher than” ourselves and higher than our abilities to understand or guess what lies ahead.

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God, I’m so impatient. I’d like to know for sure, have a black and white plan that lays out each step. Yet I also know You do not lead me that way. You give me “the next step” and expect me to walk into that bit of light before You give me direction for the next step after it.

I am thankful that my husband will make sacrifices to care for me. I’m also thankful that You give me the willingness to make sacrifices for him. Now You seem to be asking me to do something a bit different; to yield to what I don’t really want (or think I don’t want) just so he can willingly make the sacrifice to give it to me. Sigh. Only the Rock who is higher than both of us can make sense of this one.

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