A Christian’s Heart
“A Spirit-Filled Heart”
Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0-WNaXKHO4
As we begin our study on the qualities that every Christian’s heart should possess, I realized that this one quality should start it all off. Because, if there is any one quality that that supersedes all the others it would be a Holy Spirit filled heart, and that’s because such a heart directs the flow of our lives.
The Apostle Paul said, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit is the choreographer who designs, arranges, and directs the flow not only our lives, but also the ministry flow of the church. This is because the Holy Spirit transcends our own ability and empowers us by transforming our inability.
A great example this is when Jesus’s disciples were praying behind closed doors in Jerusalem while waiting for Jesus’s promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And then, on the Day of Pentecost the disciples were endued with heavenly power, Holy Spirit power, and they changed the world.
They went from being afraid to being fearless.
Further, who else can clean up our hearts the way Jesus cleaned out the temple. Now, with this understanding listen to what Jesus said. “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:14-15a NKJV)
What Jesus said is that He was going to send the Holy Spirit, describing Him as another helper like unto Himself.
So just as Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers and those who sold the sacrifices; thus defiling the temple (Matthew 21:13), the Holy Spirit can cleanse us, kicking out whatever is defiling God’s temple within us.
And that temple that resides within us, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Paul asked, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV)
So, within every believer is God’s holy temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we really need to have Holy Spirit-filled hearts, and allow Him to do that inside cleansing, that work of transformation we need.
Let’s take a look at what some of the aspects are of having a Spirit-filled heart.
A Heart Set on Fire
While we say we’d like to be, or better yet, we want to be set on fire by God, the truth is that we fear it. And that’s natural. Just like when we smell smoke, see flames, and feel the heat of fire, there’s something inside that makes us want to run.
But instead of running away from the Holy Spirit, and running away from God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we need to start fanning to flame His fire, and start getting ourselves set ablaze by God, because fire not only melts wax, it also hardens steel.
And that’s exactly what Holy Spirit fire does in our lives. Holy Spirit fire burns away the impurities of our lives while at the same time toughening up our faith.
When we look at Scripture about when God’s fire falls, there are several things that work in our favor when we allow Holy Spirit fire to engulf our hearts.
a. Holy Spirit Fire Directs
We see a similar fire engulfing a bush back in the Old Testament through which the Lord directed Moses in setting free the Hebrew people from over 400 years of bondage to the Egyptians.
“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2 NKJV)
And during the exodus, it was God’s pillar of fire by night that helped lead the way in the wilderness.
For believers today, Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit baptized the disciples they would be His witnesses, that is, directing not only what they said, but where they went and what they did.
On the very first missionary trip by Paul and Barnabas it says that while the leadership of the Antioch church were fasting and in prayer the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have calledthem.” (Acts 13:2 NKJV)
And it goes on to say, “Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” (Acts 13:4 NKJV)
Now, going back to the burning bush, there is something that we should note, and that is while the fire engulfed the bush it didn’t consume it, that is, it didn’t harm the bush, which brings me to the next point
b. Holy Spirit Fire Delivers
“When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:2b NKJV)
The story of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego comes to mind. When Nebuchadnezzar tossed them into the fiery furnace when they refused to bow to His image, it says the fire burned off the ropes that bound them, but it didn’t harm them. In fact, when they emerged, they didn’t even smell like smoke.
And such deliverance is available to all those who believe in Jesus. The Bible says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV)
Now again, going back to Daniel’s three friends and their deliverance, it was through the fire they were delivered, which brings me to the third point.
c. Holy Spirit Fire Protects
It was what the Lord said through the prophet Zechariah that really brings out this point.
The Lord said, “‘And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” (Zechariah 2:5 NIV)
It was God’s holy fire that protected the Israelites when they were leaving Egypt. It was the pillar of fire that set itself between the Egyptians and the Jews at the Red Sea, keeping the Egyptians at bay until God opened a way and allowed the Israelites to cross over the Red Sea on dry ground.
In the same way Holy Spirit fire protects us from those forces that want to invade our lives. The Bible says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
And we who believe in Jesus Christ have within us the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that is greater than anything that Satan can throw against us.
Finally, we come to the last point.
After Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, and before He ascended into heaven He said to the disciples,
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were together praying when all of a sudden the Holy Spirit burst into the room.
“Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:2-4a NKJV)
We’ll look in more detail at this point in our third aspect of a Spirit-filled heart.
Therefore, when God sets our hearts ablaze with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will direct, deliver, protect, and empower us to live effective lives for the Kingdom of God.
Now let’s look at the second aspect of having a Spirit-filled heart.
A Heart Filled to Overflowing
How do we receive the filling of the Holy Spirit? How can we overflow with His power?
It all starts when we come to belief in Jesus Christ. Again, let’s go back to what Paul said.
“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV)
Look at these words that we were bought with a price, a price Jesus paid for with His life.
When we come into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, what Jesus Himself described as being born again (John 3:3), then our spirit becomes the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. It’s at this time we are filled but not necessarily overflowing.
We see this in the life of the disciples. After Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, He appeared to them in His glorified body and said, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)
But Jesus didn’t send them out into the world alone. He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)
Yet this wasn’t the complete filling to overflowing. There was more to come.
Jesus said, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49 NKJV)
Endued means to endow or provide completely with a quality or ability. It means to be completely enveloped, and so Jesus is saying He wanted them to be clothed completely in Holy Spirit power.
“For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:5 NKJV)
Jesus makes it clear there’s another filling, an additional anointing of the Holy Spirit referred to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit where they would receive His power.
The word baptism means to be completely immersed.
And so, with these two words, “endued,” and “baptized”, it’s as if the Lord is saying, “I want you to be completely immersed and enveloped in the Holy Spirit so that His power will overflow every area of your life.”
As they gathered on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit filled them to overflowing. There was a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind. There appeared tongues of fire hovering over each one, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-6).
What we often fail to notice, however, is that they had already been filled with the Holy Spirit when they first believed. Remember, right after the resurrection Jesus breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” While they were filled, they weren’t overflowing. This came later at the Day of Pentecost through what Jesus called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).
In addition to this, throughout the life of the church the disciples received additional fillings to empower them, such as when they were praying after being warned by the Jewish authority not to speak any more in the name of Jesus. The house where they were praying was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they went out boldly proclaiming Jesus and the gospel message (Acts 4:31).
The reason we need the continual filling and overflowing power of the Holy Spirit is because without it, all these steps and transformational principles we talk about on Sunday mornings and in Bible studies won’t work
In Galatians 3:3 Paul said, “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
We cannot be effective without the filling and overflowing power of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It’s a necessity if we’re going to live an effective godly life in an ungodly world. It’s a necessity to regain that fire so we can make a difference for Christ in our lives, community, and world.
And so, a Spirit-filled heart is a heart that is set on fire and is filled to overflowing.
Finally, I’d like to expand on the last point of having our heart set on fire.
A Heart Empowered
To have a Spirit-filled heart is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be able to accomplish what we could never accomplish on our own.
“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.” (Ephesians 3:16 NKJV)
Within every believer, the Apostle Paul said there is tremendous power.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)
It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that enables believers to walk upon the narrow road, confess and turn away from their sins, and to live in spiritual victory. The power of the Holy Spirit is the power to stop living for the world and start living for God.
Now, in the Bible there are two direct ways the Holy Spirit empowers us
a. Empowers Our Prayers
Having our hearts filled and overflowing with Holy Spirit empowers our prayer life allowing us to enter into the presence of God in ways we never imagined.
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit helps our weakness when it comes to our prayer life because we naturally don’t know how to pray, or what we should be praying for.
Being the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit knows the mind and will of the Father and Jesus toward us. Therefore, He can effectively intercede on our behalf empowering us to seek the Father and Jesus to an even greater extent than we already are!
The Holy Spirit empowers our hearts with the faith to believe. This is something we desperately need because many of us don’t feel as if our prayers are making it up to heaven or being effective.
We read the Bible about the prayer life of great men and women of faith, but when we compare our prayer experience it doesn’t seem to measure up. So, we feel disillusioned, disheartened, and just want to give up.
This is where the Holy Spirit helps. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to continue praying and believing God and His promises more than the circumstances we find ourselves in.
b. Empowers Our Witness
The Holy Spirit empowers us to effectively share our faith.
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV)
On the Day of Pentecost as they gathered together praying, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and it says that they began to speak in different tongues, that is, languages they didn’t know but those who were listening understood.
They said, “How is it that each of us hears them in our native language…we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:8, 11 NKJV)
Here’s a bunch of people who were afraid for their lives, hiding out from the authorities when all of a sudden, the fire of God, the Holy Spirit came down and filled them to overflowing; empowering them to fulfill the Great Commission.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to share our faith, boldly proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world. This is witnessed throughout the book of Acts especially in the formation of the church, and in the life of revivals throughout the world since then.
Conclusion
As we look at these various qualities in this series on a Christian heart, qualities that should be a part of our lives, this one quality of having a heart that is Spirit filled is probably the most important of them all, and that’s because a Spirit-filled heart allows us to be forgiving, courageous, obedient, and faithful, filled with integrity, grace, hope, and praise. A Spirit-filled heart also allows us to be those servants and wounded healers to everyone we encounter.
And so today, let’s be a church with Spirit-filled hearts; hearts that are filled to overflowing, set on fire, and empowered to be exactly what God calls us to be and the type of hearts that that are going to make a difference in our community and in this world.
I’d like to end looking again at what Jesus commanded the disciples to do prior to His accession.
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:4-5 NKJV)
Jesus’s disciples saw Him betrayed, crucified, and raised from the dead. They were with Him forty days after His resurrection, touching His scars, sharing meals with Him, and listening once again to His teachings. They definitely had an incredible story to share with the world, and a message that the world desperately needed and still needs to hear.
However, they lacked one crucial ingredient to begin their mission; they did not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And so Jesus told them to wait in spite of the message’s urgency. Everything was now on hold until Jesus poured out upon them the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit where they would then be endued with heavenly power, the power of the Holy Spirit.
No matter how well we think we may be ready to do great things for God and fulfill the ministry God has given to us, these words by Jesus is a reminder that we’re not ready to fulfill God’s commission until we are likewise endued and baptized with the Holy Spirit.
And as I have said on many occasions and believe fully in my heart what the Bible declares, that we are just one ask away from such a filling and promise. Look now at what Jesus said.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!.” (Luke 11:13 NKJV)
And so, today make that ask. Ask the Father to give to you this gift, this promise of the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit. And always remember what the Bible says, “Ask, and it shall be given.”
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