Today’s message will be on the fifth
descriptor in 2 Corinthians 6:6
2 Corinthians 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of
God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In
stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness,
by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by
love unfeigned,
This is an interesting way that we are to approve
ourselves as the ministers of God, by the
Holy Ghost. When we are born again by the incorruptible Word of God,
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
We are sealed with the Holy Ghost,
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom
also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
And He dwells within us,
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
John14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you.
Giving us power to speak the Word of God,
Matthew 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of
your Father which speaketh in you.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you.
and Jesus Christ draws all men unto Himself through us.
John 12:32 And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Jesus told the disciples that He needed
to leave so that the Holy Ghost would come and abide in them and give them power
to preach the Word of God. This is true
for us as believers today. The main purpose of a believer being filled with the
Spirit is to speak the Word of God with power and to be used of God to win
souls to the Lord. All believers have the indwelling of the Spirit, but all
believers have not the fullness of the Spirit. How can we be filled with the
Spirit in order to speak the Word of God with boldness?
Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding
what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess; but be filled with
the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all
things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to
another in the fear of God.
This is a great passage on how to be filled with the
Spirit. It lists at least five ways here
and it goes on to give more if you continue reading, 1) don’t be drunk, 2) sing
songs, 3) give thanks, 4) submit yourselves to one another, and 5) fear the
Lord.
These are great places to start if you are seeking to be
filled with the Spirit. In the Bible when someone is filled with the Spirit
they are often given boldness to speak the Word of God. Notice it says be not drunk with wine…but be filled with
the Spirit. Drunkards have a certain boldness to do wickedness and speak
perverse things, whereas the Holy Ghost gives a believer boldness to preach
righteousness and holiness.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the
place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Let us as God’s ministers strive to be filled with the
Spirit consistently that we may speak the truth in love with boldness, not
fearing man, but fearing the Lord. We are God’s instrument for delivering His
Word to the world and He will use those saints that are filled with His Spirit
to do the greatest works for His kingdom.
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