"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ"
(I Corinthians 11:1)

The Saint Paul School
with Frank Eiklor, Eileen Young and Walter and Cecilia Contreras

WHERE JUDGMENT BEGINS (PART 4)

"At The House Of God"

INTRODUCTION

This study is the fourth of ten things happening in the Church as God's judgment takes place in His house. If you missed the first three, just go to the St. Paul School  archive. You'll find five years of lessons, all yours at no cost. Now let's continue.

NUMBER FOUR-- THE GREATEST "EVIDENCE" OF BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Never argue with Christians from different denominations about the Holy Spirit. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit and He will control and lead your life moment by moment. Others will see how God "works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13) and many will hunger and thirst for the same intimacy with Jesus.

It is demonically amazing how Satan has been able to cause Christians to fight with each other over the person of the Holy Spirit. The war is usually over the gifts of the Spirit-especially speaking in tongues. While other gifts and manifestations result in more debates and arguments, tongues is the biggest divider.

On one side can be heard, "Speaking in tongues is of the devil!", while on the other extreme we hear, "Speaking in tongues is the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit." Of course the Holy Spirit-who is a Person-is left on the side lines while the debate rages on. However, He is not passive, and today God's Spirit is shaking up his Church and bringing a new humility and hunger to many in leadership. Persecution against serious followers of Christ is increasing. So is the devil's deception as he tries to marry the Church with the world. But seekers of God are realizing that His judgment has begun at His house (1 Peter 4:17) and that He is insisting on each of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit-God's way.

Some have thrown away certain of the gifts of the Spirit as no longer relevant. It won't work. Taking the phrase "tongues shall cease" from 1 Corinthians 13:8 out of context to cancel out two whole chapters (12 and 14) that place gifts and manifestations in their proper order is standing on a foundation of sand.

So is the other extreme. One charismatic told me, "I have been wrong in using Acts 2:4 as the evidence of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They were speaking in known tongues from every language as the chapter indicates. And I have had too many come to my church speaking in tongues and then found living in sin." Then he told me the same scriptural formula that I also maintain to be the best foundation on which to build.

Here is what many pastors and leaders are embracing.

1. The Holy Spirit is the Father's greatest gift to His children (Luke 11:13-we ask and He gives).
   
   
2. Being filled with the Spirit is not a suggestion from God, but a command (Ephesians 5:18).
   
   
3. Seek the Giver more than the gifts and let God bring to your life every and any gift that will bring Him glory.
   
   
4. Realize that the greatest "evidence" of anything unseen (including the filling of the Spirit) is Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" and that...
   
   
5.  ....the greatest sign and proof that a life is filled with God's Spirit is in the character of the One in control-"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22,23). That's why Jesus said "By their fruits you shall know them" (not "by their tongues"-known or unknown).
   
   
6. The Holy Spirit (God Himself!) is too big for our denominational battles. He shatters every tidy container we attempt to use to explain Him-including my own feeble words in this lesson. Enjoy searching the Scriptures and discovering God's greatest gift to the Church-His Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit enters the new believer (Acts 2:38, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16, etc.) to make him/her a new creation. Then He goes to work in His mysterious and marvelous purifying and empowering action in human lives as He resides to sanctify and anoints for service (Acts 1:8). That makes me want to shout "Hallelujah!"
   
   
7. Finally, I recommend to you my own simple daily habit with our Heavenly Father: "Lord, empty me of any sin, self or satanic programming and fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit." Then go into your personal world believing what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit whom He would send: if we "thirst", "come", "drink", and "believe", then out of our lives will "flow" rivers of living water (John 7:37, 38). And a thirsting world will finally see what Christianity was meant to be!

(TO BE CONTINUED)