Happy Hour Vs. Oh Happy Day

Posted by Wade Lowrey on Jun 8, 2010 in Bible Study, Christian Reflections, Theology |

Happy Hour Vs. Oh Happy Day
Learning To Be Filled With The Spirit of God
Ephesians 5:18

Ephesians 5:15-18
Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

I have yet to meet a 4 year old that has any problem singing or making up their own songs. In fact, most adults know that this is one of the primary ways in which a young child learns. But hanging around any 4 or 5 year old for very long and you will know that not only do they have no problem singing a song they know or even making one up they in fact will ask you to sing with them!

Inconceivable!

They will even be willing to teach you the song if you do not know it. I honestly wish I remember myself at that age and the easy ‘joy’ that goes with being that young. What happened to me? What happened to all my friends and my peers? When did we all stop singing?

I’m writing this post actually because I see so many individuals that I care about that are “living for the weekend” and choosing not to fully live for God.

I wish they were talking about Sunday morning church but obviously they are not. Obviously they are talking about going out Friday and Saturday and in various ways completely get wasted in various ways. The irony that for as long as alcohol as existed – alcohol and singing almost always go together. Whether it is Pub songs from 400 years ago or karaoke bars or dance clubs of today, music and alcohol have always been consistent wonderful friends for one another.

In the middle of Ephesians 5 Paul reflects for a moment regarding something that saddens his heart about his day just as I’m writing about something I see that saddens my heart with people that are important in my life. If I could sum up what saddened Paul’s heart as well as mine in just a quick phrase it would be simply this: “stop wasting life and live for a God who loves you dearly”. But a sobering thought as I reflect on my own culture as well as the Apostle Paul, Paul reminds me in verse 15: “but the days are evil”.

It is the 2nd part of that thought that I want to spend the majority of my time on right now, the idea of “living for God”. I want to explore the idea of what it means to be “Filled With The Holy Spirit”.

What Does It Mean To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit?

The phrase “baptize in (or with) the Holy Spirit” was first used by the Prophet John the Baptist. All four of our gospels record that he said, “I have baptized you with water, but he (i.e., Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). The only two writers in the New Testament who refer elsewhere to the phrase “baptize with the Spirit” are Luke in the book of Acts, and Paul in 1 Corinthians. Luke refers to it twice, quoting John each time (Acts 1:5; 11:16), and Paul refers to it once (1 Corinthians 12:13). But I don’t think Paul and Luke use this phrase to refer to the same thing. For Paul, it is virtually identical to regeneration or new birth (conversion). For Luke, it is essentially the same as being filled with the Spirit and refers to that first experience of being filled.

I do want to share my thoughts on this issue. First, it is important to note that a phrase can change in meaning by various degrees when used by different authors. It will not always mean exactly the same thing every place it occurs in Scripture. Good interpretation lets a word or phrase mean whatever the immediate context demands. What really matters in Scripture is not that a phrase everywhere have the same meaning, but that the reality which a phrase describes does not contradict other descriptions of reality in the Bible. The gospel writers of both Paul and Luke do not use the phrase “baptized with the Spirit” in the exact same sense.

How Paul Uses The Phrase “Baptized/Filled With The Spirit”.

Paul uses the phrase only once. He says in 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13:
Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Paul’s understanding conceived of Spirit-baptism as the act by which the Spirit made us members into Christ’s body. Once we were alienated from God, cut off from Christ (Ephesians 2:12), but then the Holy Spirit came came us and brought us to life by uniting us to the living Christ and thus to his people in one body. This is a once-for-all event. It is never repeated, neither Paul nor Luke ever commands a Christian to be baptized by the Spirit.

How Luke Uses The Phrase “Baptized/Filled With The Spirit”.

A quick look through the Book of Acts written by Luke it is clear that Luke means something different by the phrase of filled with Spirit. Luke suggests that this is not a once only event but something that is both ongoing and repeated. This is clear in the book of Acts. In Acts 1:4-5, Luke records that Jesus told the disciples to wait for the promise of the Father of ‘before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This is a simple reference to Pentecost in the next chapter.

Here’s how Luke describes it:
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. It is essential to point out on the day of Pentecost that it was only the Apostles gathered who were the ones speaking in tongues and not the entire crowd which numbered in the thousands.

Luke uses the phrase in Chapter 1 that Jesus says they will be baptized by the Spirit and in chapter 2 Luke uses the phrase to describe that promise being fullfilled as “filling of the Holy Spirit”.

Luke does the exact same thing in Acts 11 describing the experience at the house of Cornelius. He quotes the John the Baptist again describing the baptism of the Holy Spirit using both phrases baptism and filling.

Both in Acs 2 and Acts 11 Luke sees what happened at both the day of Pentecost and the House of Cornelius as both a baptism of the Spirit and a filling of the Holy Spirit. Luke uses the phrase filling of the Spirit three more times in the book of Acts referring to disciples being filled.

Both Paul and Luke mean two different things by this phrase: Paul is describing regeneration and Luke is referring to the initial filling of the Spirit after an individual trusts Jesus Christ.

But now that Christ has come and through his death and resurrection purchased all the blessings of God, it is God’s purpose to call all his people to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When a person first experiences this fullness of the Spirit, that is what Luke means by being baptized with the Spirit.

While Luke’s definition of filled with the Spirit leans towards a powerful experience Luke does not ever make the case and it is impossible to argue rightly from the book of Acts that God intends for the baptism of the Spirit to always be accompanied by speaking in tongues. In Acts only the Apostles preaching spoke in tongues not the 3,000 that were saved. Paul plainly teaches in 1 Corinthians 12 that God does not give the gift of tongues to everyone.

This truth is the same as it was in Acts 2 or for us today that being baptized with the Holy Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit of God may or may not result in tongues speaking and as a result speaking in tongues is not a necessary part of either Luke’s or Paul’s understanding of being baptized with the Spirit. I would also add that if on the day of Pentecost only around a dozen spoke in tongues while 3,000 did not, I believe it is very easily to say that the act of speaking in tongues will not be the normal experience for the vast majority of believers.

I do want to be clear on two issues: I do not reject by any means the validity of the gift of tongues for today. It is a powerful gift for many. It is only God who determines who receives various gifts. I also want to make clear that it is doctrinally wrong to insist that speaking in tongues are a necessary part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As I look through the book of Acts I do see three common experiences that do accompany those that have been filled with the Holy Spirit. While more are possible I do see three that are common to most believers in Scripture..

Three manifestations that seek consistent in Acts with those described to be filled with the Holy Spirit seem to be filled with joy, victorious over sin (repentance), and have a bold witness for their faith in Jesus Christ. While Luke does draw the conclusion that being filled with the Spirit of God is an experience and something powerful does take place Luke is also very clear to point out that something must be done with that experience if that experience was really from God.

How Do You Know If You Are Filled With The Holy Spirit?

How do you know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit? Let me be very practical from our verses in Ephesians 5: Are you getting drunk? It is interesting the word for debauchery literally means an abandoned life. Are you doing things by drinking heavily or frequently or by using drugs to abandon/get-a-way even if it is just a happy hour. Here’s a simple practical way to tell from the text if you are filled with the Spirit: Do you enjoy singing to God and to others about what Christ has done! Look at Ephesians 5 again, it is all about singing!

But here’s the real answer if you are filled with the Holy Spirit? Instead of Paul giving us a complete checklist of things to look for to know if we are filled with the Holy Spirit he actually does something else in the context. Look at the context of Ephesians 5. What follows immediately following verse 18, the command to be filled with the Spirit?

Instructions on Husbands and Wives, Children and Parents, Masters and Slaves.

Perhaps the question, “Am I Filled With The Spirit” should not be a question we ask ourselves but something we ask those that know us best including our present and our past. Husbands you need to ask your wife and your children for an accurate answer. Wives you need to ask your husbands and children for the best answer. Children, ask your brothers and sisters whether or not you are filled with the Spirit, they’ll be honest, I promise! Dare I also suggest simply ask your boss or your co-workers about your work ethic and integrity on the job as well.

How Do We “Get Filled” When God Does The Filling?

Now let’s ask the final and most humbling of all the questions in regard to being “filled with the Spirit”. Ephesians 5:18 commands us to be full of the Spirit but the problem is we are not the filler; the Spirit is. The truth is the answer is that God has ordained and promised to move powerfully into our lives with fullness through faith.

Luke tells us in Acts 6:5 that Stephen was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,”. They both belong together. The truth is when a person is filled with faith, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of joy and peace.

Paul shares it this way in Romans 5:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Paul makes the connection that it is in our believing that we are filled with joy and peace. Let’s make the connection that Paul makes. Through our faith the Spirit fills us with His hope as well as His Joy and His peace. In the end, God is ultimately the God of hope, Amen!

While it is the Spirit that fills us it is our responsibility to purposely place ourselves in continual opportunities for our faith to be fed. We must place ourselves at the Spiritual dinner tables that God does provide so that our faith will be fed. Only God can increase our faith but our role is to sit at the table when the Word is preached, when Worship is underway, when Fellowship is gathering, and when Service in His Kingdom arises.

The truth is nobody is filled with the Spirit all the time. I have yet to meet a Christian who is always full of joy. When I do I make fun of them just to bring them down a little (I’m teasing!). I have yet to meet a Christian who is always full of hope. I’ve never met someone who is always submissive to the Will of God, have yet to meet someone that still does not have something that they need to repent of and give to God. To be practical to the text: I have yet to meet a Christian who can’t stop singing about Jesus all the time.

While the world longs for a Happy Hour to escape from the world; the justified, regenerated Child of God hungers to be filled with the Spirit of the Living God while He or She waits for their new home.

As a believer in Jesus Christ if I have to choose between the world offering a so called “Happy Hour” or the Heavenly Father who offers “Oh Happy Day” I will choose Oh Happy Day every time. In the end, Christians have the best song to sing!

As the hymn says: Oh Happy Day, When Jesus Washed, My Sins Away! Amen!

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