[Scripture: John 14:15-21]
Today! I want to share how love is related to being filled with the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Jesus said, “If you love me, I will supply the Holy Spirit in you.”
There are four loves in the Greek language which are “eros,” “storge,” “philia,” and “agape.”
- “Eros” refers to passionate love or romantic love.
- “Storge” is familial love.
- “Philia” is friendship.
- “Agape” refers to selfless love.
“Eros,” “storge,” and “philia” included a personal feeling of favoritism and affection. “Eros” is an intense feeling of deep affection. Even parents’ love has favoritism. In Genesis 25:28, it says, “Isaac, who love to eat wild game, love Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” My mother liked my brothers more than me. Friendship also has favoritism because parents often ask their children, “Who is your best friend?”
Three of these loves are emotion-based loves. However, agape love is a decision-based love that excludes personal preference. For example, when I say, “I love Lisa,” that means more than just I like her hairstyle. Even if I didn’t like her hairstyle, I must love her. Even if she is yelling at me, I should love her. This is agape love because I decided to love her.
Filled with the Holy Spirit
In today’s passage, Jesus spoke to his disciples. Agape love is deeply related to receiving the Holy Spirit in the Bible. He said it is His responsibility to ask the Father about the Holy Spirit when they love Him and obey His commandments.
However, do not get confused about being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not a Christian salvation issue because the Holy Spirit can’t save us. He gives us personal assurance about our salvation.
In Ephesians 2:8, it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Salvation is the gift of God through faith.
However, the problem is that sometimes some people don’t know when they have received the gift of God so they can’t enjoy salvation. John Wesley was one of them.
John Wesley was ordained as an Anglican priest and elected as a Bible and theology teacher at Lincoln College, but he felt that he couldn’t have confidence or joy in his salvation. When he struggled about this, he experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit at Aldersgate.
After the situation at Aldersgate happened, John Wesley talked about the theological process of Christian salvation. Repentance is the porch of the house. Faith is the door of the house. Holiness, which is living with the Holy Spirit, is the house itself. Of course, you cannot enter a house without going through the porch and the door but the house is a life of holiness of your heart and life.
The Holy Spirit does not come to save but guides and sustains God’s children to live the way of salvation so that saved Christians can see God without blemish when Jesus Christ comes again.
There are two spiritual benefits of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life.
The first is that the Holy Spirit brings us assurance. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” The inner witness of the Holy Spirit allows Christians to know the full assurance of faith in Jesus Christ that they are children of God.
My Experience
I’ll never forget that moment when I heard His voice. In January 2000, I was sent to the Philippines for one year on a short-term missionary trip by my mission organization. It was my second time going to the Philippines.
I went there with only 100 U.S. dollars. At that time, I believed that the mission organization would give me money monthly for living expenses, but they didn’t. After two months passed without any money, I was still able to live on just the little money I had remaining. But after three months, it was getting hard for me. Eventually, when I had only a couple coins left, my patience was gone, and anger and complaining took its place.
One day, I took a little bus with Philipinos sitting next to me. I was so mad at my mission organization that I exploded with anger right there on the bus and began cursing. I was totally out of my mind. At that moment I heard in my heart the voice from above say, “I love you.” I heard the exact words, “I love you.” After that, I felt a soft wind coming from the front of the door, and it penetrated my heart softly. My anger disappeared, and great peace and thanksgiving came out of my heart like a spring of water welling up. After that moment, I felt that I was changed.
The second benefit is having the seal of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 says, “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”
The seal means having a spiritual, legal signature for the day of redemption that can be seen in the spiritual world. It is the same as when God said to Moses to put the blood of a lamb on the doorpost. When the destroying angels saw it, they passed over them.
How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Jesus emphasized loving him again in verse 21. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me…and I will show myself to him.” In other words, whoever obeys His commands, He will fully manifest Himself to him/her through the Holy Spirit.
As you know, salvation is a one-time event, but being filled with the Holy Spirit is a continuing process. For example, it is similar to the process of buying a car. If you buy a car, you transfer the title under your name. That means the car is yours. You don’t have to worry about ownership of the car anymore, but you have to fill it with gas if you want it to move.
If you don’t fill your gas tank, your car does not have power to move. In the same way, a saved Christian needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit as a source of revelation, wisdom, and power to do the good work of God.
In conclusion
Jesus said Christians will be filled with the Spirit of God when we love Jesus.
- Loving Jesus means obedience to God’s word with your head.
- Loving Jesus means obedience to the teachings of Jesus from your heart.
- Loving Jesus means obedience to God’s commandment in your actions.
2022.01.09. Pastor Cloud Poy
@ Photo on Unsplash
