COMMANDS ON THE HOLY SPIRIT,
THE PEACE OF GOD
(6.)
The next four commands have to do with the Holy Spirit. Volumes have been written on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I shall touch on it briefly.
- “QUENCH not the Spirit”: 1.Thess.5,19.
“Quench” means “to extinguish, to go out, to suppress, stifle.” It is translated “gone out” in Matthew 25,8; and this is just what happens in many lives of God’s children-the power of the Holy Spirit is just gone out. The person of the Holy Spirit is still there-He never leaves us-but the power has left. Many Christians will not let the Holy Spirit work in their lives, and so He is qenched, like putting water on a fire. There is jut too munch resistance put up by the believer. The believer Says NO to the will of God. A mind closed to the truth is an evidence of this.
- “And GRIVE not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption”: Eph.4,30.
“Grieve” means “to make sorrowful, to affect with sadness, to offend, cause pain, sadden.” Grieving the Holy Spirit has to do with the sins of the believer. Our sins grieve Him. Therefore, the main difference between grieving the Spirit and quenching the Spirit is the fact we grieve Him when we sin, and we quench the Spirit when we reject or resist the teachings of the Spirit.
- “And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess. But BE FILLED WITH THE Spirit”: aEph.5,18.
“Be filled” means “to make full.” This verse refers to the power of the Spirit. Believers are commanded to be filled with the power of the Spirit. Believers are commanded to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The person of the Spirit indwells every one who is saved. In order to be filled with the Spirit, we must yield ourselves completely to God. We should be willing to do this. We are to stop quenching the Spirit and to stop grieving the Spirit. The power of the Spirit will make it possible for us to overcome evil and to do good for God. Paul mentions three mentions of being filled with the Spirit:
- making melody in your heart-verse: 19;
- giving thanks always to God-verse: 20;
- submission to others-verse: 21;
These characteristics are also mentioned in Col.3,16-18. These are inward attitudes that are let loose by power of the Spirit rather than outward manifestations that characterizes the filling of the Holy Spirit during the book of Acts. The reason speaking in tongues is not mentioned is because this gift od the Spirit passed away when the full revelation of the Mystery was completed after Acts.28: 1.Cor.13,8. Any speaking in tongues today is ether demonic or fleshly. And please notice that this verse does not say, “Be baptized with the Spirit.” We are not commanded to be baptized with the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit mentioned in !.Cor.12,13, takes place ONE in each believer’s life, at the time he was saved. This baptism places him into Body of Christ.
- “Let the word of Christ DWELL in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms an hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”: Col.3,16.
“Dwell” means “to dwell in one and influence him.” This command is included here because this is the parallel verse to command is included here because this is the parallel verse to Eph.5,18. Colossians was written to correct any errors that might occur from the teachings of Ephesians. This verse shows us that the word of Christ dwelling in a believer richly in all wisdom is equivalent to being filled with the Holy Spirit. The power of the Spirit comes from the Word of God, which is called “powerful” in Hebr.4,12. The results that follows are the same in both passages. Notice that it is the word of Christ. (In Nestlé’s text, it is “Christ” instead of “God” in Rom.10,17. We usually don’t think of Paul’s writings as being the word of Christ, but since Paul’s revelations came from Christ, why can’t we take this phrase to include Paul’s epistles?
THE PEACE OG GOD
- “And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. BE AT PEACE among yourselves.”: 1.Thess.5,13.
- “Finally brethren, farewell (rejoice). Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, LIVE IN PEACE, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”:2.Cor.13,11.
The Greek word for “Peace” is the same in both commands and means “to cultivate peace or keep peace, to be at peace, live in peace, harmony.” We are commanded to live in harmony with other believers, if it is all possible: Rom.12,18. This is a goal to work for, and a job that includes all believers.
- “And let the peace of God RULLE in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body. And be ye thankful”: Col.3,15.
“Rule” means “to direct, control, decide.” It is an athletic term which refers to an umpire, and is used only once in the New Testament. Nestle’s text has “Christ” instead of “God.” We are commanded to let the peace of Christ, our Saviour, make the decisions in our hearts. His peace is to control us and help us to carry out Commands 138 and 139. “One body” speaks of unity, and being members of the Body of Christ should mean harmony believers instead of fighting’s and divisions.
- “Let no man BEGUILE YOU OF YOUR REWARD in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.” Col.2,18.
“Beguiler” means “to decide as umpire against one, to declare him unworthy of the prize, to defraud of the prize of victory.” It is an athletic term and is used only once in the New Testament. In the days of the early church, a religious group called the “Gnostics” tried to influence the early believers to leave the Divine teachings of Paul. They claimed to have more of the angels, so taking away His authority and God’s plan of salvation. This verse has these kinds of religionists in view. This verse is a warning to all believers not to wander off after strange and alluring doctrines of false teachers. They will cause believers to lose their reward at the judgment seat of Christ.
- “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one reservist the prize? So RUN, that ye may obtain”: 1.Cor.9,24.
The Christian life likened to a race in which every Christian runs. There are rewards to be given to those who win. We are commanded to run well enough to win the prize. The prize will be a crown that will last forever. It takes a lot of training and discipline to un well for Christ, but it is worth it. Please read: 2.Tim.4,7; Phil.2,16 and 3,13-14. Running the race does not mean that we are working or running to be saved¸ it means that we run the race AFTER we are saved.
- “According to the grace of God Which is given to me, as a wise master, builder, I have laid the foundation an mother buildeth thereupon.”: 1.Cor.3,10.
“Take heed” Means “to look to, consider.” We are commanded to be very, very careful in building the Body of Christ on the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please notice that this verse states that Paul laid this foundation, and it is to be understood that we are to use Pauline Doctrine and Pauline principles in the Lord’s service. However, many brethren reject this and teach the foundation was laid in Acts.2, or in Matt.16,18. These brethren are unaware of the warning in this verse, a warning that is directed to ALL members of the Body of Christ, this warning is in the word “how,” and reminds me of the “how” of Mark.12,41, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into against the treasury.” The Lord Jesus Christ is beholding us to see how we are building on the foundation that was laid by the Apostle Paul. We must be very sure that we use truth that is for this dispensation of grace instead of using truth that was for other dispensations. The principle of “right division” plays a very important part in God’s building program for this age.
144,145. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, “DO” means “to carry out, to execute.” Timothy was commanded to carry out the work of an evangelist. An evangelist is one who primarily preaches the gospel of salvation to the lost. This can be done in meetings or person to person. Either way is effective. “Make full proof” means “to carry through to the end, accomplish, fully carry out.” Timothy was commanded to fulfil the ministry in every respect.
146,147. “PREACH the word. BE INSTANT in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort all longsuffering and doctrine”: 2.Tim.4,2.
“Preach” means “to proclaim after the manner of a herald,” always with a suggestion of formality, gravity, and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. Timothy was to understand that he represented the King of kings and Lords of lords. Timothy was commanded to preach the Word of God, and this must be done rightly: 2.Tim.2,15. “Be instant” means “be ready, be urgent.” Be ready at any time, even when circumstances are not favourable. The gospel message has an urgency about it. Now is the day of salvation: 2.Cor.6,2.
- “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ’s stead, BE YE RECONCILED to God”: 2.Cor.5,20.
“Be reconciled” means “to change, exchange.” This is a change of the strongest kind. It is much stronger than “repent.” The old life is to be exchanged for the new life in Christ. This is what happens when a person becomes saved. We are commanded to preach this message of reconciliation. We are commanded to preach this message of reconciliation. We are to do this for Christ. We are to tell the lost-be reconciled to God. This is a part of the gospel of the grace of God. This verse could read like this, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ; as it were God exhorting by us, we beseech on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” This passage-:2.Cor.5,14-21- is the commission that the Body of Christ is to work under. This is the way we are to build upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Accuat
PÅ GENSYN !