As I am writing this we are approaching the beginning of a new century, and new millennium. As this kind of change only comes every one thousand years, if there was ever a time to think of new beginnings this seems like a good one.
I have been asked a few times lately what I think of New Year's resolutions. Since this seems to be on so many people's minds, let me address this first before going on to my main point. Ideally, I think that every day should be new for a Christian, and that we should not need such occasions to vow to make needed changes. I also know that "ideals" work only for a tiny percentage of people, and the rest of us usually need whatever help we can get from such things. I also believe that the Lord, in His abundant grace, allows, and may even appreciate, our attempts to do what is right (using whatever crutches we need), as long as we do not build laws, or principles of worship to Him out of them.
Even so, the highest and ultimate purpose of every Christian should be to live by the power of the Holy Spirit, not human crutches. The cross is the power of God (see I Corinthians 1:18). The power to meet every human need or solve any human problem is found at the cross. Why should we seek power any place else?
On New Year's Eve, at precisely the changing of the century, it was exactly one hundred years since the event that many mark as the true beginning of the modern Pentecostal Renewal—the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Topeka, Kansas. Now hundreds of millions of people have experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The movement that this event sparked has been the fastest growing spiritual movement in history, and instead of diminishing, it is accelerating as we approach this new millennium. However, there is something coming that will mark the beginning of an even greater advance of the gospel, giving it more substance, depth, and power—the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Of course, we are filled with the Holy Spirit when we receive the baptism of the Spirit, but, while trying not to get entangled in semantic terms, to be baptized in something is to be immersed in it. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is such a powerful, life-changing experience, that there has been a tendency to think that this is all we need. However, in the Book of Acts, long after the Day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we have examples of the apostles doing extraordinary works when they were "filled with the Holy Spirit" anew (see Acts 4:8, 31, 13:9, 52).
There is no question that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering that can radically change our lives, and result in much more fruitfulness for the gospel. D.L. Moody claimed to have had only a few conversions through his ministry until he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which at that time many referred to as "a second grace." This was also clear in the Book of Acts. The apostles were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but even after this profound and powerful change in their lives, they still had other experiences of being"filled with the Spirit." What is my point?
I once heard a famous Pentecostal minister say that if Pentecostals and Charismatics were indeed Spirit-filled people, "we have somehow sprung a leak!" Is this why we see that repeated "fillings" were needed in the Book of Acts? Perhaps.
Suppose that we really did esteem the Holy Spirit as the most valuable treasure we could ever possess on this earth. If we had a great deal of money to carry, but kept losing significant amounts of it, we would make every effort to find out where the hole is and close it. How much more should we be concerned about why we are not staying filled with the Holy Spirit? What are the things that cause us to drift from the manifest presence of the Lord in our lives? Are there holes in our lives that could even be so large as to call them "gates of hell," enabling the forces of hell to rob us almost completely of our inheritance in Christ?
Of course, the primary things that are going to offend the Holy Spirit are the things that are unholy. When we think of unholy we usually think of sexual lusts and perversions first. Undoubtedly, these are offensive to God, and the Scriptures are clear that the wrath of God will come because of them. However, in Ephesians 4:30 we are exhorted, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Then we are told specifically how not to grieve Him in the next two verses: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
God is love, and anything that is not done in love does grieve Him. Sexual sin is a sin because lust is the counter-power to love. Sex was created for love, not love for sex. However, all of the counter-powers to love, such as bitterness, wrath, anger, slander, and malice, grieve and offend the Holy Spirit.
If there is a resolution we could make for this coming New Year, let it be to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, and do nothing that would offend the Spirit. My prayer for you is that the prayer of the Apostle Paul would be fulfilled in your life:
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all
that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us
(Ephesians 3:16-20).
Before the end there will be a people who walk and abide in the Spirit. Because they walk in love, they will be entrusted with unprecedented power. In this way the kingdom of God will be demonstrated as the counter-power to all of the evil that perverts and destroys on earth. Ultimately this power will prevail so that even the lion will lie down next to the lamb, and no one will hurt anyone again. Why not now resolve that we are going to be a part of preparing the way for this great kingdom? It is at hand.