_ITS EFFECTS._
Among the effects and benefits which in this life accompany and flow from
being filled with the Holy Ghost, may be mentioned the following:--
_1. Courage._
"Oh, I could not do so and so--I have not the courage," is a reply
frequently made by Christian people when asked to undertake some piece of
service or other for the Master. The first point to be settled is, "Is
that the Master's will for me?" If so, lack of courage is a confession to
the lack of the "Fullness of the Holy Ghost." The Spirit-filled man knows
the fear of God and knows no other fear.
Acts ii. 14, "Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and
spake forth." No fear of servant maids now! But _can_ this be the man who
quailed before the look of the waiting-maid who charged him with being
"with the Nazarene"? Can this be the man that "began to curse and to
swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak"? The very same, and yet not
the same; for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost has changed Peter the
craven-hearted into Peter the lion-hearted, so that he can stand before
that surging multitude, their hands dyed crimson in his Master's blood,
and without a tremor charge home upon them the awful crime, "Him ye did
crucify and slay."
Ch. iv. 13: "They beheld the _boldness_ of Peter and John."
Ch. iv. 31: "They spake the word of God with _boldness_."
Ch. v. 20: "Go ye and stand and speak in the temple." Taken out of prison,
and ordered to go and do again the very thing for which they had been
imprisoned! But _they_ were Spirit-filled men, and so we read in the next
verse, "they entered into the temple."
Ch. v. 29: "We must obey God rather than men."
Ch. v. 40-42: "Beaten ... departed rejoicing ... ceased not to teach."
Ch. xxi. 13: "I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at
Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus." Courage-filled because
Spirit-filled!
_2. The fruit of the Spirit._
_The fruit of the Spirit will be manifest in the life_: Love, Joy, Peace,
etc. (Gal. v. 22, 23). How can one's life be filled with the fruit of the
Spirit, unless one's heart is first filled with the Spirit Himself? In
the primitive Church the men and women were filled with the Holy Ghost;
that was the rule; now, alas! it has come to be the exception--and as a
consequence we see how their lives were enriched by the fruit of the
Spirit.
_Love_: Acts iv. 32, "Were of one heart and soul ... had all things
common." This may be poor political economy, but it is good spiritual
economy, a simple Bible illustration of the Bible precept, "Lay up for
yourselves treasure in heaven" (Matt. vi. 20). If brotherly love were
abroad to-day, how soon the present distress would disappear! As the best
available commentary on this heavenly word "Love," study on your knees
the whole of 1 Cor. xiii.
_Joy_: Acts ii. 46, "They did take their food with gladness and singleness
of heart, praising God." Every meal was a sacrament. The same cause would
produce the same result to-day.
Ch. v. 41: "Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor
for the Name," when some of us would have been bemoaning ourselves and
complaining of the hardness of our lot!
Ch. xiii. 50-52: "Stirred up a persecution ... and the disciples were
(being) filled with joy."
Ch. xvi. 25: "Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God."
The heavier the tribulation the more their joy seemed to "overflow" (2
Cor. vii. 4), and of course the heavier the tribulation the more joy they
needed to sustain them. "For the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh.
viii. 10).
_Peace_: Acts vi. 15, "Saw his (Stephen's) face as it had been the face
of an angel."
Ch. vii. 59, 60: "They stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit, and he kneeled down, and ... fell asleep."
2 Cor, iv. 8, 9: "Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not
destroyed."
Thus we might go through the heavenly list--long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance--and see how richly in Bible times
the fruit flourished in the lives of those who were Spirit-filled. Before
passing on let us notice where it is that Joy grows. It grows between Love
and Peace. It is, as some one has well called it, a sheltered fruit. If
Love withers, Joy is exposed on that side, and it too will fade. If Peace
is interfered with, even though Love is vigorous, Joy is exposed on that
side now, and it will fade away and die. The only way to preserve Joy in
vigorous growth is to see that its sheltering fruits, Love and Peace, are
kept free from blight, and vigorous too.
In his letter to the Ephesian Church, to whom he addressed the command,
"Be filled with the Spirit," Paul points out very clearly what the
results of the Fullness will be.
(1) A singing heart (Eph. v. 19). This is what would bring us and our
lives up to concert pitch. We would no more go "flat." This would drive
away the leaden dullness.
(2) A thankful heart (ver. 20). Such a heart would not be finding fault
with Christ's government; will "find none occasion of stumbling in" Jesus
(Matt. xi. 6); will not be offended at Him, no matter how He may test and
try it. "Blessed is he" that has such a heart in his bosom!
(3) A submissive heart (Eph. v. 21), "in lowliness of mind each counting
other better than himself" (Phil. ii. 3). "The thing (once) impossible
shall be."
(4) Spirit-filled wives will be in subjection to their own husbands
(Eph. v. 22).
(5) Spirit-filled husbands will love their wives _as_ Christ loved the
Church (ver. 25).
(6) Spirit-filled children will obey their parents (Eph. vi. 1).
(7) Spirit-filled fathers will not provoke their children to wrath
(ver. 4).
(8) Spirit-filled servants (bond-slaves) will be obedient to their masters
(ver. 5).
(9) Spirit-filled masters will treat their servants as they (the masters)
would wish to be treated by _their_ Master (ver. 9).
Would not results (8) and (9) be the best possible solution of the
constantly recurring Labor and Capital difficulty, and render a labor war
impossible, because unnecessary?
(10) Spirit-filled men will be strong in the Lord, spiritual giants, not
sickly, hunchbacked dwarfs (ver. 10).
(11) Spirit-filled men will be warriors, clad in the whole armor of God;
if not Spirit-filled they could not carry it (ver. 11).
(12) Spirit-filled soldiers will not be warring against flesh and blood;
internal foes having all been subdued, the civil war has ceased; their
enemies are now external, and they are free to concentrate all their
attention and God-inspired energies on them. Their enemies are (1) in the
world--principalities and world-rulers, and (2) in the heavenlies--powers
and spiritual hosts of wickedness (ver. 12).
(13) Spirit-filled men will be praying always in the Spirit (ver. 18). In
order to this vigilance is necessary "watching thereunto."
Such are some of the results, on the positive side, of being filled with
the Spirit. The effects on the negative side are manifest in Gal. v. 16,
17, "Walk in (by) the Spirit, and _ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
flesh_. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other: that ye (walking
by the Spirit) may not do the things that ye would" (if ye were walking
by the flesh). (See Gal. v. 19-21.)
_3. Reaching the masses._
Another effect of a Spirit-baptized Church would be that the _masses would
be reached_. See how the early Church--which was a Spirit-baptized Church,
and persistently kept that truth in the foreground--reached the masses,
and with what blessed results! They were not amused or entertained, but
they were converted, saved, turned to the Lord.
"There were added unto them in that day about _three thousand_ souls."
Acts ii. 41.
"The number of the men came to be about _five thousand_." Acts iv. 4.
"Added to the Lord _multitudes_ both of men and women." Acts v. 14.
"The number of the disciples _multiplied_ in Jerusalem exceedingly, and
a _great company_ of the priests were obedient to the faith." Acts
vi. 7.
"The _multitudes_ (in Samaria) gave heed with one accord unto the things
that were spoken." Acts viii. 6.
"And _all_ that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned
to the Lord." Acts ix. 35.
"It became known throughout all Joppa; and many believed on the Lord."
Acts ix. 42.
"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on _all_ them
which heard the word." Acts x. 44.
"And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a _great number_ that
believed, turned unto the Lord." Acts xi. 21.
"And the next Sabbath almost the _whole city_ was gathered together to
hear the word of God." Acts xiii. 44.
"And so spake that a _great multitude_ both of Jews and of Greeks
believed." Acts xiv. 1.
"And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made _many_
disciples." Acts xiv. 21.
"The churches ... _increased_ in number daily." Acts xvi. 5.
"These that have turned _the world_ upside down are come hither also."
Acts xvii. 6.
"Crispus ... believed ... and _many_ of the Corinthians hearing
believed." Acts xviii. 8.
"So _mightily_ grew the word of the Lord and prevailed." Acts xix. 18-20.
We often hear of discussions on the "lapsed masses." "Why have the masses
of the people lapsed from the Churches?" Perhaps the more correct way of
putting it would be, Why have the Churches lapsed from the masses? The
answer is not far to seek--because they have lost the driving power which
alone could keep them abreast of the masses, even the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost. The conditions were just as unfavorable in the first century as in
the nineteenth, and yet we read, "So mightily grew the word of the Lord
and prevailed." It is positively painful to see the substitutes that are
being tried to-day for the power of the Holy Ghost. Miserable substitutes
are they all! One Church is trying this plan, another that, and not one of
them has found a new plan that is a permanent success. They are
floundering, and some of them are foundering, and no wonder. It will be
no loss to the kingdom of God if Churches which ignore the Holy Ghost
should founder. Let us get back to Pentecostal methods. The trouble is
that the Churches have lost their way to that "upper room." Let a Church
only find her way back there and obtain her Pentecost; let pulpit and pew
be baptized with the Holy Ghost _and with fire_, and the people will come
running in to see the burning. That Church will not need to cater for
amusements as a bait to catch the masses, but the people will come
crowding into her pews, climbing into them as Zacchaeus climbed into the
branches of that sycamore tree when he wanted to see the Lord; for the
people still want "to see Jesus," and they have heard that He is "to pass
that way." We cannot improve on Pentecost's methods for reaching the
masses.
_4. Persecution._
Yet another effect of the Fullness of the Spirit must be mentioned, viz.,
_Persecution_.
"Others _mocking_ said, They are filled with new wine." Acts ii. 13.
"They laid hands on them and put them in ward." Acts iv. 3.
"Let us threaten them." Acts iv. 17.
"They laid hands on the apostles and put them in public ward." Acts
v. 18.
"And were minded to slay them." Acts v. 33.
"They beat them and charged them not to speak." Acts v. 40.
"And seized him and brought him into the council." Acts vi. 12.
"And they stoned Stephen." Acts vii. 59.
"And there arose on that day a great persecution." Acts viii. 1.
"Haling men and women committed them to prison." Acts viii. 3.
"Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples
of the Lord." Acts ix. 1.
"Took counsel together to kill him." Acts ix. 23.
"They went about to kill him." Acts ix. 29.
"Killed James the brother of John with the sword." Acts xii. 2.
"He put him (Peter) in prison." Acts xii. 4.
"Stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas." Acts xiii. 50.
"Made them evil affected against the brethren." Acts xiv. 2.
"To treat them shamefully and to stone them." Acts xiv. 5.
"They stoned Paul." Acts xiv. 19.
"Commanded to beat them (Paul and Silas) with rods." Acts xvi. 22.
"Cast them into prison, ... and made their feet fast in the stocks."
Acts xvi. 23, 24.
"Set the city on an uproar." Acts xvii. 5.
"Stirring up and troubling the multitudes." Acts xvii. 13.
"Opposed themselves and blasphemed." Acts xviii. 6.
"Rose up against Paul, and brought him before the judgment seat." Acts
xviii. 12.
"Speaking evil of the way." Acts xix. 9.
"Filled with wrath." Acts xix. 28.
"No small stir concerning the way." Acts xix. 23.
"A plot was laid against him by the Jews." Acts xx. 3.
"So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle,
and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." Acts xxi. 11.
"And laid hands on him." (Paul was never free after this.) Acts xxi. 27.
"As they were seeking to kill him." Acts xxi. 31.
"Beating Paul ... bound with two chains ... into the castle." Acts xxi.
32, 33, 34.
"It is not fit that he should live." Acts, xxii. 22.
"Bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor
drink till they had killed Paul." Acts xxiii. 12.
"They delivered Paul ... to a centurion." Acts xxvii. 1.
"From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear branded on my body
the marks of Jesus." Gal. vi. 17.
All this makes lively reading in this peaceful, easy-going day of ours;
and yet the world has not changed in its attitude or feeling towards God
and the things of God. But a most palpable change has taken place
somewhere. The change, alas! is in us, in the people of God; a change that
is not for the better. We have lost that which brought these men into
direct collision with the world, and with its ways, even the Fullness of
the Spirit. Only let a man in our day seek and obtain the blessing that
made these men mighty for God, and he will soon find that the world has
not changed, and that the "Pharisees" have not changed either; the
Fullness of the Holy Ghost makes a man the uncompromising friend of God,
and that certainly involves the enmity of the world. "Therefore the world
hateth you" (John xv. 19). It behooves those who are seeking the "Fullness
of the Spirit" to remember these facts, and to count the cost, for the
persecution may come from the most unlikely, unlooked-for quarters. To be
forewarned is to be forearmed. "In the world ye have tribulation: but be
of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John xvi. 33).