The Holy Spirit works with God’s Word in us and our choices.

Tuesday February 14, 2023

Michelangelo was a sculptor and not a painter. He despised painting. At the command of the newly elected Pope Julius II, Michelangelo came to Rome in 1505, he was turning thirty. Julius wished to build an enormous tomb for himself containing 45 life sized statues, to be constructed in a manner so grand that nothing like it would have existed since the burial of great men from ancient times. Julius thought Michelangelo was the man for the job.

However, the pope had a hard time settling on the right venue, so he told Michelangelo that he could keep busy with plans for the new Saint Peter’s Basilica. Years went by, and Julius decreed that Michelangelo could occupy himself by painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

In order to perform this feat, Michelangelo, who despised painting, had to learn the elaborate art of frescoing, something that he had never done before – but, as we also know, Michelangelo was an incredibly quick study. The result was the most splendid work of this reluctant artist’s amazing career, a progressive set of illustrations of salvation history that to this day fills every viewer with awe.

Though it does seem that Michelangelo was a Christian, he was possessed of incredible talent. He had to hone his skill, but no one could do what he could do. The filling of the Holy Spirit is going to give us supernatural skill, but not the skill of artistry, although we might imagine a way in which it would serve the body of Christ, but unlikely. But there is a connection. The work of the Spirit in us, the fruit that He chooses to produce, will be beautiful and amazing. Not everyone will recognize it, nor perhaps even see the work we do by the Spirit’s power. Still, if we think about it, the work of God through the creatures He loves must be beautiful and wonderful both to do and behold. Michelangelo didn’t want to paint that ceiling, but we must want to do what God has willed us to do.

Message: The Holy Spirit makes alive the Word in us and the good choices we make in obedience to God’s will.

“Don’t be drunk with wine,” writes Paul, “for that is throwing away everything good, but be filled with the Spirit.” This means to have a life filled with the Holy Spirit and not any other earthly thing that will cause us to neglect the good things from God, and in essence, throw them away with both hands.

Sin and evil filling the hearts of people is the most serious issue in the human race. More on this tomorrow.

Eph 5:15-21

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

But what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? He doesn’t leave you, but as Christ told us, the Holy Spirit would be in us and with us forever.

Insight into the nature of the filling of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the Old Testament occurrences.

Alert! The ministry of the Holy Spirit to OT saints was rare and temporary. There is no instance of the Spirit permanently indwelling an OT saint.

The first mention of being filled with the Spirit is in Exodus in the tailors of the priestly garments.

Exo 28:3-5

You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. 4 "These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me. 5 "They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen.

The NASB uses small “s” spirit, when in context with the main craftsmen of the Tabernacle, we conclude that this is the Holy Spirit. Why the Holy Spirit to tailor some clothes?

All of chapter 28 is dedicated to the instructions for making these clothes. Every detail is important and the craftsmanship must be exquisite. Perhaps the entire ensemble can be summed up by the gold plate to be worn on the front of the turban:

Exo 28:19

“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the Lord.’”

Holy to the Lord means to be set apart unto Him in obedience and service; in mind and body; in day and night – in all parts of life you are yielded to His will.

Don’t get caught up on the question of whether one gets filled with the Spirit and then is holy to the Lord or vice versa. I’ve seen Christians split over this issue, which is a conclusion of person preference since the Scripture does not speak of this. In Ephesians, Paul begins to write about our holy and blameless walk (life experience) in 4:1 and his discussion runs clear to the end of the book. He doesn’t command to be filled at the start of the section, nor at the end. He puts it roughly right in the middle and it is surrounded by positive and negative commandments. My conclusion is that decisions made in humility in the absence of sin to yield to God’s will no matter what may come. Do that and then set off to live God’s life in you and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish and fulfill the objective. You will also experience joy and power as well as a hundred other things along the way.

Being holy is our decision. God is never going to force us to be holy. It is always our choice. So the Scripture simply says, choose it. If you find that it feels almost impossible to do so, then examine your heart in prayer with the Father and find the reason that you refuse to make God holy, “Holy be your name.”

Holiness of life is the result of making God’s name holy in our hearts.

The garments of the high priest were to represent the Lord’s anointed One and they had to be worthy of the Lord’s portrait.

Even well made garments from a skillful tailor would not be good enough. These clothes had to be of supernatural origin, while still made by a fallen man.

How does the Spirit filled craftsman represent us? What do you think?

It is not enough that we have some skill with the Word of God or with virtue, but we, through the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, must be supernatural in our skill. A Christian may know the Scripture, but he may not live it, or strive to live it every day, and then his life is not one that is characterized by being filled with God.

Notice that the tailor already has skill. The Holy Spirit could use a blacksmith or a donkey (not equating the two) to make the garments. The point for us is that God the Holy Spirit will use our skill with God’s Word that we already possess, in other words, we have to read, listen to, and study the Word of God, having its knowledge within us. The Scripture is the only source of truth, and if we don’t have it in us, the Holy Spirit has little to work with.

The Holy Spirit will use a believer who is learning God’s Word and who is yielded to God’s will, to do and live the supernatural life of Christ.