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Lesson 02 – The Filling of the Holy Spirit

Lesson 02 – The Filling of the Holy Spirit

Lesson for February 6, 2022

The Uniqueness of the Church Age

Lesson 2

The Filling of the Holy Spirit

The filling of the Holy Spirit is for every believer in Christ. The purpose of this filling is to empower the believer to live the Christian Way of Life. When a believer is living the Christian Way of Life, he brings glory and honor to Christ. All believers are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit the moment they trust Christ as their Savior. However, the first time we sin after salvation, we are out of fellowship with God, and we lose the filling of the Holy Spirit. In order to restore our fellowship with God and the filling of the Holy Spirit, we must simply name our known sins to God. (I John 1:9) We are then commanded to move forward with living the Christian life. The filling of the Holy Spirit is potential, depending on the volition (free will) of the believer. (I John 1:5-10)

To be filled is to be empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit in the same manner as a person is “empowered” and “guided” by alcohol when they are intoxicated. We choose to allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives by allowing Him to guide our thinking. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ.” (Philippians 2:5) This means we must have the Word of God stored in our souls. It is this doctrinal information that the Holy Spirit uses to empower and guide our lives. 

The Greek word for “filling” is “pleroo” and has four meanings, which all apply to the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit.

  1. To fill up a deficiency – Without the power and teaching of the Holy Spirit, we have no ability to learn and apply Bible doctrine. In other words, we are deficient of the doctrinal information necessary to execute the Christian Way of Life. (Colossians 1:25; I John 4:4)
  2. To be fully possessed – Since God the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in the Church Age, the potential exists for them to be fully directed by God’s supernatural power. This means that we can reside in God’s plan by utilizing God’s system. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)
  3. To be fully influenced – If the Holy Spirit is allowed to fill the deficiency and fully possess our life, then every area of that life will be influenced by the power of the Holy Spirit. If the power of the Holy Spirit is rejected, we are going to be fully influenced by Satan’s cosmic system. (Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:18)
  4. To be filled with a certain quality – There is no higher quality than the integrity of God. It is this quality that becomes resident in our souls as the Holy Spirit is allowed to control, possess, and influence our soul. It is also this quality that leads us to spiritual maturity and continued growth. (Ephesians 3:19, 4:10; Philippians 1:11; I John 1:4; Revelation 3:2)

The Protocol Plan of God

Protocol is strict adherence to precisely correct procedure. In the case of believers, protocol is strict adherence to the principles and doctrines from God and using the correct procedure for carrying them out. These precisely correct procedures are found in only one place, the Word of God. By learning and applying the truth found in the Bible, we can fulfill God’s plan for our lives. When the truth is presented from the Word of God in a systematic manner, it allows any believer to grow spiritually (regardless of I.Q.) by following God’s plan.

God, in His grace, has set up certain protocols that must be strictly adhered to if a believer is to advance in his spiritual life. Random intake of Bible doctrine will not accomplish the goal. If we are to properly execute God’s protocol plan, we must be consistent with our study and application of Bible doctrine. There is no other plan for believers in this Age. During the Church Age, we receive all the necessary tools for the fulfillment of the Protocol Plan of God. The objective should be to reach the status of “spiritual maturity,” which results in winning a tactical victory over Satan in the Angelic Conflict (Christ won the strategic victory at the Cross). Only by residing in God’s system under the filling of the Holy Spirit can we reach this status.

God’s policy for dealing with mankind is always His grace. This grace begins with providing salvation through Jesus Christ. Since Christ paid the penalty for the sin of the entire human race, anyone can have eternal life and be saved from eternal separation from God. All that God requires is a simple act of faith in Jesus Christ (apart from any human merit). This simply means that a person is relying (trusting) upon Jesus Christ for eternal life and not good works or anything else. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

After salvation, God’s policy continues to be grace. Only by orienting to His grace can a believer execute the Protocol Plan of God. The Christian Way of Life was not designed to be a life of human good works performed as a means of gaining the approval of God. The Christian Way of Life is a life of thinking divine viewpoint and the divine production that results. Divine production can be visible or invisible. (Titus 2:12)

God’s power system is based on virtue (strength of character) and integrity (a strict adherence to divine truth). We cannot adhere to something that we know absolutely nothing about. When we begin to learn about God, His character, and His attributes, we become motivated to love Him and depend on Him in every circumstance of life. The natural result of our love for God will be impersonal love for all mankind, based on the virtue and integrity we have developed as a result of knowing God.

Under the Protocol Plan, everything God does is based on his love for us. Not the “mushy” emotional feelings often called love, but the genuine love of God based on His integrity. This is “agape” love, God’s unconditional love for all mankind that caused Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for sin. When Christian integrity is developed, we are able to exhibit love for God on the basis of God’s character. We are also able to love others based on the integrity of God in our souls.

Our authority for this plan is the Word of God. It is the Word of God that establishes the standard by which all teachings, experiences and actions are evaluated. Any teaching, experience or action that does not fully agree with Scripture is wrong. Those who distort, change, or misuse God’s Word are “false apostles” and “ministers of Satan” (even if they are well-meaning). The Bible tells us to note them and avoid them. God’s protocol plan has a result. The result is the ability of advancing believers to make good decisions from a position of strength, to take control of their spiritual lives, and develop a personal sense of destiny.

The Protocol Plan of God also has an enemy – the world system of Satan. As the great counterfeiter, Satan seeks to mimic God’s power system. The power of the Holy Spirit is counterfeited by human emotion and ecstatic behavior. Divine Viewpoint Thinking is replaced with Human Viewpoint Thinking. God’s grace policy is replaced by a system of human good works. And virtue is replaced by an appealing personality and charm. And the authority of God’s Word is replaced by political correctness – whatever is a popular trend at the time. Political correctness is a subtle attack by Satan to infiltrate and change the norms and standards of a nation. This can easily be observed in our own country in the violation of the principles of the Laws of Divine Establishment.

First, the principle of volition or free will has slowly been changing to let the government do your thinking for you because “we know what is best for you.” We’ve seen this most recently with regard to the pandemic, i.e. vaccinations, wearing masks, medication and so forth. (I Corinthians 2:12-14)

Second, the principle of marriage established by Jesus Christ in the Garden of Eden is being violated and ignored. Living together and having children without being married has become an acceptable practice in our society. Very recently, “same sex marriage” has become legal and the public is being “brainwashed” into accepting and even celebrating this blatant corruption of God’s principle of marriage. These violations of the laws of marriage lead to the breakdown of the family. Throughout history, the principle has been proven that when the family unit breaks down, eventually the nation does, as well. (Romans 1:26-27)

Third, the principle of family has changed with the high divorce rate and blended families. The single- parent home due to divorce, separation or people living together has created a generation of “latchkey children.” These children come home to an empty house without the supervision of a responsible adult which can lead to all types of issues. (Ephesians 5:18-31)

Fourth, the principle of nationalism is slowly being replaced with a “one world view.” The idea is we are all “citizens of the world” and that we should all love and embrace everyone’s culture. This seems like a good thing to do but many cultures are anti-freedom, anti-free enterprise, and anti-God. These are not cultures that a Christian or even a non-Christian should embrace if they want to continue to thrive as a nation. (Philippians 3:20; II Chronicles 7:14)

Regardless of these violations of God’s laws, He stills loves everyone, and we should as well. Though God never condones these violations, which are contrary to what the Bible teaches, He continues to show love and compassion towards those who do. In turn, we are to show the same love and compassion for everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, marital status, lifestyle, or culture without condoning or participating in them. (II Corinthians 6:14-17)

As believers in Christ, we cannot pick and choose the principles of God’s Word that we are going to believe and live by because they suit us or because they align with our preconceived ideas of what is right. God and His Word are timeless, and His principles never change. Just because someone thinks that God’s principles are old-fashioned or outdated does not make it so. This doesn’t mean that if we believe and hold to these principles that we are “living in the past.” These are God’s unchangeable laws, and they never change, even under mankind’s pressure to do so!! God has a purpose for His protocol plan and that is to glorify His Son, Jesus Christ. Glorification of Christ is accomplished through the lives of advancing believers as they exhibit the character of Jesus Christ. The character of Christ can be produced only by God the Holy Spirit as He is allowed to influence our thinking and not Satan’s world system. Bible doctrine resident in our soul is the “raw material” that the Holy Spirit uses to teach and guide us through life’s journey with biblical correctness not political correctness.

Eleven Principles of the Protocol Plan of God

  1. The Protocol Plan of God has a system of authority. God has delegated that authority in two spheres: 1] in the temporal sphere, the Laws of Divine Establishment and government, 2] in the spiritual realm, Bible doctrine, communicated by the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. (Psalms 33:12; Ephesians 4:11)
  2. The Protocol Plan of God has a spiritual life for each believer. Therefore, you and you alone are the only one that can live your spiritual life – no one else can live it for you. (I John 1:5-10)
  3. The Protocol Plan of God recognizes the volition of each believer. Each believer is a production of his/her own decisions, whether they are positive or negative. Volition is important for establishing values. As we establish values, those values dictate the manner and function of our own volition [free will]. (Philippians 2:1-16)
  4. The Protocol Plan of God has a system for advancement, or spiritual growth, which is Bible doctrine in the stream of consciousness of our souls. (II Peter 3:18)5.
  5. The Protocol Plan of God has a system of Problem-Solving Devices. They are related to Bible doctrine in our The Christian Way of Life was designed for us to personally resolve our own problems without interference from others. (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 5:11-14)
  6. The Protocol Plan of God has both historical and individual time reference. The historical time reference is the unique dispensation of the Church Age. The individual time reference is from the moment we believed in Christ till the moment of our death or resurrection [Rapture], whichever occurs first. (Colossians 1:25-29)
  7. The Protocol Plan of God has a Portfolio of Invisible (spiritual) Assets provided for each believer in eternity past. (Ephesians 1:3)
  8. The Protocol Plan of God has a system of invisible impact on history, which comes in five categories: 1] personal impact – blessing by association with a spiritually mature believer, a winner and invisible hero (invisible in the sense of not known or understood by unbelievers or believers not living their spiritual lives) 2] historical impact – blessing by association to the client nation through the Pivot (remnant according to grace) 3] international impact – blessing by association to a non-client nation through spiritually mature missionary function 4] angelic impact – invisible heroes become a witness for the prosecution in Satan’s appeal trial, which extends from prehistoric times into the Church Age 5] heritage impact – blessing by association with an invisible hero after their death. (Romans 11:1-12)
  9. The Protocol Plan of God has precisely correct procedure, based on the principle that God has only one way of doing a thing – a right thing, done in a right way. (I Corinthians 14:40)
  10. The Protocol Plan of God has a system of eternal rewards and decorations for each believer who executes the Protocol Plan of God. And even if they fail to fulfill God’s plan, their potential rewards will be on record…they will be in Heaven, available for them to see. (I Corinthians 3:12-15)
  11. God makes war against the arrogant believer, but He gives grace to the humble believer. This becomes the basis for whether we are going to succeed or fail because arrogance is always failure under the Protocol Plan of God. (James 4:6; I Peter 5:5-6)