The Spirit Filled Life — Allan Brown

The Spirit-Filled Life and the Call to Spiritual Fullness

And this morning, we want to look at the spirit-filled life. The spirit-filled life. Paul has already told his readers. How many need a Bible study leaflet? Can I see your hand? I have my men right here.

Harry, there's a man on the front row. How many others? Put your hand up high. Thank you. I have such kind and cooperative people bringing the lessons. If you keep your hand up, you'll have a lesson leaflet and be able to follow along.

Paul has already told his readers that they were sealed with the spirit in chapter 1. In chapter 4, he urged them not to grieve the Holy Spirit. In chapter 5, he told them how imperative it was for each born-again believer to be filled and maintain the fullness of the Spirit.

The power for living a holy life resides in having the blessed third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, in His fullness, flowing in and through our life, saturating, blessing, and guiding every relationship.

We come to a new paragraph, beginning with verse 22 of chapter 5. Paul has just finished giving us the command to be filled with the Spirit, and he had four subordinate clauses telling us that being filled with the Spirit will affect our speaking to each other, it will affect our singing, it will affect our gratitude.

Verse 20, we will be giving thanks always, and the Spirit-filled life will give us an attitude of mutual submission toward each other as members of the same body. Now we come to three specific applications of submission.

The new paragraph begins at verse 22. We're going to look at Spirit-filled marriages, Spirit-filled homes, Spirit-filled labor relations, and then conclude with spiritual advice on spiritual warfare.

I changed the phrase to advice on spiritual warfare because I wouldn't want anyone to think that we're going to close with fighting each other. That's not spiritual. The battle is not with one another.

The battle is against the enemy, the fallen angel called Satan and his third of the angels we now call demons. That's where the spiritual battle lies. Amen? We love one another. We walk in love, we walk in light, and we walk in wisdom.

Submission in Spirit-Filled Marriages

This morning, what is God's counsel to husbands and to wives in a marriage relationship, in a Spirit-filled marriage relationship? Number one, look at number one, fill in the blank, the mandate, M-A-N-D-A-T-E for submission.

The mandate for submission. And under the mandate, we're going to see two teachings. First, the sphere, S-P-H-E-R-E, of submission. The sphere of submission. And secondly, the spirit of submission, Spirit, S-P-I-R-I-T.

The mandate for submission is given in 22. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. The sphere of submission is unto your own husband. The spirit of that submission as unto the Lord.

Well, immediately, what is meant, the question arises, by submit? And so I give you a definition, the meaning, fill in the blank, number two, the meaning, M-E-A-N-I-N-G, the meaning of submission.

And I've defined it for you. It's to voluntarily come under the authority of another. And in this context, it's the authority of your husband, the one that you said, I will, in our culture. It is the relinquishing of one's independent rights to the leadership of God-appointed authority.

It is not mindless obedience. It is not mindless obedience. Husbands very much need the active, spirit-filled participation of the mind of their wives, helping them have a balanced perspective in their outlook and in their decision-making.

On page two, we come to some delimitations. Delimitations are things that we are saying we do not mean, or a scripture does not mean when it talks about submission. It does not imply inferiority. There is nothing inherently inferior about a wife.

There is nothing inherently superior about a husband. It's simply a God-appointed role. It is not passivity. To be in submission to your husband is not a passive role. It's a very active role. It's a very important role.

In fact, I thank God for my wife. She has helped me in more ways than I'm aware of. And she's helped me in public speaking, not to be putting my hand in and out of a pocket or to be pulling on my ear.

You know, that's what wives, wives are designed to be, a complementary. By that I mean to complement, to make up what is lacking, to help us men achieve a proper balance. And without their wise counsel and their wise input, we would not be able to make the wise decisions that we want to make.

I didn't say that we make, but that we want to make. Number three on page two, the measure of submission, the measure in everything. Let's look at verse 23 and 24, and maybe you ought to, under the blank A, fill in the reason for submission, the reason.

In verse 23, for the husband is the head of the wife. And the word head means authoritative leader of the wife, even as Christ is the head, the authoritative leader of the church. And he is the savior of the body.

Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. The reason for submission is that the husband is the head of the wife. But please notice the type of headship and the type of leadership, the type of authority that is being described.

Under number one, there is a comparison of Christ to the church. Now, you and I make up the church. How many of us, every time we get an impression, just blindly, obediently follow that impression? Well, if you do, you're going to end up being misled, because the Bible tells you to try the spirits to see if they be of God.

1 John chapter 4 makes that very clear. Paul said in Thessalonians, Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. And in our relationship to God, we're constantly saying to him, Lord, is this really you?

Now, Lord, are you telling me this? Now, this doesn't seem to make sense to me. Now, Lord, as soon as you make it clear to me, I'll be glad to obey. Isn't that how we talk to the Lord? That's how we talk to the Lord.

I mean, did not the Holy Spirit through Isaiah say, Come, let us reason together? Did not God invite us to reason together? And so it is that I talk to the Lord, Lord, I'm willing to do what you want me to do because you're all wives.

Please make it clear to me. And so it is that the process of discussion, the process of asking for clarification, why are you making this decision? What is your reason? Now, with God, I can say, I know you're all wives.

Just make it clear to me. With a husband, we know he's not all wives. And so there's even more concern to elicit information from this man to find out if he knows what he's doing. Ladies, please protect your husbands from foolish decisions.

Please pray much for this man. Please give him that wise counsel. Because as husbands, we don't have that kind of complete omniscience, that complete wisdom that Christ had. And notice how Christ's husbands, notice how Christ cares for that church.

Right in this context of submission, verse 23, where it says, and he is the savior of the body, the Lord is emphasizing his care. Aren't you so glad that he loved you and sought you and was patient with you and worked with your dullness?

And when you, you know, sometimes we say, well, the Lord taught me a lesson. How many times do we have to be retaught? And we have to relearn the same thing. And then we say to the Lord, Lord, I'm so sorry.

I'm so slow to learn. I should have learned this years ago. And what's his response to us? My child, I'm so glad that you're learning now. That's the attitude we husbands are to have toward our wife. Not to say to her, my child.

But to have that attitude of love and of care as Christ the Savior has for the church. We come on to B, the role of appeal, R-O-L-E. The idea that a wife is asking for more information is not a lack of submission.

It is simply there is a proper way to appeal. The proper way to appeal is to remember that God has placed this order of authority, and you are not to deliberately flaunt or rebel with a rebellious, the key word is your attitude.

And I think that should be underscored in your mind. You ought to write that down. The role of appeal, watch your attitude. Be careful that you solicit the information, that you offer your advice with the proper attitude, and you're not berating your husband's lack of intelligence.

Being unkind, less than kind or tender-hearted, and forgiving in your communication. We're talking about a Spirit-filled relationship. There is the role of appeal, and there is the rule, R-U-L-E.

See, the rule of Acts 5 .19, that in anything that the husband suggests or demands or desires to violate the Word of God, Acts 5 .29 says we must obey God rather than man. But even in that stance, it can be a sweet opposition.

It can be a submissive opposition to wrongdoing as versus a defiant opposition, as versus a wrong-spirited opposition. We need to be Spirit-filled so that our homes can function as God designed them to function.

Husbands’ Mandate to Love Sacrificially

We come to God's counsel for the husbands. The mandate to love is given in 25a. Husbands, love your wives. There's no option. It has nothing to do particularly with, is she lovable? It has nothing to do particularly with, is she a nice wife?

It is a God-given mandate. Love her. The manner of love is given in verses 25 through 33. And the very first thing on the top of the list under A is fill in the blank, a sacrificial love. This love begins with sacrifice.

Verse 25, even as Christ the Church, and then the very first explanation, illustration of how he loves the Church is in the phrase, and gave himself. And so the attitude we husbands are to adopt toward our wives, and I hope on this Valentine's Day, if you didn't, repent.

Lord, to forgive you for being distracted, forgetful. Call it what you will. You'll give it a nice name. And then ask your wife to forgive you. She probably would be tempted not to give it quite such a nice name.

A sacrificial love, and it takes spot. It takes spot. Secondly, it's a purposeful love. Purposeful, P-U-R-P-O-S-E-F-U-L. And I wrote out for you the two things under this purposeful love. Notice, let's read together verses 26 and 27, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. The priority, gentlemen, in your relationship to your wife is not to be the man with all the macho meaning and tapestry that comes with that phraseology in our society.

The priority is to care for your wife's spiritual growth, because that's Christ's priority for his church. It's spiritual growth, is it not? And gentlemen, how do you do that? Well, you cannot do that unless you are thinking about and understanding that your first priority in marriage is not earning a living.

You must earn a living. But that's down the list. The first priority in a marriage is the spiritual growth and development of your wife, even as the first priority of Christ for the church is that we might be sanctified and cleansed by the word and holy.

And are you sharing the word? I'm not talking about your word. Do you have times of devotion together? That's crucial. Are you asking your wife how is she doing spiritually, and not in an insulting way, but in a real, concerned, encouraging way?

Not in a holier-than-thou, but in a way that says, Honey, I care. I love you. I'm wanting you and me together to be strong in the Lord. Is there anything I can help you pray about? Is there anything I've done to hurt your feelings that would give the enemy an advantage for bitterness or for resentment?

Honey, I'm concerned about your spiritual growth. I don't want to do anything to damage it. Please let me know. If I have, I humble myself. I tell you I'm sorry, because I love you and I want you to grow and flourish in the Lord.

It's very crucial. And then secondly, your priority in this purposeful love is the protection of her from contamination by the world, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And the idea, therefore, is not, Where can I make the most money?

But what environment will be the best for my wife? And if you have children, for my children. Remember Lot's wife. He was a successful businessman, and he lost his wife and he lost his children. And so your concern is not what's best financially.

Hey, I can get a raise. I've been offered this job. The question is, what is going to be the best for her spiritually and to protect her from the hideous and insidious encroachments of the world in her mind?

I want her to have the right kind of friends. I want her to have the right kind of encouragement. Gentlemen, this is our responsibility. And then we have not only a sacrificial love, a purposeful love, but let's get the terminology right out of verse 29.

This will help you spell the word. Look at it. I'm going to read 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. To look at most of us men, we must love ourselves pretty well. Our bodies are growing.

Our love for our wives should be growing then, I guess. Shouldn't it? He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh. That's assuming he is in his right mind, not insane.

But the first blank under C, a nourishing, N-O-U-R-I-S-H-I-N-G, a nourishing and cherishing love. Does your wife feel cherished? Do you picture her in terms of a valuable jewel? Do you see her in terms of a fragile flower?

Someone says, My wife a fragile flower? I say, yes, your wife a fragile flower. I'm talking about who she is inside. God created her that way. And we are not to in any way be insensitive, but we are to nourish and cherish her as if we have within our jurisdiction the crown jewels of England.

And last, verses 30 through 33, a loyal love. And gentlemen, let's look what it says. We're members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones. And for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh.

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church in the analogy to a marriage. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The loyal love in the leaving and cleaving involves a very careful guard about where your eyes look. How many of you wives, now pay attention to this, husbands, how many of you wives from time to time check where your husband's eyes are when there is a particularly questionable or disturbing female in the vicinity?

How many have ever checked where your husband's eyes are? Could I see your hands? Now, would you look around? Yes, they do. The majority of all women check their husband's eyes. And if you're going to be a loyal lover, you need to do as Job did and make a covenant with your eyes that you are not causing your wife in any way to feel jeopardized, nervous, concerned, but you are loyal in your allegiance to her.

And all the men said, Amen. We come to spirit-filled homes. Oh, for spirit-filled marriages. Oh, for spirit-filled homes. Now, the God-ordained program, fill in the first blank under A, program, P-R-O-G-R-A-M, program.

Spirit-Filled Homes and the Responsibilities of Parents

The God-ordained program is given to us in Proverbs 22 .6. I'm going to let you look that up because of our constrictions of time this morning. And later on, I want you to look at the corollary truth in Deuteronomy 6, 5 -9.

If you want to know how to train up your child in the way he should go, so that when he is old, he will not depart from it, Deuteronomy 6, 5 -9 gives you the explicit instructions that is worthy of a message in and of itself.

But we come to the God-ordained pattern. The God-ordained pattern. Let's fill in the word on page 3. Pattern, P-A-T-T-E-R-N. And we read, children, notice the two mandates, the two important words that God gives us.

And when do I stop being a child? That is a difficult question. Children are to obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. The first stipulation is that children are to obey. And then verse 2, honor your father and your mother.

There is a time when you cease being a child, but there is never a time when you cease being a son or a daughter. And as long as your parents are alive, you are to honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with promise.

And may I say to you who have living parents that you ought to be extremely careful in what you say and what you do around them, for if you are bringing them down to the grave with a burdened heart and with a broken heart because of your newfound freedoms and your now adult authority that you have the right to do as you feel clear unto God to do.

And I hear people saying this all the time. I'm afraid about it, and I feel very clear to do what I'm doing. And yes, it is killing my mom, and yes, it is killing my dad, but they have to realize I'm an adult now.

Well, my dear friend, you may well be an adult, but I cannot see how bringing your dear, sainted mother and father to the grave because of a burdened heart can anyway qualify under the word of honoring them.

And perhaps we need to rethink what it means to honor. For fathers, we're told two things. We are told to provoke not. And gentlemen, that is crucial. When we exercise authority in the home, we must do it in such a way that does not antagonize and anger our children.

And the concepts in just this one statement, well, Daddy, why? Because I said so, is one of the most irritating and provocative responses a man can ever say to his children. You're not to provoke them.

And I know, many times they provoke you. But that's no excuse to simply, high-handedly, authoritatively, little children are to be seen and not heard, like pictures. You never found that in the Bible.

That's an absolutely terrible statement. And if you grew up with that, I hope you'll trash that and bury it deep. Children are to be heard. And you are to be sure you don't provoke them, but provide discipline and instruction in the Lord.

Spirit-Filled Labor Relations for Workers

Now we come to spirit-filled labor relations. And because of the constrictions of time, I wrote out just about everything there. Isn't that handy for you? God's counsel to workers. Servants. And in our culture, you're probably not a servant, but you do have an employer, and therefore the application would be, as employees, there are from you as you work on your job.

You are to be obedient. And of course, Acts 5 .29, if you're asked to lie, you must obey God and not lie. But in those areas where the Bible prohibits you don't do, but you have a right attitude, but in those areas where the Bible does allow you to operate, then be obedient.

And be respectful with fear and trembling. Be conscientious in singleness of your heart as under Christ. Be diligent, not with eye service as men-pleasers. The boss is coming. Quick, look busy! And that is contrary to the Word of God.

The Bible says God is watching you continually. Stay busy! Diligent. Wholehearted. Doing the will of God from the heart. Cheerful. With goodwill doing service. Expectant. Expectant that God is going to take care of your money, your rewards, that you shall receive of the Lord.

I wish we had time to talk more about that. But do look up Psalm 75, verses 5 through 7, and be reassured that if you're expecting a raise from your boss, you're looking at the wrong place. The Bible says, lift not up your head on high, and speak not with a stiff neck.

Promotion comes not from the southeast, north, the boss, or whatever. The Lord puts up and the Lord puts down. And if God wants you to have a promotion, you're going to get a promotion. And if your boss doesn't want to give you one, then God will probably get rid of your boss.

If you deserve a promotion, and God wants you to have that promotion, you're going to have it. And the boss better watch out. And that's a vastly different attitude that I'm going to go in and tell that boss something.

No, just talk to the Lord. Expect God to work out your mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Do you believe that? God's counsel to management. Verse 9. Three management principles. Interestingly, that there are seven working characteristics that we must maintain.

Three Biblical Principles for Christian Management

But there are three management principles. Number one, respect your workers. Where do you get that? Let's look at verse 9, chapter 6. And ye masters, in our application here, you employees, do the same things unto them.

If you want your employees to be courteous, you be courteous to them. If you expect your employees to be cheerful, you be cheerful. If you expect your employees to be respectful, you be respectful. Do the same thing.

It's the golden rule. Treat your employees as you wish to be treated. The last page. Secondly, renounce the unfair weapon of threats. Now, there is a time when you have to let someone go. But you don't use threats as a tool, as a management tool.

You either shape up or ship out. That's a threat. If they need to ship out, let them ship out. But don't be threatening them. Talk to them kindly. Treat them courteously. And if they can't do what you tell them to do, then fire them tenderly and kindly.

And thirdly, not only renounce, top of the page, renounce, but thirdly, recall, recall, R-E-C-A-L-L, that your attitude and behavior will be evaluated by the heavenly master who is the impartial judge.

Knowing that your master also is in heaven and he's watching, neither is their respective persons with him, and you're expecting your employees to fawn over you and to just palaver. Don't expect that.

Expect them to be respectful and you be respectful to them. Interpersonal relationships, absolutely enhanced and made blessed by being spirit-filled. We need to be and maintain spirit-filled relationships in our marriages, in our homes, and in our working situations.

Spiritual Warfare and the Enemy Behind Relational Conflict

Amen? Lastly, we come to spiritual warfare. And this truth is the reason why so many homes are falling apart, so many children are lost, antagonism between parents and children, so many people are continually unhappy in their job relationships, because there's an enemy.

And we look at the warfare of the Christian in verses 10 through 13. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. But, Brother Brown, you don't know my wife, but you don't know my husband. You don't know my boss. You don't know my parents. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities.

These wives and husbands and children and employers and employees who are not functioning as they ought to function in relationships, are being unduly influenced by the enemy of their soul. Our problem is not with each other.

Our problem is with the enemy who is using us unwittingly. And the tragedy is, you know, Peter, on one hand, turns around and when Jesus says, Who am I? Who do you say that I am? Peter says, Thou art Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, the Messiah come in the flesh.

And Jesus said to him, Peter, you didn't get that from any commentary. You didn't get that from any rabbi. You must have gotten that. You got that directly from heaven. And there, Peter, had just had a divine revelation of truth and had spoken it, received a commendation.

And that man who loved the Lord had just been illumined by the Holy Spirit and had a divine insight and God just commended him through Jesus Christ for that truth, turns around and in the next sentence pronounces satanic doctrine.

And there's a case of a good man, a royal man, a loving man, ignorantly being used by the devil to try to hinder the work of God and he didn't even know it. And the tragedy is, the enemy uses you and he uses me to cause each one of us problems, doesn't he?

And we must not be attacking each other. We must be praying for each other and attacking the enemy, which are the principalities and the powers and the rulers of darkness. But notice under number one we have the assurance.

The assurance. The assurance that we can be more than conquerors. The assurance that we have available all that we need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Hallelujah. We're not going to be defeated if we will put on the whole armor of God.

We have all that we need to have the right attitudes and the right relationships with other people. There's our assurance. Secondly, the admonition. A-D-M-O-N-I-T-I-O-N. The admonition. The admonition.

The Armor of God and Equipping for Victory

We have an adversary, but we have an ally. Let's look at verse 13. Take unto you the whole armor of God. God is our ally. He provides armor that you can withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand.

And then beginning with verse 14, running down through verse 20, we have the weapons of the Christian. And if we had time, we would talk in detail about the equipment for victory. There's your loins girt about with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

And above all, did you underline that in your Bible? Above all? Taking the shield of faith, you can quench all the fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And then people usually stop when they talk about the equipment, but don't stop there. Some more equipment is given to you. Praying always. Underline those phrases. All prayer. Supplication. And don't stop there.

There's a careful qualification in the Spirit. But don't stop there. Notice the next thing. Watching. Watching. And we close with the equipping for victory. Brothers and sisters, are you putting on the armor?

There's three things you must do in relationship to this putting on. You must put it on, number one, consciously. C-O-N-S-C-I-O-U-S-L, watch. Consciously. If it was an automatic process because you're simply saved and Spirit-filled, then he wouldn't even talk about the need to put it on.

But he's talking to Spirit-filled people. Put it on. It must be conscious every day. Make sure it's on. Secondly, completely. C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E-L-Y. Put it on completely. Don't leave off any of the armor.

Consciously put it on each morning. Keep it on. Completely. And thirdly, continually. C-O-N-T-I-N-U-A-L-L-Y. Continually. Aren't you thankful to God that he's provided everything we need? Let's stand and sing, all hail the power of Jesus' name.

Let's praise him this morning for the promises and the power we have in Christ.