Dr Paul Allen

Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And be not drunk with wine , wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” ( Ephesians 5:18 ) This classic verse on the filling of the Holy Spirit can be rendered as follows: “And don’t begin to be drunk with wine, which involves profligacy, but be continually being filled with the Spirit.” That is, one cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit (which implies complete control by the Holy Spirit) if he has come to even the slightest degree under the control of wine (or anything else, for that matter). Being fully controlled and guided by the Spirit is not just a one-time experience . That is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a continual experience—a moment-by-moment control of one’s thoughts and actions by God. In practice, however, it is at best a repeated experience, whereas most Christians experience it quite

Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth , has come, He will guide you into all truth.… He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13, 14). The function of the Holy Spirit in the Church is described as that of guiding, or literally, of “leading the way.” The Spirit does not use external weapons to drive, but He leads by exerting His influence upon the regenerated consciousness of the child of God and enlarging in his or her mind those themes that Christ taught during His earthly ministry. In doing this, He guides men into all the truth, that is, the whole body of redemptive revelation. We must remember that the Holy Spirit never stresses one point of doctrine at the expense of all the others. He leads into all the truth. As He leads us in truth, Christ is glorified. The Spirit causes the virtues of Christ to be proclaimed, showing forth His power, holiness, love, mercy, and other glories, causing these attributes

Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father , the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26). Having just described the opposition that the apostles would lace in the world, Jesus encourages them once again with promises of the coming Spirit, who would testify of Him. Hendriksen writes, “In the midst of the wicked world , He will testify against the world. In the midst of mankind, He will bear witness concerning mankind’s need. In the midst of the church, He will comfort the church. The sphere of His testimony must not be restricted. Whenever a true servant of God bears witness against the world, this witness is the work of the Spirit. Whenever a simple believer, by word and example, draws others to Chris

Image via Wikipedia "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I; send me." ( Isaiah 6:8 )   In this passage we see, perhaps, a hint of the triune nature of the Godhead . It is as if God the Father is inquiring of God the Son and God the Spirit as to whom other than one of them would be an effective representative for them. Isaiah, in his freshly forgiven and purified state ( vv. 6-7 ), offers to accept the commission and represent the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. A similar call is issued to each of us today.   Elsewhere in Scripture we are told more plainly of the fullness of our call to represent God the Father: "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour" ( Isaiah 43:10-11 ).