A line in a song by Matt Hammitt introduces our subject today!
"You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every fallen tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me
Is where I'll start."
(By Matt Hammitt)
"Then Peter said to them, "Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
When we repent of our sins, and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, two things happen. 1) We receive the remission or our sins.
2) We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. I want to focus on the second thing that happens to us at conversion.
When we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we receive all of Him.
He comes into our heart, our life, and walks beside us to keep us on the path of our Christian walk. This Christian walk requires that we (not be drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Spirit-Galatians 5:18).
We are like buckets that have holes in them. We need to daily allow the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with the truth of God's Word. We need to keep our hearts replenished with the encouragement of God's Word, guided by the Holy Spirit, so we can keep our hearts and souls healthy and strong.
In Acts 1:5 Jesus told the apostles that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, in order to do special foundational things, to help the church be established, and maintained in those early years. Today we do not need these special abilities, because we have the Word of God that we are to live out in our lives. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) The Holy Spirit will help to develop the spiritual gifts He has endowed each of us as Christians, to use to minister to the world, and to edify the Church. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
As Christians we are to live and walk according to the Holy Spirit's leading. The Holy Spirit will always lead us in the truth of God's Word. (John 16:13) Evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit found in (Galatians 5:22-23).
When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives at baptism, He comes in totally without any hesitation or reservation. The question is: Does He have all of us? Are we completely allowing the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our lives?
The commitment we are to have is stated well by the apostle Paul:
"If we live in the Spirit (not in the flesh) let us also walk in the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25) GP
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