Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/83

Contributor - Rev. Emmo Oltmanns

Title - The Promise Kept

Topic - Holy Spirit

He promised to meet me at the gas station at 6:00 p.m. I waited for at least forty-five minutes; he never showed up. The next day he apologized for forgetting our appointment. I promised my son we would go fishing on Saturday afternoon of the following week. In the midst of a lot of demands for my time, I forgot my promise to my son and I made an appointment for that Saturday afternoon. My son was disappointed, but understood when I explained what I had done.

Have you ever had a similar experience? Someone promised to meet you, pick you up, etc. but failed to keep the promise. Promises are broken, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally, but whenever it happens, we are hurt.

In Luke 24:49 we read, "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high." Jesus said He would send the promise of the Father and that promise was not broken. In Joel 2:28, we read of that promise, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions." On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples, Peter said that that experience was the fulfillment of the promise given in Joel 2:28. As we read the book of Acts, we see God doing a mighty work through men and women filled with the Holy Spirit.

We Christians living in the 20th century, in a day of great opportunity and challenge, need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order for the Lord to use us in His work. In fact to be filled with the Spirit is not optional, it is a command; "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit". Ephesians 5:18. We long for, and we pray for revival in the Church but God cannot send us revival unless and until our lives are open to be filled with the Holy Spirit. One of the great needs of the Church today is that we would have a fresh outpouring of the Spirit of God.

In our Christian experience we know that the "old nature" is always trying to take control of our lives. The Bible says the only way we can overcome this is to allow the Holy Spirit to control us. "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would." Gal. 5:16 - 17

The evidence of being filled with Holy Spirit and allowing Him to control our lives is seen in the nine characteristics mentioned in Galations 5:22 and 23, called "the fruit of the Spirit".

When we read these nine descriptive words called "the fruit of the Spirit" we are looking at a portrait of Jesus. No person has ever exhibited these qualities to such perfection as our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are told in Romans 8:29 that it is God's will and purpose that we should "be conformed to the image of His Son". When we speak of the fruit of the Spirit we must keep in mind that it takes time to produce fruit in an orchard. First there are the buds, then the blossoms, next the green apples and finally the delicious fruit. And what is true of the fruit of the orchard is also true of the fruit of the Spirit. At the time of conversion the Holy Spirit instills new life within us but it takes time to produce rich Christian character. This is not said to encourage us to have lazy attitudes or low expectations for our own lives, but rather to cause us to be patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and control us, He will bring forth His fruit in our lives and thus we will be more and more conformed to the image of God's Son.

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