Are You Full Yet?
It is likely, when you read the title of this article, your mind went back a few days to the recent Thanksgiving holiday. This is a question that is asked by Grandmother and Mother alike. It seems to them, that if one isn’t “full”, they can’t be satisfied. No doubt, most of us got all the holiday fare that was available, including the deserts. Rarely does one participate in the holidays without consuming copious amounts of foodstuff. So, if one answers this question from that context, the answer usually is a resounding
“Yes, I’m full”, “I’m stuffed”, or, “I can’t eat another bite”.
However, there is much to be considered when the concept of being full is contemplated. Is this question asked regarding the physical or spiritual? One may be full physically at one point in life and be destitute of daily food later as Jas. 2:15 indicates. The Spirit had the apostle Paul remind the brethren to trust in God’s Providence in Phil. 4:11-13, as he wrote of his instruction to ‘be full and to be hungry’, and reman content in ‘whatever state’ he was in. God, the creator, knows of the needs of physical man, and all the requirements a body has to remain able to function. God is also aware of what the “inner man” needs. These are often expressed as “spiritual” needs.
Man is to exercise caution in that with which he fills himself. One can eat too much, or the wrong things, and continue to do so over a period of time and cause physical illnesses and open the body up to all sorts of disease. We also can be “filled with” the wrong thing in the inner man, the mind, and bring destruction upon us. Some have said: “You are what you eat”, and we understand this to mean that what we eat will have long term consequences. Interestingly, we can also be “full” in other ways which can bring harm. One can allow a mindset that is destructive and this is a direct result of that which we allow into our minds.
For instance, in the context of those who “changed the truth of God into a lie” and “did not like to retain God in their knowledge”, Rom. 1:29 speaks of those “being filled with all unrighteousness”. What immediately follows is a litany of despicable actions. This is not isolated to the New Testament age. Man has ‘filled his mind’ with wickedness for nearly as long as man has been on the earth. In Proverbs 23:6-7, the Spirit had Solomon write to warn Israel of “joining in” with one filled with evil. They were not to “eat the bread” (participate with) “him that hath an evil eye”. This is because “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”.
Indeed, man may be “full of” much, and it may be the wrong things. As one is filled with wrong thoughts, wrong actions result. In Acts 5:17, As the gospel was being preached, many ‘signs and wonders’ were done to confirm that Word. Many souls were ‘added to the Lord’. As a result, the high priest and the Sadducees were “filled with indignation”. Why? What did they think? They, (the unbelieving Jews, both Pharisees and Sadducees, thought themselves to be the “chosen of the Lord”). Because of the wrong ‘thoughts of their heart (mind)’, they were outraged toward the apostles. Being filled with wrong thoughts resulted in wrong actions as the apostles were imprisoned. We know the actions of the Sadducees were wrong as the Lord sent His angel to ‘bring them out of the prison’ and told them to continue to preach the gospel.
In Acts 13:45, the Jews, seeing the multitudes come together to hear the Word of God, were ‘filled with envy’. The result? They contradicted the Words the Spirit had given Paul, and blasphemed. This lead to rejection of the Word by these Jews and promoted the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles on a much larger scale. Many other passages could be cited to show that man can be ‘filled’ with improper things, but these will suffice.
But there are also proper and positive things with which we can be filled. According to 2Tim. 1:4, one can be ‘filled with joy’. Col. 1:9 shows we can be ‘filled with knowledge’. In Phil. 1:11 we are informed of being able to be ‘filled with the fruits of righteousness’. Eph. 3:19 tells us it is also possible to be ‘filled with the fulness of God’. This is certain to allow us to be ‘filled with comfort’ like Paul in 2Cor. 7:4. God has also provided the means whereby we can be ‘filled with all knowledge’ and also be able to admonish one another as Rom. 15:14 shows. All of this is possible if we do as directed in Eph. 5:18, and be ‘filled with the Spirit’.
Unfortunately, many fail to understand what it means to be ‘filled with the Spirit’. This is not the “Holy Spirit” as a force taking up residence in you to guide or direct. To be ‘filled with the Spirit’ is to be ‘filled’ with what the Spirit brought to man. The Spirit brought the Word of God and revealed the deep things of God as we are told in 1Cor. 2:10.
We are told in Heb. 11:6 that one must have faith to be pleasing to God, and that He rewards those that diligently seek Him. Then, Rom. 10:17 shows where faith comes from – the Word of God. And, Timothy was told in 2Tim. 2:15, to study, rightly dividing (handling aright) the Word of truth. This applies to us as well. This is how one is to be ‘filled with the Spirit’. God, per 2Pet. 1:3, “hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness”. Are You Full Yet? If not, have another heaping helping of the Word of God. You can be filled.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
