We have been dwelling upon the deep realities conveyed to us by the expressions “sealed,” “anointed,” in connection with the blessed Spirit of God; there is another word used in like connection, namely, “filled”; only observe that whereas being “sealed “and “anointed” is God’s act toward us, the being “filled in the Spirit” (B80D@LF2, ,< AEph. 5:1818And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)) is the believer’s privilege, and lies on his side in faith’s submission: it is not in any sense prayer, it is in every sense reception; the passive verb here employed is very suggestive, and seems to point to that which is the true condition to the Spirit’s incoming as filling. I believe that condition to be, the constant mind engrossed, the body yielded as a living sacrifice, and the heart the seat of the affections, submissive, meek, the great Redeemer’s throne.
The effect of the Spirit’s filling is set forth in what follows, even as the effect of wine drinking is said to be excess or riot ("FTJ4"). Do you ask what is meant in simple words by being filled with the Spirit, I would say, I believe it to be this, that the Holy Ghost takes possession in such wise, and is the only source according to His energy of the believer that all else is shut out. How blessed to be so controlled by the Spirit, that we pour out our hearts in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
Now it is important to distinguish between the gift and the gifts of the Spirit: these do not convey the same thought, though they might both be given on the same occasion. The gift of the Spirit is Himself given, the word for gift being ‘TD,"<, this is never confounded with gifts (P"D4F:"J"), these were powers with which people were invested for special purposes; whereas the gift of the Spirit was a common blessing, the portion of all who had been washed in the precious blood of Christ.
It is very interesting to the heart to see in what respect the blessed Spirit may be said to be a gift, I would say for two reasons:
How blessed to have on the day of Pentecost the very explanation given by the Lord Himself of all that was taking place there and then, and that too from the lips of His servant freshly anointed with this precious heavenly unction.
Note the one little word, the basis on which it all rests, namely, “exalted.” Christ set up on high, after all that had happened to Him below, is the divine explanation.
What could be more sweet to the heart that had tasted His love than to have Himself thus brought before it? And so it is here in Acts 2, Peter opens his mouth and delivers a precious sermon on the glories of Christ, as embosomed in scripture; under this anointing he finds Christ everywhere; another has so sweetly thus expressed it: “A very blessed thing it is that the Spirit should begin His work by testifying to the glories of the rejected, crucified Christ. Not a word as yet about grace; but going into the bosom of recondite scriptures, in Joel and the Psalms, and finding Jesus of Nazareth there—the crucified One, of whom the rabble of the earth had said, ‘Crucify him, crucify him’—the Spirit takes up and says, He is the God of heaven and earth. He goes to Psa. 16, and says David is not in that Psalm; and He goes to Psa. 110, and says, David is not in that Psalm. It is Jesus of Nazareth whose soul was not left in hell. It is Jesus of Nazareth to whom it is said, ‘Sit thou on my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool.’ It is admirable beyond all thought to find such an opening of a freshly anointed lip.”
Lastly, let us notice well here the very intimate connection between the heavenly power and the heavenly object. The blessed Lord Jesus had said: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me”—it is very evident that this means of Me in heaven, and Peter’s testimony in Acts 2, showing us Jesus made Lord and Christ in heaven, is supplemented by the fuller revelation given to him whom we may appropriately designate as the apostle from the glory.
May our hearts ever more and more rejoice not only in the heavenly comfort of the blessed Paraclete, but also in His heavenly testimony to Himself, the living One on high in the Father’s glory.
Condensed Notes of an Address, No. 5.