Embracing the Spirit: Connecting Physical and Spiritual Realms

Feb 17, 2014

Devotional

Day 1: The Physical and Spiritual Are Deeply Connected

God, who is Spirit, created the material world, and throughout Scripture, He uses physical things to bring about spiritual realities. From the tree of knowledge in Eden to the bread and wine of communion, the Bible is full of examples where physical acts have profound spiritual effects. This challenges the Western mindset that separates the physical from the spiritual, reminding us that God can use ordinary, tangible things—like water in baptism or the laying on of hands—to accomplish extraordinary spiritual purposes. Embracing this truth opens us to the fullness of how God works in our lives, uniting body and spirit in worship and obedience. [02:08]

Genesis 2:16-17 (ESV)
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Reflection: What is one physical practice or object in your daily life that you have overlooked as spiritually significant? How might you invite God to use it for His purposes today?

Day 2: Receiving the Holy Spirit Is a Distinct, Definite Experience

The New Testament makes clear that receiving the Holy Spirit is not the same as repenting, believing, or being baptized in water. It is a separate and definite experience, marked by outward evidence that is unmistakable both to the person and to those around them. Just as the early believers in Samaria had repented, believed, and were baptized yet had not received the Spirit until the apostles laid hands on them, so too are we called to seek and recognize this fourth step. Assurance of belonging to God comes not from our actions alone, but from the gift and seal of the Holy Spirit in our lives. [16:14]

Acts 8:14-17 (ESV)
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: Can you recall a moment when you experienced the Holy Spirit in a way that was clear and undeniable? If not, are you willing to ask God for this assurance today?

Day 3: The Danger of Being Clean and Empty Without Being Filled

Water baptism deals with the past, washing away sin and leaving a person clean, but if nothing fills the emptiness left behind, it becomes a dangerous and miserable state. Jesus warned that a life swept clean but left empty is vulnerable to even greater spiritual harm. God’s wisdom is that we not only be cleansed but also filled—with His Spirit—so that the pleasures of sin are replaced by the joy and fullness of salvation. A Christian life that is only defined by what is avoided, and not by what is received, is incomplete and unsatisfying. [07:31]

Matthew 12:43-45 (ESV)
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Reflection: Is your spiritual life more defined by what you avoid than by what you are filled with? What would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit to fill every empty place in your heart today?

Day 4: The Overflow of the Spirit Is Evident and Outward

When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, it is as unmistakable as a jug overflowing with water—what fills the heart comes out of the mouth. The New Testament describes this overflow in various ways: spontaneous praise, new languages, or bold declarations of faith. This outward evidence is not something forced or manufactured, but a natural result of being filled to the brim with God’s presence. The Spirit’s overflow is a testimony to others and a source of assurance to ourselves that we truly belong to God. [27:45]

Acts 2:4 (ESV)
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Reflection: What has been overflowing from your heart and mouth lately? Ask God to fill you afresh with His Spirit so that your words and actions reflect His presence.

Day 5: The Holy Spirit Is God’s Down Payment—A Foretaste of Heaven

Receiving the Holy Spirit is described as God’s deposit, His first down payment of all that is to come. The Spirit brings renewal, restoring us to our original condition, and gives us a taste of heaven’s love, joy, and fellowship even now. When a church is filled with the Spirit, it becomes a place where others glimpse what heaven is like—a community marked by singing, love, and unity. The Spirit’s presence is not just for personal assurance, but for the transformation of the whole community into a living preview of God’s kingdom. [21:17]

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Reflection: How can you contribute to making your church or home a place where others experience a foretaste of heaven through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in you?

Sermon Summary

Western Christians often struggle to connect the physical and spiritual realms because of the influence of Greek philosophy, which separates the two. In contrast, Hebrew thinking, as seen throughout the Bible, recognizes that God, who is Spirit, created the material world and can use physical things to bring about spiritual realities. This is why physical acts like water baptism, communion, and the laying on of hands are not just symbolic but are means through which God works spiritual transformation. The inability to see this connection leads to confusion about how physical actions can have spiritual effects, such as in baptism or receiving the Holy Spirit.

The journey of new life in Christ involves four distinct steps: repentance, believing, water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit. Each is a clear and definite experience, not to be conflated with the others. Water baptism deals with the past, cleansing and burying the old life, but it leaves a person empty if not followed by being filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling is not automatic upon believing or being baptized; it is a separate, tangible experience, often accompanied by outward evidence, such as spontaneous spiritual speech or an overflow of praise.

Receiving the Holy Spirit is the seal and assurance of belonging to God. It is not merely an inward feeling but an outward, recognizable event, just as in the New Testament, where both the recipient and those around them knew when the Spirit had been received. The language of the New Testament—words like “filled,” “baptized,” “poured out,” “anointed,” and “sealed”—all point to a dynamic, experiential reality. The overflow of the Spirit is most often expressed through the mouth, whether in new languages, praise, or prophecy, serving as evidence of the Spirit’s indwelling.

God’s intention is not just to empty us of sin but to fill us with His presence, making us a foretaste of heaven on earth. The church, when filled with the Spirit, becomes a place of love, joy, and fellowship that draws others to desire what God offers. The call is to embrace both the physical and spiritual, to seek the fullness of the Spirit, and to live as those who have one foot in heaven.

Key Takeaways

1. The Integration of Physical and Spiritual Realities God, as Creator of both the spiritual and physical, uses material things to accomplish spiritual purposes. This challenges the Western mindset that separates the two, reminding us that acts like baptism, communion, and the laying on of hands are not empty rituals but means by which God imparts grace and power. Recognizing this integration opens us to expect God’s presence and action in the ordinary and tangible aspects of life. [02:08]
2. The Danger of Being Clean but Empty Water baptism cleanses and buries the past, but if not followed by being filled with the Holy Spirit, it leaves a person vulnerable and spiritually empty. Jesus warned that an empty, swept house is a dangerous state, as it can be easily filled with worse things. True Christian life is not just about what we leave behind, but about what—and Who—we are filled with, ensuring that the pleasures of sin are replaced by the joy and power of the Spirit. [08:17]
3. Receiving the Holy Spirit is a Distinct, Definite Experience The New Testament consistently distinguishes receiving the Holy Spirit from repentance, believing, and water baptism. It is a separate event, marked by clear, outward evidence, so much so that both the individual and the community recognize it. This challenges us to seek not just intellectual assent or ritual observance, but a real encounter with the Spirit that transforms and empowers. [18:32]
4. The Overflow of the Spirit is Evident and Outward When a person is filled with the Spirit, it overflows—most often through the mouth in praise, new languages, or prophecy. This overflow is not forced or manufactured, but a spontaneous expression of what fills the heart. The evidence of the Spirit’s presence is not hidden or merely internal, but becomes a testimony to others of God’s reality and power. [27:45]
5. The Spirit-Filled Life is a Foretaste of Heaven Receiving the Holy Spirit is described as a deposit, a down payment, and a renewal—a little bit of heaven given now. A Spirit-filled church becomes a place where love, joy, and fellowship abound, making the reality of God’s kingdom tangible to all who enter. This is not just for our benefit, but so that others might see and desire the life that God offers through His Spirit.

** [21:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Greek vs. Hebrew Thinking: Physical and Spiritual
[02:08] - Physical Acts with Spiritual Effects
[04:03] - Water, Communion, and the Power of Physical Elements
[05:21] - Worshiping God with Our Bodies
[06:35] - Laying on of Hands and Receiving the Spirit
[07:31] - The Danger of Being Clean and Empty
[08:17] - The Need to Be Filled After Cleansing
[09:46] - Following Jesus: The Four Steps
[10:59] - Receiving the Spirit: Not Repentance or Belief
[12:46] - The Shift from Receiving Jesus to Receiving the Spirit
[14:44] - The Seal and Assurance of the Spirit
[16:14] - Outward Evidence of Receiving the Spirit
[18:32] - Water Baptism and Spirit Baptism Distinguished
[21:17] - The Spirit as Deposit and Renewal
[23:58] - The Dynamic Verbs of the Spirit’s Work
[25:27] - The Language of Overflow: Filled, Poured Out, Anointed
[27:45] - The Overflow of the Spirit Through the Mouth
[29:23] - Abba: The Cry of the Spirit
[30:45] - Speaking in New Languages and Praise
[33:22] - Spontaneous Spiritual Speech as Evidence
[34:08] - Closing and Next Session Preview

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:15-16

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Ephesians 1:13-14

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Observation Questions

In Acts 8, what steps did the new believers in Samaria go through before they received the Holy Spirit?
According to Romans 8, what is the evidence that someone has received the Spirit of adoption?
What physical actions are mentioned in the sermon as being connected to spiritual realities? ([02:08])
What words does the New Testament use to describe the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit? ([23:58])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the apostles in Acts 8 considered it so important for the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit as a separate experience from believing and being baptized?
The sermon says that being “clean but empty” is a dangerous spiritual state. What does this mean, and why is it dangerous? ([08:17])
How does the overflow of the Spirit, especially through the mouth, serve as evidence of the Spirit’s presence? ([27:45])
The sermon contrasts Greek and Hebrew thinking about the physical and spiritual. How might this difference affect the way we approach things like baptism or communion? ([02:08])

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to expect God’s presence and action in ordinary, physical things. Is there a physical act (like communion, baptism, or laying on of hands) that you have seen or experienced as more than just a symbol? How did it impact you? ([02:08])
Have you ever found yourself “clean but empty”—having left behind old habits or sins, but not feeling filled with anything new? What did that look like in your life, and what helped you move forward? ([08:17])
The sermon says that receiving the Holy Spirit is a definite, recognizable experience. Do you feel you have had such an experience? If not, what questions or hesitations do you have about this? ([18:32])
When you think about the “overflow” of the Spirit, what tends to come out of your mouth most often—praise, encouragement, complaints, or something else? How might you invite the Spirit to change that overflow? ([27:45])
The Spirit-filled life is described as a “foretaste of heaven.” In what ways do you see (or not see) this reality in our church or small group? What could we do to make our community more like a place where “love, joy, and fellowship abound”? ([21:17])
The sermon mentions that the Holy Spirit is a “seal” and “assurance” of belonging to God. When you struggle with doubt or assurance, what role does the Holy Spirit play for you? ([14:44])
The sermon encourages us to seek the fullness of the Spirit, not just to be emptied of sin. What is one step you could take this week to open yourself more to the Holy Spirit’s presence and work in your life? ([09:46])

Sermon Clips

“Most Christians in the West suffer from having had a Western education. I mean by that that our education system is based on Greek philosophy. It's not based on Hebrew thinking, and it's very difficult for us to realize how deeply that affects us. Now the difference between Greek thinking and Hebrew thinking is this. The Greeks could never somehow relate the physical and the spiritual. These two things were kept so far apart that you couldn't ever see them together.”

“But the Hebrews said, our God who is Spirit made the material world. So the physical and the spiritual are very close together. Therefore miracles can happen every day.”

“Now it's had the effect on Western Christians thinking of saying, a physical event can't have a spiritual effect. That's the basic problem people have with trying to fit water baptism into salvation. They can't see how a physical event can have a spiritual effect, because they can't see any tie -up between the two. But the Bible is full of tie -ups between the two.”

“When you take bread and wine at communion, it's just bread and wine. But you could die through eating and drinking. You could certainly be physically ill through taking it, so says my Bible, and it's just bread and wine.”

“God has no problem using water to cleanse your conscience because he's the God who made the water, and he's a God who's all -powerful. He can use physical things.”

“How much more through water in baptism and through bread and wine in communion you can get through to God? Now then, what's the connection? Well in the last talk I was trying to show you that baptism is a physical event with a spiritual effect. That's no problem to God. It's only a problem to Western Christians with Greek minds.”

“We're rediscovering that our bodies can serve God. We've rediscovered aerobic worship. Do you know what aerobic worship is? It's when the leader says, hands down those who want coffee. It's when we use our bodies to worship.”

“The Bible is full of people using their bodies, lifting up their hands in prayer, clapping God. The Bible says, clap your hands all you people. People say, oh I don't want to do anything in my body in worship, I just want to worship God with my soul. But the Hebrews worship God with their bodies.”

“So they laid hands on the sick, they laid hands on priests, they laid hands on. And the normal way of receiving the Holy Spirit in the New Testament was to have hands laid on. That is the origin of confirmation. But alas, it's lost that meaning.”

“Water baptism deals with your past. It buries the past, it washes the past away, it finishes the past, and it leaves you clean and empty. That's a very dangerous spiritual condition. Some of the most miserable Christians you'll ever meet are clean and empty.”

“It's vital that once you've got a person cleaned up, that they then get filled. That is why in the New Testament, as soon as they baptized them in water, they then laid hands on them and prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit.”

“If you're just clean and empty, that's a very dangerous position to be in. You become a negative Christian. You say, well I don't smoke and I don't drink and I don't gamble and I don't and I don't and I don't. What a way to live, not doing things. Isn't that miserable? No wonder people are miserable. They don't have the pleasures of sin, and they don't have the pleasure of salvation.”

“So God in His wisdom says you need two baptisms, one to deal with the past and one to deal with the future. One to get your life emptied and clean, and the other to get it filled. Too many have been emptied but not filled, and there's nothing replaced, the pleasures of sin.”

“They need to enter into the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and that comes from Pentecost. Just as Easter is repeated in the believer's life, Pentecost needs to be repeated. Yet on Whitsunday most Christians seem just to think of something that happened two thousand years ago. But everything that happened two thousand years ago is meant to happen again in my life.”

“Jesus is called in the Bible our trailblazer, the one who went ahead first and showed us the way where to go. So there is a very real sense in which I follow him in the way, and the first name for Christianity was the way.”

“Receiving the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as believing. Many Christians have got those two confused, and perhaps the commonest confusion is that the moment you believe in Jesus, that moment you receive the Spirit, whether anything happens or not. That is not borne out in the Scripture.”

“If nothing happened, the apostles said they haven't received, and they did something about it. Because there isn't a single case in the New Testament of anyone receiving the Spirit and not knowing it. And there is not a case of anyone receiving the Spirit without everyone present on the occasion knowing it. It was a definite experience.”

“From the day of Pentecost onwards in all their preaching, they told people to receive the gift of the Spirit, the person whom Jesus has sent to take his place on earth. Jesus is not on earth in the flesh now. He's seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavens. He has taken his authority. Another person has replaced him on earth. He has sent another comforter, another strengthener like himself, and he, the Holy Spirit, is the person now to receive.”

“That's the acid test of whether you are accepted by God, not whether you've repented, not whether you've believed, not whether you've been baptized, but whether you have received the Holy Spirit. Hereby know we that we belong to God and are his children because he has given us of his Spirit. That's the very basis of assurance in the New Testament.”

“You cannot know if a person has been justified or received by God or accepted by him until he gives his Spirit. That is the seal of God on the whole transaction.”

“When you receive the Holy Spirit you've got one foot in heaven. You'll be doing a lot of singing in heaven, and sure enough when you're filled with the Spirit you find yourself making melody in your heart. In heaven there'll be a lot of love and fellowship, and sure enough when you get filled with the Spirit there's a lot of love and fellowship. It turns a church into a little foretaste of heaven.”

“Renewal is God restoring you to your original condition. Just think of that. Here's a shock to you. You won't believe this, but one day you'll see me perfect. Now those who know me well here are looking down at their boots now and they pull the other one. I can see it on their faces. But God hasn't finished with me yet.”

“When you receive the Spirit, that's the first down payment that God is going to give you. It's your first little bit of heaven.”

“All these words. Now listen, that could hardly happen to anyone without them knowing it, could it? Can you imagine somebody getting a downpour, being plunged into something, having it fall upon them, and not knowing anything had happened? It's almost inconceivable.”

“How do you know when a jug is full, when it overflows. You only know when a person is full, when they overflow. Whatever you're full of, said Jesus, will come out of your mouth. Because the heart, when it's full of something, that's where it comes out.”

“When you cry out, Abba, the Spirit is bearing witness with your spirit that you are the child of God. It's a crying out. It's not something inward, it's outward. It's something overflowing from the mouth. It's something coming out.”

“Spontaneous spiritual speech is known in the Scripture as prophesying. Whether it takes the form of a new language or your own language, that spontaneous spiritual speech that overflows from your mouth is the proof in the New Testament that the gift of the Spirit is now yours.”

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