Have you ever asked yourself what the benefits are of having filled the Holy Spirit which most likely to have so many rules? Well, this time I want to highlights some stories of the bible that tell us what would it be if we are filled by the Holy Spirit and what would it be when we are filled by the unclean spirit. Let’s start it from the Book of Mark chapter five.
One day, Jesus and his disciples came to the region of Gerasenes. This arrival got an unusual welcome. They were welcomed not by Gentiles nor by Pharisees nor by people who were looking for miracles nor by people who were interested in Jesus’ teaching, instead, they were welcomed by a man who had unclean spirit ruled his mind.
The condition of this man was very pathetic. He was a very strong man. In verse 4, Marks records that no one was strong enough to subdue him. The spirits who were in him gave him a special power. We may imagine that with this special power he could do many things that could make him be honored. He could have used his power to gain an authority at that territory for example, by subduing roman soldier maybe, so then he could arise as a hero, loved and honored by his people. But the bible does not tell us about that, instead, the bible says that he did so many destructive things. He even destructed his own body. Instead of living in the comfort living place as it should be for a strong man, he lived in the tombs. Instead of covering himself with beautiful clothes, he went naked; very pity. He made a friendship with an evil spirit but when the evil spirit became a part of him, what the spirit did was just to lead him to cut his body. He, maybe, interested in Satan’s way because it seemed to promise much more freedom than God’s way. But when he was on that way, he found himself just a kind of prisoner. Instead of having done many things he liked, he even was unable to do basic things for human to retain his life. He was unable to take care himself. He even was unable to speak for himself. What a very pity condition; and this actually what would happen to anyone who is controlled by an evil spirit. This is what would it be when one is controlled by an evil spirit! The more spirit in the body the more pathetic one would be!
From this very pathetic situation, let us jump to another story; to the story of a man who is recorded as man with the Holy Spirit inside him. There are so many men that can be the example of what it would be when one is filled with the Holy Spirit. But, among all of them, I specially put attention on Daniel. It is not less than six times that the bible records Daniel as a someone that in whom is the spirit of holy gods (Dan 4:8-9,18; Dan 5:11-12,14). These six acknowledgments come from three different persons. What a wonderful recognition, especially if we notice that those there person (which are King Nebuchadnezzar, Queen of Belteshazzar, and King Belteshazzar) are important persons who are also non believers.
Daniel is an important man in his time. From the young age, he seated on the elite government chair. He worked for the at least two kings, and all the kings that he worked for were always satisfy with his work. But interesting enough, that Daniel was not only known as a man whose intelligence had no match with, Daniel was also known as a man whom in him is the” spirit of the gods”. From the first chapter of the book of Daniel, we are told how Daniel keeps the pureness of his body. How he refuses to defile his body (Dan 1). How he gives the glory to God only and keeps himself away from receiving a glory that belongs to God only (Dan 2). Later on, we also find how Daniel always keeps his relationship with heaven through a constant time of prayer (Dan 9). With all of those things that Daniel did, it is no wonder if his body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. And what are the results of having the Holy Spirit stayed in our body? All the achievement that Daniel had tells us what the results are! Instead of making people scary with his deeds, Daniel was called to calm down a frightened king. Instead of living in the tombs, Daniel was living in king palace. Instead of saying perplexed words, Daniel spoke wisdom. Daniel is recorded as an intelligence man, a wise man, the faithful one, a man that the kings can rely on. He is also recorded as a prophet, even one of the five big prophets. Those are the results of having filled with the Holy Spirit! That is what it would be when the Holy Spirit is in our body.
From the very beginning of time, the process of man creation teaches us what makes us have a very high value, what makes us become “a little lower than God” (Psalm 8:5). Our basic material is just the dust of the earth. What is the value of the dust of the earth? Almost nothing! It is almost worthless. Which one of us should expense his money just to buy the dust of the earth? None! So, if our basic material is so worthless what then makes us become a little-lower-than God being? Is it because the dust has been formed into some kind of artworks that has a form like God’s image? No. When Adam had been formed in the image of God, he did not automatically become a living being. A bird in the sky was more valuable at this moment. We become the most valuable creation in this earth not because our basic material nor even because we are physically formed in the image of God. Adam became the most valuable creation when he became a living being; and when did it start? It started after God breathed into his nostrils. When Adam inherited God’s breath, he became the most valuable creation in the earth! When Adam inherited the breath of God, the spirit of God, he became a little-lower-than-God being.
All these stories, the story of a man in Gerasenes, Daniel and the process of the creation of the man should have taught us the differences between having filled with the Holy Spirit and having filled with the Evil spirit. God loves us. He always wants us to become precious, glorious and honorable. Even more, He wants us to inherit His own glory and the everlasting nature. On the contrary, what Satan always wants is to humiliate us. Even more, he wants us to inherit the everlasting perish. The power to choose is always ours. We may choose to be ruled by the unclean spirit and then inherit all humiliation that will come with it or choose to be ruled by the Holy Spirit to inherit all kind of highness that come with it.
