BE BEING FILLED
WITH THE SPIRIT

This article is composed of edited long-hand notes
taken from a sermon by Martha W. Robinson.

N THE EARLY DAYS of Pentecost, people asked for the Holy Ghost, and He came. They thought they did not love enough, did not have enough grace and patience and sweetness. They thought they were not endued with power from on high; they knew they were not, and they knew whom they needed. They needed Himself. They asked for the Holy Ghost, and He came. And, of course. He, Himself, is holiness. The Holy Ghost, Himself, is the secret of making you like Jesus. If you are baptized in the Spirit, are you going on? Are you more blessed today than when you were first baptized? Are you more humble? Do you sink at His feet sweeter? And when you work, do you consult Him about everything? Do you feel and do you speak more like Jesus would have His saints feel and speak in the Holy Ghost? Do you walk in the Spirit? Is the early righteousness of your baptism as great now as at the first? Do you know Him? Is He always the mighty power in your life to get you out of the flesh which is very present?

Some have let the baptism be a climax whereas later experiences should be climaxes resulting from the baptism. They have proceeded to get quite easy about walking in Him. Many have come down to the level plain of the earth and are less at the feet of Jesus than when they were baptized.

If you are contented to slide back from some of your blessings, you will slide back from some of your blessings; but if you are in faith to go on, you keep your blessings, you keep your baptism. It is often the case with preachers; they have lost the first anointing, and they get up excuses for themselves instead of getting right down before God and saying, "Lord, what did I do to lose You?" Always think, "It must be myself."

If you have lost out in your baptism, it is very easy to get down and, confessing and repenting that you have crowded Him out a little, and claiming your baptism, ask, "Would You please baptize me over again?"

Some, however, could witness, "I have had many a new baptism in the Spirit." Well, you didn't lose the baptism, but He ever visits you with larger offers of grace, and, from time to time, the truly baptized person should have an inward, holy anointing, as great an anointing to follow your Master, to live like Him, as when you got your baptism first. All the Holy Ghost people who have received Him have a right to be more and more abundantly baptized until they live the abundant life. But some of you act as if "once baptized, always baptized; once filled, always filled."

But the baptism was not intended to be like that at all; it teaches the resources of a Christian to go forward. If you cannot witness that you have a greater blessing, or have had greater blessings on the road, you have done something wrong in your walk; for the baptism is an open door to greater blessings, and the climaxes are the result of having the baptism. Let me tell you, if you have not had all the fullness you expected, you are not without resource.

If you have to say, "I don't seem to be right in the fullness today. I confess to dryness, wishing, wistfulness, wondering; I kind of yearn. I wish and I wish, oh, I wish I were thus and so," you may know you are leaking out. There isn't anything said in the Bible about wishing you had Him, or wistfulness, or yearning, etc. There is quite a good deal said about faith —ever notice? If you will look in the Bible, you will see quite a good deal about faith. Your Bible teaches about faith—that is the message.

Faith relates to the fullness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost—a good plain asking and receiving, a good plain seeking and expecting God for the enriched baptism of the Holy Ghost.

There is something in the Bible that suggests prayer for the Holy Spirit. The very largest teaching about knocking until the door opens is for the person who wants the Holy Ghost. The largest parable in the Bible on the subject of importunate prayer relates to seeking the Holy Spirit.

There are the same resources for the person leaked out. There is nothing to prevent him from praying, joyfully, with faith, that He will do it over for him, He will do it again. "I will be careful this time." But do not give up, get sad and worried and wander off the doorstep and think, "Maybe He won't do it." You must go with faith to stay there until the bread is handed out.

You may sit down about it, you may be cold about it, but the Bible teaches about faith. If you mean business about being baptized, you are likely to be baptized much more quickly than in the first baptism. The Word does not teach about the great depth of a melancholy soul that wishes and wishes, but there is a very great deal in the Bible about direct faith. There is very much in the Bible that suggests direct asking and receiving. There is very much in the Bible that suggests direct seeking and finding, about direct knocking and the door will be opened. You mustn't have times of sagging and getting off the doorstep.