Full of Faith and the Holy Spirit

Read Acts 6.

Meditate on the passage answering the following questions:
1. What does this tell me about God and the Lord Jesus Christ?
2. What lesson can I learn from this passage?
3. What particular sin does it warn me against?
4. What verse, phrase or single word can I take with me for the day?

Pray

In today's passage we see the beginning of the deacons (servants, busboys, waiters) of the church. But in light of the questions, one phrase stands out. And it clearly stood out to the writer of Acts because he highlights Stephen. The phrase the stands out is, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,". We then see another phrase describing the same man again in verse 8, "And Stephen, full of grace and power,". This man Stephen was full of faith, the Holy Spirit, grace, and power.

Obviously all of these come from being full of the Holy Spirit. No one could debate him. He appeared like an angel to the Council. He was brought up on false charges based on jealousy and hatred. What I learn about God and life in this passage, is that apart from God there is nothing. The filling of the Spirit in my life, fills it with grace and power. It is a full faith in the Spirit of God.

I know that often I attempt to do more in this like on my own than I ought. In this article I believe Francis Schaeffer gets the problem right. It is often us working in the flesh and not the Spirit. Let us learn to be full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.

O Lord God, I pray not so much for graces as for the Spirit himself, because I feel His absence, and act by own spirit in everything. Give me not weak desires but the power of His presence, for this is the surest way to have all His graces, and when I have the seal I have the impression also; He can heal, help, quicken, humble suddenly and easily, can work grace and life effectually, and being eternal He can give grace eternally.

Save me from great hindrances, from being content with a little measure of the Spirit, from thinking Thou wilt not give me more. When I feel my lack of Him, light up life and faith, for when I lose Thee I am either in the dark and cannot see Thee, or Satan and my natural abilities content me with a little light, so that I seek no further for the Spirit of life.

Teach me then what to do. Should I merely humble myself and not stir up my heart? Should I meditate and use all means to bring Him near, not being contented by one means, but rust Him to give me a blessing by the use of all, depending only upon, and waiting always for, Thy light, by use of means? Is it a duty or an error to pray and look for the fullness of the Spirit in me? Am I mistaken in feeling I am empty of the Spirit because I do not sense His presence within, when all the time I am most empty and could be more full by faith in Christ? Was the fullness of the Spirit in the apostles chiefly a power, giving them subsistence outside themselves in Christ, in whom was their life and joy?

Teach me to find and know fullness of the Spirit only in Jesus.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
(The Valley of Vision "God the Spirit", pg 29)