E-pistle for March 21, 2008
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation March 21, 2008
Settled In Complacency
(Zephaniah 1:1-18)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. The author and the date of this book is identified, v. 1.
2. Judgment is pronounced on all creation, vv. 2-3.
3. Judgment is pronounced against Jewish religious leaders, vv. 4-7.
4. Judgment is pronounced against political leaders, vv. 8-9.
5. Judgment is pronounced against business leaders, vv. 10-11.
6. Judgment is pronounced against complacent unbelievers, vv. 12-13.
7. The Day of the Lord is prophesied to be a day of wrath, which is coming
quickly to devour the whole land, vv. 14-18.
II. Meditation: on the prophet Zephaniah
1. Zephaniah, whose name means "The Lord Has Hidden," was in the royal
lineage of King David, as seen in the listing of his genealogy traced back
four generations to the good king, Hezekiah, v. 1.
2. Zephaniah, therefore, was a relative of King Josiah, who reigned over the
southern kingdom of Judah from 640 to 609 B.C.
3. Zephaniah and King Josiah probably were friends and allies, both being
equally zealous for a return to the pure worship of God. (Zephaniah
was also a contemporary of the prophets Jeremiah and Nahum;
see Jeremiah 1:2; 22:11; Nahum 1:1)
4. Since the fall of Nineveh (Assyria's capital) in 612 B.C. had not yet taken
place (Zechariah 2:13-15), Zephaniah's prophetic ministry occurred earlier,
during the height of Josiah's reforms, probably between 630 and 627 B.C.
(See II Kings 22:1-2; and II Chronicles 34:1-33)
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications of verse 12
1. When the great "Day of the Lord" comes, God will shine His searchlight to
discover every sinner and to reveal each sin . . . "I will search Jerusalem
with lamps."
2. God will punish those who are "settled in complacency" . . . those who are
hardened in their evil habits . . . self-satisfied and pleased with their present
condition and not interested in changing.
3. These wicked persons do not openly scoff at the things of God, but they say
in their heart, "The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil,"
4. Such an attitude . . . thinking that God will not (perhaps cannot) do anything
. . . places God in the same category as powerless, false idols.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Like Zephaniah and King Josiah, be zealous to worship God in spirit and in truth.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten my heart, to reveal my hidden sins, and to lead
me to repentance and confession.
3. Never become complacent and self-satisfied with my spiritual condition.
4. Realize that Almighty God is actively working in the world today.
Meditations on being spirit-filled
by: Dr. Curt Scarborough
1. Born of the Spirit . . . filled with the Spirit
1. There is a definite point in time when a person is saved (born-again), Acts 16:31.
Generally, a person can give witness to the specific events of this spiritual
transaction called the new birth, Romans 10:8-13.
2. A born-again person (one who is saved by grace through faith in Christ) receives
the Holy Spirit at the instant of his salvation, John 3:3, 5-8; Romans 8:9. A
genuinely saved person can be not filled with the Holy Spirit Acts 6:3,
Ephesians 5:18.
3. There is a difference between being born of the Spirit and being filled with the
Spirit. Notice the Person of the Trinity in these examples:
(1) At salvation (new birth), the Holy Spirit baptizes a believer into the
body of Christ, I Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27. In
this case, the Holy Spirit performs the baptism into Christ (salvation)
making that person a part of the body of Christ, a member of the church,
in the general sense.
(2) At the filling, Christ baptizes a believer with the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:11;
Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16. In this case, Christ
performs the baptism with the Holy spirit (anointing with power, etc.)
4. Just as there is a definite point in time when a person is born again, so there is a
definite point in time when a person is "baptized" (filled) with the Holy Spirit.
Generally, a person can give witness to the specific events of that spiritual
transaction, just as he can give witness to his new birth experience.
Scriptural terminology for the baptism of the Holy Spirit include: "being filled
with" . . . "poured out" . . . "fallen upon" . . . "received" . . . "came upon."
II. Biblical Examples of "Having" the Spirit, then later being "filled" with the Spirit
1. Jesus was conceived by the Spirit and lived a sinless life through the Spirit, yet He
"received" the Spirit's anointing when He was baptized by John the Baptist,
Matthew 3:13-17, et.al.
2. The Disciples "received" the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them Easter
Sunday night, John 20:21 . . . this was their initial new birth (salvation) experience
which can occur only through faith in the resurrected Christ, Romans 10:9. The
Eleven were baptized in the Spirit fifty days later on Pentecost, Acts 2:4.
3. In Samaria, Acts 8:14-17, and in Ephesus, Acts 19:4-6, persons were saved, then
baptized in water, then filled with the Holy Spirit. This matches the order (sequence)
Peter preached in Acts 2:38. (Since we believe only in believer's baptism, these
people who were baptized in water already had been saved (born of the Spirit) . . . then
later, they were filled with the Spirit.)
Occasionally, believers were baptized (filled) with the Spirit before
water baptism, but always Spirit-birth and Spirit-baptism are mentioned
(Acts 9:17-18) or implied (Acts 10:38-40, 43-48) as distinct and separate,
although connected events.
4. Paul was saved on the Damascus Road, Acts 9:3-6, but he received the Holy Spirit's
filling at the hands of Ananias three days later, Acts 9:17.
III. Why Jesus Baptizes (fills; anoints) believers with the Holy Spirit
1. To give divine power for witnessing and service, Acts 1:8; 4:31.
2. To bestow supernatural gifts, Acts 2:4; 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 19:6.
(See also I John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 1:15-21.)
IV. Scriptural teaching on how a born-again person may be filled with the Spirit
1. Repent of sins (new birth through faith in Jesus) and confess Christ as Lord
(through water baptism), Acts 2:38.
2. Obey (surrender the will totally, renouncing all known sins), Acts 5:32.
3. Thirst (intensely desire for the fullness of the Spirit), John 7:37-39.
4. Ask (pray definitely for the Holy Spirit's filling), Luke 11:13.
5. Believe (in faith, receive the Holy Spirit's filling), Galatians 3:2, 5:14.
HEART CHECK: IS MY ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHER CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS PLEASING TO THE LORD?
1. Is a doctrine (belief) true because I have experienced it, and false because
because I have not experienced it?
2. Is a picture right because my church/denomination says it is correct, and wrong
because my church/denomination says it is incorrect?
3. What is the final authority for all my beliefs and practices? Experience? Tradition?
My authority must be only the Holy Bible, the infallible Scripture, the Word of God.
4. What about persons and churches who are genuinely Christian, but who practice their
faith in Jesus Christ differently from me?
(1) Consider the words of Jesus, Mark 9:38-41.
(2) Consider the words of Gamaliel, Acts 5:38-39.
(3) Consider the word of Paul, Philippians 1:15-18.
For additional study: compare John 4:13-14 (Christ's picture of being born of the Spirit)
with John 7:37-39 (Christ's picture of being baptized with the Spirit).
All of the staff at FreeWay Foundation/Pillsbury
College & Seminary pray that you have a Happy
and Blessed Easter.
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