Extra Oil: 8 Ways The Holy Spirit Helps You

I am sure you are familiar with the story about the five wise and five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. Five brought extra oil with them in a vessel and five didn’t. Jesus was telling this story to explain what the kingdom of God was like. He often used analogies or parables to explain hard concepts. This tale was in response to the disciples asking about a sign that would signal the Lord’s coming and the end of the age.

What does the oil symbolise in the ten virgins?

I was listening to teaching along this vein by a well-known minister. It was a message called “Get Your Own Oil”. What struck me was that this preacher described this lesson as ‘moments’. These virgins had been preparing for the moment of meeting the bridegroom. They all wore the same thing and they all had lamps with wicks that were lit. So, what was it that made five of them wise? It was the extra oil!

 

And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. – Matthew 25:8-9

 

The extra oil made all the difference. The foolish women tried to borrow oil and when they couldn’t, they left to go buy some and they missed their opportunity.  If only they hadn’t waited until they were in the moment to ask for oil, then they wouldn’t have been presented with a closed door.

They thought they would have enough, but they ran out and didn’t have enough extra oil for the extra mile. I can imagine how disheartened and frustrated they must have felt. If only they had been ready. If only they stopped off on their way to get extra oil, they would not be in this situation. This is precisely why the Bible in 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us to ensure we are ready in and out of season.

Now we know the story of extra oil in the bible is only used to illustrate a principle in the Kingdom – the principle of preparedness. I think if there was a sequel to this story, the foolish women would have extra oil at the top of their checklist.

RELATED: 3 Ways the Principle of Preparedness Protects You

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What is the extra oil?

Before we can answer what the oil is, we need to identify what the lamp is. According to the Bible, our spirit man is the lamp of the Lord. Oil is a type and shadow of the anointing or the Holy Spirit.

So when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are imbued with His power. This power is given so we can be His witnesses. Everything God does is for His purpose. So, the extra oil is the Spirit of God, and if we don’t have the Spirit, the Bible says we don’t belong to Him. To have the Spirit in us to live by the Spirit and not according to our flesh. He is a continual reserve to keep our lamps shining. He is the essence of the extra oil meaning.

The Lamp

• Proverbs 20:27 says that the spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, it sheds light on one’s inmost being.
• Matthew 5:14-16 says that we are the light of the world.
• John 8:12 says that Jesus is the Light of the world and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness.

The Oil

• Acts 1:8 says that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us.
• Romans 6:10-11 says that if the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, He will quicken your mortal body.
• John 14:17 says that the Spirit of truth dwells in us.
• Romans 8:9 says that we are not in flesh but in the spirit if, in fact, the Holy Spirit lives in us. Anyone who does not have Him does not belong to Christ.

Eight ways the Holy Spirit helps you

1. He is our helper (parakletos) and comforter. He pleads our cause before the righteous judge. Parakletos is a legal assistant (Jesus is our advocate). John 14:26.
2. He sanctifies us. The blood of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit cleanses us. 1 Corinthians 6:11.
3. He reveals God’s Word to us. Jesus said that he will take what is his and reveal it to us. John 16:14.
4. He guides us. He will guide us into all truth. He nudges us if something isn’t right. We learn to identify the voice of the spirit within us. John 16:13.
5. He helps us pray for God’s perfect will. When we are filled with the spirit and speaking in tongues, He helps us to pray. Romans 8:26.
6. He convicts the world of sin. Judgement begins with the house of God so if there is something that is not in line with God’s word in our lives, He will nudge us but it’s important to note that He never condemns us. John 16:8.
7. He operates his gifts through us. We function in His gifts as He wills for the good of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
8. He produces the fruit of the spirit in us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we walk according in the spirit, He works out his fruit or characteristics in us. Galatians 5:22-23

Conclusion

We need to be on guard and alert so that we are ready when Jesus returns. He used the extra oil sermon to help us understand that we need to live prepared. We shouldn’t be caught without extra oil. Jesus says that He has overcome the world so we don’t need to be afraid to face the future. Be sure to read our “How to get extra oil part 2” in our Do You Have Extra Oil Devotional.

Get filled with the extra oil today!