In my post “Who is the Holy Spirit” I wrote that in God’s plan for the redemption of mankind the Holy Spirit’s role is to see to it that every person feels a call toward God's saving grace
John 14:26 (NLT) But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 16:5-11 (NLT)5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
The Holy Spirit is indispensable for anyone to be saved. His work can be divided into three categories, pre-conversion work, conversion work and post-conversion work.
Pre-Conversion Work
Prior to anyone placing his or her faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is involved in setting the conditions for a person’s response to the gospel.
John 16:8-10 (NLT)8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
The Holy Spirit speaks to people through the preaching of the gospel.
Romans 10:14-17 (NLT)14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our message?”17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NLT)1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.
5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.
John 14:26 (NLT) But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 16:5-11 (NLT)5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
The Holy Spirit is indispensable for anyone to be saved. His work can be divided into three categories, pre-conversion work, conversion work and post-conversion work.
Pre-Conversion Work
Prior to anyone placing his or her faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is involved in setting the conditions for a person’s response to the gospel.
John 16:8-10 (NLT)8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
The Holy Spirit speaks to people through the preaching of the gospel.
Romans 10:14-17 (NLT)14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our message?”17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NLT)1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.
5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.
Conversion Work
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
At conversion the believer in is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NLT) Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Galatians 3:27 (NLT) And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes.
The baptism by the Holy Spirit is the event where Jesus becomes our Lord and we are joined with other believers in the body of Christ.
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
At the same time that the believer is baptized they are also indwelt by Him. To be indwelt by the Holy Spirit means that the Spirit of God comes into the body of a believer in Jesus Christ.
John 14:15-18 (NLT)15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Romans 8:9 (NLT)9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
Romans 8:11 (NLT) The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
We don’t know how that happens but the changed life of the believer is evidence that it does happen.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NLT)16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
When the Holy Spirit indwells the believer they are also sealed which means that the believer has God’s permanent ownership on them. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that God will complete His work of salvation in us.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT)21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
The plan of salvation is to make us like Jesus inside and out. No, we won’t be Jesus but, we will be as much like Jesus as it is possible for glorified man to be like deity. That is the goal of our salvation and what God had in mind when He saved us.
Romans 8:28-29 (NLT)28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
The Indwelling is Permanent
Before Jesus came to the earth, as recorded in the Old Testament, the Spirit would come and go from the men, empowering them for specific activities, or functions but not necessarily stay with
them.
Judges 15:14 (NLT) As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.
1 Chronicles 12:18 (NLT)18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.” So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.
1 Samuel 10:9-10 (NLT)9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day.10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.
After Jesus returned the the Father and the Holy Spirit was sent and that indwelling in the believer is permanent.
John 14:15-17 (NLT)15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
Ephesians 4:30 (NLT) And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
We really don’t understand what an awesome thing it is to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It means that we are never alone, never cut off from God’s presence. When we need mercy because we fall short and fail Him, or when we need grace to help us when we are challenged beyond our abilities we have all the fullness of God Himself in us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT)20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
At conversion the believer in is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NLT) Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Galatians 3:27 (NLT) And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes.
The baptism by the Holy Spirit is the event where Jesus becomes our Lord and we are joined with other believers in the body of Christ.
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
At the same time that the believer is baptized they are also indwelt by Him. To be indwelt by the Holy Spirit means that the Spirit of God comes into the body of a believer in Jesus Christ.
John 14:15-18 (NLT)15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Romans 8:9 (NLT)9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
Romans 8:11 (NLT) The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
We don’t know how that happens but the changed life of the believer is evidence that it does happen.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NLT)16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
When the Holy Spirit indwells the believer they are also sealed which means that the believer has God’s permanent ownership on them. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that God will complete His work of salvation in us.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT)21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
The plan of salvation is to make us like Jesus inside and out. No, we won’t be Jesus but, we will be as much like Jesus as it is possible for glorified man to be like deity. That is the goal of our salvation and what God had in mind when He saved us.
Romans 8:28-29 (NLT)28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
The Indwelling is Permanent
Before Jesus came to the earth, as recorded in the Old Testament, the Spirit would come and go from the men, empowering them for specific activities, or functions but not necessarily stay with
them.
Judges 15:14 (NLT) As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.
1 Chronicles 12:18 (NLT)18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.” So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.
1 Samuel 10:9-10 (NLT)9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day.10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.
After Jesus returned the the Father and the Holy Spirit was sent and that indwelling in the believer is permanent.
John 14:15-17 (NLT)15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
Ephesians 4:30 (NLT) And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
We really don’t understand what an awesome thing it is to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It means that we are never alone, never cut off from God’s presence. When we need mercy because we fall short and fail Him, or when we need grace to help us when we are challenged beyond our abilities we have all the fullness of God Himself in us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT)20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Post-Conversion Work
The post conversion work of the Holy Spirit is what enables the believer to live as God directs them. We don’t always live that way but we can because the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to do it.
He Gives Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are given to all believers by the Holy Spirit at conversion. At that moment, the Holy Spirit gives to the new believer the spiritual gift(s) He wants the believer to have.
Romans 12:3-8 (NLT)3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Spiritual Gifts are for the common good to build up the Body of Christ. Every believer has at least one gift.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28 (NLT)27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NLT)4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
He Fills
Baptism, indwelling and gifts occur at conversion. Being filled with the Holy Spirit can happen multiple times after conversion and the believer is told to allow it.
Ephesians 5:15-21 (NLT)15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Being indwelt and being filled are not the same things. At one time I thought they were the same thing. I thought that being indwelt was like water being poured into a class and filling it, but just filling the glass doesn’t empower it. You have to exit the water somehow, like putting electrodes in a class of water excites the water and splits the molecules and separates them into its elements of hydrogen and oxygen. If you do that the right way you can create the energy to operate a vehicle. That’s really what being filled with the Spirit is like.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is being completely controlled by Him. To be filled implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. Then His power can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. When we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to completely control us we are still indwelt but not filled. We can actually stop or limit the activity of the Holy Spirit that is in us.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NLT) Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 (NLT) And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
When we stifle or quench the Spirit we don’t experience Hisworking and His power in and through us.
The filling of the Spirit is not just seen in our actions but also applies to our thoughts and motives.
Psalm 19:14 (NLT) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Galatians 5:16-23 (NLT)16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Sin is what stops the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling is maintained.
I’ve been in churches where the pastor asks that all those who want to be filled with the Holy Spirit come up and have hands laid on them. Or they lead a prayer for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Those things are okay but it’s not the laying on of hands or praying for fill that accomplishes it. It’s our obedience to God's commands that allows the Spirit freedom to work in us. Because we still have a sin nature and are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with all of the time.
If we are completely honest we must admit that it is difficult to be holy and to at all times and in all situations entirely surrendered to the God. When we sin the Holy Spirit is hindered in His ministry in us and He is “grieved.” The remedy for this situation is confession.
1 John 1:9 (NLT) But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-led and Spirit-filled.
In my next post I will tell you what a Spirit-filled person looks like!
The post conversion work of the Holy Spirit is what enables the believer to live as God directs them. We don’t always live that way but we can because the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to do it.
He Gives Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are given to all believers by the Holy Spirit at conversion. At that moment, the Holy Spirit gives to the new believer the spiritual gift(s) He wants the believer to have.
Romans 12:3-8 (NLT)3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Spiritual Gifts are for the common good to build up the Body of Christ. Every believer has at least one gift.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28 (NLT)27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NLT)4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
He Fills
Baptism, indwelling and gifts occur at conversion. Being filled with the Holy Spirit can happen multiple times after conversion and the believer is told to allow it.
Ephesians 5:15-21 (NLT)15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Being indwelt and being filled are not the same things. At one time I thought they were the same thing. I thought that being indwelt was like water being poured into a class and filling it, but just filling the glass doesn’t empower it. You have to exit the water somehow, like putting electrodes in a class of water excites the water and splits the molecules and separates them into its elements of hydrogen and oxygen. If you do that the right way you can create the energy to operate a vehicle. That’s really what being filled with the Spirit is like.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is being completely controlled by Him. To be filled implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. Then His power can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. When we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to completely control us we are still indwelt but not filled. We can actually stop or limit the activity of the Holy Spirit that is in us.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NLT) Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 (NLT) And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
When we stifle or quench the Spirit we don’t experience Hisworking and His power in and through us.
The filling of the Spirit is not just seen in our actions but also applies to our thoughts and motives.
Psalm 19:14 (NLT) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Galatians 5:16-23 (NLT)16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Sin is what stops the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling is maintained.
I’ve been in churches where the pastor asks that all those who want to be filled with the Holy Spirit come up and have hands laid on them. Or they lead a prayer for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Those things are okay but it’s not the laying on of hands or praying for fill that accomplishes it. It’s our obedience to God's commands that allows the Spirit freedom to work in us. Because we still have a sin nature and are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with all of the time.
If we are completely honest we must admit that it is difficult to be holy and to at all times and in all situations entirely surrendered to the God. When we sin the Holy Spirit is hindered in His ministry in us and He is “grieved.” The remedy for this situation is confession.
1 John 1:9 (NLT) But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-led and Spirit-filled.
In my next post I will tell you what a Spirit-filled person looks like!
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