contents how can i be filled with the the holy spirit

CONTENTSWhat Some People Are Saying . . . . . . . . . . . 2Who Is The Holy Spirit? . . . . . . . 4Who Can Be Filled With The Holy Spirit? . . 6What Is The Filling Of The Holy Spirit? . . . . . . . 7How Can I Be Filled With The Holy Spirit?. . 10

Essential One:Be Christ-Centered . . . 11Essential Two:Be In The Word . . . . . . 12Essential Three:Be Submissive . . . . . . . 14Essential Four:Be Confident . . . . . . . . 16

How Can I Tell When I’m Spirit Filled? . . . . . . 19Two Wrong Answers . . 23What Is The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit? . . . 26Checklist For Being Spirit-Filled . . . . . . . . . . 29“A Spirit-Filled Man” . . 30A Final Word . . . . . . . . 32

HOW CAN I BE FILLEDWITH THEHOLY SPIRIT?

AAnd just exactly what doesthat mean? If I am filled

with the Spirit, will Iknow it? These questions arebeing asked today by Christianswho want to walk with God andplease Him. Yet some are afraidthey are missing out when theyhear about others who claim tohave had a special filling of theSpirit.

RBC senior research editorHerb Vander Lugt has examinedwhat the Bible has to say aboutthis subject. We pray that thisbooklet will help many to havea deeper understanding andexperience of the Spirit-filledlife.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Design: Brian FowlerScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.© 1986,2003 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

WHAT SOMEPEOPLE ARESAYING

EEvery follower of JesusChrist should wantto obey the biblical

command to be filled withthe Holy Spirit. But whatdoes that involve? Some see it as an experience thatis recognized by:

• speaking in “tongues”• feelings of wild ecstasy• feeling the Spirit take

them over• being overcome with

great joy• being “slain” in the Spirit• having the ability to

prophesy• being able to interpret

“tongues”But other Christians say

they have never had any ofthese experiences. Theyclaim that a person does nothave to have any of thesethings happen to him toshow that he is filled with

the Holy Spirit. They believethat a Christian can be filledwith the Holy Spirit as helives his day-to-day life.

To them, RichardWurmbrand, who stillcarries scars from beatingshe received in a communistprison camp, exemplifies thepower of a Spirit-filled life.He tells of singing for joy ina cell where he was cold,sick, and hungry. To many,he is a good example ofsomeone who is Spirit-filled.

A Christian named John,who died in a Grand Rapidsnursing home a few yearsago, was considered aSpirit-filled man by thosewho took care of him.During the last 2 years of his life, as cancer ravaged his body, his joywas irrepressible. He toldeverybody he met aboutJesus Christ.

During the first year,John asked the aids towheel him into rooms where people were

2© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

discouraged and depressed.His testimony was used to lead many of his fellowresidents to the Lord. After he could no longer beplaced in a wheelchair, hetalked to people who cameinto his room. He radiatedsuch joy that they couldn’thelp but feel they were inthe presence of a Spirit-filledman.

According to the Bible,the privilege for everybeliever to be filled with the Holy Spirit began atPentecost (Acts 2:1-13).

The disciples were praying together when they suddenly heard thesound of rushing wind, saw tonguelike flames, andspoke in languages they hadnever learned. As a result,3,000 people in Jerusalemtrusted Christ that very day.The apostles were filled with courage and power,witnessing boldly andperforming miracles. As time went on, and despitepersecution, these Spirit-filled Christians presentedsuch a powerful testimonythat even their enemiesspoke of them as men who had “turned the worldupside down” (Acts 17:6).

We would all like to be filled with the HolySpirit. But most of us don’t experience the samevictory, the same joy, or thesame power as these earlyapostles. So, this leads us to ask, “How can I be filledwith the Holy Spirit?”

3

He radiated such joy that they couldn’t help but feel they were in the presence

of a Spirit-filledman.


WHO IS THEHOLY SPIRIT?

BBefore we can discussbeing filled with theHoly Spirit, we need

to know who the Holy Spiritis. Some people insist thatthe Holy Spirit is aninfluence—a power orsource of God-givenspiritual energy. Others see Him as a ghostlike force, entering or leaving us at will. Others pictureHim as a kind of cosmicmagician, elusive andvague, who dropsmysteriously into our lives to make religiousthings happen and thenleaves just as quickly as He came.

The Bible makes it clear, however, that the HolySpirit is a person who liveswithin every Christian. Italso teaches that He is God, the Third Person of the Trinity.

HE IS A PERSON The Scriptures give us fiveclear evidences that theHoly Spirit is a person, notjust a mystic force or strangepower.

1. The Holy Spirit isspoken of as “He.” Jesusreferred to the Holy Spirit as “He.” He promised Hisdisciples: “I will pray theFather, and He will give youanother Helper, that He [theHoly Spirit] may abide withyou forever” (Jn. 14:16).

2. The Holy Spirit hasintelligence. He knows the“deep things of God” andreveals them to us (1 Cor.2:10-11). Only a person hasthis kind of intelligence.

3. The Holy Spiritmakes decisions. Hegives gifts to the Lord’speople, “distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11).Only a personal being canmake decisions.

4. The Holy Spirit has emotions. He feels


love (Rom. 15:30) and grief(Eph. 4:30). An influencecannot feel emotions likethese.

5. The Holy Spirit isactive. He does things onlya person can do:

• speaks (Rev. 2:7) • intercedes (Rom. 8:26) • teaches (Jn. 14:26) • leads (Rom. 8:14) • appoints (Acts 20:28) • empowers (Acts 1:8)

HE IS GODThe Holy Spirit is alsoreferred to in the Bible asGod. He is the Third Personof the eternal Trinity, onewith the Father and with theSon. The following factorsshow His deity:

1. The Spirit’s nameappears as equal with theFather and the Son in theformula for baptism andin some of the NewTestament prayers(Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

2. The apostle Petersaid that the Holy Spirit

was God. When Ananias’sin was exposed, Peter toldhim that he had lied to theHoly Spirit. He went on tosay that this lie had notbeen “to men but to God”(Acts 5:3-4).

3. The Holy Spirit is called “Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17-18).

4. The Holy Spiritpossesses qualities thatbelong only to God:eternality (Heb. 9:14), theability to be everywhere atthe same time (Ps. 139:7-10), sovereign power(Lk.1:35,37), and theknowledge of “the things ofGod” (1 Cor. 2:10-12).

The Bible teaches thatthe Holy Spirit, who liveswithin every Christian, is aperson and that He is God.Admittedly we can’t graspthe great mystery of how theHoly Spirit can live withinus. But we don’t have tounderstand it. We just haveto trust that what the Biblesays is true.


WHO CAN BEFILLED WITHTHE HOLYSPIRIT?

TThe filling of the HolySpirit should be thedesire of every

Christian. But listening tohow some people talk, onecould get the idea that it isreserved only for privileged,spiritually sensitive, specialpeople. We are convinced,however, that the filling of the Holy Spirit is foreveryone. But there are twoimportant prerequisites.

First, to experience thefilling of the Holy Spirit aperson must be aChristian—he must beborn again. This new birthis given by the Holy Spirit.When Jesus told Nicodemusthat he had to be bornagain, He referred to it asbeing “born of the Spirit”(Jn. 3:6). He later told Hisdisciples, “It is the Spirit

who gives life” (Jn. 6:63).When the Spirit

gives this new life, He also enters into the newChristian to live within himpermanently—to indwell.Anyone who does not havethe indwelling Holy Spirit isnot a Christian (Rom. 8:9).Even though the indwellingof the Spirit is not the samething as the filling of theSpirit, only someone who is indwelt can be filled. So, the first prerequisite to being Spirit-filled is to be a Christian.

Second, the filling of the Holy Spirit is onlyfor those Christians whowant to be filled. AlthoughHe dwells within allChristians, He does not fill them just because He ispresent. To be obedient tothe command to be filledwith the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), a person must want theSpirit’s filling and then bewilling to yield to Hiscontrol.


WHAT IS THEFILLING OF THEHOLY SPIRIT?

BBefore we can answerthe question “Howcan I be filled with

the Holy Spirit?” we mustknow what the filling of theSpirit is. The filling of theSpirit is the influence orcontrol the Holy Spiritexercises over us when weyield ourselves to Him. TheSpirit of God, who has givenus new life and who hastaken up residence withinus, wants to fill our liveswith His goodness andpower. He wants us to letHim take control of ourlives. Even so, He does notuse His power as God tooverwhelm us; rather, Hefills us only as we submit to Him.

In this sense, then, being filled with the Spiritmeans that we have placedourselves under Hisinfluence and control. We

have yielded to Him, lettingHim take over our lives.

We often speak ofsomething that so fills a person’s mind that itstrangely influenceseverything he thinks anddoes. For example, a personcan be filled with:

• anger• fear• jealousy• remorse• sorrow• pride• love• anxiety

The Bible itself uses the word “filled” in the sameway (see Lk. 6:11; Acts 5:17;13:45).

To be filled withsomething, therefore, means to be under itscontrol. This truth is statedclearly regarding the HolySpirit in Ephesians 5:18.

Do not be drunk with wine, in which isdissipation; but be filledwith the Spirit.


Paul used this analogybecause a person whobecomes intoxicated withalcohol places himself underits influence or control.Similarly, a Christian whosubmits to the leading of theindwelling Holy Spirit puts

himself under His influenceor control. Both the personwho consumes enoughalcohol to become drunkand the Christian whoyields to the Holy Spirithave placed themselvesunder the control of

something or someoneoutside themselves.

On the Day of Pentecost,people who heard theapostles speak in languagesthey had never learnedaccused them of beingdrunk. Moreover, in thepagan ceremonies of Paul’sday, worshipers often gotdrunk to have a “religiousexperience.” The analogy,therefore, had somebackground in Paul’sthinking. And if you stop to think about it, a group of Spirit-filled Christianssinging with greatenthusiasm may have asuperficial resemblance to aband of pagan worshipers,drunk with wine, singingpraises to their gods.

The similarity, as alreadyindicated, is only on thesurface. A person who isdrunk with wine, andtherefore under its control,suffers impaired judgment.He says and does things henormally wouldn’t do, and

8

A Christian who submits to the leading of the indwelling

Holy Spirit puts himself under His

influence or control.


he often can’t rememberwhat he did. On the otherhand, a person filled with the Holy Spirit, and thereforeunder Hiscontrol,enjoysimprovedjudgment,acts in a sane andresponsiblemanner, andrejoices in thememory of what he said anddid while under the controlof the Holy Spirit.

We are greatlyinfluenced by whatever it is that “fills” us. If we arefilled with anger, we will beinfluenced to such an extentthat we will say and dothings we may later regret. A person who is filled withanger against God maybecome so controlled by his hatred that he becomesirreverent, blasphemous,defiant, and rebellious

toward everything.To be filled with the

Holy Spirit, then, is to be so influenced by, controlled

by, orpermeatedby Him thatwe will reflectGod’s moralcharacterand bestrengthenedby Hispower. Wewill be

loving, joyful, peaceful,patient, kind, good, faithful,gentle, and self-controlled—virtues that Paul referred toas “the fruit of the Spirit”(Gal. 5:22-23).

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A person whois drunk with wine:• walks different• talks different• acts different• thinks different• feels different

Alcohol’s control results in impairedjudgment.

A person whois filled with the Spirit:• walks different• talks different• acts different• thinks different• feels different

The Spirit’s control results in improvedjudgment.


HOW CAN I BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

PPaul commanded the believers at

Ephesus—and everyChristian—to be “filled with the Spirit” (5:18). Thisclause could be literallytranslated, “Let the HolySpirit keep filling you,” or“Keep letting the Holy Spiritfill you.”

But just how do we obeythis command? What mustwe do to let the Holy Spiritkeep filling us? How can webe filled with the HolySpirit?

Well, we know what it means to be filled withexcitement or happiness.Excitement or happiness sopermeates our thoughts andfeelings that it dominatesus. When a young womanfirst becomes engaged, sheis often so excited and

happy that it influenceseverything she does.

When Paul told us to befilled with the Spirit, he wastelling us to let Him so fillus that everything we thinkand do is influenced orcontrolled by Him.

But the crucial questionis still, “How?” God’s part is clear: He will fill us. Butwhat is our part? Being filledwith the Holy Spirit involvesfour essentials. We must: (1) be Christ-centered, (2) be in the Word, (3) be submissive, and (4) be confident.

We will now look indetail at each of these fouressentials for being filledwith the Holy Spirit.Graphically, we willrepresent the filling of the Spirit as a square. Thefour essentials will make up the sides of this square,indicating the equalimportance of each one.


ESSENTIAL ONE:Be Christ-CenteredThe first essential for beingSpirit-filled is to center ourlives on Jesus Christ. Hemust be the focal point of our thoughts andaspirations. In all we do, we must be conscious offollowing His example anddoing His will. When we are Christ-centered, we arepleasing the Holy Spiritbecause that’s what Hewants us to do. In fact,Jesus said, “He [the HolySpirit] will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn. 16:14). In a good marriage, the wife

or husband enjoys seeing the other receive honor.Similarly, the Holy Spiritderives great pleasure fromseeing us cooperate withHim in glorifying Christ. He Himself wants to remain hidden, so thatnothing diverts our gazefrom the Lord Jesus.

Whenever we focus our attention on Christ, the Holy Spirit is in closepartnership with us. TheSpirit is pleased when weare glorifying the Lord. We can do this by:

• Observing the Lord’sSupper to rememberChrist in His sufferingand death for our sins (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

• Making Jesus ourexample (Jn. 13:15; Phil.2:5-11; 1 Pet. 2:21-24).

• Longing to know Christbetter, so that we may be more like Him (Phil. 3:10-14).

• Not being afraid of dyingbecause we’re looking

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FILLEDWITH THE

HOLY SPIRIT

1. BE CHRIST-CENTERED


forward to being withChrist (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil.1:21-23; 2 Tim. 4:6-8).

• Living in anticipation ofthe day we will appear at “the judgment seat ofChrist” (2 Cor. 5:10).

• Being comforted by thefact that Christ is ourintercessor in heaven(Heb. 4:14-16).

• Purifying ourselves fromsin as we’re living in thelight of Christ’s return (1 Jn. 3:2-3).

• Looking forward toChrist’s rule over theearth (Isa. 2:1-4; Jer.23:5-6; Rev. 20:1-4).

• Rejoicing in theassurance that everymortal being in God’suniverse will bow before Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).The Holy Spirit keeps

Himself out of the limelightso that Christ may behonored. He is pleasedwhen we praise and adore

the Lord Jesus. He views us as partners with Him in glorifying Christ. BeingChrist-centered, therefore, is an essential in being filled with the Spirit.

ESSENTIAL TWO:Be In The WordThe Christian who wants to be Spirit-filled should be spending time in God’sWord. His mind must be so filled with its truths that Bible passagesautomatically come to his mind when heencounters the situations of life. Just before Paul gavethe command “do not be

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FILLEDWITH THE

HOLY SPIRIT


2. BE IN THE WORD


drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filledwith the Spirit,” he wrote:

Therefore do not beunwise, but understandwhat the will of the Lordis (Eph. 5:17). How do we know God’s

will? Primarily through theScriptures, which came intoexistence when “holy menof God spoke as they weremoved by the Holy Spirit”(2 Pet. 1:21).

The importance of theBible in the Spirit-filled lifewas demonstrated by theLord Jesus in His encounterwith Satan at the beginningof His public ministry. Luketold us that Jesus was “filledwith the Holy Spirit” whenHe entered into thewilderness for testing (Lk.4:1-2). In response to eachof Satan’s temptations, ourLord answered by quotingthe Scriptures-—specificallyDeuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, and6:16. Since Jesus took onour genuine humanity, He

“increased in wisdom andstature” (Lk. 2:52) like otherboys. So we can be surethat He had to study toknow the Scriptures. Christ’sfamiliarity with the Bible,therefore, was an importantelement in His being “filledwith the Holy Spirit.”

As noted earlier, Paulpointed out the closerelationship between“knowing what the will of the Lord is” and being“filled with the Holy Spirit”when he wrote Ephesians5:17-18. He made the sameconnection in Colossians3:16, which says:

Let the word of Christdwell in you richly in allwisdom, teaching andadmonishing one anotherin psalms and hymns andspiritual songs, singingwith grace in your heartsto the Lord.The last part of this

verse is almost identical to Ephesians 5:19-20 where Paul described the


characteristics of a Spirit-filled Christian. In otherwords, letting the Word ofChrist dwell in us richly isan essential in letting theHoly Spirit keep filling us.

If you want to be aSpirit-filled Christian, then,you must be in the Word ofGod. Give the Bible ampleroom in your life by readingit, studying it, and reflectingon it. The Scriptures wereinspired by the Holy Spiritand are “profitable fordoctrine, for reproof, forcorrection, for instruction in righteousness, that theman of God may becomplete, thoroughlyequipped for every goodwork” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Read the Bible! Study it!Be instructed by it! Obey itscommands! Let it correctyou! The Word of God hasbeen given to make you acomplete, well-equippedChristian. You cannot beSpirit-filled without it.

ESSENTIAL THREE:Be SubmissiveThe third essential for aSpirit-filled life is to besubmissive to God and HisWord. Paul indicated thisattitude of submission bythe language he used whenhe wrote Ephesians 5:18.Translated literally, the latterpart of this verse reads,“Keep letting the Holy Spirit fill you.” We mustcontinuously allowthe Holy Spirit to fill us. We can do this only whenwe possess a submissiveattitude toward Him.

The analogy Paul used of being drunk withwine carries the idea of

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FILLEDWITH THE

HOLY SPIRIT


3. BE SUBMISSIVE

2. BE IN THE WORD


submission. Paul wrote:Do not get drunk withwine . . . but keep lettingthe Holy Spirit fill you[literal translation].A person who is drunk

is under the influence ofalcohol. If he is very drunk,he is under its control. Aperson who keeps letting the Holy Spirit fill him willconsciously, continuously,and voluntarily placehimself under God’sinfluence or control. No, he doesn’t lose self-control.In fact, he exercises farmore self-control than a person who does notpossess the Holy Spirit.When a Christianconsciously, continuously,and voluntarily submits to God, he is freed fromslavery to the sinful habits and drives that once controlled him.

This attitude ofsubmission is also presentin Colossians 3:15–4:10, a passage that parallels

Ephesians 5:18–6:9. WhenPaul told the believers inColosse to place themselvesunder the rule of Christ’speace, and to give the Wordof Christ a dominant placein their lives (3:16), he wascalling for a submissiveattitude. You place yourself

under God’s influence andcontrol when you do thesethings. The result of lettingthe Holy Spirit keep fillingyou (Eph. 5:18) and lettingthe peace of Christ and theWord of Christ have

15

A person who keeps letting the

Holy Spirit fill himwill consciously,

continuously, andvoluntarily placehimself under God’s influence

or control.


dominance in your life (Col. 3:15-16) is the same—joy, mutual encouragement,praise, and gratitude.

When you have asubmissive attitude towardGod and His Word, theHoly Spirit can keep fillingyou. This is because:

• You place yourself underthe authority of the Biblewhen it tells you to “putoff” and “put to death”the sins of the flesh andto “put on” Christianvirtues (Eph. 4:17–5:7;Col. 3:5-17).

• You humbly confess your sins so that you will experience God’sfellowship and cleansing(1 Jn. 1:9).

• You submit to others as an expression of your love for God, thus becoming a goodmarriage partner, a good citizen, and a good representative of Christ (Eph. 5:2-33; 1 Pet. 2:11–3:17).

ESSENTIAL FOUR:Be ConfidentThe fourth essential in beingfilled with the Spirit is to beconfident. When you havecentered your life on JesusChrist, when you are in theWord and it is in you, andwhen you have submitted to the Holy Spirit’s leading,you can know that you havedone your part. And, havingdone that, you can beabsolutely certain that Godhas done His part. He hasresponded to you by fillingyou with His Spirit. Becauseof that:

• You don’t need towonder if you arespiritual enough to

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FILLEDWITH THE

HOLY SPIRIT


3. BE SUBMISSIVE

2. BE IN THE WORD4.

BE

CONF

IDEN

T


be filled with the Spirit.• You don’t need to

compare yourself withother believers.

• You don’t need to keep looking for somespectacular sign fromheaven.

• You don’t need to waitfor a great feeling oftingling excitement tosweep over you.Rather, you can know

with absolute certainty thatbecause you are doing yourpart, God is doing His part.

And this confidence willhelp you live day-by-day inthe assurance that you arefilled with the Holy Spirit.

But if you live with a

defeatist attitude, it isprobably because you feelthat you are losing yourbattle with sin. Your lack ofconfidence, though, shows afailure to trust in the Lord’sprovision for you and in Hispower to keep His part ofthe bargain.

Look at the apostle Paul.Although he was very muchaware of the power of the oldnature and of the ongoingbattle with the flesh, he wasbrimming with confidence.In Romans 7, for example,he was painfully honest indescribing the battle betweenhis old nature (the “law ofsin”) and his new nature (the“law of my mind”). But hethen went right on to pointout that the way of victory isthrough “Jesus Christ ourLord.” He then said:

There is therefore now nocondemnation to thosewho are in Christ Jesus.. . . For the law of the

Spirit of life in Christ Jesushas made me free from the

17

You can know withabsolute certaintythat because youare doing your part, God is

doing His part.


law of sin and death. Forwhat the law could not do in that it was weakthrough the flesh, God did by sending His ownSon in the likeness ofsinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that therighteous requirement ofthe law might be fulfilledin us who do not walkaccording to the flesh butaccording to the Spirit(Rom. 8:1-4).This walking “in the

Spirit” occurs when we are filled with the Spirit. Itincludes the four essentialswe’ve just looked at in ablend of divine and humanactivity to overcome sin.

The walk in the Spirit is a walk of confidence inGod. And this confidenceproduces spiritual victorybecause of:

• A continual awareness of the Spirit’s presence (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

• A conscious dependence

on the Spirit’s power(Eph. 5:18).

• An acceptance of the Spirit’s help infulfilling the law of God (Rom. 8:4).

• A deliberate “putting off” of the flesh (Eph.4:22).

• A willful rejection of sin (Rom. 6:1-2).

• A determined pursuit ofwhat is right (Eph. 4:24).The fourth essential

in a Spirit-filled life, then, is confidence. This isespecially true in our battleagainst sin. But when youhave done your part—whenyou have repented of allknown sin, confessed it, andreplaced it with obedienceto Christ—you can becertain that God has doneHis part in forgiving youand in giving you the powerfor spiritual victory. You canmove ahead with your heartfilled with confidence andthe knowledge that you arefilled with the Holy Spirit.


HOW CAN I TELL WHEN I’MSPIRIT-FILLED?

SSome people say thatthe way you canknow you are filled

with the Holy Spirit is tospeak in tongues or to just“feel it.” A woman calledone of the counselors at RBC Ministries, for example, to say that shehad times when she was sofilled with the Holy Spiritthat she couldn’t speak aword of English. She saidthat anybody who doesn’tspeak in tongues is notSpirit-filled.

When Paul described the results of being filledwith the Holy Spirit,however, he didn’t mentiontongues-speaking or atingling feeling. But he didmention “speaking to oneanother in psalms andhymns and spiritual songs,singing and making melodyin your heart to the Lord,

giving thanks always for allthings to God the Father inthe name of our Lord JesusChrist, submitting to oneanother in the fear of God” (Eph. 5:19-21; cp. Col. 3:16). He also listednine fruit of the Spirit asevidence in Galatians 5:22-23.

FOUR EVIDENCES

According to Ephesians5:19-21, a person who isfilled with the Holy Spiritwill know it because of fourevidences in his life: joyfulfellowship, heartfelt praise,abounding gratitude, andreverent submission. Let’slook briefly at each of these.

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FILLED WITH

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JoyfulFellowship

HeartfeltPraise

AboundingGratitude

ReverentSubmission


1. Joyful Fellowship.The first evidence of beingSpirit-filled is joyfulfellowship with otherChristians. Paul described it as “speaking to oneanother in psalms andhymns and spiritual songs”(v.19). The texts of thesesongs often take the form of mutual exhortation.

Singing with God’speople had its roots inHebrew worship. Psalms 29, 33, 37, 40, 95, 96, and 100 are only a few of the songs in which theIsraelites encouraged oneanother to join together inpraise, gratitude, andobedience.

Spirit-filled Christianslove to sing with oneanother. For example, in our hymns we call on oneanother to praise the Lord:“Come we that love theLord, and let our joys beknown.” We comfort oneanother: “God will take careof you.” We challenge one

another: “Must I go, andempty-handed?”

2. Heartfelt Praise.The second result of beingfilled with the Holy Spirit is heartfelt praise to God:“Singing and makingmelody in your heart to theLord” (v.19). The term “inyour heart” is sometimestaken as referring to singingon the inside, singing thatisn’t expressed outwardly.But that is unlikely. Itprobably means singingfrom a sincere heart, asexpressed in Colossians3:16, “Singing with grace inyour hearts to the Lord.”

3. AboundingGratitude. The thirdevidence of being Spirit-filled is abounding gratitude: “Giving thanksalways for all things to Godthe Father in the name ofour Lord Jesus Christ”(v.20). In his letters, Paulrepeatedly gave thanks to


God, and he encouraged his readers to follow hisexample (Phil. 1:3; 4:6; Col. 1:3,12; 2:7; 3:15,17;4:2; 1 Th. 1:2; 2:13; 5:18; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2:1; 4:3-4). Hetold us to give thanks toGod in everything and foreverything.

4. ReverentSubmission. The fourthway we can know we arefilled with the Holy Spirit is reverent submission:“Submitting to one anotherin the fear of God” (v.21). A Spirit-filled person ishumble, gentle, and meek.He is not proud, aggressive,or self-assertive. Hisreverence for Christ is thesource of his humility. As a servant of Christ, hepossesses a servant’s spirit.Therefore, he does not findit difficult to submit to hisfellow believers.

NINE FRUIT

In his letter to theGalatians, the apostle Paulpointed out that the life of a Spirit-filled person will be marked by nine moralqualities that he called “thefruit of the Spirit.” Whenthey are present, it is furtherevidence that a person isfilled with the Holy Spirit.He wrote:

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,longsuffering, kindness,goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control.Against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23). Let’s look at each one of

these spiritual qualities:21

FILLED WITH

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Love

Long-suffering

Faithful-ness

Joy

Kindness

Gentle-ness

Peace

Goodness

Self-Control


1. Love: an attitude thatmoves us to put God andothers ahead of ourselves. Aspirit that impels us to give,to serve, and to forgive.

2. Joy: a spirit ofgladness rooted in our faith,expressed through song, and accompanied by anoptimistic spirit.

3. Peace: inner serenityderived from God and basedon the reality of our peacewith God through Christ’ssacrifice.

4. Longsuffering:patience in the midst ofdifficult circumstances andin our relationships withdifficult people.

5. Kindness: practicingthe golden rule of treatingothers as we expect them to treat us.

6. Goodness: open,honest, pure, and generousbehavior.

7. Faithfulness: wecan be trusted anddepended on in all ourrelationships.

8. Gentleness:a tenderness of spirit thatenables us to disciplineothers properly, to endurepersecution graciously, and to witness to otherssensitively.

9. Self-control: thequality that gives us controlover our desires, especiallythose that relate to the body.

If the Holy Spirit isproducing these nine moralqualities in your life, you areSpirit-filled. Paul’s comment,“Against such there is nolaw” (v.23), means thatnothing in the Mosaic lawor any other law opposesthese virtues or is needed torestrain them. In fact, whena person’s life is marked by the four evidences ofEphesians 5:18-21 and the nine moral qualities of Galatians 5:22-23, thedemands of the law arebeing fulfilled. When theyare present, they provideevidence that you are filledwith the Holy Spirit.


TWO WRONGANSWERS

AAnybody who readswidely or listens tomany preachers

will soon discover thatconflicting answers aregiven to the question: “Howcan I be filled with the HolySpirit?” Let’s evaluate twowrong ideas that are beingcirculated today.

1.“The Bible doesnot command us to be filled with the HolySpirit.” Some Christianleaders do not emphasizethe filling of the Holy Spirit.In fact, some even say thatto talk about oneself asbeing Spirit-filled is a formof spiritual pride. Theyacknowledge that in thebook of Acts the apostlesare sometimes described as“filled with the Spirit” or“full of the Holy Spirit.” But they say that the Biblenowhere commands us

to be filled with the HolySpirit.

To support their claim, they point out thatEphesians 5:18 literallyreads, “Do not be drunkwith wine; but be filled inspirit.” Because the wordspirit is not modified by theword Holy, and because ithas no article, they say Paul was talking about thehuman spirit.

Even if we grant thepossibility that Ephesians5:18 should be translated,“be filled in [your] spirit,”we have ample biblicalevidence for emphasizingthe importance of a Spirit-filled life. In Galatians

23

Some people saythat to talk aboutoneself as being

Spirit-filled is a form of

spiritual pride.


5:16-26, Paul commandedus to “walk in the Spirit”and then told us that such a life will produce the “fruitof the Spirit.”

In Romans 8:1-11, weare told that freedom fromthe power of indwelling sincomes to those who walk“according to the Spirit,” the

Spirit who is referred to asthe indwelling “Spirit ofGod” and “Spirit of Christ”(v.9).

Furthermore, the termsfilled and full of do refer tothe Holy Spirit in otherpassages (Lk. 1:15,41,67;4:1; Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 6:3;7:55; 9:17; 13:9), and thecontrast between beingdrunk with wine and filledwith the Holy Spirit wasalso given in Acts 2:13.

So, the teaching thatevery believer should befilled with the Holy Spiritdoes not stand or fall onone’s interpretation ofEphesians 5:18. However,we are convinced that thisverse does command everyChristian to let the HolySpirit keep filling him.

2.“You need to seeka second blessing.”Followers of John Wesley,the Pentecostals, and theCharismatics believe that the filling of the Holy Spirit is a dramatic

24

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. . . . But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. . . . If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:16,18,25


experience that takes placesometime after salvation.The Wesleyans prefer tospeak of it as “entiresanctification,” viewing it as a second work of grace in which the sinnature is removed and the Holy Spirit takescontrol. Pentecostals and Charismatics refer to it as a baptism of the Spirit,claiming that it is usuallyaccompanied by speaking in tongues.

The problem with this view is that the NewTestament never tells us to seek or anticipate adramatic, post-salvationexperience. We are justifiedthe moment we believe(Rom. 5:1). And we receive the new birth andthe permanent, indwellingSpirit at the instant ofsalvation (1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Pet. 1:22-23). True, wemay have many wonderfulexperiences after salvation.And we may even have an

encounter with the Lord thatrevolutionizes our way oflife. But we have no biblicalbasis for expecting a secondwork of grace or a baptismof power that brings instantholiness. Rather, Paul calledon us to “present [literally

‘keep presenting’] yourbodies a living sacrifice”(Rom. 12:1) and to “let theHoly Spirit keep filling you”(Eph. 5:18).

25

The New Testament nevertells us to seek or anticipate a dramatic,

post-salvationexperience.


WHAT IS THEBAPTISM OF THEHOLY SPIRIT?

TThe baptism of theHoly Spirit is the act of the Holy Spirit by

which He places a personinto the church, the body of Christ. The first “baptismof the Holy Spirit took place in the upper room at

Pentecost when the churchbegan (Acts 2:1-13). Todayit occurs the moment aperson receives Jesus Christ

as his Savior. Referring tothis time when everybeliever is baptized by theHoly Spirit into the church,Paul wrote:

By one Spirit we were allbaptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13).Some Christians

disagree. They maintain that the baptism of the HolySpirit is the same as thefilling of the Spirit. They saythat it takes place sometimeafter salvation, and that it isaccompanied by the sign ofspeaking in tongues. Thosewho hold this view say thattheir teaching is found inthe book of Acts. But thephrase “baptized with theHoly Spirit” appears onlytwice in Acts (1:5; 11:16),and in neither place are wetold that it is something weshould seek sometime aftersalvation.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was firstannounced by John theBaptist (Mt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8;

26

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is

the act of the Holy Spirit by

which He places a person into thechurch, the body

of Christ.


Lk. 3:16; Jn. 1:33). And the Lord Jesus promised the baptism of the HolySpirit before He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:4-5). Thatpromise was fulfilled on theDay of Pentecost, the day

the church was born (Acts 2:1-13,32-33). Thedisciples were baptized into the church in the upper room. When Peterpreached later that day,some 3,000 people believed(Acts 2:41-42). Then we are told:

The Lord added to the

church daily those whowere being saved (2:47).The book of Acts records

three additional mini-Pentecosts. They took placewith three different groups:the Samaritan believers,whose religion and ancestrywere part Jewish (Acts 8:14-25); the Gentile family ofCornelius (10:44-48); and12 people who had believedin Christ and received John’sbaptism but knew nothingabout what had happenedat Pentecost (19:1-7). WhenPeter saw that the HolySpirit had come upon theGentiles, he rememberedthe Spirit-baptism promisedby Christ. He wrote:

Then I remembered theword of the Lord, how He said, “John indeedbaptized with water, butyou shall be baptizedwith the Holy Spirit.” If therefore God gavethem the same gift as He gave us when webelieved on the Lord

27

A Christian who islooking for the baptism of the Holy Spirit is

wasting his timelooking for

something he already has.


Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstandGod? (Acts 11:16-17).By giving visible signs

in these three instances theHoly Spirit confirmed thefact that Jesus Christ wasbuilding His church. Thesesigns were given during thetransition from the Jewishbeginnings of the church to the full inclusion of theGentiles. When thetransition was over, thebaptism of the Holy Spiritwas no longer accompaniedby visible signs. When aperson trusts Christ today,he is placed into the church,the body of Christ, that verymoment. Paul wrote:

For by one Spirit we wereall baptized into onebody—whether Jews orGreeks, whether slaves orfree—and have all beenmade to drink into oneSpirit (1 Cor. 12:13).The words translated “we

were all baptized” speak ofan action that took place in

one instant of time. Thebaptism of the Spirit takesplace at the moment ofsalvation, is not repeated,

and is not to be sought aftersalvation. The baptism ofthe Holy Spirit, therefore, isthe placing of the believerinto the body of Christ bythe Holy Spirit at themoment of salvation.

28

The baptism of the Spirit takes

place at themoment of

salvation, is notrepeated, and is not to be soughtafter salvation.


CHECKLISTFOR BEINGSPIRIT-FILLED

AAs you think throughthe whole topic ofbeing filled with

the Holy Spirit, you maywonder where you arespiritually. Answering thefollowing questions honestlywill help you evaluate yourrelationship to the HolySpirit:

❏ I have submitted to theHoly Spirit, asking Himto lead me.

❏ I am learning from theBible through regularreading, study, andmeditation.

❏ I am relying on the Holy Spirit to help meovercome my sinfuldesires.

❏ I enjoy getting togetherwith God’s people forfellowship, Bible study,and prayer.

❏ People who know methink of me as a happy,joyous Christian.

❏ When trouble comes, I am at peace in myinnermost being.

❏ When I become aware of sin in my life, Iimmediately confess itand ask God to help meto gain the victory.

❏ I am gentle in myrelationships with otherpeople and patient withGod.

❏ I can point to certaintimes when the HolySpirit has given me thepower to perform acertain task or carry a heavy burden.

❏ I am growing in self-control.


“A SPIRIT-FILLEDMAN”

AAgood friend of ourRBC Ministriesstaff says he feels

uncomfortable about sayingthat he is a man who is filledwith the Holy Spirit. He saysthat it would bother him ifsomeone were to introducehim from the pulpit as “aSpirit-filled man of God”before he began speaking.He adds that he struggledwith the concept of beingfilled with the Spirit as ayoung man. He wrote:

For more than 45 years I have wrestled with thismatter of being Spirit-filled. As a young man of 18, I often passed outtracts on street cornersand preached in open air meetings. I knew Ineeded the Holy Spiritand I asked Him to help me. But I felt so unworthy, and Iwondered how He

could ever use a personlike me. Yet, in spite ofmy feelings about myself,He blessed my effortsand people were saved.

When I was 23 years old and in thearmy, I went forward in a Pentecostal church toreceive what they calledthe “baptism of the HolySpirit.” But things didn’tchange very much. Andwhen I attended a Bibleschool later, I learnedthat I already had thebaptism of the Spiritwhen I trusted in Christ years before. As Ireflected, I realized that Iwas probably looking forthe assurance that theHoly Spirit was reallyoperating in my life.This man’s experience

is probably similar to that of many young Christianswho want to please andobey the Lord. But he hasbeen serving the Lord formany years. How does


he feel today? He said: Through the years, theLord has given me thejoy of an assured andvictorious Christian life.He has given me asatisfying and fruitfulministry. He has used meto help people trust inChrist as their personalSavior and then to helpthem grow in their faith. I have seen spiritualvictories won and Satandefeated. In that sense, I can say that I know theblessing of being filledwith the Holy Spirit.

But I’m still far from being perfect in my private life and in my work. Because of that, I would still beembarrassed to be calleda Spirit-filled man. I knowthat I am sometimesselfish or envious. I think worldly thoughts.I’m inclined to be toocompetitive. Sometimes I feel terribly sinful.

We who know this man consider him to beSpirit-filled. We all feel thathe is a man of God. Hegrieves over sin. He submitsto the Spirit’s leading. Hestudies the Bible diligentlyand does his best to obey it. And he is generous andcompassionate. We all agreethat he is a man who is filledwith the Holy Spirit.

But he’s probably right—being filled with the Spirit is not something you’dnormally say about yourself.It’s like saying, “I’m humble.”You just don’t talk aboutyourself that way. But we cansay of him with confidence,“He’s a Spirit-filled man.”

31

Being filled with the Spirit is notsomething you’d

normally say about yourself.


A FINAL WORD

WWe have seenthat to be filled

with the HolySpirit we must be Christ-centered, in the Word,submissive, and confident.

What about you? If youare a Christian, being filledwith the Spirit is not anoption, it’s a command. IsChrist at the center of yourthoughts and aspirations?Are you trying to followHis example? Are youspending time studying theBible so that your mind issaturated with God’s truthand His will for your life?Are you yielded andsubmissive to God? Areyou confessing your sins?Are you sensitive to theSpirit’s leading so that you are not quenching His power in you? Do you have the confidentassurance that you areSpirit-filled when you areChrist-centered, in the

Word, and submissive? If you can answer yes, you are Spirit-filled andHis fruit will be evident in your life.

But perhaps you are not a Christian. If youhave never trusted Christas your Savior, you cannotbe filled with the HolySpirit because He is not in you. To bring Him into your life, you need to admit your sin andinability to save yourself(Eph. 2:8-9) and ask Christ to save you. He haspromised to save all whodesire to turn from theirsins and call in faith onHim. The Bible says:

As many as receivedHim, to them He gavethe right to becomechildren of God, even tothose who believe in Hisname (Jn. 1:12). Trust Christ today. Then

you’ll have taken the firststep to being filled with theHoly Spirit.


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