God's plan is for each of his children (you and I) to be filled with His Spirit. Only when we, as children of God, live under the control of the Holy Spirit are we able to obtain the full measure of the Spirit, and work hard in the power of it. To help us understand this exciting truth, there are several significant assumptions, or beliefs, that I feel we should be aware of.
We need to be aware that: every sincere baptized believer has received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38); every believer has been baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13); every believer has received the seal of the Holy Spirit, which indicates God's ownership and identifies us as the children of God (Ephesians 1:13); and, every believer is commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
We can see many examples of these truths in the Bible. John the Baptist was declared to be one who would be filled with the Spirit (Luke 1:15). The 120 in the Upper Room were filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4). Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8). Stephen worked in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:8). Our Lord was continuously filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1).
You might be a little confused as to how this works. Perhaps I can help clarify this for you. First of all, we are not empty containers. The Holy Spirit isn't something tangible like water, gravel, or sand. The Holy Spirit is a divine person. So, for us to be full or filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit. Think of Him as the pianist and we are the piano.
Therefore, for us to be filled with the Spirit is to: be empowered by the Spirit (Acts 1:8); be taught by the Spirit (John 14:26); be guided by the Spirit (John 16:13); reap the harvest of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); and properly use the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12-14). This is all well and good, of course, but how is one able to experience the Spirit-filled life?
We have to accept the fullness of the Spirit by faith (Galatians 3:14). It's the same response we make when we receive Jesus Christ as Our Lord and Savior; by faith. We don't receive the Holy Spirit as some reward for our spiritual excellence, or as a result of self-denial and self-discipline. You can do these things and still not experience the fullness of the Spirit.
Too, we must present our bodies to the Lord as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). We are to recognize and respond fully to the truth the Holy Spirit has come to live within us. We are to present ourselves as holy dwelling places, totally given over to the purposes of God for our lives. Also, if we want to keep the fullness of the Spirit, we need to confess and forsake every sin the Holy Spirit reveals to us. He will point out what is not acceptable.
Finally, the Spirit-filled life is a life in which we deliberately follow God's will and let Him fill us with his fullness and use us for his glory (1 John 3:24). The Spirit-filled life is a part of your birthright as a child of God. It is both a privilege and responsibility. Let Him accomplish his will through you.
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Titus 3:5-6; Ephesians 4:30; John 16:13
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to always to be positive in my attitude; and that I may search and find the best in people and situations. Help me to take away the good out of all that happens. Amen
May God always bless you!
~Eve
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