The Filling of the Holy Spirit

This lesson is focused on the filling of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers. I will not spend much time on the Person of the Holy Spirit or the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. To learn about those topics, please see: An Introduction to the Holy Spirit and The Baptism of the Holy Spirit on my Blog. Also this lesson is targeted to the believers. If you are unsaved, though you will hear the gospel here, I strongly suggest that you take a look at The Gospel of Salvation. In this article, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Ghost refer to the same Person, the third Person of the Godhead.

The Bible makes it crystal clear that every believer has received the Baptism of the Spirit. This means that the Spirit already indwells every true believer beginning from the moment of salvation. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the experience of the Christian whereby the Holy Spirit Who is already in the believer now controls his desires, actions, and priorities. The Apostle Paul likens this experience with the influence of alcohol in Ephesians 5:18. When a person is drunk, intoxicated, or under the influence of any substance, the substance controls all that the person thinks, says, does, even including the way he walks. We believers are to allow the Holy Spirit control their lives in this manner; making all their decisions result from the desire to please Him.

Should Be A Continuous Experience

The filling of the Holy Spirit is to be a continuous experience of the believers. Unlike the baptism of the Spirit which the believers experience once in a life time, the filling of the Spirit is an ongoing experience of the believer, although we know that this is not the case in reality for many believers of nowadays. The filling of the Holy Spirit occurs continuously as the believe yields to Spirit. In Galatians 5:25, the Bible says

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

To walk in the Spirit means to willingly submit ourselves to His control and sanctification works in our lives. The Bible records that the Early Church believers continued to be filled by the Spirit even after Pentecost.

Acts 4:8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel…”

Acts 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God

Peter, Stephen, and the others disciples had already been filled with Holy Spirit on Pentecost, but they continued to experience constant fillings which strengthen and embolden them to preach the gospel and face all oppositions. Today, only a few believers constantly experience the filling of the Spirit, others experience it sporadically while many do not experience it at all, though they are saved.

The Baptism and the Filling of the Spirit Compared

Although the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit are two functions performed by the Holy Spirit, they are two different things.

Following Pentecost, every believer who comes to faith in Christ immediately receives the baptism of the Spirit. This was promised by Christ in John 7:38-39:

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified).

This is also re-affirmed in the Epistles (1 Corinthians 12:13). As a matter of fact, the Scripture says a person does not belong to Christ if he does not possess the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). This is why the New Testament never commands anyone receive the Spirit or to be baptized with the Spirit.

On the other hand, the filling of the Spirit is not automatic. Although all believers can and should experience it, not all believers experience it, this is why it is commanded in:

Ephesians 5:18  “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”

The Events at Pentecost

We read in John 20:22:

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost”

Although it sounds like the Apostles have once been baptized by the Holy Spirit through the action of the risen Christ, it could be established from the Scriptures that at Pentecost, both the baptism and the filling of the Spirit occurred.

It is true that Acts 2:4 does not expressly state that they were baptized (the verse says “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…”). But we know that after the occurrence of John 20:22, Jesus Christ still promised that they will be baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). Peter confirms this when he was reporting his experience in Cornelius House:

Acts 11:15-16  And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.”

Jesus promised the disciples the baptism, and Peter likens what happened to the Gentiles (the baptism of the Spirit in Acts 10:44) to the disciples’ experience at Pentecost. We can therefore conclude that the disciples were baptized and also filled with the Spirit in Act 2.

As mentioned earlier, the filling of the Holy Spirit is the experience of the Christian whereby the Holy Spirit Who is already in the believer now controls his desires, actions, and priorities. The Bible gives us a picture of this in many passages including:

Romans 6:13, 19  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

The word ‘yield’ occurred twice in each of the above two verses. The first refer to the yielding that we should avoid. That is, yielding ourselves “as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin”. The Bible has this to say in the same chapter:

Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Also in:

Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”

See also: Romans 7:5,23; 1Co 6:15; James 3:5-6; 4:1

The second kind of ‘yielding’ is the right one which we are encouraged in the scriptures to do.

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

We are to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. As a sacrifice laying on the altar, we should be ready for whatever God throws at us, no more desires or goals which do not bring glory to His name.

See also: 2 Chronicles 30:8; Daniel 3:28; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 8:5.

The above is something we should desire and be willing to live by. This is the catalyst and also the results of the filling of the Spirit.

So who is in charge of the desires and priorities of your life? God, the people, or you?

Why do you do what you do today?

If you think you need to make more money, build a house or a bigger house, do this, that, and the other, why do you desire those things? To please yourself or to please God?

These are practical questions we all need to ask ourselves regularly.

The Words of F. B. Hole on:

Ephesians 5:15-17

Our walk and behaviour then is to be marked by wisdom — the wisdom that seizes every opportunity of serving the Lord on the one hand, and of gaining an understanding of His will and pleasure on the other. The very essence of good service is, not merely that we accomplish work, but that what we do it according to the will of the One, whom we serve. The fact is that for this, as for all else enjoined upon us here, we need to be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18

The Spirit-filled believer is the subject of an extraordinary uplift. He is carried clean outside himself, centred in Christ, and enabled for the service of God in a power which is more than human. The man who is drunk with wine is carried outside himself in a way that is wholly evil. By the Spirit of God we may be carried outside ourselves in a way that is wholly good.

We get instances of the disciples being filled with the Spirit in Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 7:55; 13:9. These references lead us to think that the filling with the Spirit was an experience of rather an exceptional nature even in the earliest apostolic time. Still it is most evidently set before us in our chapter as something to be desired and aimed at by every Christian.

It is not only an obligation but also a very wonderful privilege. To be filled with One who is a divine Person, can that be a negligible thing? It means that He has a complete control. If we take the exhortation to heart we shall naturally ask — How may I be filled? What have I to do in order that I may be?

That is no small question. We may at least say this; that it is ours to remove out of the way all that hinders. The Spirit of God is holy. Moreover, He is sensitive. We may easily grieve Him, even by things that we allow without a bad conscience. Correspondingly we may easily be preoccupied with things that we consider quite harmless, and yet being pre-occupied there is not the room for Him to occupy us. A good many “harmless” things will have to go out of my life and yours too, if we are to be filled with the Spirit.

The more we yield to the Spirit, the more we are filled and empowered by Him. There are many benefits for the believers in being with the Spirit. The following list is not exhaustive, this is just to highlight a few of them.

1. To Be More Like Christ

 John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”

The Spirit reveals to us more of Christ; in our daily life we will continue to be more like Christ, which by the way is the ultimate goal of the works of the Holy Spirit.

2. Continued Faith in Him

 Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

The Spirit continues to impart faith into our lives. It is true that the believer is already saved by grace through faith, but Christian life depend on the power of the Spirit. So as Christians, we need faith and trust in God in order to be able to obey Him, especially in situations of our lives whereby it simply easier to go with an option that is contrary to the will of God. Our ability to put our faith in God is a gift; that is what the Holy Spirit will do for you as you yield to Him.

3. Victory Over the Flesh

Romans 8:2-4 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in us (1 Corinthians 6:19) ensures that we are continuously victorious over the flesh. When we submit to Him, this will constantly be our lot.

4. Manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

When the Holy Spirit has His way in us, He produces His own fruit in us, the fruit of the Spirit. Notice that the word ‘fruit’ is singular in this verse but contains 9 items. Believers are expected to manifest all the nine ‘fruit’ not just one or a few of them. This is what the Holy Spirit will enable you to do.

5. The Spirit Help Our Infirmities

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The Spirit will help your infirmities. In addition to weakness in physical health, infirmity refers to imperfection, weakness in mind, faith, and in all areas of lives where man is prone to weaknesses. Although we are not promised perfect physical healing here on earth, the Spirit is always there to help our spiritual infirmities.

6. He Helps Us to Pray

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

The Spirit helps us in prayers. You must have noticed this in Romans 8:26 above. With regard to Ephesians 6:18 and Romans 8:26, I have to tell you at this point that, contrary to popular beliefs, none of these verses suggest praying in tongues. They simply point to praying according to the will of God which we need the Spirit’s help to do.

7. Sanctification

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

The Spirit, with the use of the Word, cleanses and sanctifies us from all uncleanness. See also: Ephesians 5:26; 1 Peter 1:2.

In addition to the above benefits of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers, the following are considered the visible results:

1. The Power to Witness

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 11:24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

It is the promised of Christ that the Spirit will empower us to be witnesses for Christ. By the power of the Spirit, the disciples in the Early Church received the “boldness” to preach the Word. Any Spirit-filled believers will continuously grow the desire to witness and boldly share his/her faith with other people. As a Christian, if you find yourself struggling to witness, or you just don’t have the desire or boldness in you, then it’s time for Spiritual revival.

2. The Manifestation Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

As mentioned earlier, the word ‘fruit’ is singular in this verse but contains 9 items. Believers are expected to manifest all the nine ‘fruit’ not just one or a few of them. The first 3, love, joy and peace, refer to how we live within ourselves. This is what determines how you see the things of this world especially the negative occurrences that make people sad, worried, and depressed. How do you handles unfortunate events in your life?

The next 3, longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness, refer to how we relate or work with others. Webster 1828 defines longsuffering as “Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked.” Are you longsuffering? Are you gentle with others? Do you have goodness towards others?

The last 3, faith, meekness, temperance, refer to your relationship with God. Do you trust in Him in all things or just in some things? Are you meek? Are your desires and indulgence restrained by the will of God? All these will be noticeable in your conducts as a believer.

I have to mention here that being filled with the Spirit is not manifested by people screaming, laughing hysterically, coughing or vomiting, rolling over chairs and tables, or speaking gibberish. The effect of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is most of the times manifested in the form of the fruit the Spirit itself, listed above.

3. Empowerment for Service

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

In addition to witnessing, the Holy Spirit empowers the believers in general service in the Body of Christ. This He does beginning with His giving of gifts to the members of the Body. Each member of the Body is to work together towards the common goals of glorying Christ on earth and becoming more like Christ. In addition to the gifts granted by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is also the power in the believers to do their services to Christ. Listen to Paul’s own testimony in 1 Corinthians 2:4:

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”

See also: Acts 1:8; 2:4.

Acceptable and Christ-glorifying services (not eye-services or things done with the wrong motives) in the Body of Christ are the result of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the members of the Body, that is, the believers.