8 Facts About the Filling of the Holy Spirit
Christians from all walks of life are often bewildered by what the Bible calls being “filled with the Spirit.” Some think it’s an experience that causes one to speak in tongues, others think it’s a feeling, while others just brush it off as a mystery. It doesn’t have to be this way.
In the Old Testament (or “old covenant”), the Holy Spirit is seen coming upon, or filling, specific people for His purposes, but no command is given to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.” In the New Testament (or “new covenant”) we see a distinct difference in which all believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18 Paul the apostle writes, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” The Ephesians, in contrast to the worldly influences and pagan worship practices of the surrounding culture, were told to be completely immersed in the Spirit and under His influence! Unlike the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is never sought for or commanded in Scripture, the filling of the Spirit is something believers are expected to be actively seeking, doing, wanting, and praying for. Ultimately, we are filled with the Spirit by yielding to God in total surrender and which unleashes the powerful work of the Spirit in our lives in several ways.
Let’s walk through 8 truths about the filling of the Spirit based on what Scripture teaches:
1: The filling of the Spirit is an apostolic command.
Ephesians 5:18 is an imperative command to “be filled with the Spirit.” This means that Christians are to obey this instruction and be filled.
2: The filling of the Spirit is an ongoing experience that can happen time and time again.
The verb “be filled” in Ephesians 5:18 is a present tense verb and you can literally translate this verse, “be being filled…” to imply that we are to continue being filled again and again. This is what is meant when theologians say that there is one baptism, but there can be many fillings.
3: The filling of the Spirit is yielding yourself and coming under the control and influence of the Spirit.
In contrast to drunkenness in Ephesians 5:18, Paul says to instead be under the influence of the Spirit. This would imply that some Christians were under the influence of the wrong things are were not filled with the Spirit the way they should have been. MacArthur explains,
“…the best analogy of moment-by-moment yielding to the Holy Spirit’s control is the figure of walking, the figure Paul introduced in Ephesians 4:1. Walking involves moving one step at a time, and can be done in no other way. Being filled with the Spirit is walking thought by thought, decision by decision, act by act under the Spirit’s control. The Spirit-filled life yields to every step of the Spirit of God.”
4: The filling of the Spirit can be hindered by ongoing sin.
We have all been baptized in the Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit is dependent on our surrender to God’s way and rejecting our own flesh. You cannot experience the ongoing filling of the Spirit and the benefits of that if you walk in the flesh. This is why Paul says to lay aside sins like drunkenness and be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and he tells the Corinthians to flee immorality and that they are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
5: The filling of the Spirit produces Christ-like character and fruit in our lives.
When someone is filled with the Spirit there are objective results that can only be linked to a genuine work of the Spirit. Walking by the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16) is only possible if one is filled with the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is also the result of being filled. When the Holy Spirit is the dominating influence over a person’s life they will produce fruit from the Spirit.
6: The filling of the Spirit stirs us to boldly proclaim the gospel.
Throughout the passages that mention the “filling” of the Spirit from the book of Acts, a consistent theme is present when people are being filled with the Holy Spirit: gospel proclamation! In Acts 2:4, the gospel explodes out from Pentecost and eventually 3000 souls are saved in 2:41, and even Stephen courageously continues to preach the gospel and keep his eyes on heaven when he was martyred in Acts 7:55 because he was a man “full of the Holy Spirit.” If you have a difficult time sharing the gospel or being bold about your faith, it is perfectly biblical to seek the Spirit’s filling for the purpose of declaring the gospel.
7: The filling of the Spirit produces singing, thanksgiving, and submission.
In Ephesians 5 Paul answers the question that might enter every reader’s mind when they see “be filled with the Spirit.” But what will that look like Paul? Scripture always interprets Scripture and gives us our answers. In Ephesians 5:19 he says, “speaking to one another in psalms hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” This passage showcases the Spirit-filled results emanating from the Spirit-filled life. We will sing praises to God, be thankful for all things in Christ, and be mutually submissive to others in the fear of Christ; meaning we will consider how Jesus wants us to live and be teachable, loving, and mature in our relationships with other believers. In the verses that follow, Paul gets into marriage, parenting, and employer/employee relationships which certainly require copious amounts of grace and submissiveness in our hearts.
8: The filling of the Spirit does not guarantee you will speak in tongues, but rather, provides the empowerment of the Spirit to live a faithful and godly life each day.
The Spirit came upon people and filled them in the book of Acts in remarkably unique ways. These signs were supernatural authentications that God was filling people from all different ethnicities and religious background and had made them a part of the body of Christ. But when Paul commands the church to be filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18, we must still harmonize that passage with 1 Corinthians 12:30 in which he says that not all people will speak in tongues. You will hear some teach that the filling of the Spirit is a euphoric or miraculously extraordinary experience. Perhaps someone you know says they spoke in tongues, or someone else says they had a vision, or an influential pastor says that he can fill you with the Spirit if you’ll attend a special service and receive the laying on of hands. Based on what Scripture teaches, the filling of the Spirit may accompany a special zeal, or a feeling of exuberance and joy, or a deep conviction that erupts into godly action, but much of it will focus on obedience to Christ and bearing fruit in ordinary everyday life.
This article is an excerpt from Costi Hinn’s newest book titled, “Knowing the Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does, and How He Transforms Your Christian Life"
References:
John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Ephesians, (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1986), 253.
