Discovering How A Spirit Filled Life Operates – (Part 3)
When people often talk about being Spirit filled they often refer to a point in time when they experienced a move of God on their soul either during their conversion or some time after. They may have felt empowered by the Holy Spirit for some purpose, like understanding the Bible when the scripture used to seem confusing or equipping their prayer life to become personal and rich with the presence of God and experiencing break through with God. Deep down inside people know when the Holy Spirit has touched their lives and if they need a fresh filling again.
The problem is that we often refer to a “Spirit Filled Life” as a one time event and not a continual lifestyle experience. Paul the apostle, who wrote so much on being energized and filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke very clearly in the book of Ephesians that we need and should purposely be filled on a regular basis with the Holy Spirit. How easy it seems for us to embrace and confess we believe a biblical principle when in fact we just believe that principle as a truth, not an experience to be walked in.
Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled (continually) with the Spirit,
In this passage, Paul relates the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit to the affects of drinking alcohol. When we drink or consume alcohol, it has a direct affect on our body and mind. The Holy Spirit does as well when we are truly filled by him. One can not drink alcohol without being affected and neither can we be filled with the the Holy Spirit and not be affected by that filling. In my mind, many people buy or are given a Bible and then just carry that book around with them because it makes they feel good and righteous. Many believers received the Holy Spirit at their salvation experience and yet never allow the Holy Spirit to have access to their heart, mind and soul. They end up living a dual life where they confess one thing and live another.
If the Holy Spirit has and is filling our lives then we will experience the supernatural power of God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said one of the primary things the Holy Spirit will do for us is to be our counselor. Now, the words Jesus used for the Holy Spirit’s counsel is the same word we use for a legal advocate for court. The Holy Spirit becomes our legal counselor to advise us what is dangerous for us to engage in and what will be helpful and beneficial. A person with a large enough business will often hire a special lawyer to be on retainer so that whenever the need arises for legal advice and representation they will be available at a moments notice. The problem is we have this “Legal Retainer” with the Holy Spirit yet people never or rarely call on the Holy Spirit for advice and support. We may have the Holy Spirit but we deny him access to our heart and mind. The book of Romans clearly exposes the truth that we choose who we listen to in life.
Romans 8:5-6 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
Paul clearly states that we set the counsel we prefer in our lives, whether it be the flesh or the Holy Spirit. When Paul uses the word “Flesh” he is referring to living and thinking without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. It is a natural mindset, not a Spirit mindset. The mindset we operate in and with is based not on the forced will of God but rather our personal preference. I get so frustrated when I hear Christians make the statement that “Everything” that happens in life is God’s will when in reality what happens in life is more about man choosing who they follow and not God imposing his divine will. You and I either walk with our spiritual ears open to the counsel of the Holy Spirit or we go about our lives making judgment calls on everything with an “On The Fly” mentality made possible by our natural mind without the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Being filled with the Spirit implies living with the on going presence of God.
So the question is: should there be “Evidence” that we are being filled or do we just have to hope we are? The answer is often confusing to many because there are those in the body of Christ that want the Christian faith to be all about memorizing scripture and not about experiencing the supernatural power of God. God’s supernatural power scares many who claim Christ as their Lord because it implies they are freely giving up their personal authority and yielding to the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The risk for us is about doing things according to the will and guidance of God, which may or may not make us look bad. That fear often hinders many people from being filled and ministering to those around them, whether in the church body or outside with lost people.
Paul writes extensively about what a Spirit filled life should look like by writing about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians. Now, remember when the Holy Spirit baptized the 120 in the upper room in Acts 2 that power was released and the supernatural was manifest. That manifestation was both for the individual believers so they know personally that they had been filled and for lost people to know what happens when God fuels their lives. In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about a vanity of gifts, ministries and “EFFECTS“, which should speak clearly that if the Holy Spirit shows up then great things happen, namely a partnership between us and the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
When the Spirit fills us he imparts “GIFTS” for us to do ministry in order to benefit others. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit you are given tools to serve. A simple test of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just speaking in tongues but rather it is asking the question: have you received gifts of the Spirit and are you serving God’s purpose of loving others inside and outside your church community? If you are not engaged in using Spirit filled gifts, you probably are not being filled with the Holy Spirit. In verse seven of the same chapter, Paul says that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the common good of others. Simply put, the Holy Spirit imparts gifts as he fills our souls. No gifts, no filling.
It is my experience that too many teachers in the body of Christ want to argue about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In truth, they just want to argue about doctrines that they consider important rather than giving people a pathway to understand how to be filled and how to use that filling daily in their personal lives. Being Spirit filled is not about embracing doctrine! It is about experiencing the power of God that changes how we live!
I intend to unpack God’s reasons and methods for imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit that fuel our spiritual lives and enable us to be partners with him in reaching and ministering his grace to both the lost and the converted.
Questions:
1) Do you actively seek the Holy Spirit to be refreshed and filled regularly or are you satisfied with just getting saved by Jesus? Your answer will define your true relationship with God or the lack there of.
2) Do you have spiritual mentors that demonstrate a Spirit filled life? If not, you are settling for a Christian life that will be filled with struggle and disappointment.
May we hunger for the infilling of the Holy Spirit daily,
Pastor Dale
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