WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?
By Frank and Cecilia Contreras
LESSON 36 Part 1
INTRODUCTION
Our Heavenly Father wants each of his children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is His beautiful promise in Luke 11:13: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
But if you have a glass half filled with dirt and you fill the rest with pure water, you will not have a glass of pure water but one only filled with mud. That is why it is imperative to first ask the Lord to empty us of junk—self, sin and satanic impulses—before we ask Him to fill us with His precious Holy Spirit?
What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God? It will be like Jesus walking the earth in you and doing His will in and through your life.
TWO INCREDIBLE SCRIPTURES
Look at John 14:12: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also: and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
This scripture has incredible meaning. What “greater works” could anyone do that Jesus did not do? He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, calmed the elements—He did it all! But until He returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit could not be given to millions of believers (“Christ in you”—Colossians 1:27) who would be used to do the greatest work of all—lead others to Jesus so they, too, could become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The other incredible verse is found in Acts 10:38: “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
To be full of the Holy Spirit is to be full of Jesus and, like Jesus, we will then walk through our world “doing good” as the Holy Spirit touches other lives through us.
SIX INDICATIONS OF A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE
When winter snows melt and fill rivers to overflowing, we marvel at their power and effect. Jesus promised full rivers of living water that would flow from you and me: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” John 7:37, 38.
Notice five key words in connection with this promise to fill us with His Spirit: 1) Thirst, 2) Come, 3) Drink, 4) Believe, 5) Flow.
And when the Holy Spirit comes to take control of our lives, He brings all of the fruits that make Him who He is: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” Galatians 5:22,23.
That is when others see the changes made in our lives. For there will doubtless be at least six manifestations that will be evidence that we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit and not with ourselves. In this lesson I will only give the first two of the manifestations. In our next lesson—Part 2—we will cover the final four.
Unconditional love for Jesus Christ. “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, to what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me… Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.” (Matthew 26:6-10, 13)
A purified heart and a holy life. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1:22). “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
AN IMPORTANT REQUEST
Between this lesson and the next, I urge you to spend daily time with the Lord in the Word and prayer. Study the above verses carefully. Ask God to search your heart and confess anything and everything that grieves Him. Simply ask His to empty you of all sin, self and satanic holds on your life.
Then ask your Father to fill you with His Spirit and remember the five words of Jesus: “Thirst”, “Come”, “Drink”, “Believe”—and then “Flow”. Ask Him now to fill you, and believe that He is doing it, just as He promised. You will then begin to see why the Lord never said, “By their boastings”—or “by their claim to have certain gifts”—but only “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). The proof will not come merely from what you say with your lips, but from what others see in your life.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
