The Spirit Gives Life

Being “filled with the Spirit” can have different meanings

to different people. It’s important to first turn to Scripture
to understand who the Holy Spirit is and how He works.
When we submit ourselves to Him, we are asking Him to
take control or “fill us” so that our thoughts and actions
are in line with what God wants. Herb Vander Lugt
explains what the Spirit-filled life looks like and how we
can experience it to the fullest.

Herb Vander Lugt began working with Our Daily Bread

Ministries in 1966, when he became the third author to
contribute to Our Daily Bread. He also served as Senior
Research Editor, wrote many Discovery Series booklets,
and pastored several churches.

To order more of Filled with the Spirit or any of over 100

other titles, visit discoveryseries.org.

Q0301
Herb Vander Lugt
introduction
Filled with the Spirit

A nd just exactly what does that

mean? If I am filled with the Spirit,
will I know it? These questions
are asked by Christians who want to walk with
God and please Him. Yet some are afraid they
are missing out when they hear the stories of
others who claim to have had a special filling
of the Spirit.
Herb VanderLugt has examined what the
Bible has to say about this subject and shares

1
 his thoughts with us. We pray that this booklet
will help many to have a deeper understanding
and experience of the Spirit-filled life.

Mart DeHaan

2 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

contents

one
Who Is the Holy Spirit? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �5

two
“Filled” with the Spirit � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9

three
The Mystery of the Spirit� � � � � � � � � � � � � � �25

four
Walking in the Spirit � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �31

EDITORS: Tim Gustafson, J.R. Hudberg, Alyson Kieda, Peggy Willison

COVER IMAGE: ipopba / ThinkstockPhotos
COVER DESIGN: Stan Myers
INTERIOR DESIGN: Steve Gier

Interior Images: (p.1) ipopba / ThinkstockPhotos; (p.5) Hans Benn via Pixabay.com;
(p.9) Pezibear via Pixabay.com; (p.25) Cali via Pixabay.com; (p.31) Sunnivalode97
via Pixabay.com
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®. ©1982 by Thomas
Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 1986, 2002, 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI
All rights reserved.
Printed in USA
one
Who Is the Holy Spirit?

E very follower of Jesus Christ should want to

be filled with the Holy Spirit. But what does
that mean? Some see it as an experience
marked by speaking in tongues or interpreting them.
Others describe it as feeling the Spirit take them over
or as being overcome with great joy. Still others talk
of being “slain” in the Spirit or perhaps having the
ability to prophesy.
But other Christians say they have never had any
of these experiences. Many believe that Christians
can be filled with the Holy Spirit as they live their
day-to-day lives. To them, Richard Wurmbrand
(1909–2001), who was repeatedly tortured in a

5
communist prison camp, exemplifies the power of
a Spirit-filled life. He told of singing for joy in a cell
despite being perpetually cold, sick, and hungry.

In the New Testament, the term “tongues” (tais glōssais)

refers to several different things: (1) recognized languages
spoken by people in different cultures; (2) a supernatural
utterance provided on the day of Pentecost to evangelize the
different ethnic groups present; or (3) a spiritual gift in the first
century that could be interpreted for edification in the church
or was used in private prayer language to help in intercession�
According to the Bible, the privilege for every
believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit began
at Pentecost (acts 2:1–13). As the disciples prayed
together, they suddenly heard the sound of rushing
wind, saw tongue-like flames, and spoke in languages
they had never learned. Three thousand people
in Jerusalem turned to Jesus that day. Filled with
courage and power, the apostles went around telling
others about Christ and performing miracles.
Despite persecution, as time went on these Spirit-
filled Christians presented such a powerful testimony
that even their enemies spoke of them as people who
had “turned the world upside down” (acts 17:6).

Pentecost simply means “fiftieth” in Greek� It is the

celebration of the Feast of Weeks in the Jewish calendar, and
occurs 50 days after Passover� The Feast of Weeks indicates
the end of the grain harvest�

6 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

 We would all like to be filled with the Holy Spirit,
but most of us don’t experience the same victory, joy,
or power that seemed to accompany the presence
of the Holy Spirit for these early followers of Jesus.
So this leads us to ask, “How can I be filled with the
Holy Spirit?”

Before we discuss what it means to be filled with the

Holy Spirit, we need to know who the Holy Spirit is.
Some insist that the Holy Spirit is an influence—a
power or source of God-given spiritual energy.
Others see Him as ghostlike, entering or leaving us
at will. Still others picture Him
as a kind of cosmic magician,
elusive and vague, who drops
mysteriously into our lives to
make spiritual things happen
and then leaves just as quickly as
He came.
The Bible makes it clear, The Holy Spirit
however, that the Holy Spirit is is God, the
God, the third person of the third person of
Trinity. He is a person who lives the Trinity.
within every Christian. He is a person
He Is a Personal Being who lives within
every Christian.
The Scriptures give us five clear
evidences that the Holy Spirit is

Who Is the Holy Spirit? 7

a personal being, not a mystic force or strange power.
The Holy Spirit is spoken of as “He.” Jesus referred
to the Holy Spirit as “He.” He promised His disciples:
“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He [the Holy Spirit] may abide with you
forever” (john 14:16).
The Holy Spirit has intelligence. He knows the “deep
things of God” and reveals them to us (1 corinthians
2:10–11). Only a personal being has this kind of
intelligence.
The Holy Spirit makes decisions. He gives gifts
to the Lord’s people, “distributing to each one
individually as He wills” (1 corinthians 12:11).
The Holy Spirit has emotions. He feels love
(romans 15:30) and grief (ephesians 4:30). A mere
“influence” cannot feel emotions.
The Holy Spirit is active. He does things only a
being with personality can do. Scripture tells us that
the Holy Spirit speaks (revelation 2:7), intercedes for
us in prayer (romans 8:26), teaches (john 14:26), leads
(romans 8:14), appoints (acts 20:28), and empowers
(acts 1:8).

8 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

two
“Filled” with the Spirit

T he filling of the Holy Spirit can be described

as the influence the Spirit exercises over us
when we yield ourselves to Him. The Spirit
of God, who has given us new life and has taken up
residence within us, wants to fill our lives with His
goodness and power. He wants us to let Him take
control of our lives. Even so, He does not use His
power as God to overwhelm us; rather, He fills us
only as we submit to Him.
In this sense, then, being filled with the Spirit
9
means we have placed ourselves under His influence
and control. We have yielded to Him, letting Him
direct our lives. We often speak of something that
so fills a person’s mind that it strangely influences
everything he thinks and does. We can be filled
with anger, fear, sorrow, pride, love, anxiety, and
other feelings and emotions. The Bible uses the
word filled in the same way (see luke 6:11; acts 5:17;
13:45). To be filled with something means to be
under its control.
This truth is stated clearly in Ephesians 5:18: “Do
not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but
be filled with the Spirit.” Paul used this analogy
because a person who gets drunk places himself
under the influence or control of the alcohol.
Similarly, a Christian who submits to the indwelling
Holy Spirit puts herself under His influence or
control. Both the person who consumes enough
alcohol to get drunk and the Christian who yields
to the Holy Spirit have placed themselves under the
control of something or someone else.

The word translated “filled” in Ephesians 5:18 is in the

passive voice in Greek, which simply means that God
does the filling and we are the recipients of this filling� The
command in this verse is not to work to be filled by the Spirit
but to surrender to the filling of the Spirit�
On the day of Pentecost, people who heard
the apostles speak in languages they had never

10 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

learned accused them of being drunk. In the pagan
ceremonies of Paul’s day, worshipers did sometimes
get drunk as part of their religious experience.
The analogy, therefore, had some background in
Paul’s thinking. If we think
about it, a group of Spirit-
filled Christians singing with
great enthusiasm may have
had a superficial resemblance
to a band of pagan worshipers
He does not use drunk with wine, singing to
their gods. But the similarity
His power as God is on the surface only. People
to overwhelm us; who are drunk with wine
rather, He fills us suffer impaired judgment.
only as we submit They say and do things they
to Him. normally wouldn’t do and
often can’t remember what
they did.
On the other hand, a person filled with the
Holy Spirit and therefore under His control enjoys
improved judgment, acts in a responsible manner,
and rejoices in the memory of what he says and does
under the control of the Holy Spirit.
We are greatly influenced by whatever fills us.
If we are filled with anger, we will be influenced
to such an extent that we will say and do things we
may later regret. People filled with anger against
God may become so controlled by hatred that they

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 11

become defiant and rebellious. To be filled with
the Holy Spirit is to be so influenced by, controlled
by, or permeated by Him that we will reflect God’s
moral character and be strengthened by His power.
Who Can Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
The filling of the Holy Spirit should be the desire
of every Christian. But we may have the mistaken
idea that it is reserved only for privileged, spiritually
sensitive, special people.
Thankfully, the filling of the
Holy Spirit is for everyone, with
two important prerequisites.
First, to experience the filling
of the Holy Spirit, a person must
be a Christian—he or she must
To experience the
be born again. This new birth is
given by the Holy Spirit. filling of the
When Jesus told Nicodemus Holy Spirit, a
he had to be born again, He person must be
referred to that experience as a Christian—
being “born of the Spirit” (john he or she must be
3:6). He later told His disciples, born again.
“It is the Spirit who gives life”
(6:63). When the Spirit gives this
new life, He also enters into the new Christian to live
within him or her permanently—to indwell us. Paul
tells us in Romans 8:9 that anyone who does not have
the indwelling Holy Spirit is not a Christian. Even

12 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

though the indwelling of the Spirit is not the same as
the filling of the Spirit, only someone who is indwelt
can be filled. So the first prerequisite to being Spirit-
filled is to be a Christian.
Second, the filling of the Holy Spirit is only for
those Christians who want to be filled. Although He
dwells within all Christians, He does not fill them
just because He is present. To be obedient to the
command to be filled with the Spirit (ephesians 5:18),
a person must want the Spirit’s filling and then be
willing to yield to His control.
How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
Paul commanded the believers at Ephesus—and every
Christian—to be “filled with the Spirit.” This clause
could be literally translated, “Let the Holy Spirit keep
filling you,” or “Keep letting the Holy Spirit fill you.”
But just how do we obey this command?
We know what it means to be filled with excitement
or happiness. Those emotions so permeate our
thoughts and feelings that they dominate us. When
Paul told us to be filled with the Spirit, he was telling
us to let Him so fill us that everything we think and
do is influenced or controlled by Him.
But the crucial question is still “How?” God’s part
is clear: He will fill us. But what is our part? Here are
some practical aspects to consider. We must be (1)
Christ-centered, (2) reading Scripture, (3)submissive,
and (4) confident.

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 13

Be Christ-Centered
The first essential for being
Spirit-filled is to center our lives
on Jesus Christ. He must be
the focal point of our thoughts
and aspirations. In all we do, we The first essential
must be conscious of following for being
His example and doing His will. Spirit-filled is to
Jesus said, “He [the Holy Spirit]
center our lives on
will glorify Me, for He will take
of what is Mine and declare it to
Jesus Christ.
you” (john 16:14). He must be the
In a good marriage, the wife focal point of our
or husband enjoys seeing the thoughts and
other receive honor. Similarly, aspirations.
the Holy Spirit derives great
pleasure from seeing us
cooperate with Him in glorifying Christ. He Himself
wants to remain hidden so that nothing diverts our
gaze from Jesus. Whenever we focus our attention on
Christ, the Holy Spirit is in close partnership with us.
The Spirit is pleased when we glorify the Lord. We
can do this by:
• Making Jesus our example (john 13:15;
philippians 2:5–8; 1 peter 2:21–24).

• Longing to know Jesus better, so that we may be

more like Him (philippians 3:10–14).

14 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

 • Not fearing death because we look forward to
being with Jesus (2 corinthians 5:8; philippians 1:21–23;
2 timothy 4:6–8).

• Finding comfort in Christ’s intercession for us

(hebrews 4:14–16).

• Purifying ourselves from sin as we live in

expectation of Jesus’s return (1 john 3:2–3).
• Looking forward to Christ’s rule over the earth
(isaiah 2:1–4; jeremiah 23:5–6; revelation 20:1–4).

The Holy Spirit keeps Himself out of the limelight

so that Christ may be honored. He is pleased when
we praise and adore the Lord Jesus. He views us as
partners with Him in glorifying Christ. Being Jesus-
centered, therefore, is essential to being filled with
the Spirit.
Read Scripture
Just before Paul gave the command not to get drunk
but to be filled with the Spirit, he wrote, “Therefore
do not be unwise, but understand what the will of
the Lord is” (ephesians 5:17).
The importance of the Bible in the Spirit-filled
life was demonstrated by Jesus in His encounter with
Satan at the beginning of His public ministry. Luke
told us that Jesus was “filled with the Holy Spirit”
when He entered the wilderness for testing (luke 4:1–2).
In response to each of Satan’s temptations, our

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 15

Lord answered by quoting Scripture—specifically
Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, and 6:16.
Jesus’s familiarity with the Bible was vital to His
being “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Paul made this
connection in Colossians 3:16, which says: “Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord.” The last
part of this verse is almost
identical to Ephesians 5:19–20
where Paul described the
characteristics of a Spirit-filled If we want to
Christian. Letting the Word be Spirit-filled
of Christ dwell in us richly is
an essential in letting the Holy
Christians, we must
Spirit keep filling us. be in the Bible.
If we want to be Spirit-filled
Christians, we must be in the
Bible. We must read it, study it, reflect on it, and let
it correct us. Scripture has been given to make us
complete, well-equipped Christians. We cannot be
Spirit-filled without it.
Be Submissive
A third essential for a Spirit-filled life is to submit to
God. Paul indicated this attitude of submission by
the language he used when he wrote Ephesians 5:18.

16 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

We must continuously allow the Holy Spirit to fill us.
We can do this only when we possess a submissive
attitude toward Him. The analogy Paul used of being
drunk carries the idea of submission. Paul wrote:
“Do not get drunk with wine . . . but keep letting the
Holy Spirit fill you” (literal translation). A person who
keeps letting the Holy Spirit fill him will consciously,
continuously, and voluntarily place himself under
God’s influence or control. That person doesn’t lose
self-control; in fact, he or she exercises far more
self-control than a person who does not possess the
Holy Spirit. When a Christian submits to God, the
Holy Spirit frees him from the ownership of the sinful
habits and drives that once controlled him, and gives
him the self-control and courage to leave that way of
living behind.
This attitude of submission is also present in
Colossians 3:15–4:10, a passage that parallels
Ephesians 5:18–6:9. When Paul told the believers in
Colosse to place themselves under the rule of Christ’s
peace and to give Christ’s words a dominant place in
their lives (colossians 3:16), he urged them to have a
submissive attitude. We place ourselves under God’s
control when we do these things.
The result of letting the Holy Spirit continually
fill us and allowing the peace of Christ and His
words to have dominance in our lives is joy, mutual
encouragement, praise, and gratitude. Also essential
is the confession of our sins so that we will experience

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 17

God’s fellowship and cleansing (1 john 1:9). The
outcome is that others will see the expression of our
love for God as we become better citizens, marriage
partners, co-workers, and representatives of Christ
(ephesians 5:2–33; 1 peter 2:11–3:17).

Be Confident
A fourth key aspect of being filled with the Spirit is
to be confident. When we have based our lives on
Jesus Christ, when we are in the Bible and it is in
us, and when we have submitted to the Holy Spirit’s
leading, we are doing our part. And we can be
absolutely certain that God has done His part. He
has responded to us by filling us with His Spirit. We
don’t need to wonder if we are sufficiently spiritual to
be filled with the Spirit. We don’t need to compare
ourselves with other believers. We don’t need to
keep looking for a spectacular sign from heaven. We
don’t need to wait for a great feeling of excitement to
sweep over us.
Rather, if we are doing our part, we can know with
absolute certainty that God is doing His part. And
this confidence will help us live in the assurance that
we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
If we live with a defeatist attitude, it may be that
we sense we are losing the battle with sin. Our lack
of confidence shows a failure to trust in the Lord’s
provision for us and in His power to keep His part of
the bargain.

18 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

 Consider the apostle Paul. Although he was
acutely aware of the ongoing battle with his flesh,
he exuded confidence. With heart-wrenching
honesty, he described the war between his old
nature (the “law of sin”) and his new nature (the
“law of my mind”). But he went on to point out that
the way of victory is through “Jesus Christ our Lord.”
He then said,
There is therefore now no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus. . . . For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me
free from the law of sin and death. For what the
law could not do in that it was weak through the
flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He
condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in
us who do not walk according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit (romans 8:1–4).

Paul described his intense spiritual battle in Romans 7�

In verse 23 he referred to the “law of sin” that warred
against his mind� This battle caused him to cry out,
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this
body of death?” (v� 24)�
This walking “in the Spirit” occurs when we are
filled with the Spirit. It includes the four essentials
we’ve just looked at in a blend of divine and human

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 19

activity to overcome sin. The walk in the Spirit is a
walk of confidence in God.

Confidence produces spiritual victory because of

A continual awareness of the Spirit’s presence (1 COR� 6:19–20).
A conscious dependence on the Spirit’s power (EPH� 5:18).
An acceptance of the Spirit’s help in fulfilling the law
of God (ROMANS 8:4).
A deliberate “putting off” of the flesh (EPHESIANS 4:22).
A willful rejection of sin (ROMANS 6:1–2).
A determined pursuit of what is right (EPHESIANS 4:24).

The fourth essential in a Spirit-filled life, is

confidence. When we have done our part by repenting
of all known sin, confessing it, and replacing it with
obedience to Christ, we can be certain that God has
done His part in forgiving us and in giving us the
power for spiritual victory. We can move forward with
hearts filled with confidence and the knowledge that
we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
How Can I Tell When I’m Spirit-Filled?
Some people say that the way we can know we are
filled with the Holy Spirit is to speak in tongues or to
“ just feel it.”
When Paul described the results of being filled
with the Holy Spirit, he didn’t mention tongues-
speaking or feelings. But he did mention “speaking

20 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
submitting to one another in the fear of God”
(ephesians 5:19–21). He also listed nine fruits of the
Spirit as evidence (see galatians 5:22–23).
A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit will
know it because of evidences in his life including
joyful fellowship, heartfelt praise, abundant
gratitude, and God-honoring submission, and the
fruit of the Spirit. Let’s look briefly at each of these.

Joyful Fellowship. Paul described this joyful fellowship

when he said that we speak “to one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs.” The texts of these
songs often take the form of mutual exhortation.
Singing with God’s people had its roots in Hebrew
worship.
Psalms 29, 33, 37, 40, 95, 96, and 100 are only a few of the
songs in which the Israelites encouraged one another to join
together in praise, gratitude, and obedience�

Heartfelt Praise. Another result of being filled with

the Holy Spirit is heartfelt praise to God: “Singing
and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” The
term “in your heart” is sometimes taken as referring
to singing on the inside, singing that isn’t expressed

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 21

outwardly. But it likely means singing from a sincere
heart, as expressed in Colossians 3:16, “Singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Abounding Gratitude. A third sign that someone is

Spirit-filled is abounding gratitude: “Giving thanks
always for all things to God the Father in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In his letters, Paul repeatedly gave thanks to God,
and he encouraged his readers to follow his example
(colossians 1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 17 and elsewhere). He told us to
give thanks to God in everything
and for everything.
God-Honoring Submission.
A fourth way we can know we
are filled with the Holy Spirit is
reverent submission: “Submitting A Spirit-filled person
to one another in the fear of
is humble . . . .
God.” A Spirit-filled person
is humble, gentle, and meek. his reverence for
He is not proud, aggressive, Christ is the source
or self-assertive. His reverence of his humility.
for Christ is the source of his
humility. As a servant of Christ,
she possesses a servant’s spirit. Therefore, she does
not find it difficult to submit to her fellow believers.
The Fruit of the Spirit. In his letter to the Galatians,
Paul pointed out that a Spirit-filled person will

22 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

exhibit nine qualities he called “the fruit of the
Spirit.” He wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such
there is no law” (5:22–23). Let’s look at each one of
these characteristics:
Love: An attitude that moves us to put God and
others ahead of ourselves; a spirit that impels us
to give, to serve, and to forgive.
Joy: A spirit of gladness rooted in our faith,
expressed through song, and accompanied by
an optimistic spirit.
Peace: Inner serenity derived from God and
based on the reality of our peace with God
through Christ’s sacrifice.
Longsuffering: Patience in the middle of
difficult circumstances and in our relationships
with difficult people.
Kindness: Treating others as we want them to
treat us.
Goodness: Open, honest, pure, and generous
behavior.
Faithfulness: Trustworthiness and dependability
in all our relationships.
Gentleness: A tenderness of spirit that enables

What Is the Filling of the Holy Spirit? 23

 us to lead others and discipline those we are in
charge of with graciousness.
Self-control: The quality that gives us control
over our desires, especially those that relate to
the body.

If the Holy Spirit is producing these qualities

in your life, you are Spirit-filled. Paul’s comment,
“Against such there is no law,” means that nothing
in the Mosaic law or any other law opposes these
virtues or is needed to restrain them. In fact, when
a person’s life is marked by the four evidences of
Ephesians 5:18–21 and the fruit of Galatians 5:22–23,
the demands of the law are being fulfilled. When
they are present, they provide evidence that we are
filled with the Holy Spirit.

24 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

three
The Mystery of
the Spirit

M any people earnestly hold to conflicting

beliefs regarding the question: “How
can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?”
Let’s evaluate two of these ideas:

The Bible does not command us to be filled with the

Holy Spirit. Some Christian leaders do not emphasize
the filling of the Holy Spirit. In fact, some even say
that to talk about ourselves as being Spirit-filled is a
form of spiritual pride. They acknowledge that in the

25
book of Acts the apostles are sometimes described
as “filled with the Spirit” or “full of the Holy Spirit.”
But they say that the Bible nowhere commands us to
be filled with the Holy Spirit. To support their claim,
they say that Ephesians 5:18 is talking about the
human spirit. But we have ample additional biblical
evidence for the importance of a Spirit-filled life.

The terms filled and full of refer to the Holy Spirit in other
passages (LUKE 1:15, 41,67; 4:1; ACTS 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9)� And
the contrast between being drunk with wine and filled with
the Holy Spirit appears in Acts 2:13 as well as Ephesians 5:18�

In Romans 8:1–11, we learn that freedom from

the power of sin comes to those who walk “according
to the Spirit.” Here the Spirit is referred to as the
indwelling “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ” (v. 9).
In Galatians 5:16–26, Paul commanded us to “walk
in the Spirit” and told us that such a life will produce
the “fruit of the Spirit.”
So the teaching that every believer should be
filled with the Holy Spirit does not stand or fall on
our interpretation of Ephesians 5:18. However, we
are convinced that this verse does command every
Christian to let the Holy Spirit keep filling them.

We need to seek a second blessing. Many Christians

believe that the filling of the Holy Spirit is a dramatic
experience that takes place sometime after salvation.

26 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

Some speak of it as “entire
sanctification,” viewing it as a
second work of grace in which
the sin nature is removed and
the Holy Spirit takes control.
Others refer to it as a baptism
of the Spirit, claiming that We are justified
it is usually accompanied by the moment we
speaking in tongues. believe. We receive
The problem with this view is the new birth and
that the New Testament never
the permanent
tells us to seek or anticipate
a dramatic, post-salvation
in-dwelling Spirit
experience. We are justified at salvation.
the moment we believe (romans
5:1). We receive the new birth
and the permanent in-dwelling Spirit at salvation
(1 corinthians 6:19; 1 peter 1:22–23). True, we may
have many wonderful experiences after salvation.
We may even have an encounter with the Lord that
revolutionizes our way of life. But we have no biblical
basis for expecting a second work of grace or a
baptism of power that brings instant holiness. Rather,
Paul called on us to keep presenting our bodies “a
living sacrifice” (romans 12:1) and to permit the Holy
Spirit to keep filling us.
What Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the act of the

The Mystery of the Spirit 27

Holy Spirit by which He places a person into the
church, the body of Christ. The first baptism of
the Holy Spirit took place in the upper room at
Pentecost when the church began (acts 2:1–13). Today
it occurs when a person receives Jesus Christ as his
or her Savior. Paul wrote, “By one Spirit we were all
baptized into one body” (1 corinthians 12:13).
Some Christians disagree. They maintain that the
baptism of the Holy Spirit is the same as the filling
of the Spirit. They say that it takes place at a point
after salvation, and that it is accompanied by the sign
of speaking in tongues. Those who hold this view say
that their teaching is found in the book of Acts. But
the phrase “baptized with the Holy Spirit” appears
only twice in Acts (1:5; 11:16). In neither place are we
told that it is something we should seek any time
after salvation.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was first announced
by John the Baptist (matthew 3:11). And the Lord
Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit before
He ascended to heaven (acts 1:4–5). That promise was
fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, the day the church
was born (acts 2:1–13, 32–33). When Peter preached
later that day, some three thousand people believed
(2:41–42). Then we are told: “The Lord added to the
church daily those who were being saved” (v. 47).
The book of Acts records three additional instances
when the Holy Spirit descended on believers. They
took place with three different groups: the Samaritan

28 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

believers, whose religion and
ancestry were part Jewish (acts
8:14–25); the Gentile family of
Cornelius (10:44–48); and twelve
people who had believed in
Christ and received John’s
baptism but knew nothing Paul wrote,
about what happened at “By one Spirit we
Pentecost (19:1–7). were all baptized
When Peter saw that the into one body.”
Holy Spirit had come upon
1 CORINTHIANS 12:13
the Gentiles, he remembered
the Spirit-baptism promised
by Christ. He wrote, “Then I
remembered the word of the Lord, how He said,
‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave
them the same gift as He gave us when we believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could
withstand God?” (acts 11:16–17). By giving visible signs
in these three instances, the Holy Spirit confirmed
the fact that Jesus Christ was building His church.
These signs were given during the transition from
the Jewish beginnings of the church to the full
inclusion of the Gentiles.
When the transition was over, the baptism of the
Holy Spirit was no longer accompanied by visible
signs. When a person trusts Christ today, he or she
is placed into the church, the body of Christ, that

The Mystery of the Spirit 29

very moment. Paul wrote, “For by one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free—and have all been made to
drink into one Spirit” (1 corinthians 12:13). The words
translated “we were all baptized” speak of an action
that took place in one instant of time. The baptism
of the Spirit takes place at the moment of salvation,
is not repeated, and is not to be sought after
salvation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, therefore,
is the placing of the believer into the body of Christ
by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation.

30 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

four
Walking in the Spirit

A s we think through the topic of the Holy

Spirit, we may wonder where we are
spiritually. Some questions to ask
ourselves are: Have I submitted to the Holy Spirit?
Do I ask Him to lead me? Am I learning from
the Bible through regular reading, study, and
meditation? Am I relying on the Holy Spirit to help
me overcome my sinful desires?
Do I enjoy getting together with God’s people for
fellowship, Bible study, and prayer? Would people
describe me as a happy, joyous Christian? When
trouble comes, am I at peace in my innermost being?

31
When I become aware of sin in my life, do I immediately
confess it and ask God to help me to gain the victory?
Am I gentle in my relationships with other people
and patient with God? Can I point to certain times
when the Holy Spirit gave me the power to perform
a certain task or carry a heavy burden? Am I growing
in self-control?

To be filled with the Holy Spirit we must be Christ-

centered, reading the Bible, submitting to God’s
authority, and have confidence that He will do His
part as He promised.
If you are a Christian, being filled with the Spirit
is not an option—it is a command. But perhaps you
have never placed your faith in Jesus. If you have
never trusted Him as your Savior, you cannot be
filled with the Holy Spirit because He is not in you.
To bring Jesus into your life, you simply need to
admit your sin and your inability to save yourself
(ephesians 2:8–10). Ask Him to rescue you. He has
promised to save all who desire to turn from their sins
and call on Him in faith. The Bible says: “As many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name”
(john 1:12). It also says, “Whoever calls on the name of
the Lord shall be saved” (romans 10:13).
Turn to Jesus today. It’s the vital first step to being
filled with the Holy Spirit.

32 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

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