I recently heard a speaker claim that God cannot fill us with the Holy Spirit through prayer, worship, meeting together with the church or reading the Bible. I felt like that was an astonishingly arrogant thing to say from behind the sacred desk and it was very upsetting to me. God is Omnipotent, All-Powerful. He can do what He wants, how and when He wants. The speaker further said that God can only fill us through personal life experiences, specifically negative ones. That is a shockingly limiting statement to make about Almighty God and it is literally the opposite of what the Bible teaches. In fact, it is similar to a false teaching that was perpetrated upon the Galatians. Paul wrote to them:
O foolish Galatians, having begun by the spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?
God does not fill us or sanctify us through works or life experiences in the flesh. He fills us so that we can get through life's difficult circumstances, overwhelmingly conquering and spreading the Gospel as we go.
Interestingly, the speaker did point out in a way that prayer, worship, meeting together and reading the Bible are spiritual activities. Sadly, he missed the point that the Holy Spirit is actively working in our lives in a powerful way through these wonderful privileges we have been given as God's children.
O foolish Galatians, having begun by the spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?
God does not fill us or sanctify us through works or life experiences in the flesh. He fills us so that we can get through life's difficult circumstances, overwhelmingly conquering and spreading the Gospel as we go.
Interestingly, the speaker did point out in a way that prayer, worship, meeting together and reading the Bible are spiritual activities. Sadly, he missed the point that the Holy Spirit is actively working in our lives in a powerful way through these wonderful privileges we have been given as God's children.
It all begins when we repent of our sins and ask Jesus to come into our heart. At that moment, we immediately receive His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, in our hearts. He renews, regenerates and baptizes us into Christ and into the church and He will never leave us or forsake us. But that is just the beginning of our relationship, not the end. He continually works throughout our lives, making us more like Jesus.
I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -Philippians 1:6
God wants us to be made whole and complete and He accomplishes this through His Spirit.
I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be
able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and
depth of God's love, and to know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge, so
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph3:16-19
So, What does it
mean to be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
The Greek word translated as "filled," is pleroo, which means to be satisfied, like the way a deep hunger is fed or a terrible thirst is quenched. I think of what the psalmist wrote:
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2
Our greatest need is to be restored to close fellowship with God and He wants to satisfy this deep longing of our soul. Here are 5 ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives:
5 POWERFUL PRIVILEGES GIVEN TO GOD'S CHILDREN
1. MEETING TOGETHER
Jesus taught: Wherever 2 or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the
midst of them. God shows up in a special way when we gather as a church.
Proverbs 10:11 says: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” Proverbs 13:14 tells us that “Wise instruction is a fountain of life” God uses his church to speak life-giving words as we encourage, build and fill each other up.
Proverbs 10:11 says: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” Proverbs 13:14 tells us that “Wise instruction is a fountain of life” God uses his church to speak life-giving words as we encourage, build and fill each other up.
2. SPEAKING WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER
Jude 1:20 says: “But you, dear
friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of
the Holy Spirit”
Ephesians 6:18 exhorts us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests”
The Holy Spirit is present and active with us in our prayers, helping us to pray for ourselves and for each other. Prayer is a very powerful way that we connect with the heart of God and communicate with Him.
3. READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is living and active…
2 Timothy 3:16 shows us that the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
2 Timothy 3:16 shows us that the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
Proverbs 4:20-23 shows us how
God’s word guards our hearts, brings physical healing to our bodies and helps
us to bring those same benefits to others by letting God pour through us: “My
son, pay attention to my words-incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them
out of your sight, keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who
find them and health to their whole body. Guard your heart diligently for from
it flow the springs of life.”
God's Holy Spirit works in powerful ways through His Word. If we want to understand God and be more like Him, we need to spend time in the Bible.
4. WORSHIP
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and 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
Through corporate worship, we joins our hearts together with God and each other bringing unity to the Body of Christ.
Psalm 100 tells us: ...Come into His Presence with singing....enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise...
Worship is a way that we come into God's Presence in the holiest place and experience the Holy Spirit working in our hearts.
Psalm 100 tells us: ...Come into His Presence with singing....enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise...
Worship is a way that we come into God's Presence in the holiest place and experience the Holy Spirit working in our hearts.
5. DIRECT MESSAGING
God dwells with us through His Spirit. He works directly in our hearts and speaks directly to our hearts. He leads us, helps us, directs our footsteps, prompts us to minister and serve, convicts us of sin, gives us discernment, teaches, comforts and guides us.
I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper/Comforter/Advocate/Counselor, to be with you forever….You know him, for he abides with you and will be in you…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.… (from John 14)
Prayer, Worship, Fellowship, Scripture and Direct Messaging are the 5 major ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ, that is, to make us more like Jesus. What incredible spiritual privileges we have as God's children!!!
I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper/Comforter/Advocate/Counselor, to be with you forever….You know him, for he abides with you and will be in you…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.… (from John 14)
Prayer, Worship, Fellowship, Scripture and Direct Messaging are the 5 major ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ, that is, to make us more like Jesus. What incredible spiritual privileges we have as God's children!!!
