Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)? Did you ask God to forgive you for the sins, or wrongs, you have done and receive Jesus to live in your heart? If so, the Holy Spirit came in. But are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you struggle to overcome sin? Do you wince at negative attitudes you have and hurtful things you regret doing and saying? Do you need a strength beyond yourself to live a godly life? The Holy Spirit will fill you with the love of God, give you power to overcome sins in your life, and fill you with His anointing for service. He will impart to you joy, wisdom, courage, love for others, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. We cannot live this Christian life without the aid of our Helper, the precious Holy Spirit!
Who is the Holy Spirit? The first mention of the Holy Spirit is in the very beginning of the Bible. Genesis 1:1-3 from the King James Version of the Bible says,
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
The word “God” in these verses and elsewhere in the Bible is the Hebrew word Elohim. It is very interesting that the word Elohim is plural! God is the Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ (Yeshua is the Hebrew name), and the Holy Spirit. No one else will ever be God but these three who are one. I like to explain their being three separate Beings who are also one like an egg: there is a yolk, an egg white, and a shell, but only one egg. So, we see the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is involved in making creation. In verse 2 above, we find Him moving upon the face of the waters to help create the earth, or restore it, as some scholars believe. The rest of Genesis chapter 1 shares about how the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, animals, plants, and people were created. If you want to read about that and don’t have a Bible, you can read it in any English translation by going to https://biblegateway.com and typing in the search bar “Genesis 1”. Genesis chapter 2 goes into more detail about that.
Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)? The Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The Holy Spirit has feelings! We can grieve Him with our stubborn attitudes, sinful thoughts, and harmful actions. The Bible instructs us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. May we surrender our hearts to God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit to please Them!
The baptism of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-22. Let us look at Matthew 3:13-17:
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
We see this beautiful picture of our perfect Lord Jesus getting baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Baptism is a symbol of washing away our sins and being raised up in newness of life. Jesus did not have any sins to wash away. However, He set a great example for the rest of us humans who do have sins! When we come to Jesus to ask for forgiveness of our sins and to ask Him to help us live for Him, then we can be baptized, immersed in water, to show that our sins are buried with Jesus in His death on the cross. When we raise up out of the water, it is a symbol of being raised to newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 tells us the lovely news, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Back to the Holy Spirit. The heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and landed on Jesus during His baptism! If Jesus, who is God and man, needed the Holy Spirit to serve the Father and minister to men and women, do we any less? The voice that spoke from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” was undoubtedly the Heavenly Father.
Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)? In Matthew 3:11-12, right before the passage above about Jesus’ baptism, we read this instruction from John the Baptist:
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
John the Baptist baptized people with water who wanted to repent of the evil they were doing. We saw above where he baptized Jesus. John the Baptist tells us that Jesus would baptize the Jewish people and us Christians and all those who want to be Christians with the Holy Ghost. The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek word “Spirit” as “Ghost.” They really mean the same thing. Some Christians call the Holy Spirit the Holy Ghost. He can be called either. My husband, Charlie, and I prefer to say Holy Spirit. John the Baptist also told us Jesus would baptize us with fire, and that He would thoroughly purge His floor. That means that He will deliver us Christians from character flaws and sinful behaviors. He will also rid the earth when He returns of those who practice evil. It behooves us to obey Jesus so we do not have to be judged by Him!
Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)? Being filled with the Holy Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit are the same thing, in my opinion.
In John 14:15-18, Jesus told His disciples,
If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Jesus prayed for the Holy Spirit to come after His death and resurrection from the dead three days later. We see that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter and the Spirit of truth! The truth is found in the Bible. Jesus Himself said He is the truth in John 14:6, earlier in this same chapter. It says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” The Holy Spirit will teach us about Jesus and the Bible. If a spirit tells us something that doesn’t agree with the Bible, it is a spirit of deception, not the Holy Spirit! We should commit ourselves completely to God, the Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and tell that other spirit to leave in the mighty Name of Jesus! It will. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The other evil spirits come from the devil. Jesus has authority over all of them! Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)?
Jesus also instructs us in this verse that the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. However, in other places Jesus tells us that anyone can receive the Holy Spirit if they believe in Jesus and put their trust in Him. I love how Jesus promises to comfort the disciples when they were going to be extremely sorrowful and maybe even hopeless after Jesus’ death on the cross. He did comfort them by reappearing to them after His resurrection and sending the Holy Spirit after His departure to heaven! Likewise, Jesus will comfort us in all our trials and send those who believe in Him the Holy Spirit! He will fill us with the Holy Spirit, too, if we ask! Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)?
In John 14:26, Jesus also told us, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, as I said before. He is also our Teacher! He reminds us of the words of Jesus found in the Bible! Actually, the whole Bible are the words of Jesus, as the Bible was divinely inspired by God! Jesus Himself is the Word of God. John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The rest of John chapter 1 makes clear that this Word, who is God and with God, is none other than Jesus Christ who came to earth as a man!
In John 15:26, Jesus tells His disciples and us similar thoughts: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.”
In John 16:5-15 we learn more from Jesus about the Holy Spirit:
But now I go my way to Him [the Father] that sent Me; and none of you asketh Me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all the truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
Wow, this passage is packed with so much wonderful truth! Jesus tells us that His disciples were sad that Jesus was going to leave them on earth. He said that it was expedient, necessary, for Him to go away to heaven so that He could send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, when He did. He said He could not send the Holy Spirit until He left. He instructs us that the Holy Spirit will reprove, or correct, the world of the sin of not believing in Jesus as God and as the Savior of the world. The Holy Spirit will convict us of righteousness because Jesus went to the Father, and the disciples could see Him no more on earth [until His return]. He also said the Spirit will let us know about the judgment of God, that the prince of the world, the devil, was judged by Jesus. This was made possible by Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus went on to say that He had many things to tell His disciples, but they couldn’t yet bear them. It is the same for us. Jesus through the Holy Spirit will help us understand Him and His glory gradually as we are able to bear the truth of His revelations from the Bible! The Holy Spirit does not speak of His own will, but He speaks what He hears from the Father and Jesus. The Holy Spirit can show us the future. He always glorifies Jesus. He receives what is the Father’s and Jesus’ and shows it to us!
Did you notice how the Holy Spirit hears, speaks, glorifies Jesus, receives, and shows?! This is further proof that the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, is not just a force, but a Person, God!
Acts chapter 2 describes when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ disciples. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in many tongues of men. Many of us believe this was the beginning of the Church. Three thousand people were added to the church that day when the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, preached! In Acts 2:38-39 we read the words of hope,
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Peter was the one who just not long before this denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion and went out and bitterly wept as a broken man. You can read about this in Luke chapter 22. Soon after, Peter was reconciled to Jesus and restored by Him and called into ministry after His resurrection. This account is in John 21. In Acts 2:38-39 above we see Peter, having repented, filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching boldly! This is the kind of change that God will bring to us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit like Peter! The Holy Spirit will cleanse away our sins and empower us with His confidence to lead others to Jesus Christ! How we so need the sweet Holy Spirit!!! Peter, inspired by God, promises that when you feel God calling your heart, you are promised to receive the Holy Spirit! Peter also warns us to avoid the coming judgment of the wicked coming on his evil generation. This warning is for us, too!
Give your life to Jesus and pray, inviting the Holy Spirit of truth and love to live in your heart. Long-time Christians and new believers alike, ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit! You can pray this over and over! This is an experience which can happen daily! Sometimes we feel empty in our hearts and need to get refreshed in the Holy Spirit. The best way to get filled with the Holy Spirit is to read the Bible!
Are you filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 1)? We need the Holy Spirit to guide as we conduct church services as well. When the Holy Spirit leads our church services, that is when the life and refreshing, healing love of God come into the room!
I have other scriptures to share with you about being filled with the Holy Spirit. I hope to post a sequel to this blog soon. In the meantime, here are two songs about the Holy Spirit that may really bless you! I love Cece Winans song below. I first heard it at a funeral, and it was so comforting! The song below that “Holy Spirit Thou Art Welcome” is a song I for most of my life have sung in church!