Resources/Articles
What Does the Holy Spirit Do for You? (2)
How do you know you are filled with the Holy Spirit? Romans 8:1-10 is a great explanation. Those scriptures contrast the life of the flesh (law) to the life in Christ where there “is no condemnation” (v. 1). Once free from sin (v. 2), the Holy Spirit promises his gift (Acts 2:38). From our new relationship with God, Christ, and the Spirit as “sons of God,” we “walk...after the Spirit” (v. 4), and “mind the things of the Spirit” (v. 5), producing “life and peace” (v. 6), and “please God” (v. 8). If that Spirit dwells in us, or if we are filled with the Spirit, we will not desire the flesh, but righteousness (v. 10). As a result of being filled with the Spirit (cause), we have the promise of life to our mortal bodies in the resurrection, just as Christ was raised (v. 11).
Our relationship to the Spirit is as “sons of God” is further revealed in the blessings of vv. 14-17. We know if we are filled with the Spirit if our lives are being “led by the Spirit.” It will then be evident we are “sons of God” (v. 14).
We are led by the Spirit through the word He revealed to the apostles and prophets. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...” In Galatians 3:2, Paul asked the Galatians, “Received ye the Spirit...by the hearing of faith?” It was definitely the words spoken by the apostles given to them by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-16).
Being “led by the Spirit” does not mean sit back and wait to receive a magical nudging or supernatural poling. Some say they know the Spirit is near because, “The Lord is leading me to say something. Wait, I feel something. The Spirit is telling me to do something.” This type of “surrendering” is mostly full of emotion and often preeminent to what the Bible says. Some prize the feeling given to them higher than what scripture teaches. The truth is no feeling leads you to a relationship with the Spirit. The word from the Holy Spirit leads you to that relationship.
What does the Spirit lead us to do? Romans 8:15 says it leads us to sonship to the Father, not bondage to sin or fear. It leads to an inheritance and glory, not shame (v. 17). Ephesians 3:16 says the Spirit strengthens Christians through what is found in vv. 18-19 - through faith which comes by hearing the word which fills with “all the fullness of God” (which is God, Christ, and the Spirit). Then 2 Thessalonians 2:13 says we are sanctified by the Spirit. We are set aside to be led by and renewed by the Spirit each day.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 discusses the will of God, which is “your sanctification.” A rejection of that means rejecting the Holy Spirit god gave. It is the Holy Spirit which helps us be holy, resulting in the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. There is not a clearer picture of the Spirit’s leading or a Spirit-filled life than Christians demonstrating these traits. God sets apart His people who obey Him as servants of righteousness who give the Spirit room for nothing else than to please God.
There is no divided attention or half-heartedness when it comes to being filled with the Spirit. There is no half-filling or 1/4 filling of the Spirit. There was no person in the New Testament filled with the Spirit like that. They were either filled with the Spirit or they were filled with something else (jealousy, evil, anger, deception, etc.). Acts 13:10 describes some who “perverts the right ways of the Lord.”
Here is something to remember: We cannot be spiritual unless we are filled with or led by the Spirit. It is clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 how these Christians were not spiritually led by the Spirit. They were carnally minded instead. They should have been Christians in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt, but they were not.
Go back and read Ephesians 5:15-21 again. Ask yourself the following questions to help determine if you are filled with the Holy Spirit:
- Am I careful or carless about my life, or how I live (Ephesians 5:15)?
- Am I filled with the Spirit if I waste time and do not engage myself in things God wants me to do?
- Am I truly filled with the Spirit if I do not know the Bible (Ephesians 5:17)?
- Am I filled with the Spirit if I put something in my body that alters my thinking?
- Am I filled with the Spirit if I cannot speak to others, or if what I say is corrupt, or if I am not present in a worship assembly to sing with others?
- Am I filled with the Spirit if I fail to pray or neglect the needs of others?
- Am I filled with the Spirit if my marriage is shaky, troubled, and those in it fail to love each other and emulate Christ and the church?
Instead of asking how the Spirit fills the life of a Christian, the more practical question might be: “Why is there so little evidence the Holy Spirit has filled the lives of those who say they are Christians?”
We need to get our focus and our direction settled on the simple, basic teachings given by the Holy Spirit to develop our character, to lift us to a greater level of spiritual maturity, to train our attitudes, and to enable us to grow and become godly, useful disciples of the Christ who died for us all.
