When you become a believer in Christ, you receive eternal life (salvation) by God’s grace and His free gift upon believing in faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that He paid the price in His death for our sins and was resurrected to be in heaven with His Father. As you are saved by faith through Jesus, you can also be filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. When you are saved, your life is transformed where you are a new creation in Jesus. Your old sinful self has died with Christ and your new life in the Spirit has been resurrected with Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Ephesians 4:22-24. In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must seek God first through Christ where everything else will be added – Matthew 6:33. You perform this act of obedience by living out God’s commandments in your life by being doers of His word – James 1:19-27. You must hunger and thirst for God by seeking Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength – Deuteronomy 10:12-13. We cannot expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit if we do NOT deny ourselves before Christ. We must humble ourselves and take up His cross to be a true follower of Jesus – Mark 8:34-38. Jesus promises us spiritual blessings and that we will be filled if we seek, hunger, and thirst for His righteousness – Matthew 5:6. We will receive healing to our flesh and refreshment to our bones if we trust in the Lord with all our heart while acknowledging Him in all our ways and resisting all forms of evil – Proverbs 3:5-8. As an act of spiritual worship, we are to present our bodies holy and acceptable to God, as a living sacrifice by carrying out the will of the Lord by rejecting the things of this evil world – Romans 12:1-2. Nearly 2,700 years ago, the prophet, Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah Jesus from the root of Jesse (Father of David) that would be filled with the Spirit of God as stated in Isaiah 11:1-2, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” The word of Lord came to the prophet Ezekiel where God promised to fill us with His Spirit in the new covenant as we read in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Jesus tells us that He will always be with us until the end of time. He instructs us as Saints to go forth in all the earth and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – Matthew 28:19-20. We cannot be born-again believers unless we are born of the Spirit – John 3:5. The cost of discipleship is NOT easy and no where in the bible does it indicate that this walk with God will be without trials. When Jesus was baptized with water by John the Baptist as a symbol of the Spiritual baptism, immediately the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) came upon Him like a dove. Later, Jesus went into the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days and was immediately tempted by Satan while He was becoming physically weak as explained in Mark 1:10-13, “And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.’ The Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.” God revealed to John in the heavens that Jesus who John baptized with water was the Son of God and He will baptize with the Holy Spirit – Matthew 3:16-17. As Jesus was filled with the Spirit of God, He was immediately tested by the tempter during His fragile body of fasting for 40 days. Jesus overpowered Satan’s temptation with the word of God (Sword of the Spirit) where Satan fled from Him and angels came ministering to Him – Matthew 4:1-11.
God’s word tells us that all the scriptures are God-inspired where man was filled with the Holy Spirit and that no scripture came from man’s own interpretation as stated in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” We must pray to God in faith through Jesus that He will fill us up with His Holy Spirit. We may not receive the Holy Spirit because we do not ask in faith – James 4:2. Jesus tells us that as our earthly father who is evil knows how to give us good gifts, our heavenly Father will give a much better gift of the Holy Spirit for those who ask him – Luke 11:13. Jesus told us that if we love Him and keep His commandments and carry out His will for us that God the Father will give us His Helper, the Holy Spirit, to remain with us forever as we read in John 14:15-17, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The Holy Spirit from God glorifies and bears witness of Jesus – John 15:26-27. God’s Spirit teaches us all things of truth as Jesus tells us in John 14:26-27, “But 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. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” When Jesus was speaking with His disciples, He did not have time to reveal everything to them but acknowledged that the Holy Spirit of truth would later reveal all the truth as He stated in John 16:12-15, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is Mine; therefore, I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.” Also, the apostle John, explained that not everything was written down of all that Jesus accomplished during His time on earth 2,000 years ago – John 20:30. John, also explained that the world would not be able to contain all the books needed to capture all that Jesus performed as we read in John 21:25, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” Since many things were not revealed, we must rely on the Spirit of God that lives inside us to expose these things that may have been hidden.
Jesus revealed to His disciples not to depart from Jerusalem until the Day of Pentecost where that day would be revealed from God the Father – Acts 1:4-8. They would receive power and speaking in tongues through being baptized by His Holy Spirit as we read in Acts 2:1-4, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” As they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, they were able to witness and preach the word of God with great authority – Acts 4:31, Acts 5:29-32. The power of the Holy Spirit was NOT just for the Jewish people but was also poured out onto the Gentiles or all that believed in Jesus as stated in Acts 10:44-48, “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ‘Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…” As believers in Christ, we are God’s holy temple where His Holy Spirit dwells in us – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Our bodies or holy temples are not of our own but are from God and bought at a price through Jesus. Therefore, we are to use our holy temples to glorify God through Jesus as we read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.”
God gives us hope through His unconditional love and His Spirit that does not disappoint – Romans 5:5, Romans 15:13. The Spirit intercedes for us even when we do not know what to pray for because the Spirit knows the depths of our hearts as explained in Romans 8:26-28, “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” The Holy Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is Himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” The people of this world and darkness will NOT understand or comprehend the Spirit of God, except the one that repents and turns to God wholeheartedly through Christ. When we become a believer, the gospel is revealed for understanding from the Lord through His word and Spirit. We are sealed by Him through the Holy Spirit as stated in Ephesians 1:11-14, “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” As we are being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are transformed to the same image of God in the Spirit from one degree of glory to another – 2 Corinthians 3:16-18. We continue to do His will in our lives as we are transformed according to His purpose for us which bears righteous fruit. Our daily walk with the Lord bears good fruit that is not of this world as revealed in Galatians 5:22-26, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” We are to use the spiritual gifts that God has given us through His Spirit to serve the body of Christ, the Church, for increasing His kingdom as we read in 1 Peter 4:10-11, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” As a member of the body of Christ, we are all equipped with various spiritual gifts and should desire better gifts for building up the Church as explained in 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” If you cannot perform a certain spiritual gift today, during your walk with God and continue to thirst and hunger for Him, you will experience and acquire additional gift(s) for reaching the lost and edifying the body of Christ.
The bible tells us to NOT grieve the Spirit since we are sealed for that day of the redemptive salvation at the rapturing of the saints as we read in Ephesians 4:30-32, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” As a believer, if you continue sinning without any remorse, you are constantly bringing sorrow to the Holy Spirit. Instead, we are to confess all our sins daily and at the time we are convicted by the Spirit so that we will be cleansed from all unrighteousness – 1 John 1:9. Since our old sinful nature has been replaced with a new creature by the washing of the blood of the Lamb and by the renewing of our minds and hearts by His Holy Spirit, we are to remain holy and righteous. As we have been sanctified in Christ, we are to dedicate ourselves to producing good works for reaching the lost for Jesus as explained in Titus 3:3-8, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.” We must continue the good fight by walking in the light and by putting on the whole armor of God to withstand all the wicked schemes of the devil – Ephesians 6:11-18.
As we experience trials and tribulations for our faith in Christ, we are to NOT be troubled on what we will say for the power of the Holy Spirit will speak through us – Mark 13:11. Stephen, a disciple of Christ, gives us an example as he was filled with the Spirit saw the glory of God when the heavens were opened and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God just before he was stoned to death for the faith – Acts 7:54-60. We must acknowledge prophesies by testing everything according to the scriptures and by not quenching the Spirit as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” Beware of the false teachings and many antichrists that are in the world to deceive the truth – 1 John 4:1-4. We are to show compassion for the lost by revealing the truth in Jesus and to many unbelievers reveal the fearful truth about the eternal lake of fire in order to grab them out of the fire – Jude 1:20-23. If you are an unbeliever and continue by the hardness of your heart to reject the calling that God has put on your heart via His Holy Spirit from the multiple instances of hearing the gospel message of Jesus on TV, radio, at Church, from a friend, co-worker, or a stranger, and you end up dying without knowing Christ, then you will be considered guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (unpardonable sin) and will be condemned forever in the lake of fire – Matthew 12:31-32.
Watch this inspiring video by Servants for Jesus Christ – Be Filled With The Holy Spirit.