The Filling of the Spirit

I resolve to be a mission-minded person, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, whose transforming life demonstrates the good news of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the darkness.

To be empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, we must consider a small, but powerful verse in Ephesians. "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit..." (5:18).

That phrase, "be filled" is fascinating in its nuance. In Greek (like English), verbs have tense (past, present, future, etc.), number (singular or plural), type (command, statement of action, etc.), and all verbs are either active (subject does the action) or passive (subject receives the action). You have to understand this because the nuance of "be filled" relies on the following four truths:

1. It is present or continuous. Understand that a good translation for this phrase could literally read, "be being filled." This means filling isn't a one-time happening. In fact, it likely isn't a monthly, weekly or even daily filling. I've heard that D.L. Moody once said, "I get filled with the Holy Spirit, but I leak [due to sinfulness]." We must seek the filling throughout the day -- continually.

2. It is plural. This means that Paul is writing to everyone. Not simply the really spiritual among the church at Ephesus. This is not only a word for the leadership or the elders of the church. This is a plural verb form meaning, "Everybody (young, old, new believer, long-lived saint, etc.) -- be filled."

3. It is a command. This is a biblical command in the same way that the Ten Commandments were commands. Somehow, however, we've made it so that this command to "be filled" doesn't have quite the urgency of "Do not commit murder." Same emphasis. Same God commanding it. This isn't an optional activity for a Christian.

4. Here's where it gets crazy exciting -- "Be filled" is passive. Again, a passive verb means that the subject (an understood "You" in this case -- "You" be filled) does NOT do the action (filling). In plain words, you do not fill yourself. But wait -- this is a command verb form! How can God command us to "be filled" if we lack the ability to fill ourselves? This is the very thrilling part: God knows that we CANNOT fill ourselves, but He has graciously made provision for our filling through the simple matter of asking for it. In other words, God (the Filler) is ready to fill us to fullness when we simply stop and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

You do not have to earn tokens, brownie points, or act really godly in order to receive filling. You cannot be filled through your own goodness. Interestingly, when Simon the Sorcerer sought to buy the Holy Spirit's power in Acts he was sharply rebuked (Acts 8:18-24). We cannot buy or earn the Spirit. We can only ask for the filling of the Spirit. Without this filling, we lack power to live credible, Kingdom lifestyles. Are you asking for a filling of the Spirit today?

"You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2b)

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Luke 11:13)