Filling of the Spirit --- What is it?

Skypair, under the OT people were filled with the Spirit for specific ministry, but should not be confused with the permanent indwelling of the Spirit of the believer.

Samson is a good example of how this works (Judges 14-15).

 

Filled with the Spirit is when the Spirit has complete control in all your mind , will , and emotions that they are constrained by the Spirit in obedience to Scripture and worship is therefore done decently and in order.

Being drunk with wine, and not always fermented grape juice, is "excess"/ waste.
Many things "waste", and are wasted by, the Christian, when he becomes drunk with the wine of fornication, for an example.

When one is filled with the Spirit one is prosperous in the things of God/ contrary to the ol' "prosperity gospel" preached by Dollar and such.

 

Here's what I believe: We have a permanent indwelling but also a time-to-time filling for particular ministry.

Scripture: Acts 4:31:

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (TNIV, emphasis mine).

While they all had the indwelling of the Spirit, they needed a special filling for a particular ministry--preaching the word with boldness.

 

Filled with the Spirit, is when the Spirit flows from breast to breast and most of the whole house is filled and rejoice in the Lord. It is not a time of being out of your mind, but a time you just want to praise the Lord, with voice and actions, such as lifting up your hands in praise for the Lord and giving thanks for your salvation, without fear of shame or rebuke. It is a glorious time of which stays with you for some time after leaving service. Sometimes it happens while driving and meditating, at home whereever. It is not affilated with the charasmatic movement of some, as I have heard condemned on BB, but is simply a time of giving ones self to total praise to the Lord.

And Yes, I have been filled with the Holy Spirit many times, whether preaching or not. It is my meat and my drink.

BBob,

 

BBob, While I'm in agreement with some of what you said, to me, filling of the Spirit, as seen in Acts, is more for ministry involvement.

 

Well, we don't feel there has been any preaching done, if not seasoned with the Holy Spirit. We believe we are just the vessel, God only knows what the congregation needs.

BBob,

 

Yes, that's why when I go into the pulpit, even though there're times I wasn't up to par, people still are blessed. I believe that's the work of the Spirit in applying the Word to the heart.

I also believe that the filling of the Spirit is for particular ministry role and for the glory of God.

BBob, Do you believe that the indwelling and the filling of the Spirit one and the same?

 

Actually, the term "filled with the Spirit" only occurs once in the OT, that I recall. But you are right, the other expressions about the Holy Spirit's power, not only in the OT but in the NT, are always for serving God.

R. A. Torrey researched every mention of the Holy Spirit in the Bible ("endued with power," "the Spirit came upon them," etc.) and came to the conclusion that it is always to receive power for God's service. John R. Rice and other authors have followed Torrey in this.

 

Not really, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit all the time, but when preaching, we are lifted up to where we bring the congregation along with us. If it is the same, when "filled" witht the Holy Spirit, it comes to the forefront of you and what you say and do. Last Sunday, I was blessed to preach on the Gospels and the Great wonder of the Woman clothed with the sun. God blessed me to tell the same story from both ways and time those books together, to where the congregation caught fire, and the rejoicing became so, that we just sing and closed the meeting. I believe that is what "filled" with the Holy Spirit means.

BBob,

 

John, maybe "Spirit came upon on" would have been better than "filled with the Spirit." But I think they mean the same thing (I hope I find agree with you :laugh: ).

Torrey is solid on the Holy Spirit, and after reading him on the Spirit, I agree more with him than I disagree with him on the Spirit.

Isn't that guy Rice your grandfather?

 

I don't think I can disagree with you because of what Paul says in Eph 5:18, 19.

Here's my question: Do you believe that you can enter the pulpit without being filled with the Spirit?

 

I think most of the time, I enter the pulpit not "filled with the Holy Spirit". I simply offer myself and begin go speak to the congregation, then if its God's will, he takes over and the preaching is inspired. There are times I think I am filled with the Spirit from home to the church and during, but that is far and few in between.

BBob,

 

Yep, we're in agreement!

Well, yep, "Grandpa" is what I called him growing up, sitting on his lap at age 4 and being asked, "Johnny, what do you want to be when you grow up?" And I compromised and said, "A cowboy preacher."

His book The Power of Pentecost or The Fullness of the Spirit is to me the all time classic on the subject (and I have over 20 books on the Holy Spirit). I've read it about five times. His basic premise, which he develops very completely, is the same as Torrey.

One controversial point is that the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit are the same. (Torrey believed that the baptism was simply the first filling of the Spirit.) But this is really easy to prove if you study Acts. Both terms are used of the same event. Don't have time to elaborate now. :type:

 

I feel the same at times. And from my understanding of Scripture on the subject, I must agree with you.

 

Good, my brother.

Well, you turned out "A Sumari preacher." :laugh:

I believe the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit are different. I think Acts 4:31 illustrates that well. Including the apostles, I believe all the believers were already baptized with the Spirit, but here he find that not only the believers, but even the apostles are filled with the Spirit.

Unless we understand each filling as another baptism of the Spirit.
The

 

This is the classic verse to me to prove that the filling of the Holy Spirit is for bold service for the Lord.

Concerning the baptism and the fullness being the same, compare Acts 1:5 and 2:4. Luke was talking about the same event using the two terms. This does leave room, though, for Torrey's view that the baptism was the first time filling, and after that it should be called the filling of the Spirit.

Some dispensationalists who believe the filling to be simply for the Christian life, like to bring in 1 Cor. 12:13 here to say that the baptism is simply being put into the body of Christ at salvation. But I think the data in Acts disproves that view. I think 1 Cor. 12: 13 and the baptism in Acts are two different things.