Be Filled with the Spirit

Dear Worshippers,

I ended last week talking about the empowerment necessary to complete the task Jesus has given us to do. That empowerment comes from the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…”.

I am certain there is much confusion on what being filled with the Spirit means and looks like, because I have talked with many believers. No where else have I read a more simple and succinct explanation on how to go about being filled than the following description written by A.W. Tozer. I trust you will find it very helpful as you consider the filling of the Spirit.

“How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit”

A. W. Tozer

(Christian Publications, Inc. booklet, no date)

• Before you are filled with the Holy Spirit you must be sure that you can be filled. Satan as opposed the doctrine

of the Spirit-filled life about as bitterly as any other doctrine there is.

• You must be sure that it is God’s will for you; that it is part of the total plan, that it is included and embraced within the work of Christ in redemption. (Whenever I use the neutral pronoun “it” I am talking about the gift.)

• You must, I say, be satisfied that this is nothing added or extra. The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.

• You must be satisfied that it is not abnormal.

• You must be satisfied…that there is nothing about the Holy Spirit queer or strange or eerie…. He is only the essence of Jesus imparted to believers.

• You must be sure of all this to the point of conviction…. You are convinced that in the blood of Jesus when He died on the cross there was included, as a purchase of that blood, your right to a full, Spirit-filled life.

• Before you can be filled with the Spirit you must desire to be filled…. Do you want to be possessed by Him?... Are you sure that you want your personality to be taken over by One who will expect obedience to the written and living

Word?... I ask you if you desire to have your personality taken over by One who stands in sharp opposition to the world’s easy ways?

Here is how to receive:

• First, present your body to Him (Rom. 12:1-2)

• Second, ask (Luke 11:9-11)

• Third, Acts 5:32 tells us God gives His Holy Spirit to them that obey Him. Are you ready to obey and do what you are asked to do?

• Fourth, have faith (Gal.3:2). We receive Him by faith as we receive the Lord in salvation by faith. He comes as a gift of God to us in power. First He comes in some degree and measure when we are converted, otherwise we couldn’t be

converted. Without Him we couldn’t be born again, because we are born of the Spirit…. I am talking about His coming and possessing the full body and mind and life and heart, taking the whole personality over, gently, but directly and

bluntly, and making it His, so that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit.

I trust you will find this helpful as you to seek to “be filled with the Spirit”.

Next week…With Liberty and Justice for All.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott