Filled with the Holy Ghost - Part 5

How to Be Filled with the Holy Ghost

In concluding my posts on the subject of being filled with the Holy Ghost, it would seem that all my previous posts concerning this subject would be irrelevant, should I not proclaim clearly how to be filled with the Spirit. I have shown that it is a command that Christians be filled; I have demonstrated how that it is the Spirit’s longing to fill and control us; I have portrayed that the purpose of such an experience is for the service of Christ and for the winning of souls; it would be foolish to close this series without clearly dictating to the reader how to be filled with the Spirit.

The scriptures are clear regarding the manner in which we are filled with the Holy Ghost. It has been my experience in the ministry that so many have “muddied the waters” when it comes to many vital doctrines. Salvation has been muddied with “works.” Sanctification has been muddied with “standards.” And the experience of a Christian being filled with the Holy Ghost has been muddied with false ideas regarding the experience, as well as false manifestations of the experience. Every experience that God has for His people is SIMPLE. I have said it once and I’ll say it here, that if God wanted to make the gospel complicated, He would not have, under any circumstance, sent Jesus Christ to shed His precious blood upon the cross of Calvary. Jesus did not come to give us a hard gospel; He came rather to perform the hard part of the gospel Himself. The hard part was paying for our sins. But He did just that! So many who desire to be filled with the Spirit of God make it much more complicated than what it is. If there is any complication whatsoever in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, that complication lies with the seeker; not the Giver! Of course, the Holy Ghost must dwell within you before He can completely fill you. To obtain this promise of being filled with the Spirit, the Spirit must first live within you. You must be saved before you can ever be filled! But if you are saved, the steps you must take to be Spirit-filled are simple.

Look with me at a passage with which I will begin:

John 7:37-39 – “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Jesus here is speaking of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. Here’s what He says regarding receiving the Spirit. The first words out of His mouth are this – “If any man thirst…” The first step to being filled with the Holy Ghost is

Thirsting
There must be a desire within the believer to be empowered from heaven to do the will of the Father. This thirst begins with acknowledging a lack within your own soul. You must realize that there is a great task before you, and you cannot do unless the Spirit of God fills you with the tools necessary to complete it. I believe that this act of thirsting for the complete control of the Holy Ghost in one’s life is the number one reason so many in the church are not filled with the Spirit. So many in the church who are seeking to be filled with the Holy Ghost are seeking “tongues.” As soon as they speak in tongues, they are through with any further experience with the Holy Ghost. Listen carefully to what I am saying – God does not fill you with the Holy Ghost so you can speak in tongues. If speaking in tongues is your goal, it is no wonder you have not been filled.

When I received the gift of the Holy Ghost, I was not seeking for “tongues.” I came to the realization that the Holy-Ghost-filled people that surrounded me had a degree of joy, peace, and fulfillment that I did not have. God used them in service for Him. Seeing the Holy Ghost use some of those precious people caused me to see my need to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Soon, my lips became dry. My mouth became as cotton. I was thirsty to be used in the kingdom of God, and I knew at that point that it would have to be the Holy Ghost that would perform it. “If any man thirst,” Jesus says. The first step is “thirsting.” Longing to be filled with the Holy Ghost more than you want anything else. As long as your desire to be filled with the Spirit does not trump all else in your life, I am certain that you will not be filled.

Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

The next condition Jesus gives is as simple as the first – “He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” The next step is

Believing
After thirsting for the Holy Ghost more than you thirst for anything else, you must believe that God is going to fill you with the Holy Ghost. Do you remember the day you were saved? Salvation is as easy as believing. You were saved the moment you let go of sin, self-righteousness, and any feeble effort to save yourself. At some point, you finally let go completely and let Jesus Christ do the saving. At that moment, you were saved. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is no different from receiving salvation in regard to BELIEVING. The moment you trusted the Lord to save you, He saved you. And the moment you trust the Lord to fill you, He absolutely, positively is ready to fill you with His Spirit. The Lord is not playing games. He does not hold the gift of the Spirit in front of you, and then pull it back when you reach for it. NO WAY!

There is one final step in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. As soon as you completely believe and trust Jesus to fill you with the Spirit, often there is a choice to make. I stated in a previous post that the flesh “lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” I pointed out that the flesh has a great desire to control you, and the Spirit of God has a strong desire to control you. “Being filled” with the Holy Ghost is simply “being controlled” by the Holy Ghost. Often, when a person comes close to being filled with Holy Ghost, expecting and believing the Lord to do it, the person is confronted by the Holy Ghost with something to do. With the flesh pulling one way, and the Spirit pulling the other, which one is going to control you? I’ll tell you which one will rule you – the one to whom you YIELD. So, the final step to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is

Yielding
You say you want to be filled with the Holy Ghost. This means you want to be completely saturated, governed, and controlled by His will. So, while you stand there believing to be filled, the Spirit speaks softly to your heart, giving you a small task to do. You resist. If you will not do a small task that the Holy Ghost gives you, how can you claim that you wish to be FILLED, or CONTROLLED Him? You are inconsistent. Only when you yield completely to the Spirit will He completely control you, filling you with His presence and power. You do not think this is scriptural? Look with me –

Acts 5:32 – “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

God gives the Holy Ghost to them that obey Him! I am sure that if every Christian reading this would thirst for the Holy Ghost to fill you, ask Him to do so with a heart full of faith, and yield to any command He gives you to do, that He most certainly is ready to fill you! It is His longing to fill you with power to win souls in this end time.

Closing Thoughts
I understand that I have not covered, by any means, all possible areas of study regarding the subject of the Christian being filled with the Holy Ghost. I am closing my thoughts on this subject for now. I will begin covering other subjects shortly. With Easter coming on, I would certainly like to write some posts regarding the resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Thank you all for reading!

Filled with the Holy Ghost - Part 4

Bible Truths Concerning the Holy Ghost

TRUTH #3 - THE ACT OF BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST IS NOT A ONE-TIME EXPERIENCE.

It is unceasingly amazing how many people today, even in churches that emphasize the presence and power of the Holy Ghost, make it evident by their lives that they believe "once filled, always filled." In my study of the scriptures, I am more convinced at this moment than ever that God never intended for a person to receive the fullness of the Holy Ghost "once and for all."

Note the following:

Acts 2:4 - "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The recipients of this infilling of the Holy Ghost were the disciples and others who had tarried in the upper room, numbering approximately 120. Some of the same disciples are found in the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, and here we find the following:

Acts 4:31 - "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they had assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."

These disciples were filled in Acts 2, and filled again in Acts 4. Consider the experience of the apostle Paul:

Acts 9:17 - "And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."

In this verse, Ananias came to Saul of Tarsus (same man as "Paul the apostle"). Ananias tells Saul that Jesus had sent him so that Saul could receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. This passage does not specifically say the words, "Saul was filled with the Holy Ghost," but there is no reason to believe that he had not been filled. Notice:

1) Jesus had sent Ananias to pray for Saul to be filled with the Holy Ghost and to be healed of his blindness.

2) The passage does explicitly say that Saul was healed of his blindness, so it is highly likely that he was filled at this instance as well.

3) Saul exhibited great power in Damascus as he preached boldly in the synagogues.

So, Ananias was sent to Saul of Tarsus that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost in Acts 9. But in Acts 13, we read:

Acts 13:9 - "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him."

Here is Paul again, filled with the Holy Ghost a second recorded time in the book of Acts.

This is an important truth that we must understand - just because you have been filled with the Spirit in the past does not indicate that you are filled with the Spirit this moment. It is important to keep ourselves full of the Spirit of God. Problems are continual; Holy Ghost power must also be continual. The lostness of the world around us is continual; Holy Ghost preaching must be continual. Hypocrites are continual in their hypocritical practices; Holy-Ghost-filled Christians must be continual in their practices. Vile sinners are continual in their practice of sin; we must be continual in our Spirit-filled opposition to it!

I think we may understand this truth more clearly when I bring out the next truth.

TRUTH #4 - THE HOLY GHOST POWER IS DISTRIBUTED FOR THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF SERVICE.

I cannot expound here upon all the benefits of the Holy-Ghost-filled life. There are benefits of prayer, of victory over sin, of greater understanding of the scriptures, of having a keener ear to the Spirit's leading, of a greater anointing in preaching and teaching, and other benefits upon which I may expound at a later time. But it is important, at this point in the discussion, to understand clearly that the gift of the Holy Ghost's manifestation in our lives is primarily to equip us for service.

All Who Are Saved Are Called to Work
I have made it very clear in this blog that we are not saved by works. I have made it even more clear that if works cannot get you saved, works cannot keep you saved. NO MAN WHO WORKS FOR HIS SALVATION WILL ATTAIN SALVATION. Salvation is neither attained nor maintained by works. We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ; we are kept through faith in Jesus Christ.

But it is equally true that faith works! Faith without works is dead. Genuine faith in Christ produces good works. When I say "good works" I am not referring to "abstaining from sin." I am referring to "working for Jesus Christ" in the field of lost souls. When you are saved, you are called to be a witness for Jesus Christ. The Great Commission makes this plain.

Matthew 28:19, 20 - "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Mark 16:15 - "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

You Cannot Work in the Field of Lost Souls with Your Own Power
If you give the gospel to those who are around you, you will find quickly that you cannot change their minds with your own power. You will find that you do not have the strength in yourself to cause people to desire to be saved. You do not have all the answers. As a matter of fact, I have found in my dealings with people that I didn't even have all the questions! But there is One who CAN show people their sin. There is One who CAN convince people that they need Jesus Christ. There is One who CAN give ALL the answers to every question presented! He is the Holy Ghost. The first and foremost reason that we are given the power of the Holy Ghost when we are filled with His presence is NOT to speak in tongues. It is not to shout, dance, roll in the floor, jump up and down, and "laugh in the Spirit," as some call it. I have a great issue with those who claim to have been full of the Holy Ghost for years, who perform all kinds of emotional outbursts, but are not responsible for the first soul being saved. THERE'S A LOT WRONG WITH THAT. Let me say it again for the sake of emphasis. THERE'S A LOT WRONG WITH THAT! Let me say right here that I am not against anyone being emotional. I am not against the lifting of the voice in prayer or praise to God. I am not against any form of worship that is done in Spirit, as long as it is also done in truth. The Bible is truth. And if your emotional form of worship is not in the Bible, you need to stop worshipping in the flesh and worship IN TRUTH.

Although I am not against emotional forms of worship provided they are Biblical, I am greatly disturbed about anyone's experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost who has no passion whatsoever regarding the lost, hell-bound souls of men. Jesus did not command his disciples to be filled with the Holy Ghost for the purposes of speaking in tongues, shouting, dancing, or any other emotional show. He wanted them to be filled with the Holy Ghost that they might be witnesses! Let us examine some scriptures we have already read:

Acts 1:8 - "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and YE SHALL BE WITNESSES unto me..."

Acts 2:4, 40, 41 - "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance... And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day THERE WERE ADDED UNTO THEM ABOUT THREE THOUSAND SOULS."

Acts 4:31 - "...and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and THEY SPAKE THE WORD OF GOD WITH BOLDNESS."

In Acts 1, the Holy Ghost was promised to the disciples to make them witnesses. In Acts 2, they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and three thousand were saved. In Acts 4, they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke with boldness. The infilling of the Holy Ghost was not given to the disciples in the book of Acts just to exhibit a show of emotion, but to rather empower them for the work of God!

CONCLUSION
In the church today, we have so many showing off their tools. The power of the Holy Ghost is given as a tool to reach the lost and edify the body of Christ. You can show it off with your emotional exhibition if you wish, but it is time to use the tools for working in the field. May the church of Jesus Christ take the power of God to this world, and win them to Jesus Christ while we can!

I began this post declaring the truth that being filled with the Holy Ghost is not a one-time experience. How often should you be filled? YOU SHOULD BE FILLED WITH HOLY GHOST POWER EVERY TIME YOU ARE WORKING IN THE FIELD AND FIND THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO GET THE JOB DONE! Christians are not constantly filled with the Holy Ghost for one of two reasons:

1) They are not working as they should; or

2) They are working, depending upon their own wisdom and strength.

The sooner we be honest with ourselves, the sooner we will admit that we do not have wisdom and strength in ourselves to perform the task at hand. As a result, we will constantly, daily seek the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives.

Filled with the Holy Ghost - Part 3

Bible Truths Concerning the Holy Ghost

TRUTH #2 – THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT DWELLS WITHIN YOU WANTS TO GIVE YOU THE GIFT OF HIS MANIFESTATION.

Acts 2:38 – “Then Peter answered and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

In this verse, we have three separate, distinct events that take place in the life of a believer. First is repentance. This is the act of one turning away from anything whatsoever that hinders one from believing on Jesus Christ, so that the individual can fully trust Christ to save them.

The second event mentioned is baptism in water. This is done in the name of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the minister doing the baptizing must say the words, “in the name of Jesus.” This simply means that the minister is baptizing because Jesus Christ gave him the authority to do so. In obedience to Christ, the minister is baptizing IN CHRIST’S NAME, or IN CHRIST’S AUTHORITY. Note Colossians 3:17, which says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” This verse plainly states that we should do everything we do in the name of Jesus! As I begin this post, I am sitting in the waiting room of a shop as my oil is being changed in my car. Today, I am having my oil changed in the name of Jesus. You see, I use my vehicle for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. This car has transported me to revival meetings where I have preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. On my schedule, I have places in the upcoming weeks where I will preach. I plan on getting to those meetings in my car. I am changing my oil today so I my car will serve that purpose. I am most certainly changing my oil in the name of Jesus. However, I did not stand up in the waiting room and say, “I am changing my oil in the name of Jesus!” But I am doing it in the name of Jesus. We should do everything in His name. We should do all we do to glorify Him. This does not mean that we say the words, “In the name of Jesus” before we do something.

The third event in Acts 2:38 is the receiving of the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a separate event from repentance and baptism. It is subsequent to salvation; and is therefore not synonymous with it.

The Holy Ghost’s Strong Desire
In James 4:5, James says, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

This verse teaches us that the spirit that is in man “lusteth to envy.” The word “lust” means simply “strong desire.” It is usually used negatively, but not always. Any strong desire is, by definition, “lust.” This verse shows us that the spirit that is in man (not the Holy Spirit, but rather man’s human spirit) lusteth, or has a strong desire. Your spirit possesses a strong desire. The phrase in this verse says that the spirit within man “lusteth to envy.” This means that the spirit that dwells within you and me has a strong desire “to envy,” or, “to the point of being envious.” When I was converted to Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God moved into my heart. Now, I not only have my own spirit within me; I also have the Holy Spirit living within me. I find in the scripture that the Spirit of God that now lives within me has a strong desire, just like my own spirit has a strong desire. Notice:

Galatians 5:17 – “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

The Spirit of God “lusteth against the flesh.” The word “lust” here is not a negative thing. It simply shows us that the Spirit of God that lives in us has a strong desire, just like the spirit that governs our flesh has a strong desire.

So, my human spirit that controls what my flesh does has a strong desire. The Spirit of God that lives within me also has a strong desire. They are “lusting against each other.” This shows us that both my flesh and the Spirit of God in my heart are fighting each other for something. What is it that they want? The end of Galatians 5:17 tells us – “…so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” They are fighting for control. My human spirit that governs my flesh wants to control what I do; the Spirit of God that lives within me wants to control what I do. So, who is going to control what I do, my flesh, or the Spirit of God within me? The answer is simple – control is given to whomsoever I yield. When I yield to the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost has a gift that He gives.

What Does the Holy Ghost Wish to Give Us?
I stated plainly in the last post that the Holy Ghost dwells within a saved individual at the time of conversion. When the Holy Ghost dwells within us, there is a gift He wants to give us, and does give it when we yield to His control. What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?

I Corinthians 12:7 – “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

This verse clearly shows us that the manifestation of THE SPIRIT [the Holy Ghost] IS GIVEN [the gift]. So, in this verse, we have the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift He longs to give us “the manifestation of the Spirit.” The Holy Ghost not only wants to live within me; He longs to give me His manifestation. He wants to manifest Himself in my life. He longs to reveal Christ to me, and reveal Christ through me. This is the “infilling” of the Holy Ghost, as some call it. Some call it the “fullness” of the Holy Ghost. Whatever you call it, it is the Spirit of God manifesting His power and presence in every aspect of our lives.

The Promise of the Gift of the Holy Ghost is to Every Believer
Contrary to what some churches teach, the gift of the Holy Ghost’s fullness and power did not cease with the apostles. This great promise is for every Christian today. We have already looked at Acts 2:38, but let us examine it again, this time with verse 39 following it:

Acts 2:38, 39 – “Then Peter answered and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Any serious student of the Bible can plainly see that the gift of the Holy Ghost is something subsequent to salvation, and it is available to those who are “afar off” from Peter’s generation. Listen carefully. If you are teaching that a person has the fullness of the Holy Ghost when they repent, turning completely to trust Jesus Christ, you are not preaching the Bible. If you are preaching that the gift of the Holy Ghost’s power and manifestation expired when the apostles expired, you are teaching contrary to what the Bible says. The gift of the Holy Ghost is available to Christians today.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul is writing to a church, a body of believers. He is not writing to lost people in this letter to the Ephesians. Notice what Paul says to these Ephesian Christians:

Ephesians 5:18 – “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

“Be not drunk with wine” is a command given to Christians. In the same verse is another command given to Christians – “Be filled with the Spirit.” It is a command for the person who is saved to be filled with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is ready to use every Christian reading this post. He is ready to fill you, to control you, to use you, to open the scriptures to you, to go with you to win souls for the kingdom of God, to enable you to edify the church of Jesus Christ, and to empower you to glorify Jesus Christ. There is so much waiting for the Christian who will yield to the Holy Ghost, receiving His gift. Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost today!

Filled with the Holy Ghost - Part 2

Bible Truths Concerning the Holy Ghost

TRUTH #1 – THE HOLY GHOST DWELLS IN EVERY INDIVIDUAL THAT IS SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

Before we dig into this truth, I will begin by saying that the third person of the Godhead can be referenced by several names and titles. You can call Him “the Holy Ghost” (which I prefer, because the King James Version translates it this way most often when referring to Him as a personal entity within the Godhead); you can call Him “the Holy Spirit;” you can call Him “the Spirit of God;” you can call Him “the Spirit of Christ;” you can call Him “the Spirit of His Son;” you can call Him “the Spirit of truth;” you can call Him simply “the Spirit.” There is nothing wrong with any of these titles; they all make reference to the third person of the Godhead.

In the previous post, I stated the need of those who are saved to be filled with the Holy Ghost. When I say to a saved person, “You need to be filled with the Holy Ghost,” I am not teaching that the Holy Ghost does not live within that person already. When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, they are saved. When a person is saved, the Holy Ghost dwells within that person. Some call this the INDWELLING of the Holy Ghost. He dwells within us, and He moves in the moment we are saved by believing on Jesus Christ. When I say that those who are saved need to be FILLED WITH the Holy Ghost, I am not at all implying that the Spirit of God does not DWELL in them. He most certainly lives in every believer. It is very important that the reader understands this.

There is a lot of false doctrine that stands in opposition to this Bible truth. There are those who call themselves “oneness” or “Jesus only,” and they teach contrary to this. They teach that when you repent, or believe on Christ, you are not yet saved. You must be baptized in water (and the preacher who baptizes you must say the words, “in the name of Jesus”) and you must be filled with the Holy Ghost and speak and tongues, and then you are saved. This is a lie, and it is not Bible. This doctrine contradicts a myriad of scriptures. You can go to January’s blog posts, and then go to my post entitled, “Blessed Assurance – Part 2.” There you will find a long list of scriptures that state plainly that a person receives eternal life immediately upon receiving Jesus Christ by believing on Him. When you teach that you must be baptized, or speak in tongues, in order to be saved, you contradict every single one of those verses. Let us look at a couple scriptures. Read John 1:12 slowly –

John 1:12 – “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

This verse very clearly states that a person becomes a son (or daughter) of God simply by BELIEVING. There is a vast number of other scriptures that teach this same truth, but I will use this one. When you receive Christ by believing on His name, you receive power immediately to become a child of God. Baptism does not make you a child of God; speaking in tongues does not make you a child of God; keeping commandments and laws will not make you a child of God; going to church does not make you a child of God; only one thing makes us sons of God, and that is believing on Jesus Christ.

Now, let us look at another very clear verse of scripture.

Galatians 4:6 – “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

Paul plainly states that God “sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.” The question then is WHY did God send forth the Spirit of His Son into my heart? Was it because I was obedient? NO. Is it because I tarried? NO. Is it because I have been faithful? NO. Is it because I spoke in tongues? NO. Is it because I was baptized? NO. The Bible gives us the reason plainly. Galatians 4:6 begins with the reason we have the Spirit of His Son in our hearts – BECAUSE YE ARE SONS. And we have already seen plainly that we become sons by believing, and by nothing else.

So, the Bible is plain. We become sons of God by believing, and we receive the Spirit of Christ because we are sons.

Let us look at some other verses.

I John 3:23, 24 – “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, BY THE SPIRIT WHICH HE HATH GIVEN US.”

Here, we are told that we know we belong to Him by the Spirit which He hath given us, which He gave to us BECAUSE WE ARE SONS, having believed on Christ.

I John 4:13 – “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Paul sums it up best in Romans 8:9 – “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you: now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”

How much plainer can one get??? If you do not have the Holy Ghost dwelling within you, you do not belong to Him! And we have already seen that you belong to Him when you believe on Him! So, when I talk about “being filled with the Holy Ghost,” I am not talking about the Spirit of God DWELLING in you; He already dwells within you if you are saved.

So, this idea of being “filled with the Holy Ghost” is not the Spirit dwelling within you. Every Christian needs to know that the Spirit that LIVES WITHIN you does not merely want to live there; He wants to FILL you. He wants to CONTROL you. He wants you to yield and completely submit to His leading and guidance on a daily basis. There is a difference between the Holy Ghost indwelling you, and the Holy Ghost filling you. Just because He lives within does not mean that He is filling your thoughts, motives, desires, and everything else about you. The Holy Ghost moves into your heart at the time of salvation, but He wants now to fill you with His anointing to work for the kingdom of God. I do not want merely to have the Holy Ghost within; I want to be filled with His presence and power for service in this present world. This is what the Bible means by being “filled with the Holy Ghost.”