Staying Filled with The Holy Spirit
In the Apostle Paul’s 1st letter to the Church at Corinth, he explains that comprehending God’s word is not a matter of human endeavor
but rather it is by the Illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 says:
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the inn Spirit who is from God,
so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom,
but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
“And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit),
so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things,
we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit,
using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NLT
Our ability to understand, interpret and apply scripture is greatly dependent upon the Holy Spirit’s illuminating ministry.
In order for us to access the Holy Spirit’s illuminating ministry,
we must first understand the Filling Ministry of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
When we trusted in Jesus Christ by believing the Gospel of our Salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4),
a number of things happened. We were baptized by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), we were sealed by the Holy Spirit
(Ephesians 1:13-14) and we became new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
Therefore if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold,
new things have come.
We now have two natures living in us. We have our old sinful nature,
and our new spiritual nature which is part of our new creation.
God desires for us to be always living under our new creation.
HOW DO WE LIVE UNDER OUR NEW CREATION?
First you must confess any know daily sins that you have committed.
This has NOTHING to do with your salvation.
That was settled when you believed the gospel
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
We Confess our sins for the purpose of fellowship with God and with other believers.
1 John 1:5-9 says:
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him,
and declare unto you,
that God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him,
and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Verse 9 tells us that when we confess our sins to God (our daily sins),
He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Whenever we sin we break our fellowship with God,
and we need to confess them in order for our fellowship to be restored.
Once we are back in fellowship with God, then we need to apply Ephesians 5:18
which has to do with the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit,
who indwells every believer in Jesus Christ.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is to be continuous.
In other words, when we apply Ephesians 5:18,
the Holy Spirit will fill us and give us the ability to do the things which please God.
When we sin, we break our fellowship with God and the Holy Spirit
stops filling us until we confess our sins and apply Ephesians 5:18 again.
Ephesians 5:15-18 (NKJV)
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:15-18 (NLT)
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead,
be filled with the Holy Spirit,”
Verse 15 tells us to be “careful how we walk”. The Greek word for walk is “περιπατέω” (peripatetic – Strongs# G4043),
and means to set one’s lifestyle by, and to live under its control.
Verse 16 says that we should make the most of the time that we have.
And verse 17 states that we are to understand what the will of God is.
It is God’s Will for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
It is in the imperative mood (a command )
It is in the plural form (applies to all believers)
It is in the passive voice (filling comes from something other than ourselves )
It is in the present tense (a continual filling)!
Notice the contrast in verse 18 between being drunk and being filled. Which area of your body is being controlled if your intoxicated? It is your mind. So in contrast,
when your Spirit-Filled the area of your body being controlled by the Spirit is your mind also.
Therefore being filled by the Holy Spirit means that our mind is now under the control of God.
HOW TO APPLY EPHESIANS 5:18 (Filling of the Spirit)
Colossians 3:1-2
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ,
keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things above,
not on the things that are on earth.
Romans 8:6
For the mindset on the flesh is death,
but the mindset on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.
So in order for the Holy Spirit to illuminate us to scripture, we must be continuously filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18),
by setting our minds on things above, which are found in God’s word.