How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.org

In today's video I'll answer your question, how can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? Then afterwards, as always,

I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end. In Ephesians 5 verses 15 -20, the apostle

Paul teaches believers how to experience a holy relationship with God, how to live for Him, obey

Him, and discover His will as we serve Him. He writes, So be careful how you live.

Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. 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, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the

Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God, the Father, in the name of our

Lord Jesus Christ. The pagan people of Ephesus worshiped their God in drunken orgies.

They believed that to commune with their God and to be led by Him, they had to be drunk.

In this drunken state, they could determine the will of their God and determine how best to serve and obey

Him. By contrast, Paul commanded believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit when we cautiously consider our actions and yield ourselves to the

Spirit's power, allowing Him to guide, influence, and govern our behavior. We carefully align our daily choices and decisions with the wisdom and truth

Scripture teaches. Being filled with the Holy Spirit in the context of Paul's teaching in Ephesians 5, verse 18, differs from the indwelling of the

Holy Spirit at salvation see John 14, verses 16 -17. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept

His gift of salvation receive the life -giving, eternal, living water of the Holy Spirit. Everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ has the

Spirit of God living in him or her. Nevertheless, we can hinder or stifle the work of the

Spirit in our lives and even grieve the Holy Spirit. Sin and rebellion against God's will hinders us from being filled with the

Holy Spirit. When we give in to sinful temptations and worldly desires, when we lose control and do what we know is wrong, living as we did before accepting

Christ's salvation, we prevent God's Spirit from guiding, influencing, and governing our behavior.

The Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched because He is not allowed to reveal Himself in our lives as He wants to, with expressions or fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control.

When we sin, we should confess our transgressions to God as soon as possible and renew our commitment to being filled with the

Spirit. Jesus was filled with the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit. So was

John the Baptist, his mother Elizabeth, and his father Zechariah. Old Testament saints like Bezalel, Joshua, Samson, and Micah were filled with the

Holy Spirit. The believers at Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the

Spirit enabled them. Acts 2 verse 4. Peter, Paul, and the disciples were filled with joy and with the

Holy Spirit. Acts 13 verse 52. In contrast, Ananias allowed himself to be filled with Satan.

Acts 5 verse 3. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we walk by the

Spirit and are led by the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and keep in step with the

Spirit. See Galatians 5 verses 16 -25. According to the apostle

Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit makes the difference between life and death. When we belong to Jesus, the power of the life -giving

Spirit frees us from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8 verse 2. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the

Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8 verse 6. Instead of living in bondage to sin and fear of death, we live as God's adopted children.

Romans 8 verses 14 -15. Spirit -filled believers trade fear and timidity for power, love, and self -control.

2 Timothy 1 verse 7. They sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and make music to the

Lord in their hearts and give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5 verses 19 -21. A heart overflowing with music, joy, and thankfulness to God usually signals a believer who is filled with the

Holy Spirit. Finally, Paul describes spirit -filled believers as those who submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5 verse 21. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit daily by yielding our will to God in submission and obedience to His Word.

There is no formula to follow other than to allow Him to fill us and control every part of our lives—our thoughts, emotions, bodies, and actions.

Only as we submit to Him and are filled with the Holy Spirit can we experience a harmonious relationship with God and one another.

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