THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

A Spirit-filled life should be the goal of every believer. Being filled with God's Spirit is another step or progression that should take place in the experience of every Christian. A Spirit-filled life is one that is completely yielded and consecrated to the Lord. Jesus promised His disciples that when He went back to His Father He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you" (John 14:16-17).

This coming of the Holy Spirit happened on the Day of Pentecost. The story is in Acts 2. Since then it has been possible for every believer to live the Spirit-filled life.

Ephesians 5:18 instructs us, "Be filled with the Spirit." This can happen by becoming a born-again Christian and by being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus used these words, baptized in the Holy Spirit, to indicate a beautiful spiritual experience His disciples were going to have. He said in Acts 1:5, "John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

As believers we can be baptized in the Holy Spirit just as the first disciples who waited in faith, thanking and praising God. They obeyed the instructions Jesus gave when He said, "And I myself will send upon you what my Father has promised. But you must wait ... until the power from above comes down upon you" (Luke 24:49).