“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” I heard this as a young child and always wondered about the Ghost part. I didn’t like ghosts. Ghosts—at least in the movies—were usually portrayed as dead people who are now translucent beings floating around with spirit bodies terrorizing people. I never liked scary movies. I do remember dressing as a ghost one Halloween but I probably was thinking of myself more as Casper the Friendly Ghost. Some of you have no idea who that is. It’s okay. It’s not important. What is important is that you know the Holy Ghost—who is also very friendly, by the way.
I’m not sure if Catholic Bibles still use this term Holy Ghost but I do know that many of the more modern versions of the Protestant Bible replace the word “Ghost” with “Spirit.” I’m glad translators did this because the Holy Spirit is not a ghost at all. The Holy Spirit is, in fact, the third person of the Holy Trinity. Now, I can’t get into explaining the Trinity in this short letter to you but hopefully, you already know that there is one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is what I want to talk to you about today.
I think on day two of our pursuit I gave you a little about the Spirit but it’s time to give you more. My hope is that you’ll be stirred to ask for more of the Spirit. But first, we have to work through the confusion. There is a lot of confusion about the Spirit and we can’t afford to be confused—God is not the author of confusion.
New Birth
Most Christians understand that the Holy Spirit indwells us when we become Christians.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. — Romans 8:9
That’s an in-depth study, as well, but I’m going to trust you know that all true Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. The Bible also uses the term “regeneration” and “new birth” to describe the Spirit coming into us to make us new. Another term, introduced by Jesus, is “born again”—popularized in the Jimmy Carter era (sort of); the term strangely morphed into labeling a certain brand of believers called “born again Christians.” But really all Christians—if they really are Christians—are born again. It simply means the Holy Spirit has come into our lives and made us new creations. We have a new nature through the Spirit that wars against our old nature.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. — Galatians 5:16-17
This internal battle between the flesh and the Spirit is another whole teaching, as well, but that’s not usually where the confusion lies. What gets Christians to debate and divide is the their ideas of the operation of the Spirit and what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
Satan circus
It should be mentioned that Satan has worked very hard to create confusion about the Spirit precisely because the Spirit is so important. His strategy is obvious: he drums up very strange activities that give onlookers a creepy feeling and then has the leaders attribute the activities to the working of the Holy Spirit.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
— 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
This strategy is successful in multiple ways. It turns the Church into a circus-like show that causes outsiders and unbelievers to think Christians are crazy. There’s a lot more that I could say about that—I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime!
This Satanic scheme also succeeds in causing massive numbers of Christians—who ironically have the Spirit within them!—to be afraid of the things of the Spirit.
All this must be worked through because we don’t want to quench the Spirit and we also don’t want to be involved in a counterfeit Spirit (which is really a demonic spirit or human spirit). We want the genuine.
I am filled already?
Another error in thinking about the Spirit is to be too literal and simplistic. When it is suggested to some Christians that we should seek the filling of the Spirit, or an outpouring of the Spirit, they respond essentially with, “I’m already filled.” They are right! But also wrong. Here’s where the paradox comes in.
While we are filled with (or indwelt with) the Spirit when we become Christians, there is still a need for subsequent infillings of the Spirit.
This can be a little confusing at first, I know. When we are pursuing fresh infillings and greater outpourings, it is not because the Spirit left us and we want Him to come back. Here’s an illustration that might help.
Let’s say I have a huge multi-level loft apartment downtown with thousands of records everywhere. I have a state-of-the-art sound system with speakers in every room. But when you come over you only hear faint music coming from the lower level. Is the apartment filled with music? Well, yes, in one sense, it’s overflowing, right? There are records everywhere! But, in another sense, no, the volume is low, and it’s not coming through many of the speakers.
It’s kind of like that with the Spirit. The Spirit is in us but may be subdued because of a variety of factors. So to be very technical, it’s probably true that the Spirit is not poured out upon us like showers from above since He already dwells within us. And yet Scripture uses imagery of the Spirit being poured out.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. — Isaiah 44:3
Measures
The Scripture teaches the idea of varying measures of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is described as having the Spirit without measure. Often characters in the Bible are described as being filled with the Spirit. Paul exhorted the Ephesian Church to “be filled with the Spirit.” Think about that. He’s talking to Christians. Why is he telling Christians, who have already been filled with the Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit? Do you see? We have the Spirit but there is always a need for fresh infillings of the Spirit.
Some Christians teach that there is a “second blessing.” In other words, they say we receive the Spirit when we become Christians but then later—if we seek after it—we receive a “baptism” of the Spirit. I partially agree with this. I just think it’s not a second blessing only but the Lord has thousands of subsequent fresh infillings in store for those who seek Him!
A word for reserved souls
Listen. Take a step back for a moment from how you’ve been thinking about the Holy Spirit. Maybe you’re one who is reticent about all things Spirit because you’ve heard about scary Spirit workings. I get it. It’s funny that often those who are nervous about the Holy Spirit are people who are more practical. They are people who don’t love roller coasters or risk-taking. They are types who don’t like the idea of being drunk because they might not be in control. Bungee jumping is not on their favorite things to do list. This isn’t always the case, of course, but there’s some general truth to it.
If you are a more reserved type soul—which is how the Lord designed you—that’s good and beautiful. Just don’t be scared of the Holy Spirit.
I’ve had countless fresh infillings through the years. Usually, I feel the love of God in a very tangible way. And I feel supernatural love for others. Fears dissolve and a calm confidence emerges. I find myself able to pour out the depths of my heart effortlessly, and, the communion is so sweet, I don’t want to stop praying. I sense the nearness of God, not only near me as in the same room, or around me—but near in a way that I know that God is so close that He can hear my whispers, my thoughts and even my subconscious longings. I’m almost always compelled to some sort of exciting action to advance the kingdom coming away from these infillings.
What I’m trying to say is that it’s altogether good and not weird at all. As someone once said, “If you are weird, and the Spirit fills you, you will probably do weird things.” Sometimes people filled with the Spirit do weird things, not because the Spirit is weird, but because they are weird—people are weird, funny creatures!
If you are a quiet soul, the infilling of the Spirit won’t make you wild and boisterous. It doesn’t change our core personality. In fact, it breathes life into our personality to bring out the full expression of who we were created to be. Selah.
Imagine if
My prayer is that you would go after this infilling. Just ask and keep asking for it. The Father desires to give you infilling after infilling throughout your life. Maybe you don’t feel you need a fresh infilling? Maybe you feel like you’re a pretty good Christian and you like your life the way it is? Let yourself dream a bit. What would it look like if the Holy Spirit flooded your life with the same measure of the Spirit that Paul or Peter had? Imagine what God could do through us? Imagine the lives that could be impacted! And don’t let yourself get all falsely humble or feel like you aren’t worthy of being filled with the Spirit in great measure. No one is worthy. I take the cake for being unworthy. It’s not a matter of being worthy. It’s more a question of—“what does the Lord have in mind?”
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. — Acts 4:31