How to Tap into the Power of the Holy Spirit?

The promise of the Holy Spirit 

What made headlines in the news recently? The fuel crisis in Sri Lanka. People lined up outside the petrol stations for hours and even days to fill up their tanks. Fuel is the life blood for taxi drivers. Unless there is fuel, they cannot start to run their cab services and make a living to support their families. For believers of Jesus Christ, we also need spiritual “fuel” to live out the Christian life. Sadly, many believers are ignorant of the power available to them. God has given us the Holy Spirt to empower us to live the abundant and victorious Christian life.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He commissioned His disciples to go into all the world and to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20). However, He told them not to leave Jerusalem until they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The disciples needed to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit before they could be effective and fruitful as witnesses of Jesus Christ.

In fact, Jesus stated that “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12). We can do these greater works only if we allow Christ to empower us and direct our lives, our thoughts, our hearts, and our works. By the power of the Holy Spirit, believers can live a holy and fruitful life for Jesus Christ.

In this article, we will answer the following questions. Who is the Holy Spirit? Why did He come? Why is the average Christian not filled with the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? How to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit? 

The Holy Spirit is a person, not merely an influence, force, energy, or power. He is the third person of the Trinity, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. The words “Holy Spirit” and “God” are used interchangeably. Lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:3-4). In the Great Commission and blessing, the Holy Spirit is identified with the Father and the Son (Matt 28:19-20; 2 Cor 13:14). He possesses divine attributes. He is omnipresent (Ps 139:7-8), omniscient (Isa 40:13) and eternal (Heb 9:14).

The Holy Spirit has a will, a personality, and can be offended! We are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we live our lives but to get rid of “all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior” (Eph 4:30). The Holy Spirit can be quenched (1 Thess 5:19). We can respond to the purifying work of the Holy Spirit either by submitting willingly to Him or by quenching Him. What is your choice?

 

Why did the Holy Spirit come?

New Birth and Identity

The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ and to lead believers into all truth. The book of John records the coming of the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus left this world, He promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in our lives until we have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then, He indwells believers of Christ forever, to lead them and teach them as they follow Jesus (John 14:26).

In His conversation with Nicodemus, a religious teacher, Jesus said, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again… no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3: 3-8). The Holy Spirit came to enable us to know Christ. When we receive Christ into our lives, we experience a new birth, and are indwelt by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives the believer a new identity and assures us that we are children of God. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom 8:16-17). Whenever we doubt our relationship with God, we can recall this verse and be assured once again that we are God’s children.

 

Revelation and guidance

The Holy Spirit gives revelation and wisdom to believers. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (Eph 1:17-18). The Holy Spirit reveals God’s heart and thoughts to believers and helps us to understand spiritual matters. “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words” (1 Cor 2:10-13).

The Holy Spirit is called also called the Spirit of truth. He guides believers into all the truth and even reveal to them the things to come. He makes known to believers whatever He received from God, the Father (John 16:13-15).

A friend of mine was parking her car in the car park. The Holy Spirit nudged her to talk to the lady in the car next to her. She was puzzled since she felt awkward to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation. After a brief struggle with the Spirit, she decided to obey Him. She walked over to the stranger and told her that God prompted her to talk to her. The lady then confessed that she was contemplating suicide. My friend presented the gospel and shared with her how she could find new life and hope in Jesus. The lady invited Jesus into her heart and life. The Holy Spirit knows the needs of the stranger and led my friend to share the gospel with her. He uses those who are willing to obey Him.   

 

Character Transformation

In addition to guiding us, the Holy Spirit transforms our character from the inside out. He helps believers to overcome sins and put to death the deeds of the flesh. “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:13). As we let the Spirit control our lives, we will be able to resist the desires of the flesh. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19-21).

In contrast, the Holy Spirit enables believers to bear the good fruit of the Spirit. In Gal 5:22-23, Paul explains, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Compare the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Which list of behaviours is desirable and which list is detestable? As one walks consistently in the power and control of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will become more and more evident in the life of the believer.

 

Power for ministry

The book of Acts records the transformation of the disciples from fearful and fainthearted men to powerful and bold witnesses for Christ. The early church Christians experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and God used them to turn the world upside down. Unfortunately, many Christians today do not even know who the Holy Spirit is and how to be filled with His power. They are not living out the abundant Christian life that Jesus promised in John 10:10. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to be witnesses for God (Acts 1:8). He gives power to believers to the proclaim the Word of God.  

Paul confessed that when He preached the Word of God, he did not do so with “persuasive speeches” but relied on the power of the Holy spirit. He did it so the believers “would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Cor 2:1-5).

Why are Christians not filled with the Holy Spirit?

Lack of knowledge

Many Christians are not filled with the Spirit because of the lack of knowledge. They do not know the truth concerning the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit can do for them.

The Christian life is a supernatural life. Christianity is not what you do for God, but what He does for you. We become a Christian by faith in Christ and we continue to live the Christian by faith or dependence on Him. Apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit you cannot live the Christian life. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ lives His supernatural life in and through you. Many Christians do not know how to draw upon the resurrection power of Jesus Christ that is available to them. “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power; that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph 1:19).

Lack of Faith

Many Christians doubt God’s character and fear what will happen to them when they yield their lives to God. They fear that God will disrupt their plans, ask them to give away their wealth, remove the joys of life, and make them endure tragedies, or something similar. They fail to understand that God is not a kill joy but wants to give the best to His children. Some are afraid that God may send them to some remote place to be a missionary. Does this describe you?

An outstanding young minister, a seminary honor graduate, once told Dr. Bright, “I have never surrendered my life to Christ because I have been afraid of what He will do to me.” Then he told Dr Bright how, years before, he had had a premonition that, if he were to commit his life to Christ, his parents would be killed in a tragic accident. He was afraid to say “yes” to God for fear his parents would lose their lives: God's test for him to determine the genuineness of his commitment.

These thoughts are not from God. The Bible reveals that God is a loving God. He is worthy of your trust. Jesus assures you, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him” (Matt 7:11).

Do you believe that God loves you? Do you believe that He wants the best for your life? He has the power to guide and bless your life if you place your trust in Him. Are you willing to trust Him right now to direct and empower you to live a holy life and be a fruitful witness for Christ?

What can I do now? 

1.     You must desire to be filled and to live a life that will please the Lord

2.     You must be willing to surrender your life totally and irrevocably to our Lord Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice and worship. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:1-2: “I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 3.     Third, confess every known sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and experience the cleansing and forgiveness which God promises in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

 4.     Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

The Command and the Promise

In Eph 5:18, believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. It is compared with being drunk with wine. A person who is drunk is under the control of alcohol and does things under the influence of alcohol. When a person is filled with the Holy spirit, He is under the direction and control of the Holy Spirit. He manifests the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:20-22). Since the filling of the Spirit is a command, not to be filled, controlled, and empowered by the Holy Spirit is disobedience.

One is filled by faith. God promised to hear our prayers when we pray in accordance with His will. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (I John 5:14-15). When we ask God to fill us with the Holy spirit, he will hear and answer our prayers because it is His will for us to be filled.

Results of being filled with the Holy Spirit 

When you give your life to Christ, you need not worry about what is going to happen to you. Maybe you are afraid that He will take away your pleasures, cause you to leave your business or profession, take away your wealth, or terminate a friendship or love affair. You may fear that He will send you, as a missionary, to some remote part of the world where you will lose your life for Him.

He may indeed ask you to do one or more of these things, and again He may not. If He does, you will rejoice in the privilege, for God always blesses those who trust and obey Him. They are living out the abundant life and experiencing the joy of God as they learn to totally trust and obey God in their lives in whatever circumstances.

God reminds us in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” If we believe that God loves us perfectly, we don’t have to fear what he will do to us.

“The fullness of the Spirit does not imply that we have more of the Spirit at our disposal, but, to the contrary that He possesses more of us and holds us entirely at His disposal” Rene Pache, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit (pg 118)

 

How can you be filled with the Holy Spirit 

You can pray and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you right now through a prayer of faith.

“Dear father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have been in control of my life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to take control of the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As an expression of my faith, I now thank you for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and taking control of my life.”

When believers meet the conditions for the filling of the Spirit and are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will live in the power of the Spirit. We know that God will empower us and we will have victory over the flesh and will produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 22-23).

 

References:

Adapted from the Transferable Concept: How You Can Be Filled With The Holy Spirit, by Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. © Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved.

Pache, Rene. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. IL, Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1979