I was talking with someone this week who said: “The Holy Spirit is the bastard child of the Trinity for Evangelicals.” Crude but true. We’ve abandoned him, like a feral child, failing to realize the profound power and grace he wants to give us. There is so much confusion about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit, confusion we must clear away if we are to recover the power of God for gospel ministry and life. In this brief post, I will address the question: “Why Aren’t We Filled with the Holy Spirit?”
The Filling of the Spirit
Although the Person of Spirit only fills us once, his power can be full or faint. The power of the Spirit can go up and down. Like a gas gauge on your dashboard, the power of the Spirit can run full or empty. Think of hydro-electric power. This is power generated by a flowing body of water. What happens when the water slows or stops? Electric power declines. When we fill up on other things, alternative power sources, the power of the Spirit decreases. It’s quenched. How is it quenched? What is the alternative power? One alternative power source is self- reliant emotional power.
The Weakness of Emotional Power
Many of us rely on emotional power not spiritual power to live our lives. Emotional power is very strong when it is good supply. If I’m having a good day, feel particularly secure or happy, I may overlook wrongs, extend grace to people who cut me off in traffic, even serve people in need. But if I’m not feeling well, then look out! I’ll be short, unkind, angry, even judgmental and grudge bearing. Emotional power is worthless when we aren’t feeling it. This leads to a very up and down life. One minute you are forgiving and kind, the next you are judgmental and self-serving.
Many of us rely on emotional power not spiritual power to live our lives.
This is all exaggerated whenever we encounter difficulty or suffering. Emotional power makes our response to suffering erratic. Stephen, a man “full of the Holy Spirit” was calm, even glowing as people smeared his reputation, gnashed their teeth at him, rejected him, and eventually stoned him. He must have been an emotional wreck inside. How was he so steady, so gracious in the midst of so much suffering? He relied on spiritual power not emotional power. He was filled with the Spirit not with emotions. When we are filled with the Spirit continually, we become increasingly steady, even joyful, in our response to suffering. Stephen joyfully smiled in his suffering. Jesus went to the cross for the joy set before him (Heb 12:2). James tells us we can consider it pure joy when we encounter various trials (Jas 1:2).
You may have been filled with the Person of the Spirit but are not continually filled with the power of the Spirit.
Returning to the Holy Spirit
In ordinary life, and especially in suffering, we desperately need the continual filling of the Holy Spirit. We need both the Person (initial filling) and power of the Spirit (continual filling). What are you running on? Have you looked at your gauge lately? Are filled with erratic emotional power or the joy-giving power of the Spirit? Is the needle is on E? Have the waters have run dry? If so, no wonder you lack joy, peace, contentment. You may have been filled with the Person of the Spirit but are not continually filled with the power of the Spirit.
Paul instructs us not to be filled with wine but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). The first step forward in returning to the Spirit, is to repent of sinful reliance on emotional power. Confess your neglect of this Person of the Trinity and begin a relationship with him by asking for his filling, every single day.
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See this message for more on what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.