Many believers prided themselves with the thought or feeling of having filled by the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord for that, because the Holy Spirit ministry in the life of every believer is indeed very important. No one can say Jesus is Lord without the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
But what does it really meant to be filled by the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 5:17-21 (NIV). “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Emphasis mine)
In these verses being filled with the Spirit contrasted with being filled or drunk with wine. A person who is being filled or drunk with wine their thinking and manner changed because they were affected by alcohol to the extent of losing control of one's faculties or behaviour. So the scriptures called us to be filled instead by God's Spirit rather than by other forces. When we are filled by the Spirit, we see the results in the attitude, joy and thanksgiving .We also see a relational posture of humility toward God and of submission to one another (Verse 19).
So when you are filled by the Holy Spirit as you claimed, that means that a life transformation was the evidence of that. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law”. In short you can see the fruit of the Holy Spirit is being manifested. So it resulted to a life of righteousness, a life of holiness and a life of prayer and worship, a life of love and obedience. Your transformation not happens without the Holy Spirit presence in your life.
But why God wants us to be filled by the Holy Spirit? Is it because God’s wants us to have the power to live according to His will? Sure it is. But that is not the main reason. The scripture clearly reminds us why. Acts 1:8 (NASB) “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” You are filled by the Holy Spirit so that you become a powerful witness to people. To declare to the whole world that only Jesus Christ can change, can save and help.
My dear brethren, are you filled by the Holy Spirit? Great! Then start witnessing to people what he has done in your life.
