.png)
Oh To Be Wise Meditations
It is important to distinguish the indwelling from the filling of the Spirit. The permanent indwelling of the Spirit is not for a select few believers, but for all believers. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory. The Holy Spirit is given at the moment of salvation. It’s the sealing and indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at the time of believing. He indwells believers permanently. The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a down payment, or verification of their future glorification in Christ. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us.
Sin is what hinders the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. Only our obedience to God's commands allows the Spirit freedom to work within us. Because we are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit all of the time. When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Hear the LORD say: You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Meditate Rom. 15:13