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The Christian life and all that pertains to it is a product of God’s grace (His unmerited favor toward mankind) and may only be appropriated by faith. God’s salvation, which is the one-time and never to be retracted gift of eternal life to an individual, (1) is totally based on the Person (Deity) and work—atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary—of Jesus Christ, (2) cannot be associated with any merit of or self-effort by man and (3) can only be received by faith [a genuine willful act of trust] alone. To put it succinctly, salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. This then is Biblical repentance.

Religion, on the other hand, is the antithesis (opposite) of Christianity. Religion, a primary tool of Satan from the beginning of time, has promulgated (spread) the message that it is up to man, his worth and his efforts to achieve the approbation (approval) of God. Religion’s focus is on man, whereas Christianity is focused only on Jesus Christ. The Bible, God’s inerrant (without error) and canonized Word, is a marvelous compilation of 66 separate books authored by the Holy Spirit through some 40 different human writers over several thousands of years yet conveying one integrated and consistent message of God’s grace in dealing with man through Jesus Christ. It cannot be over-stressed that Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a union and a relationship with a Person—the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Whereas many individual Christians and various Christian denominations essentially accept God’s salvation plan as a grace-gift from God to be received only by faith, they quickly revert back to works or self-effort in order to achieve God’s other grace-gifts, which are subsequently available to the salvation experience. Of chief importance in God’s arsenal of grace-gifts is the filling of the Holy Spirit.

At the salvation experience a person is immediately, instantaneously and permanently subject to several actions of and by the Holy Spirit; they follow:

These actions of and by the Holy Spirit are permanent, never to be retracted under any circumstances by God or nullified by man. In addition with these permanent actions of and by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is available to the believer to lead and guide, and in fact “work through,” the believer in the Christian life.

The believer really only has two choices after the salvation experience. He may attempt to live for Christ under his own power (self-efforts and works), which (self) righteousness is “as filthy rags” in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6), and produce “human good” (works) that are characterized as “wood, hay and stubble” to later be consumed by God’s fiery judgment (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)—OR, he may live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and thereby produce “divine good” (works) that are characterized as “gold, silver and precious stones,” which will not be consumed by God’s fiery judgment and for which he will be rewarded (see previous Scripture reference).

It is this availability and completely accessible grace-gift of the filling of the Holy Spirit that Christians so often coach in mystery and/or dress in the guise of merit. Even though salvation may be only by faith, the filling of the Holy Spirit is frequently presented as being contingent upon various gyrations of a holy life, e.g, hours of study (of God’s Word) and prayer (begging God), emotional expressions, faithfulness in church attendance to name a few. The bottom line is that Christians endeavor to make the filling of the Holy Spirit a reward of their efforts at holy living. They fail to realize that it is a grace-gift from God and cannot be merited.

The Holy Spirit and His works were present at the Creation, were prevalent throughout the Old Testament and will be a permanent part of the Christian throughout eternity. Even though the Holy Spirit initiated a unique ministry toward the believer (permanently baptizing, indwelling and sealing) at Pentecost (Acts), He temporarily filled individuals prior to this time (Luke 1:15; 4:1), and now, in the Church Age, may do the same. The filling of the Holy Spirit may be more….or less temporary with the believer, depending on certain factors.

What is the filling of the Holy Spirit?

The words “fill” or “full” as they relate to the Holy Spirit and the believer come from the Greek word pleroo, which in essence means to be completely influenced and empowered by. In effect it is a condition that exists when the Holy Spirit is allowed (a conscious act of will and trust by the believer) to control a believer both inwardly (his thoughts and motives) and outwardly (his actions). This is confirmed by various scriptures whereby a person who is full of the Holy Spirit evidences the “fruit of the Holy Spirit” and is “led by the Holy Spirit.”

Various phraseology used in the New Testament that represents the concept (meaning) of the fullness of the Holy Spirit is as follows:

What impedes the filling of the Holy Spirit?

The filling of the Holy Spirit in any believer can only be impeded or hampered by sin. When the believer, who always has the God-given ability to exercise choice, selects to sin against God, he thereby quenches (Gk. sbennumi—literally to extinguish; figuratively to dampen, hinder or repress) and grieves (Gk. lupo—to cause sorrow or emotional pain to) the Holy Spirit. This in effect limits the Holy Spirit’s influence in the believer’s life. In other words, the Holy Spirit when confronted by willful sin in the believer withdraws His ability to empower and lead the believer.

The above facts are fairly undeniable by many Christians. The rub comes in when various Christian elements attempt to explain how a believer is to achieve the filling of the Holy Spirit. Most simply have no concrete step-method of how it is accomplished, elevating it to the mysterious and/or unknowable. Others wish it to be a convoluted (complicated and complex) process of merited-steps by man, i.e., making it a reward of one’s strength and energy in living the holy life. Many relegate it to a charismatic or emotional state of affairs. In fact they believe it is evidenced by various emotional gyrations, such as “speaking in mysterious or unknowable tongues,” the swaying of arms and public outbursts and faintish behavior, which have no bearing in Scripture. On the contrary, the filling of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by peace, joy, order, direction (purpose), the “fruit of the Spirit” and service (witnessing to the lost). So, the question remains.

How does the believer achieve the filling of the Holy Spirit?

Although there is no clearly definable formula expressed in any one place in God’s Word, a concerted study of Scripture reveals two distinct factors which apply to the process. They follow.

Other verses of Scripture that show the relationship between the filling of the Holy Spirit and faith are Ephesians 3:16-19 and Acts 11:24. They confirm that once a believer has confessed to God any known sin in his life and, knowing that the filling of the Holy Spirit cannot be due to any self-effort or merit on his part, simply trusts (a willful act of faith) in Jesus Christ (God) for the filling (in the same manner that he did when he was saved), he will in fact be filled by God’s Spirit. There may or may not be any emotional experience associated with this. Since it is a matter of simple faith (trusting God in the issue), there probably will not be any emotional provision for the believer.

Finally, what should the believer do once filled with the Holy Spirit?

The believer, once he has confessed any known sin and has received by faith alone the filling of the Holy Spirit, must (1) entertain no doubt that God’s Spirit is in control—for it is totally a matter of faith and (2) seek to serve His Savior and Lord Jesus Christ in all aspects of his life.

One final point! Even though the Spirit in his filling will lead, guide and empower the believer, the believer is always subject to the assailments of Satan. The believer is always faced with choices. When, by his own will, the believer finds that he selects to make the wrong choice (sin), he may always go back through the two-step process illustrated above, which will re-gain for him the filling of the Holy Spirit.