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What it means to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How can I reach this state? If these questions are on your mind, then this article aims to enrich your understanding.

Be filled with the Spirit! We find this exhortation in Ephesians 5:18. But what does it mean? In Acts 4:8, we read that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and, in this state, spoke to the leaders and elders of the people. How did Luke, the writer of Acts, know that Peter was in this Spirit-filled state? Could he recognize or measure this state? When the early Christians were looking for young men to take on the responsibility of providing for widows, they were looking for brothers with three particular qualities.

The basic requirement: To be full of the Holy Spirit

The apostles said to the church, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, select seven men from among you who are well-regarded, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will appoint them to this ministry” (Acts 6:3). A good testimony, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and wisdom—how can these three qualities be verified? Whether someone has a good testimony or a good reputation can be quickly determined. You can find out by asking the people who know them.

The quality of being full of wisdom can be verified by observing a person's actions. Do their decisions create order or disorder, structure or chaos? But how does one verify whether someone is filled with the Holy Spirit? It is definitely a measurable condition, otherwise this quality would not be a requirement for ministry. Remarkably, no one in the congregation said they were unsure whether any of the young men were filled with the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, everyone could see this state. Consequently, it is quite obvious whether someone is filled with the Holy Spirit or not.

In the Book of Acts, we find several examples of men and women filled with the Holy Spirit, some of whom we will examine more closely. Acts 6:5 says of Stephen: “And the word pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” Barnabas is another example. He was a reliable and trustworthy man, filled with the Holy Spirit and full of faith.

The first Christians considered it a fundamental requirement to be filled with the Holy Spirit before entering into ministry. The description of being filled with the Holy Spirit is frequently repeated in biblical descriptions of people. When Paul was evangelizing in Cyprus, he encountered opposition from Elymas, the magician, whereupon Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked at him, rebuked him, and blinded him (cf. Acts 13:9).

The difference between receiving and being fulfilled

If we apply the state of being "filled" or "completely filled" with the Holy Spirit to ourselves, we should ask ourselves: Are we today as filled as the first Christians? Does God automatically bestow this quality upon His church? After all, we have received the Holy Spirit and are children of God. However, there is a subtle difference between receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. What is this difference?

To recognize this, a close examination of the biblical statements is helpful. The phrase "being filled" is first found in Acts 2:4: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." The fact that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost demonstrates that they had not had this experience before. We understand that a vessel that is already full cannot be filled further, since it is already full. The first Christians experienced the state of being filled only at Pentecost, even though they had already been saved and followed Jesus.

In the Old Testament, there were individual events in which the Holy Spirit descended upon specific people—for example, Samson, David, or Jephthah. A global event of being filled with the Holy Spirit like Pentecost had not occurred before. This experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an automatic process. One is not simply given this experience as a born-again child of God.

The quality of being filled with the Spirit distinguished the early church. In Acts 4:31 we read: “And when they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.”

Being filled with the Holy Spirit was not a permanent state: once filled, always filled. The first Christians experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit again and again. This means that they were not constantly filled with the Spirit, but that they had to continually seek this filling.

Experiencing fulfillment in practical life

How can this experience be described practically? A container can be full, half-full, or empty. If a container is half-full, something is still missing, and it is incomplete. Applied to us humans, this means that God fills us with His Spirit. When we are filled, we become spiritually alive, and this becomes visible and tangible to other people. When guests attend our church service, they not only hear beautiful songs and good sermons, they not only see friendly people, but they also sense something alive. They can feel whether God is present or not. God's presence cannot be imitated because God is authentic. It is possible to replace God through special actions, but we cannot imitate God's work.

God speaks to a person's inner being and touches their soul. In God's presence, hearts are transformed, and this happens in secret. The songs don't have to suit our tastes, but should speak to our hearts. A prayer can sound quite ordinary, but when God speaks to a person personally, the prayer becomes a special experience.

A sermon can be very simple, even lacking profound theological content, but when God speaks through it, it comes alive. The way God speaks to a person, in one way or another, reveals whether that person is filled with the Holy Spirit. When filled with the Holy Spirit, something is palpable. Something vibrant arises within us, allowing us to personally experience God's work.

Comparison with an oil lamp

This principle can be aptly described using an oil lamp. Oil lamps are lighting devices that use oils as fuel. For millennia, they have been an important artificial light source. Solomon describes in Proverbs 20:27: “The spirit of man is a lamp to the Lord; it searches all the inner chambers.” Every person was created with a specific inner space that can be filled, like a lamp. The Bible calls this space the “heart” (see Proverbs 4:23).

A lamp's purpose is to shine. Our human spirit is not a container, a jug, or a bottle, but a lamp. What matters is what we are filled with. An oil lamp can only burn when it is full—much like us. We shine when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. If we fill our being with other things, we cannot shine for the Lord. A burning oil lamp consumes oil. A serving Christian needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

If a Christian is inactive and merely observes church services and listens to good sermons, they will not feel the need to be replenished. A Christian in ministry, on the other hand, will notice when their strength is waning and they need to be "refueled." It is this replenishment, or "refueling," with the Holy Spirit that gives us renewed strength. Regular replenishment is a given for followers of Jesus. Someone who is on fire notices after a certain time in ministry that their fuel is running low. They need to be refilled, like the oil in an oil lamp.

The presence of God in our lives

Constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit creates a dependence on God. As followers of Jesus, we need God's Spirit in abundance to burn brightly for Him. Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, we will eventually burn out because we lack the necessary strength. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the first experience in which we can experience being filled with the Holy Spirit.

But it shouldn't be a one-time experience. Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn't limited to the emotional level; it has an impact on the individual and their surroundings. The effect of this being filled is comparable to the experience Moses had when he spoke with God on the mountain. After 40 days of intimate communion with God, Moses returned to the people. But the Israelites couldn't look him in the face because his face was radiant. The people realized that Moses had been in the presence of God.

A truly experienced filling with the Holy Spirit always has an outward effect. The people of Israel not only saw Moses' face, but also heard the words of God that Moses communicated to them. On the mountain, he had learned, among other things, the entire story of creation and received the Ten Commandments. The presence of God completely transformed him. We can only experience being filled with the Holy Spirit in the presence of God.

How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

The first Christians experienced their first infilling with the Holy Spirit during prayer (cf. Acts 4:31). Prayer is therefore one way in which God can fill a person with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 4:8, we read that Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke to the rulers and elders. Peter was in the ministry of preaching.

The Holy Spirit came to equip us for service. We are filled with the Holy Spirit again when we come into God's presence and allow ourselves to be filled with His Spirit. In serving God, we experience that our strength is limited and that we are dependent on God.

Another way to experience being filled with the Holy Spirit is through witnessing. When people go out and proclaim the Gospel, they can experience, like Stephen, being filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 7:55). Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit when he stood among his persecutors and testified to Jesus.

His being filled with the Holy Spirit manifested itself in a special way. He saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand. This filling with the Holy Spirit helped Stephen, in the midst of persecution, to look to Jesus instead of his persecutors. If you haven't yet experienced being filled with the Spirit, start praying for it, start serving, start bearing witness.

A wonderful experience of being fulfilled by God is also possible through singing. We read in Ephesians 5:18-19: “Do not get drunk on wine, which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord.”

Singing is a means of experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. It is a powerful feeling when the Holy Spirit reaches our hearts through song. We are not touched by the singing itself, but by the work of the Holy Spirit. For example, our passion for Jesus may be rekindled while we listen to or sing a song.

The Holy Spirit can also enable us to gradually recognize more and more how great God is. Experiencing this work of the Holy Spirit is glorious and wonderful. It is as if God himself draws very close to us and embraces us with his love. Feeling this love of God awakens in us a burning, passionate love for Jesus. We then have no choice but to reciprocate this love.

This miracle of being filled with the Holy Spirit is something everyone can experience. The prerequisite is our heart's desire. In other words, we must develop a longing to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To be filled means to truly feel God's presence.

An oil lamp only needs oil if it burns because of the oil. Likewise, a true and active Christian needs a source of strength.

Our Heavenly Father blesses His children

How do I come to experience being filled with the Holy Spirit? It should be a matter of the heart and a personal need. It should be a necessity that we consider vital, not something we "might do or try out sometime." Jesus spoke very clearly about the Holy Spirit: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13).

It is biblical to pray, “God, I need Your Spirit!” It is a fitting comparison to pray with the conviction of children, believing that our parents know our needs and desires. Children don't give up until they receive what they ask for.

A church should be a close-knit family, a living body of Christ, a burning lamp on a mountain, a salty salt – that is our calling and our task. However, this is only possible and achievable if the Holy Spirit is present in the church. He is only present in the church, though, if He is present in each and every member. I sincerely hope that this will become a necessity of faith for us, a reality we never want to be without. I urge each and every one of you: seek it, pray for it, and experience it.

Peter Treu
Municipality of Ilsede