This may sound strange to those who have not yet received the Holy Ghost.
Being BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit means a person has received the Holy Ghost/Spirit permanently.
Being FILLED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit means it has pushed everything else out until there is no room left for anything else (like SIN).
A common mistake among those who have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost is to claim they are FILLED with the Holy Ghost.
Yet a person who is FILLED with the Holy Ghost will not be sinning... because there is no room in them for sin. (People claim this more often than it is true.)
Being BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost is a singular event that you keep forever.
Being FILLED with the Holy Ghost is currently only temporary because we can (and soon do) allow other things (like the desire for old habits) to enter in.
Ephesians 5:18 hints at the relationship between what we fill ourselves with, and what results will be. We need to realize that whatever we fill ourselves with is going to yield a corresponding change in our actions/behavior.
So... how can we be FILLED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit?
First, if you haven't been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit, you need to seek Jesus until that happens. Acts 2:39 promises it to ALL that the Lord calls....just like he promised it to the apostles (see Acts 1). But also just like the apostles, you may need to tarry (wait, pray, seek, ask) until you receive... just like others did.
Then, once you have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit you need to USE IT. We need to pray in the Spirit once we have received it. Jude 21 commands us to build ourselves up in faith and keep ourselves in the love of God by praying in the Holy Ghost.
Those who have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit will likely understand what that means.
Those who have not been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit probably don't know what praying in the Holy Ghost really is. (I also make allowance that some simply have not been taught to use what they have been given.)
Lastly, there is another meaning of filled/full that also needs to be recognized. That is the idea of being full/filled to capacity. This acknowledges that every vessel has a capacity limit based on its "size". When God gave Solomon the vast amount of wisdom, it is also stated that God gave him "largeness of heart" so he could retain it.
When a person has not eaten (or has eaten too little) for a significant amount of time, their stomach shrinks, and their capacity is diminished. The same seems to be true in the spirit. As we eat of his flesh and drink of his blood more and more, our capacity increases.
If you have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit, USE IT and get and stay FILLED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit (as often and as long as you can). BTW, reading and doing the word = eating his flesh. Prayer in the Spirit = drinking his blood (partaking of his life).
Love in Jesus,
Kelby
Being BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit means a person has received the Holy Ghost/Spirit permanently.
Being FILLED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit means it has pushed everything else out until there is no room left for anything else (like SIN).
A common mistake among those who have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost is to claim they are FILLED with the Holy Ghost.
Yet a person who is FILLED with the Holy Ghost will not be sinning... because there is no room in them for sin. (People claim this more often than it is true.)
Being BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost is a singular event that you keep forever.
Being FILLED with the Holy Ghost is currently only temporary because we can (and soon do) allow other things (like the desire for old habits) to enter in.
Ephesians 5:18 hints at the relationship between what we fill ourselves with, and what results will be. We need to realize that whatever we fill ourselves with is going to yield a corresponding change in our actions/behavior.
So... how can we be FILLED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit?
First, if you haven't been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit, you need to seek Jesus until that happens. Acts 2:39 promises it to ALL that the Lord calls....just like he promised it to the apostles (see Acts 1). But also just like the apostles, you may need to tarry (wait, pray, seek, ask) until you receive... just like others did.
Then, once you have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit you need to USE IT. We need to pray in the Spirit once we have received it. Jude 21 commands us to build ourselves up in faith and keep ourselves in the love of God by praying in the Holy Ghost.
Those who have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit will likely understand what that means.
Those who have not been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit probably don't know what praying in the Holy Ghost really is. (I also make allowance that some simply have not been taught to use what they have been given.)
Lastly, there is another meaning of filled/full that also needs to be recognized. That is the idea of being full/filled to capacity. This acknowledges that every vessel has a capacity limit based on its "size". When God gave Solomon the vast amount of wisdom, it is also stated that God gave him "largeness of heart" so he could retain it.
When a person has not eaten (or has eaten too little) for a significant amount of time, their stomach shrinks, and their capacity is diminished. The same seems to be true in the spirit. As we eat of his flesh and drink of his blood more and more, our capacity increases.
If you have been BAPTIZED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit, USE IT and get and stay FILLED with the Holy Ghost/Spirit (as often and as long as you can). BTW, reading and doing the word = eating his flesh. Prayer in the Spirit = drinking his blood (partaking of his life).
Love in Jesus,
Kelby
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