Trying to Feel the Holy Spirit Again
We are filled with the Holy Spirit by religion. How did you lot become a Christian? By religion. "It is by grace you lot accept been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, information technology is the gift of God — non by works, so that no ane can boast" (Ephesians ii:viii-9, New International Version 1984). "So then, merely equally you received Christ Jesus equally Lord, go on to live in Him" (Colossians 2:6, NIV 1984).
You receive Christ by organized religion. Y'all live by faith. Everything you receive from God, from the moment of your spiritual birth until yous dice, is by faith. Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? You can be filled right now, past organized religion.
You do not have to beg God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. You do non accept to barter with Him by fasting or weeping or begging or pleading. For a long period of fourth dimension, I fasted and cried out to God for His fullness. And then, i day, I discovered from the Scriptures that the "but shall live by faith" (Romans 1:seven, King James Version). You do not earn God's fullness. Yous receive it by organized religion.
An Analogy of Faith
Let me illustrate. Suppose that you want to cash a check for a hundred dollars. Would you go to the bank where you have several chiliad dollars on eolith, place the check on the counter, get downwards on your knees, and beg, "Oh, please, Miss Teller, cash my check?" No, that is not the fashion y'all cash a cheque. Y'all simply go in faith, place the bank check on the counter and look for the money which is already yours. Then you thank the teller and get on your manner.
Millions of Christians are begging God, every bit I one time did, for something which is readily available — just waiting to exist appropriated past religion. They are seeking some kind of emotional experience, non realizing that such an attitude on their part is an insult to God — a denial of faith. Just faith is the only way you tin can delight God.
Though you are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and faith solitary, it is of import to recognize that several factors contribute to preparing your heart for the filling of the Spirit. First, you must desire to live a life that will please the Lord. You have the promise of our Savior: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will exist filled" (Matthew 5:half dozen, NIV 1984).
2nd, exist willing to give up your life totally and irrevocably to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:1-ii (NIV 1984): "I urge y'all, brothers, in view of God'south mercy, to offer your bodies equally living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual deed of worship. Practise not adjust any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your listen. And then you will be able to test and approve what God'due south will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Third, confess every known sin which the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and experience the cleansing and forgiveness that God promises in 1 John 1:9 (NIV 1984): "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and volition forgive united states our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
I call this process "spiritual animate." Only every bit y'all exhale and inhale physically, then y'all likewise breathe spiritually. You lot breathe spiritually when you confess your sins.
The Command and the Promise
If y'all have wronged a blood brother or have taken that which is not rightfully yours, the Holy Spirit may lead yous to make restitution to right your incorrect. If so, obey Him, or yous will miss His approval. The blessings of the fullness of God's Spirit come just to those who willingly obey Him.
Jesus promised, "Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the ane who loves me. He who loves Me will be loved past My Begetter, and I too will honey him and evidence Myself to him" (John fourteen:21, NIV 1984).
Again, you are not filled with the Holy Spirit because y'all desire to be filled nor considering you confess your sins or nowadays your body equally a living sacrifice — yous are filled past faith.
There are 2 very of import words to remember.
The showtime is "control." In Ephesians 5:eighteen, God commands you to be filled: "Do non go drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (NIV 1984). Not to be filled, controlled and empowered past the Holy Spirit is disobedience.
The other word is "promise" — a promise that makes the command possible: "This is the assurance we accept in approaching God: that if we inquire annihilation co-ordinate to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears the states — whatever we ask — we know that we take what nosotros asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15, NIV 1984).
At present, is it God'southward will for you to be filled and controlled by Him? Of course it is — for it is His command! Then right now you can ask God to fill up you lot — not because you deserve to be filled, but on the footing of His promise.
If yous are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. When you purchase mechanical items that run on battery ability, frequently the notice "batteries not included" is printed on the box. The Holy Spirit — your source of power for living — is "included" when y'all receive Jesus Christ every bit your Savior and Lord. Therefore, yous practise not demand to invite Him to come into your life. He did this when y'all became a Christian, and Jesus promised that He will never go out you.
The moment you lot received Christ, the Holy Spirit not but came to indwell you, but He imparted to y'all spiritual life, causing yous to be built-in anew every bit a child of God. The Holy Spirit also baptized y'all into the body of Christ. In ane Corinthians 12:13 (NIV 1984), Paul explains, "We were all baptized by one Spirit into i body."
At that place is just one indwelling of the Holy Spirit, i rebirth of the Holy Spirit, and one baptism of the Holy Spirit — all of which occur when y'all receive Christ.
Being Filled Happens Over and Over
Being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is not a one time-and-for-all experience. There are many fillings, as is made clear in Ephesians v:eighteen. In the Greek language, in which this command was originally written, the meaning is clearer than that in almost English language translations. This control of God ways to be constantly and continually filled, controlled and empowered with the Holy Spirit as a way of life.
I cannot control myself and exist controlled past the Holy Spirit at the same fourth dimension. Christ cannot exist in command if I am on the throne. So I must forsake. This involves faith. Every bit an expression of my will, in prayer, I surrender the throne of my life to Him, and past religion I draw upon His resource to live a holy and fruitful life.
The command of Ephesians 5:18 is given to all believers to be filled, directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, continually, every 24-hour interval of our lives. And the promise of i John 5:fourteen-15 is fabricated to all believers that, when we pray according to God'south will, He hears and answers us. If you merits the fullness of God'south Spirit in prayer, He will hear and answer you. He will fill up yous. And in the process, you will "inhale" spiritually.
Do not think that you accept to have an emotional feel or that something dramatic must happen to you lot. How did you receive Christ? Was it because of some smashing emotional pressure level brought to acquit upon y'all? Your emotions may take been involved. But ultimately, you became a Christian not because of your emotional experience but considering of your faith. For the Bible says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through organized religion."
The Holy Spirit is not given to you lot that you might have a great emotional experience but that yous might alive a holy life and be a fruitful witness for Christ. So, whether or not you accept an emotional experience is non the issue.
There is no identify in Scripture where yous are told to pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit. You are filled by religion. However, since the object of your faith is God and His Discussion, I suggest that you pray to Him claiming the fullness of His Spirit as an expression of your faith in God's command and in His hope.=
Pray to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit Right Now
Accept you met God'southward weather condition? Do you lot hunger and thirst after righteousness? Do you sincerely desire to be controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit? If and then, I invite you to bow your head and pray this prayer of faith right at present. Wait God to fill you. Without begging or pleading, just say:
"Dearest Father, I need Y'all. I hunger and thirst for a more vital relationship with You. I admit that I have been in command of my life. Equally a issue, I have sinned confronting Y'all.
"Give thanks You for forgiving my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now confess and turn from my sins and surrender the control of my life to the Lord Jesus. By religion I invite You to fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to exist filled. You promised to fill me if I inquire according to Your will. I pray this in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ.
"To demonstrate my organized religion, I now thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and for taking control of my life. Amen."
Now, if yous sincerely prayed that prayer, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You will begin to experience a greater beloved for God. You lot will want to spend fourth dimension with Him in studying His Give-and-take and in prayer. You lot will want to trust and obey God and His Give-and-take. You lot will want to share your love for Christ with others who practice not know Him.
© 1999 Pecker Brilliant, © 2009 Bright Media Foundation and Campus Crusade for Christ International. All rights reserved. Adapted from Neb Brilliant, "How Yous Can Be Filled With The Holy Spirit," Transferable Concept 3 (Peachtree Metropolis, GA; Cru).
Sign Up to Download our Holy Spirit Devotional
Don't recollect behavior modification, recall life transformation through the ability of the Holy Spirit.
Download our free PDF Thirsty devotional today to delve deeper into all the concepts of the Spirit-filled life. There are 14 daily devotions.
Source: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/transferable-concepts/be-filled-with-the-holy-spirit.7.html
0 Response to "Trying to Feel the Holy Spirit Again"
Publicar un comentario