Jesus promised His disciples that even though He would no longer be with them after the cross, He would not leave them alone:

"But now I am going to Him who sent me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:5-7)

The common thread running through those spiritual movements of history that has made a mark has been the promised Holy Spirit. After the Holy Spirit came, it was said of the believers in Jerusalem, "And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common" (Acts 2:43, 44).

"And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.' And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saving, 'Be saved from this perverse generation!' So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:38-41, Italics added).

As you appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit, explained in this chapter by Bill Bright, you will be prepared to make an eternal mark for Christ. As you are empowered by the Holy Spirit, God can use you to help develop a movement in your community today

                                                                                  You Shall Receive Power

                                                                                                      By

                                                                                                Bill Bright

Has it ever occurred to you that there is much more to Christian life than what you are now experiencing?

Jesus said, "I came that they [you and I and all Christians] might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10: 10). Yet, if you are an average professing Christian, you are undoubtedly thinking, "There is certainly nothing abundant about my life. I try to witness, but no one is interested in what I have to say. I experience nothing but doubts, fears, frustrations and defeat. Surely there must be something more to this Christian life, but I have never found it."

There was a time in my own Christian ministry when I challenged Christians to witness and live holy lives for Christ, but the results were so discouraging that I began to devote most of my time and energies to evangelism, where God blessed with much more apparent results. However, as the years have passed, the Holy Spirit has helped me to see the great potential power in lukewarm Christians, if only they are awakened and harnessed for Christ. I am now convinced that the lukewarm, carnal Christian can be changed into a vital, dynamic, witnessing Christian, if he will surrender his will to Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Again and again I am reminded of the great contrast between the church of Jesus Christ today and His church of the first century.

What is the difference? What is that strange quality that sets one man apart from another when both are Christians" Some theologians would say that it is the degree of commitment. Yet there are many people all over the world who are crying out to God, dedicating their lives to Christ day after day, and yet are continuing to be powerless and defeated. Why? Are we not told in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied?"

Did not John, the beloved disciple quote Jesus (I John 1:5-7) as saying that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all, and that if we walk in the "light" we have fellowship with the Father and the Son?

The believer need not live in spiritual poverty. The many thousands of promises recorded in the Word of God apply to every believer. These promises include: assurance of God's love (I John 3:16); eternal life (Romans 6:23); forgiveness of sin (I John 1:9); provision of material needs (Philippians 4:19); the ordering of one's steps (Psalm 37:23); the secret of successful prayer (John 15:7); the promise of an abundant life (John 10: 10); God's promise to honor a holy life (2 Chronicles 16:9); assurance that everything that happens is for our own good (Romans 8:28); deliverance from temptation (I Corinthians 10:13); victory over fear (I John 4:18); as well as thousands of others.

The Bible promises that every Christian should possess love, joy, peace, faith and many other beneficial qualities. What is wrong? Many Christians are living defeated lives. Maybe you are among them. You may have a heart for God. You read your Bible faithfully, you pray, you witness, you are active in your church; yet year after year you continue to fight a losing battle. Temptations come! Half-heartedly you resist, then yield, surrender and are finally defeated. For months you journey in the slough of despondency with Mr. Christian in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Then you attend a spiritual retreat and you are back on the Alpine heights for a brief time. Up, down, victories, defeats! Soon you cry out with Paul in Romans 7:24, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"

I have the privilege of speaking to thousands of students each year. At the conclusion of a message, which I once gave at Princeton University, a devout young man approached me in great concern over his lack of "fruit" in witnessing. "I have tried to witness," he said, "but I have had no results. I read my Bible daily and pray and memorize Scripture. I attend every Christian meeting on campus. Yet, I have never been able to introduce another to Christ. What is wrong with me?" In counseling with him, I gently probed for the answer to his problem. I knew that he meant business. He wanted to please God. He sincerely wanted his friends to know his wonderful Saviour, and according to his conduct and Christian activities, he was a model Christian.

Jesus promises in John 14:26 and 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and 'II guide us into all truth. As I counseled with this young man, we considered some very important passages of Scripture. When he claimed these, by faith, they unlocked the door to victory and to unspeakable joy. He left the counseling room rejoicing and with an expectant heart. At that point, he began to experience a fruitful life in Christ such as he had never before known. He knew that something had happened in his life. He was a new man - no longer afraid, impotent and defeated. Now he was bold and had power and faith to believe God. He could hardly wait to see what God was going to do through Him. "Lord," he prayed, "who will be the first to whom You will lead me today?"

In the course of the day, the Holy Spirit led this young man to a fellow student to whom he had previously talked without apparent success. But today was different. God had prepared the heart of the other student and soon these two were bowed in prayer as the student's friend accepted Christ. The next day this marvelous experience was repeated with another student responding as if drawn by an invisible hand. This is not strange, for the Word of God tells us, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father ... draws him" (John 6:44). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, this student continued to lead fellow students to Christ day after day. His own life was wonderfully changed and empowered.

The story of this Princeton student is typical of hundreds of others who have sought counsel on campus after campus around the world. There was a young man who had earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in one of the finest theological seminaries, but was ineffective in his witnessing. Upon learning how he could appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit by faith, he experienced a new spirit of expectancy and joy that resulted in a victorious and fruitful life. There was the shy, timid student at a college retreat who expressed his concern for the lost, but was utterly frustrated and defeated by his fear of man. When God's power, victory, love and faith took possession of him, he experienced joy and fruit such as he had never believed possible. Fear and defeat gave way to courage, radiance and victory. Another faithful witness who heard, believed and received, discovered that witnessing was no longer a duty, but a joy! "It is just like being released from prison," he later exclaimed.

Countless additional examples such as those just cited could be given of others whose fruitless and frustrated lives became fruitful and victorious when they received by faith the power of the Holy Spirit and discovered that the promises of Jesus were for them: "Follow Me. and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19); "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit" (John 15:8); "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you" (John 15:16); "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6)

Through the centuries there have been followers of Christ who were just ordinary Christians. Nothing spectacular ever happened to them or through them. Then, as happened to Peter and the disciples, something changed their lives. They were no longer ordinary or average. They became men and women of God, instruments of power. Their defeat turned to victory. Doubts and fear turned to assurance, joy and faith. They were the ones who "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). Cowardly Peter, who denied Jesus three times (you and I have denied Him many more), became the bold Peter of Pentecost who preached fearlessly. On separate occasions, 3,000 and 5,000 believed in Christ and were added to the church. The early disciples possessed a strange new quality of life, a life of power, which transformed the heart of a wicked Roman Empire during the first century. As far as we know, their boldness led every one of the 12 to a martyr's grave - except John, who died in exile on the Isle of Patmos.

The change in the lives of those to whom I have just referred all began at Pentecost when those who were gathered together were filled with the Holy Spirit. Through this same power of the Holy Spirit, millions of others through the centuries have been changed into vital, dynamic Christians.

What do you know about the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit mean to you personally?

Jesus promised as He commissioned the disciples, that the Holy Spirit would give us power to be His witnesses. "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

It is the purpose of this brief article to explain how to be filled with the Holy Spirit as it relates to the fulfillment of the Great Commission of our Lord. Therefore, we shall not dwell on the many truths concerning the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer except as they contribute to our major objective.

Let us now consider briefly some of the spiritual truths as they relate to the filling of the Holy Spirit.

A. What is the Spirit-filled life?

The Spirit-filled life is the Christ-filled life. The Spirit-filled believer is one who, according to Romans 6:1 1, has considered himself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Christ is now on the throne of the life. He is Lord! The Holy Spirit came to exalt and glorify Jesus Christ. In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit a Christian must be dead to self. When he is dead to self, the Lord Jesus Christ, who now has unhindered control of his life, can begin to express His love through him. The one to whom "all power in heaven and on earth is given," and, "in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," can now express that power through the

Spirit-filled believer. The one who came to seek and to save the lost now begins to seek the lost through the Christian. He directs his steps to those who are lost and to those who are in need. He begins to use the Christian's lips to tell of His love. His great heart of compassion becomes evident in the Spirit-filled life.

Actually, in a very real sense, the Christian gives up his life, his impotence and defeat for the power and victory of Jesus Christ. This is what the great missionary statesman Hudson Taylor referred to as the "exchanged-life". When one is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is filled with Jesus Christ. He no longer thinks of Christ as one who helps to do some kind of Christian task, but rather, Jesus Christ does the work through the Christian. He does not want us to work for Him. He wants us to let Him do His work through us. This is that glorious experience that the apostle Paul knew when he said in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." The Christian's body now becomes Christ's body to use as He wills; the mind becomes free to think His thoughts; the will is now controlled by His will; the total personality, time and talents are now completely His.

The beloved apostle goes on to say, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." Whose faith? The faith of the Son of God, the one who loved us and gave Himself for us, the one to whom "all power in heaven and earth is given." Think of it! Can you grasp what this means? If you can, and if you yield your will to God the Holy Spirit and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is in your life moment by moment, you are in for a great adventure. The Lord Jesus Christ will begin to draw lost men and women to Himself through your yielded, Spirit-filled life.

B. Why are so few Christians filled with the Holy Spirit?

Basically, the problem involves the will. Man is a free moral agent. He was created by God with a mind and will of his own.

God would be breaking His own spiritual laws if he forced man to do His bidding. At the time of conversion we yield to the will of God. In Romans 10:9, Paul tells us that, if we confess with our mouths Jesus as Lord, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved. Man must be willing to "repent", which means to turn from his own way to go God's way, before he can become a child of God. However, after conversion, the heart frequently loses its "first love". The radiance and glow that accompanied the spiritual birth experience are gone, and many believers no longer walk in "the light as He Himself is in the light" (I John 1:7). They no longer seek to do the will of God, but for various reasons, have chosen to go their own way. They have chosen to work out their own plan and purposes of life. Believing themselves to be free, they become servants of sin and finally they say with the apostle Paul in Romans 7:19,20,24: 'For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" There is no one more miserable than a Christian out of fellowship with Christ.

In this spiritual condition there is no longer any 'oy in the Christian walk, no longer any desire to witness for Christ, no concern for those who are desperately in need of the forgiveness and love of our Saviour.

Why then, would one who has experienced the love and forgiveness that only Christ can give, reject the will of God and choose to go his own way? Why would a Christian sacrifice the power and dynamic of the Spirit-filled life in order to have his own way?

These are several reasons:

1. Lack of knowledge of the Word of God: God's Word contains glorious truths concerning the relationship that the Christian has with the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This lack of information has kept many from appropriating the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Think of it - every believer is a child of God (I John 1: 12). His sins have been forgiven and he may continue to be cleansed from all sin (I John 1:7) as he continues in fellowship with Christ. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit actually dwell in the heart of every believer, waiting to empower and bring each child of God to his full maturity in Christ.
2. Pride: Pride has kept many from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Pride was the sin of Satan (Isaiah 14:13,14). Pride was the first sin of man as Adam and Eve wanted to be something they were not. Pride is at the root of most of man's self imposed estrangement from God. The self-centered, egocentric Christian cannot have fellowship with God: "For God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (I Peter 5:5).
3. Fear: Fear of man keeps many from being filled with the Holy Spirit. "The fear of man brings a snare" (Proverbs 29:23). One of the greatest tragedies of our day is the general practice among Christians of conforming to the conduct and standards of a non-Christian society. Many are afraid to be different; ashamed to witness for the one "who loved us and gave Himself for us." Remember in I Peter 2:9 we are told: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." "The Lord favors those who fear [reverence which leads to obedience] Him" (Psalm 147:1 1). Jesus said, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed" (Luke 9:26).

Many believers are fearful of being thought fanatical bv their friends and others should they be filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Secret sin: Unconfessed sin keeps many from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps God has reminded you of a lie you have told that has damaged someone's reputation; or stolen merchandise or money that has not been returned; or an unethical transaction; or cheating on an exam, or any number of acts that He wants you to confess to Him. He may lead you to make restitution to those whom you have wronged (Matthew 5:23,24). If so, be obedient to His leading. Even we were able to hide these things from our friends and others, we cannot hide them from God. "Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart" (Psalm 44:21). Is there anyone whom you have not forgiven? If so, God will not forgive you (Mark 11:24-26). However, if we confess these sins to God as the Lord directs us, we are forgiven and cleansed (I John 1:9).
5. Worldly mindedness: A love for material things and a desire to conform to the ways of a secular society keep many Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit. "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (I John 2:15-17). Man lives a brief span of years and is gone from this earthly scene. Every believer should make careful and frequent evaluation of how he invests his time, talents and treasure in order to accomplish the most for the cause of Christ. "Only one life, will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. But seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:24,33).

6. Lack of trust in God: This keeps many Christians from making a full surrender of their wills to Him and from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Many Christians have a fear, that amounts almost to superstition, that, if they surrender themselves fully to God, something tragic will happen to test them. They may fear that they will lose a loved one. Some fear that God will send them to some remote section of the world as a missionary to some savage tribe against their wills.

I remember well a young lad who had such fears - he was afraid that God would change his plans. As we reasoned together, I reminded him that God's love was so great that He sent His only begotten Son to die for his sins. We spoke of a Saviour who loved him so much that He gladly gave His life on the cross and shed His blood for his sins. Then I asked the question, "Can you trust a God like that?" He replied, "I had never thought of it that way - I can and will trust Him." Today this young man has finished seminary and is one of the most fruitful and victorious Christians I know.

You can trust God with your life, your loved ones, your money, your future, everything! Not only is He a loving Father, but God's love is wiser than that of any earthly father and is more tender than that of any earthly mother. So do not be afraid to trust God with your whole life, every moment of every day, and He 'II fill you with His Holy Spirit.

I have two sons whom I love dearly. Suppose, for the sake of illustration, that they were to come to me and say, "Dad, we love you and have been thinking about how we can show our love for you. We have decided that we will do anything that you want us to do." Now, how would I respond? Would I say, "Boys, I have been waiting for just this moment. Now that you have relinquished your wills to mine, l am going to lock you in your rooms give away all your favorite possessions, and make you do all of the things that you most dislike doing. You will regret the day you were born. I will make you the most miserable boys in this district."

How ridiculous! I would respond by trying to demonstrate my love for them in an even greater way. In the same way, our heavenly Father is ready to bless and enrich our lives the moment we yield our wills, our all, to Him.

These and many other experiences of defeat have kept Christians from experiencing the joy of the Spirit-filled life. For example, do any of the following apply to you:

• An exalted feeling of your own importance
• Love of human praise
• Anger and impatience
• Self-will, stubbornness
• A compromising spirit
• Jealousy
• Lustful, unholy actions
• Dishonesty
• Unbelief
• Selfishness
• Love of money and possessions.

Some of you may wonder, "Is it necessary for me to gain victory over all of my defeats and frustrations before I can be filled with the Holy Spirit?" Absolutely not! Just as Jesus Christ is the only one who can forgive your sins, so the Holy Spirit is the only one who can give victory and power.

C. How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

First, we need to know that just as there are many different experiences of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, so are there different experiences of being filled with the Holy Spirit. For example, one man responds to the invitation to accept Christ in an evangelistic campaign, another kneels quietly in the privacy of his home and accepts Christ. Both are born again, and their lives are changed by the power of Christ. Of course, there are scores of other circumstances and experiences through which sincere men meet the Saviour and become "new creatures in Christ".

In like manner, and in different ways, sincere Christians are filled with the Spirit. It should be made clear at this point that to be "filled with the Spirit" does not mean that we receive more of the Holy Spirit, but that we give Him more of ourselves. As we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit and are filled with His presence, He has greater freedom to work in and through our lives, to control us in order to better exalt and glorify Christ.

God is too great to be placed in a man-made mould. However, there are certain spiritual laws that are inviolate. Since the Holy Spirit already dwells within every Christian, it is no longer necessary to "wait in Jerusalem" as Jesus instructed the disciples. We need only make personal preparation for His empowering. The Holy Spirit will fill us with His power the moment we are fully yielded. It is possible for a man to be at a quiet retreat and become filled with the Holy Spirit. It is likewise possible for a man to be filled with the Holy Spirit while walking down a busy street in a great city. It is even possible for a man to be filled with the Holy Spirit and know something wonderful has happened, yet be completely ignorant at the time of what has actually taken place, provided he has a genuine desire to yield his will to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I do not want to suggest that the steps which I am about to propose are the only way in which one can be filled with the Holy Spirit. These spiritual steps are offered, first, because they are scriptural, and second, because I know from experience that they work.

Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What are your motives9 Are you only looking for some ecstatic experience, or do you sincerely desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with great power and effectiveness Do you want, with all of your heart, to help others find Christ?

Here are the spiritual steps that I urge you to prayerfully consider:

1. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit

"And do not get drunk with wine, for this is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). This is an instruction from God. Do you think that He would ask you to do something beyond what you are able to experience?

2. We shall receive power for witnessing when we are filled.

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). If you have no desire to be Christ's witness, or if you have no power in your witness, you may be sure that you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came in order for the disciples and for you and for me - to receive power. Why do we need power? To be Christ's witnesses right where we are and in the remotest part of the earth. Can you sincerely say that this is your motive for wanting to be filled with the Spirit?

3. If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said. From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water."' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not vet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (I John 37:39). "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6).

When a Christian is ready to respond to the gracious invitation of our blessed Saviour, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink," he is ready to relinquish his will for the will of God. Therefore, this third step involves a complete surrender of your will, without reservation, to the will of God. You have come to the place where you joyfully anticipate knowing and doing His will because you know God is loving and trustworthy and that His will is best.

Up until this moment the Holy Spirit has been just a "guest" in your life, for He came to live in you the moment you became a Christian. Sometimes He was locked up in a small corner while you used the rest of the house for your own pleasure.

Now you want Him to be more than a guest - as a matter of fact, you want to turnover the title deed of your life to Him and give Him the keys to every room. You invite the Holy Spirit into the library of your mind, the dining room of your appetites, the parlour of your relationships, the game room of your social life. You invite Him into the small hidden rooms where you have previously engaged in secret, shameful activities. All of this is past. Now, He is the Master! The challenge of Romans 12:1,2 has become clear and meaningful to you and you want to present your body a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." And you no longer want to be conformed to this world, but you want to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, "that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Now you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within you. You are not your own any more for you were bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus; therefore, you now want to glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (I Corinthians 6:19,20).

Now, with all of your heart, you want to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

Now you want to seek "the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1,3).

Now you can say with unspeakable joy as Paul did, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20). You have exchanged your life for the life of Christ.

If you can say these things and mean them with all of your heart, you are ready for the fourth step. However, before we take up the discussion on this next step, I feel constrained to call your attention to the words of our Saviour found in John 15:18,20. "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 'A slave is not greater than his Master ' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you."

The Spirit-filled life is not an easy one, though it is a life filled with adventure and thrills, the likes of which one cannot possibly experience in any other way. Whether or not people were Christians, they have had problems in this life. Christians or not. they have one day died. If I am going to be a Christian, I want all that God has for me and I want to be all that He wants me to be. If I am to suffer at all, and one day die, why not suffer and die for the highest and best, for the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel!

Before we leave this thought, let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard of one of God's people who has suffered for the cause of Christ express any regrets? I never have! I have heard only praise, adoration and thanksgiving to God for the privilege of serving Christ, no matter how difficult the task. On the other hand, I have heard many who have received Christ late in life tell how sorry they are that they waited so long. Do not develop a martyr's complex, but do not expect a "bed of roses" either.

Now for the next step in receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

4. We appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit by) faith.

Remember that, if you are a believer, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are already living within you. Great spiritual power and resources are available to you. Like a miser starving to death with a fortune in boxes and jars about his cluttered room, many Christians are starving spiritually, living in defeat, failing to utilize the spiritual fortune that is their heritage in Christ.

In Ephesians 5:18, Paul admonishes, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."

Further, in I John 5:14,15 we are assured, "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from Him." We know that it is God's will that we are filled with His Spirit. Therefore, as we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, we can know according to the Word of God that our prayer is answered.

Like our salvation, the filling of the Holy Spirit is a gift of God - we do not and cannot earn either. Both are received by the complete yielding of our wills, in faith.

Here is a review of the steps that we have discussed in preparation for the filling of the Holy Spirit:

1. We are instructed to be filled.

2. We are promised power for service when we are filled.

3. We are to yield our wills to God's will and seek first the kingdom of God.

4. We arc to appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit by faith.

0. 5. We must expect to be filled.

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Do you believe God wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Do you believe God has the power to fill you with the Holy Spirit?

In Matthew 9:28,29, Jesus talked to the blind men and asked of them, "Do you believe that I able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "Be it done to you according to your faith."

Now it's your turn. Find a quiet place where you can be alone and read again the portions of Scripture I have mentioned. You do not have to wait for the Holy Spirit. He is waiting for you to allow Him to fill you. Remember, "Be it done to you according to your faith." "He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

Have you honestly yielded your life to Christ, your will to His will?

Do you believe that you are filled with the Holy Spirit at this moment? If so, thank Him that you are filled. Thank Him for His indwelling presence and power. Thank Him by faith for victory over defeat, for effectiveness in witnessing. Praise God and give thanks continually (Ephesians 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

D. How can I know when I am filled with the Holy Spirit?

There are two very good ways of knowing when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

First, by the promises of the Word of God. And second, by personal experience.

If you have faithfully yielded to the will of God and sincerely surrendered your way to Him in accordance with the steps outlined in this presentation, if you have asked Him to fill you - He has done it! "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (I John 5:14,15). Is it His will that you be filled, according to Ephesians 5:18? Then, can you believe that He has heard you? Now, can you know that you have the requests that you asked of Him?

God's Word promises us that we can know. Therefore, on the basis of His Word you can know that you are filled, if you have met the conditions which are given in His Word.

What about feelings? You may or may not have an emotional response at the time you kneel in prayer and ask for the filling of the Spirit. In counseling with many students, as well as adults, I have found that many experience calm assurance that they are filled, and with this assurance comes a spirit of expectancy that God is going to use them in a way they have never been used before to introduce others to Christ. Great faith in God and His Word is born in the hearts of those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit. Results? Greater faith, power, boldness and effectiveness in witnessing.

First, there is the fact of God's promise in His Word. Then there is the exercise of faith in the trustworthiness of God and His promises. Faith in the fact is followed by feeling. Remember: fact, faith and feelings - in that order.

E. What results can I expect from being filled with the Holy Spirit?

Now comes the real test that will determine if you are truly filled with the Holy Spirit. Do you have a new and greater love for Christ" Are you concerned for those who do not know His love and forgiveness? Are you experiencing a greater faith, boldness, liberty and power in witnessing? If so, you are filled with the Spirit. The Lord Jesus is beginning to express His life and love through you and in you.

Remember, Jesus promised that we would receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon us. After receiving power we will naturally want to be His witnesses wherever we are (Acts 1:8).

It is definitely true that you will have a greater love for Christ, for your fellow man and for the Word of God when you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Also, the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22,23, will become more evident in your life.

However, we must remember that there is a difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is given for power and boldness in witnessing for Christ. Many Christian leaders agree with Dr. R. A. Torrey, who said, "I have gone through my Bible time and time again checking this subject and I make this statement without the slightest fear of successful contradiction that there is not one single passage in the Old Testament or the New Testament where the filling with the Holy Spirit is spoken of, where it is not connected with testimony or service."

We hasten to add that, as a believer abides in Christ, living in the fullness of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, listed in Galatians 5:22,23 - is developed and the believer becomes more mature spiritually. The maturing of the fruit of the Spirit is a lifetime process which goes on continually as the image of Christ is being formed in the life of the Christian. Some give greater evidence of the fruit of the Spirit than others because of a greater degree of yieldedness to His working. The more we acknowledge ourselves to be dead to sin and give allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and His life within us, and the more we allow Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live out His life through us, the more evident will be the fruit of the Spirit.

The development and maturing of the fruit of the Spirit is a long process, but the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given at the time a person accepts Christ. Though all who are filled with the Spirit receive power for witnessing, not every one receives the same gift. Paul wrote that some were called to be apostles, some prophets, others evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:1 1). Therefore, we must let the Lord direct us into His place of service for us.

Do not try to imitate the ministry of someone else. Be patient. Do not try to decide what you should do with your life or where you should serve Christ. He will express His life in and through you as you continue to study His Word and remain obedient and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Through God's Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will discover what God's will is.

F. Is there more than one filling of the Holy Spirit

Yes, there are many fillings of the Holy Spirit for the yielded Christian. We should be filled for each new opportunity for Christian service. The admonition to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18 literally means, in the original Greek, to be filled with the Spirit constantly and continually - to keep on being filled. The Scriptures record several instances where Peter and the disciples were filled with the Spirit.

G. How can I continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

The Christian is utterly and wholly dependent upon the Holy Spirit for all spiritual victory and power. Therefore, the more yielded he is, the more liberty the Holy Spirit will have in working through his life in bringing others to Christ and bringing him to spiritual maturity in Christ.

Here are some practical suggestions that will assist you to live in the fullness of the Spirit:

1. Meditate on these glorious truths: the Lord Jesus Christ literally dwells within you. You are dead to self and sin and to all personal and selfish desires. You are alive to God through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1 1). Remember, you have exchanged your life with all of its sin, frustrations and defeats, for the victorious and triumphant life of Christ, in whom "all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete" (Colossians 2:9,10). Just think, the one who dwells in your heart is the one who claims all power in heaven and on earth! This is why the apostle Paul said, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). You have buried "Old Adam," screwed the lid down on the coffin and covered him over with six feet of sod. Jesus Christ is not helping you to live the Christian life with your old sin nature. Rather, He is now using your body as His temple, your mind to think His thoughts, your heart to express His love and compassion, your lips to speak His truths.

His will has become your will. At first you may find it necessary to acknowledge and confirm many, many times during the day that this transaction has taken place. You may find it necessary to change your whole way of thinking and praying. Don't think, "What can I do for Christ?" or pray, "God, use me to do this or that for You." Pray rather, "Lord Jesus, I am Yours totally and completely without reservation. Use me as You wish. Send me where ever You will, for I am dead and my life is hidden with Christ in God." Seek to abide in Christ (I John 2:6). What is involved in abiding in Christ? Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love" (John 15:10a).

To abide is to keep His commandments. To keep His commandments is to obey. The abiding life is an effortless life. How slowly we arrive at this simple fact, that true New Testament living is effortless.

A branch does not try to produce fruit, any more than the electric light bulb tries to shine. Neither has any need to try; they simply draw upon an inexhaustible supply of life and energy. In doing so they scarcely touch the fringe of their resources. The Christian has infinitely greater resources. The one who created vegetable life and electric energy is the one who lives in us. Why do we need to try? Only because we are not abiding. The truest test of Christian living is, am I trying, or am I abiding? If I find myself still trying, I am not as yet an unchoked channel through which His life may flow.

Meditate on the following portions of Scripture: John 14-16; Matthew 6; Colossians 3; Ephesians 5; Romans 6, 8, 12 and 14; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 1; Hebrews 11; Galatians 5 and Psalm 37:1-7, 23, 24.

I suggest that you secure a notebook and make an outline of each of these chapters, listing especially those suggestions that you feel will aid you in abiding in Christ. Continue to use your notebook for outlining other portions of Scripture and for recording key verses you would like to memorize. There are many other portions of Scripture that will help you to abide in Christ.

2. Make a practice to spend definite time each day in prayer for God's guidance of your life and for the souls of men and women. Make a list of people whom you would love to come to know Christ. Pray for them daily (Ephesians 6:18 and I Samuel 12:23).
3. Spend time daily reading and studying the Word of God. Make a practice of memorizing key portions of Scripture (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; Psalm 119:4, 9, 15, 16, 97, 98, 103, 105, 130).
4. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Confess and turn from sinful practices. I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The moment you do something that you know is wrong, you will grieve the Holy Spirit if you do not confess it. What do we mean by grieving the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is holy, and He is grived and displeased when a Christian commits sin and continues its practice. Therefore, if you want to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to have power in witnessing for Christ, live a yielded, holy life.
5. Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit for He is omniscient. He has infinite wisdom and knowledge and will lead us into all truth (John 16:13). Never say "no" to Him. As you grow accustomed to the Spirit-filled, Christ-directed life, you will have many wonderful experiences such as Philip had (Acts 8:26-39) when the Holy Spirit led him to speak to the Ethiopian; and as Paul had (Acts 16:9) when he was called to Macedonia to preach the gospel.

The most thrilling experiences of my entire life have been those when the stilt, small voice of the Spirit spoke to my heart, telling me to speak to people about Christ, and, as I have talked with them in obedience to the Spirit's leading, I have always discovered that the Holy Spirit had prepared their hearts for my witness. Many times I have been told, "Bill, the Lord sent you to me." Or "Everything you have said has been for me. Someone must have told you of my problem." The Spirit knows all things, and if you and I are filled with His presence and power, we will always have the right thing to say to those who are in need.

There have been many such thrilling leading of the Spirit, but I shall share only one. One day my wife, Vonette, and I were driving to the Forest Home Christian Conference Center. It was an extremely hot day late in August, and our car developed a vapor lock and refused to run as we started up the mountain. We waited for the motor to cool and finally, after a considerable delay, we got the car started.

We drove into the yard of a nearby rural home to ask for water to fill the radiator. The man of the house was very generous and gracious. He helped me fill the radiator with water, but even though we were there five or ten minutes, I did not speak to him about Christ. My meeting up the mountain that we wanted badly to attend. As mind was on an important I leaned over to pick up the radiator cap, which had blown off, my New Testament fell out of my shirt pocket. Still I did not hear that still, small voice of the Spirit. We had thanked the man for his kindness and were driving out of his yard when suddenly I felt a strong compulsion to return to talk with this man about Christ. "But," I argued as we discussed it, "we are late for the meeting now. Anyway, he would think we were crackpots if we were to go back. Besides, if I were going to witness to him about Christ, I should have done it when he was helping me fill the radiator with water."

Human arguments are futile against the insistent voice of the Spirit, and after we had driven a couple of miles, we turned around and headed back. As we drove into the yard, the man came out on the porch to greet us. "Did you forget something?" he asked. "Yes, we did forget something, sir. I know this may sound a little strange, but we are Christians and we felt that the Lord wanted us to come back to talk to you about Christ." There was no need to say more for, as I spoke, tears began to gather and trickle down his cheeks. His chin began to tremble as he told us that he knew the Lord had sent us. He asked us to come . inside, and as we went in, he called his wife.

He said, "I used to go to church years ago, but I fell into sin and I haven't been back in many years. This week my wife has been attending a revival meeting here in town and more and more, with each passing day, I have been burdened with the weight of my sins. I want to get right with God." We all knelt there in his living room and both he and his wife committed their lives and their home to Christ. We went on our way, praising God for the leading of His Holy Spirit and for another opportunity to witness for our blessed Saviour.

As you ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, you are about to begin the greatest adventure of your life. Remember that you are asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit rather than filled with self. As He takes control of your life, you will become more like Christ. The Holy Spirit is not the author of confusion and emotional extremes. He has come to exalt and glorify Jesus; therefore, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, it will be your constant desire to do the will of God and that which will please and honor the Lord Jesus.

Why did Jesus come into this world? "To seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19: 10).

What will please Him most? We shall please Him most as we help fulfill His Great Commission, by going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature and letting Him live His life through us.

How is this to be accomplished? By the power of the Holy Spirit.

Think of it - you and I are privileged to be used by our Saviour in helping to reach a lost world with the glorious "good news"!

We dare not sin against the Lord and against those who are waiting to hear by hesitating another moment.

Reprinted from Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity, @ Copyright 1969 Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc.

For a further discussion on the role and ministry of the Holy Spirit, see Appendix 5, Spirit-filled Life booklet.