When you accepted Christ as your Savior and became a Christian, Christ himself came to live inside of you in the form of the Holy Spirit. I am not aware of the specifics of either the how or the where, but I am aware that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit brings with it the confidence that we will be saved.
“Because you have believed, you have been marked in him with a seal; the Holy Spirit, who was promised to you; he is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
We are now in God’s possession, and the Holy Spirit is, in a sense, the deposit that God is making on the property that He is purchasing, which is you. Receiving Christ is a one-time decision, much to the concept that is communicated via the marriage ceremony.
Once was more than enough; we don’t feel the need to reaffirm our commitment every morning when we get up. As a result of our baptism into Christ, we were adopted as God’s children. “He offered the right to become children of God to everyone who received him, to those who trusted in the name that he had,” the Bible says. (John 1:12)
In theory, I could tell my parents that I no longer wanted to be a part of their family, but in practice, I will always be their son. There is no way for me to change that fact. Because of the circumstances surrounding my birth, this is a well-established truth. I have the ability to end our friendship, but I cannot end our connection. And just as there was not a single thing that we did to earn our salvation, there is also nothing that we can ever do to lose it – we are Christ’s for all of eternity.
But the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is much more than just a guarantee that we will be saved. God gives us the ability and the power to live the Christian life through his Spirit, who dwells inside of us.
THE SPIRIT APPEARS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GLORYING CHRIST
It is possible for us to lose sight of Jesus while we enjoy the blessings that the Spirit bestows upon us; nevertheless, this is something that must never happen. It is essential for us to keep in mind that the work that the Spirit does in us is for the glory of Christ.
“When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth,” the Bible says. He will not utter a word on his own will; rather, he will relay to you everything that he overhears, including what is still to come. It is written in the Gospel of John 16:13-14, “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”
The life that is centered on Christ and controlled by Christ is the life that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
TRAVERSING THE WORLD IN THE SPIRIT
Walking, on the other hand, is more of a process than an event. Unmistakably, there are occurrences, periods of time, in which God bestows upon us a particular kind of strength. However, the typical Christian life is primarily characterized by a journey or a process. And the influence of the Spirit in our lives is often not an overwhelming presence that dominates everything else, but rather a more understated influence. If we have an overwhelming experience, then we have won! The perfect finishing touch! The morning of Christmas! It is a blessing that is helpful, but it is not necessary.
The typical Christian life is not marked by a single defining moment, but rather by a persistent effort to live in such a way that the influence of the Holy Spirit is expanded while obstacles to that influence are reduced on a day-to-day basis. How exactly does the Holy Spirit exercise power and influence over our life, and what exactly is our part in the process of its unfolding? This passage in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is the one in the Bible that may be of the greatest assistance to you in finding the answers to these questions “Because these are perilous times, you should exercise extreme caution in how you go about your daily life, acting not as fools but as wise people who make the most of every opportunity. Therefore, do not act foolishly, but rather try to comprehend what the will of the Lord is. Do not allow yourself to become inebriated, as this will lead to immoral behavior. Instead, let the Spirit fill you up completely. Psalms, hymns, and other spiritual melodies should be used when speaking to one another. Sing praises to the Lord and make music to him in your heart, always remembering to give thanks to God the Father for everything, and do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Ephesians 5:15-20
One is obliged to question, “What does becoming drunk on wine have to do with being filled with the Spirit?” because the two concepts seem to have nothing in common. To be sure, these two things are polar opposites of one another; but, in order for them to be paired together, they must have some fundamental things in common. The concept of influence serves as the connection between them as well as the similarities they have in common. Both of these things are external elements that, once internalized, have an effect on our behavior.
In point of fact, this is not the only time that Scripture puts them in close proximity to one another. It was speculated that the believers who had been filled with the Holy Spirit “had too much wine” (Acts 2:13) when the Holy Spirit arrived because of the similarities in their spheres of impact.
Obviously, there are a great deal of significant distinctions between alcoholic beverages and the Holy Spirit. The effect of alcohol leads to increased levels of enslavement, whereas the Spirit grants significant levels of freedom. Alcohol blots out our individuality, whereas prayer and meditation bring it back to life. And Satan exerts his influence over us through the use of alcohol, just as God does so through the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, alcohol is a good example of an outside factor (although a negative one) that might have an impact on our free will and the way we behave.
As the consumption of alcohol demonstrates, the issue of control is always one of degrees. There are things that we can do that make us less sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit, as well as things that we can do that make us less sensitive to the influence of the Holy Spirit. This is the crux of what it means to move in step with the Spirit, or to be filled with the Spirit.
(The word “filled” refers to anything being stuffed to capacity, not something being filled up like a cup. When we consider the sail as a metaphor, we appropriately consider how we can modify ourselves to better catch the breeze that the Holy Spirit already provides. We erroneously believe that increasing the amount of the Spirit within a container (such as by adding more liquid to it) occurs when we think about filling a cup.
So, what are the characteristics of a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit? What are the conditions that allow the Holy Spirit to have the greatest amount of influence in our lives? The following is not an exhaustive list, but it does highlight the key channels via which the Holy Spirit exerts his effect on our mental processes, as well as our hearts, wills, and emotions.
- LORDSHIP
How can one get drunker than they already are? One consumes more booze. In the case of the Holy Spirit, we already possess the entirety of what it is possible for us to possess of Him. Therefore, the most important factor that determines the extent of the Spirit’s power is the degree to which we allow Him to consume a portion of ourselves; that is, the degree to which we give Him authority over a portion of our lives. The question that we need to ask ourselves is this one: Do we aspire to live for Christ in every aspect of our lives (dating, vocation, relationships, and so on, for example)? This kind of decision is commonly referred to as a “lordship” decision.
When we let go of these responsibilities, it is not uncommon for us to experience a unique empowerment or an increased influence from the Lord. This is like to a drain becoming unclogged. This occurs regularly during the revival process. When we continue to stay submitted to the Lord’s direction, the influence of the Holy Spirit gradually becomes the norm in our lives, despite the fact that the new degree of influence has the potential to produce a profoundly life-changing event. To continue with Paul’s alcohol analogy, a regular drinker or smoker will eventually reach a point where the amount of alcohol and nicotine in their bloodstream has normalized, but they will no longer feel elated.
The confession that one will follow Christ no matter where He leads or to what end constitutes “lordship.” This promise, like any other commitment, kicks off a process that will continue indefinitely. As time goes on, we will learn more about the deeper roots of our sin and find places that are outside of His control. By humbling ourselves before Christ in these matters, we not only continue to live under His rule but also demonstrate our dedication to doing so. - THE ADMITTANCE
There will be occasions during the day, the week, and the year when we will deliberately choose to sin. Sin is the loss of control over one’s life. We take charge of the course of our lives and direct them in the direction of the needs and desires that come from our sinful nature. Confession washes away and removes the barrier of sin, and it returns the control of our life to the subtle but determining influence of the Holy Spirit. - RELIANCE (UNCEASING PRAYER)
Neediness, frailty, and a lack of resources are things that we encounter throughout each day in the shape of worry, loneliness, uncertainty, challenges, unholy cravings, and unpleasant sensations, among other things. We all have a natural tendency to satisfy these wants by becoming dependent on something else in order to do so.
Watch cigarette smokers. They become animated each time they become aware of a void in their life. They light up whenever they get the feeling of being alone. They light up if they have an anxious or tense feeling. They light up whenever they feel the need for confidence. Even if we don’t smoke, we may still engage in similar behaviors when it comes to things like food, desire, shopping, music, coffee, or any other of a wide variety of other things.
Humble reliance can be defined as making a conscious decision throughout the day to look on the Lord for all of your needs, including guidance, patience, empowerment, companionship, security, and confidence. In the same way that a smoker is helped by the influence of nicotine, a believer can feel the influence of the Holy Spirit.
We connect with God instead of turning to whatever it is that we typically resort to in these situations, saying things like, “Oh Lord, I’m nervous. Would You be so kind as to fortify me? “Oh Lord, would you kindly bestow your wisdom onto me?” We pray to the Lord continually throughout the day, much in the same way that one may smoke a whole pack of cigarettes. This is the concept of reliance, and it is absolutely necessary for experiencing the influence of the Spirit.
(Please forgive me for using so many parallels involving drinking and smoking; but, the Bible provides the basis for these comparisons, and they are helpful in comprehending the concept of influence.) - RENEWING OUR MINDS
Prayer and meditation on God’s Word are always effective in renewing, guiding, and bolstering the influence of the Holy Spirit. Both of these things are ways that God guides us and refreshes our thinking. - A CLAIM TO PRAISE AND GRATITUDE
This concept will make a lot more sense to you if you’ve ever been to a college party or a bar before. It’s all about creating the right ambiance: the room is dim, the music is throbbing, both the attire and the conversation are sexually provocative, and drink helps reduce inhibitions.
It has been established that the environment is one that is favorable to sin. Even if no one is required to drink, lust after you, or gossip about you, they may do it nonetheless. You only need to let yourself get absorbed in the music and the glow of the lava lamp for a sufficient amount of time before you wish to.
Turning our attention once more to the paragraph that is filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:19-20), take note of what it says: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual melodies. Sing and create melody to the Lord in your heart, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, and do all of this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul painted a picture in his words of an atmosphere that was amenable to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts become like that party when we worship, offer thanks, praise God, and sing his praises; the only difference is that this celebration is in a very pleasant way. It is possible to cultivate a setting in which the Lord can freely rule, so providing a pathway for Him to influence our ideas, deeds, and feelings. - SOCIAL NETWORKS
Last but not least, when we are in community with other Christians, we experience a dynamic of the Spirit-filled life that we can never experience when we are by ourselves. This is because we meet the indwelling Spirit through the lives of others, and through them, we are energized, empowered, and directed. This is something that we can never experience when we are by ourselves.
SUMMARY
Walking in step with the Spirit, often known as walking in the Spirit, can be defined as everyday participation in the aforementioned actions. The degree to which we take part in something determines the extent to which the Holy Spirit has an impact on our lives. Our involvement in the spiritual life will determine whether the effect of the Holy Spirit is more like a steady IV drip or a flowing river in our lives.
