Jun 9, 2008

What does it Mean to be Filled with the Spirit? - Part 1

So here is a common phrase used in the scriptures and in contemporary church culture: be filled with the Spirit. I hear people say this all the time, but what exactly do we mean when we use this phrase? I have found that people of differing backgrounds use "filled with the Spirit", differntly.

Some will not use it at all for of being categorized with a group they do not admire. Others use it all the time. So what exactly does this phrase mean? How is it used in the scriptures? What is God's intent in allowing and chosing to fill people with His Spirit?

We will explore this topic during the next few months, but for starters, post a response and let me know what you think the phrase means...

Christ is all.

3 comments:

heidi said...

good question...

Chris said...

I believe being filled, is a momentary condition. Because, for me, it means there is no more me and all of the Spirit to accomplish what He desires to be done at that instant. When something is full of something else, what was there is gone and replaced, total surrender, mind body and soul. That's how I see it.

Larry Winters, Jr. said...

Sorry for the late entry! I agree with Chris that being filled is momentary. The Scriptures show us that light and darkness can't dwell simultaneously in the same place. If you turn a light switch on, the darkness completely leaves a room. I've never seen MOST of a room light up. In the same sense, for a person to say that they are constantly filled with the Spirit, they are essentially saying that there is no darkness in them....ever. (1 Jn. 1:8; Rom. 3:23) So does being filled with the Spirit mean that the person is incapable of sin?