Here are two answersThe Word of God commands us to be filled with the Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
This command, “be filled with the Spirit” comes to us from the Koine Greek verb (PLEROO). This verb isn’t a suggestion but a command in the “imperative mood”; not doing so would instantly produce a sin.
It’s in the “present tense”, which connotes a continuous action or keep on doing this; i.e. being filled with the Spirit and it literally means to fill up a deficiency. Pleroo, or being filled is in the “passive voice”, thus the believer receives the action of the verb of being filled. The word with as in, with the Spirit, it's actually the Greek word EN and means by the Spirit.
The word (EN) is a preposition in the “dative case” which signifies advantage or in other words, it’s to the believers advantage to be filled with the Spirit continuously.
Every born again believer in Christ has the Spirit the very moment after they believe the Gospel message and totally put their undivided trust in the Person and finished work of God’s Son Jesus Christ.
Notice the action and timing of the action in the following verses.
Ephesians 1:11-13 (NKJV) Speaking of Jesus:
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
God’s sealing or stamp of approval is non other then God The Holy Spirit Himself sent to dwell within the body or temple of every true believer in Christ to guide and instruct and comfort along with many other functions.
God has further promised that this is a permanent situation but without mentioning the quantitative aspect, i.e. the “total” filling is not guaranteed
and this is not due to any fault of God, needless to say, but to the individual believer.
The indwelling Spirit of God can be grieved and quenched but Scripture commands us not to do this.
The BIG QUESTIONS are:
How do we grieve and quench the Spirit and since we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, how is this accomplished. I have found that most believers are very uninformed with regards to this function but please don’t be shy in posting your response!
We are filled with the Spirit at the point of salvation but when believers commit that first act of sin after salvation the total filling and control of the Spirit is quenched and the believer is instructed to fill this deficiency.
The only thing that grieves or quenches the Spirit is when the believer sins; the only way to recover from that condition is the exercise of
1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
No believer is ever totally free of their Old Sin Nature until they are removed from their present physical body by death or the rapture.
All believers at any one point in time are either carnal or spiritual, it is an absolute, which means it is either 100 percent one way or the other, and there is no 25percent carnal and 75 percent spiritual or 50/50 as it were. What this means is that ones old sin nature is in control 100 percent of the time or the Holy Spirit is 100 percent in control. Anything that the believer does in the way of works for rewards, will be awarded at the Judgment seat of Christ shortly after the resurrection of the believers body when Christ returns for His bride the church.
The efforts of working for Christ in any form must come from the influence or guiding of the Holy Spirit not from the dictates of ones old sin nature commonly referred to as the flesh. The Koine Greek word (SARX) is used interchangeably for the flesh, the old sin nature and the word carnal. The all represent the believer being dictated to by their old sin nature and is the energy of the flesh in action.
If there is any unconfessed sin in the believers life the efforts performed are from the old sin nature and they will be burned up like wood, hay and straw. The works performed while in fellowship or under the control of the Holy Spirit will be counted at the judgment seat of Christ as gold, silver and precious stones and these don’t burn.
1 Corinthians 3:8-15 (NKJV) Paul is speaking here:
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
This is not a judgment for sins, that was all accomplished at the cross on the person of Jesus Christ, God’s appointed one, He took our sins on Himself and the Father judged them in His Son; salvation is a done deal and Jesus paid the full price!
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
The word dissipation is translated from the Koine Greek word (ASOTIA) and it infers that the one filled with wine is under its control and acting like the unsaved.
ASOTIA is a compound word the first part (A) is what’s known as the alpha privative or a negative in the Greek, it is coupled with (SOZO) which is where we get the word saved, i.e. those under the influence of to much wine are dictated to by the wine and acting as an unsaved person. The word (but) in, (but be filled) is the Koine (ALLA) and is a contrastive conjunction which say, don’t be controlled buy the wine (but) be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit!
How would you answer the question.Coming from the Pentecostal perspective, I believe we are filled with the Holy Spirit at salvation but we have not yet learned to yield our will to the Holy Spirit that now dwells within us.
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we quench His leading.
It is a very hard thing for a physical being to yield himself to a spiritual being that moves in a higher realm of knowledge and truth.
But as we learn to allow our will to be shaped and formed by that Holy Spirit our life more conforms to the Christ likeness we are to exemplify.
We experience this leading beginning at salvation because scripture tells us we can not come to God unless we are lead of the Spirit. However because this sensitivity to spiritual things isn’t yet fully developed we tend to move on instead of allowing our spirit man to learn to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in all things.
This lack of sensitivity does not effect our salvation but it does cause us to miss the leading of the Holy Spirit from time to time, which in turn usually results in us not accomplishing all that God has willed for us. We miss opportunities to witness Jesus to others, we miss the opportunity to pray for someone that really needs to know God loves them at that moment. We miss the opportunity to serve God in the fullness that He provided for us to serve in.
And that grieves the Holy Spirit who was sent to guide and assist us in these tasks.
