THE FILLING OF

THE HOLY SPIRIT

By Norman Manzon

The Filling of the Holy Spirit was written as a study in

support of a statement within the We Believe statement of
the Association of Messianic Congregations, and was first
published in its email magazine, the Shofar. Cultural
sensitivity to Jewish readers has been retained in the use
of names and terms.
THE AMC STATEMENT ON THE
FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the filling of the Holy Spirit is
the ongoing process of God to which we
yield whereby He sanctifies us (sets apart)
and brings forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:22-23)
I. CONFUSION IN TERMS
A. INTRODUCTION
There are many ministries of the Holy Spirit toward the
believer. Each is distinct from the others and has its own
specific name and function in conformity with scriptural
use. These differences and distinctions must, of course,
be maintained and honored in our thinking and in our
speech.
There are two categories of ministries of the Spirit toward
believers in the Church Age: those ministered to the
believer at the moment of salvation, and those available to
him during the entirety of his Christian walk. Two
ministries of the Spirit that are often confused are Spirit
baptism (baptism by the Holy Spirit) and Spirit-filling, both
of which are often thought of as identical: as that ministry
by which the Spirit especially empowers some, whether it
be at the moment of their salvation or subsequent to it.
We'll distinguish between the two, first by defining Spirit
baptism, and then by focusing on the subject of our study,
Spirit-filling.
B. SPIRIT BAPTISM AND SPIRIT-FILLING
Spirit baptism is that ministry of the Spirit which places the
believer into Messiah and His body at the moment of
salvation: 1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of
one Spirit. By that declaration, Paul indicated that
everyone in the Corinthian congregation from babes in the
faith to the most mature were baptized by the Spirit into
Messiah's body. Of necessity, then, every believer is thus
baptized by the Spirit at the moment of salvation, which is
why there is no exhortation in Scripture to seek Spirit
baptism. Galatians 3:27-28 shows that this baptism is not
only into Messiah's body of believers, but into Messiah
Himself, and that it makes us one in Him. 27: For all of you
who were baptized into Messiah have clothed yourselves
with Messiah. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor
female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. It is also a
permanent baptism: We are sealed into His body for the
day of redemption, which is the resurrection or translation
of the body at the rapture (Ephesians 4:30). It is the one
baptism of Ephesians 4:5, of which water baptism is a
picture in Romans 6:3-4 and Colossians 2:12.
Furthermore, inasmuch as this baptism determines our
permanent position in relation to Messiah and His body, it
cannot increase or decrease. In addition, it is strictly a
Church Age phenomenon as Messiah's body began to
form on the Day of Pentecost.
In contrast, Spirit-filling has to do with empowerment and
growth, is available to the believer throughout his walk,
and may be gained, lost, regained and increased.
Therefore, Spirit-filling is encouraged in Scripture. In
addition, Spirit-filling occurred prior to, as well as during,
the Church Age.
II. INDWELLING: THE FOUNDATION
 FOR
 SPIRIT-FILLING
One other ministry of the Spirit needs to be addressed,
that of indwelling. Like Spirit baptism, indwelling is a
ministry of the Spirit toward the believer at the moment of
salvation (as are also regeneration, sealing and
anointing).
Jesus told His disciples,
16. I will ask the Father, and He will give
you another Helper, that He may be with
you forever; 17. that is the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because
it does not see Him or know Him, but you
know Him because He abides with you
and will be in you.
~ John 14:16-17 ~
The Spirit was with them, but not yet in them. According to
John 7:38-39, the indwelling of the Spirit was to begin
after the Son was glorified, that is, ascended into Heaven:
38. "He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture said, 'From his innermost being
will flow rivers of living water.'" 39. But
this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those
who believed in Him were to receive; for
the Spirit was not yet given, because
Jesus was not yet glorified.
The indwelling began at Pentecost, ten days after His
ascension, and has been a ministry of the Spirit toward all
believers from that day.
The indwelling Spirit may be compared to the fountains of
the great deep in the days of Noah which, when broken up
by God, in combination with the floodgates of the sky
flooded the earth (Genesis 7:11); and the Spirit-filled
believer may be compared to the flooded earth. All
believers have the "fountains of the great deep" within
them and are urged to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians
5:18) unto full flooding.
III. WHAT DOES IT MEAN
 TO BE FILLED WITH
 THE SPIRIT?
In preparation for answering that question, we'll make brief
comments on the Hebrew and the Greek, look at all
passages having to do with being filled by the Spirit, and
then make some observations.
A. THE HEBREW WORD AND PASSAGES
The Hebrew word used specifically in reference to Spirit-
filling is ‫ ַמלֵּ א‬, maw-lay, a verb. Strong renders it as "to fill"
or "to be full of." It appears in:
1. Now the LORD spoke to Moses,
saying, 2. "See, I have called by name
Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of
the tribe of Judah. 3. "I have filled him
with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in
understanding, in knowledge, and in all
kinds of craftsmanship, 4. to make artistic
designs for work in gold, in silver, and in
bronze, 5. and in the cutting of stones for
settings, and in the carving of wood, that
he may work in all kinds of
craftsmanship.
~ Exodus 31:1-5 ~
Then Moses said to the sons of Israel,
"See, the LORD has called by name
Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of
the tribe of Judah. 31. "And He has filled
him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in
understanding and in knowledge and in
all craftsmanship;
~ Exodus 35:30-31 ~
B. THE GREEK WORDS AND PASSAGES
"Three different Greek words are used, and all translated
by the English word 'to fill' or 'to be filled.'"1 They appear
in:
 
 Luke 1:15: For he [John the Baptizer] will be great in
the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor,
and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his
mother's womb. 
 
 Luke 1:41, in which Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit to pronounce a great blessing
upon Mary.
 
 Luke 1:67: And his [John's] father
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit to prophesy of the
ministry of Yeshua, pronounce a blessing upon Him and
worship God.
Luke 4:1: Yeshua, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the
Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
for the purpose of overcoming Satan's temptations.

 
 Acts 2:4: On the Day of Pentecost, 4. they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
 
 Acts
4:8: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke boldly of
Yeshua and the culpability in Yeshua's crucifixion of his
listeners, who had recently arrested him and were now
challenging him. 
 
 Acts 4:31: And when they [Peter and
his companions] had prayed, the place where they had
gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God
with boldness.
Acts 6:3: Therefore, brethren, select from among you
seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of
wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task [of fairly
administering the daily serving of food].
 
 Acts 6:5, in
which Stephen, one of the seven men chosen in verse 3,
is described as being full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:55: But being full of the Holy Spirit, he [Stephen]
gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Yeshua standing at the right hand of God;
 
 Acts 9:17:
So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after
laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord
Yeshua, who appeared to you on the road by which you
were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your
sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
22. The news about them reached the
ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they
sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23. Then
when he arrived and witnessed the grace
of God, he rejoiced and began to
encourage them all with resolute heart to
remain true to the Lord; 24. for he was a
good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and
of faith. And considerable numbers were
brought to the Lord. 25. And he left for
Tarsus to look for Saul; 26. and when he
had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. And for an entire year they met
with the church and taught considerable
numbers. . . . 29. And in the proportion
that any of the disciples had means, each
of them determined to send a
contribution for the relief of the brethren
living in Judea. 30. And this they did,
sending it in charge of Barnabas and
Saul to the elders.
~ Acts 11:22-30 ~
Acts 13:9-11: 10. But Saul, who was also known as Paul,
filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him [Elymas],
10. and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud. . . .
11. you will be blind and not see the sun for a time."
Acts 13:52: And the disciples were continually filled with
joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18: And do not get drunk with wine, for that is
dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. . . .
C. OBSERVATIONS
1. The most striking observation is that being filled with the
Spirit is to be empowered, equipped and guided by God
for service unto him. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are His
workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works,
which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in
them. It is the filling of the Spirit that equips us for the
accomplishment of these good works.
Gleaning from the above, individuals are variously shown
to have been equipped by the filling of the Spirit with
wisdom, understanding, knowledge, boldness, and power
- for the following tasks and privileges: artistry,
craftsmanship, pronouncing blessings, prophesying,
overcoming temptations, testifying and evangelizing in
languages unknown to the speakers, testifying and
evangelizing in the face of opposition, reporting on
spiritual matters, administering practical matters, being
entrusted with the delivery of contributions, seeing
heavenly visions, encouraging the brethren, calling others
into ministry, the working of miracles, being filled with joy,
and worshiping God.
2. Not all believers are filled with the Spirit. This is seen in
Ephesians 5:18, where Paul exhorted the Ephesians to be
filled with the Spirit, and also in Acts 6:3, where the
brethren were exhorted to select seven men who were full
of the Spirit.
 
 3. Ephesians 5:18 makes it plain that God
desires for all believers to be filled with the Spirit, and
urges them to do so through Paul. 
 
 4. Being filled with
the Spirit can be an abiding state for New Testament
believers, as is seen clearly in Acts 6:3 and 5, 11:24,
13:52, and Ephesians 5:18. This does not mean that the
state of fullness was never lost due to sin, which is
common to all believers, but that being filled was the
normal state of those mentioned.
 
 5. Filling was a
phenomenon that occurred under the Dispensation of the
Law as well as under the Dispensation of Grace, which
began at Pentecost. Bezalel, Elizabeth, Zacharias and
John the Baptizer were filled under the Dispensation of the
Law.
 
 6. Nowhere were Israelites under the Law
encouraged to be filled with the Spirit. God sovereignly
chose and filled a small handful of them to be filled for
special tasks. 
 
 7. Scripture emphasizes the sovereign
filling of certain individuals for the carrying out of particular
tasks or the meeting of certain challenges in both
Testaments. In the Old Testament, Bezalel was filled with
the Spirit and thereby equipped with artistic design and
craftsmanship for the construction of the tabernacle
(Exodus 31:1-5). In the New, Ryrie notes that the Greek
phrase used in certain passages "highlights the event of
being filled rather than the resultant state of fullness"2.
These "event" passages and others that emphasize the
filling of certain chosen individuals for special purposes
show the following: John was filled to serve as a prophet
and be the forerunner and identifier of Messiah (Luke
1:15-16); Elizabeth was filled to bless Mary (Luke 1:41);
Zacharias, to prophesy of Yeshua's ministry and bless
God (Luke 1:67); the apostles, to preach to the multitude
on the Day of Pentecost and be equipped for their
foundational ministries (Acts 1:26; 2:4); Peter, to speak to
the rulers, elders and scribes who challenged him (Acts
4:8); Peter and his companions, that God would grant that
Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all
confidence. . . and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak the word of God with boldness (4:29-
31); Paul, for his pioneering role as "apostle to the
Gentiles" and providing much of the New Testament (Acts
9:17), and again in Acts 13:9, for his judgment of Elymas.
8. Some were filled for special tasks from the earliest
possible moments. John was filled from his mother's
womb (Luke 1:15-16); the apostles were filled on the Day
Pentecost (Acts 1:26; 2:4); Paul was filled from the
moment of his conversion ( Acts 9:17).
9. Certain individuals are shown to have already been
filled, and then filled again when faithfully meeting new
challenges. Peter was filled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts
2:4), again in his confrontation with the rulers, elders and
scribes (Acts 4:8), and again after the prayer for boldness
(4:31). Paul was filled at his conversion (Acts 9:17), again
for his judgment of Elymas (Acts 13:9), and again after
preaching faithfully in Antioch-Pisidia (13:52).
D. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
In consideration of the above, to be filled with the Spirit
means to be controlled by the Spirit: to be led and
empowered by Him. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul exhorted,
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but
be filled with the Spirit. According to Dr. Enns, "The
meaning of 'filled' (Gk. plerousthe) is 'control.'"3 Just as
alcohol imbibed to the point of drunkenness controls a
person, so does the Spirit when He is allowed to fill the
believer.
In the broader context of Ephesians 5:18 (verses 15-33),
being filled with the Spirit is associated with living
carefully, wisely, making the most of your time, because
the days are evil (verse 16); being strengthened with
power through His Spirit in the inner man (verse 16); with
understanding the Lord's will; with speaking godly things
and singing godly songs to one another and to the Lord;
with thanksgiving to the Lord; with subjection to one
another in the fear of the Lord; with wives being subject to
their husbands as unto the Lord; with husbands loving
their wives as Messiah loved His body of believers; and
with subjection of the body of believers to Messiah. Based
on John 16:12-14 and 1 Corinthians 2:9 - 3:2, it may be
reasoned that Spirit-filling maximizes the degree to which
the Spirit teaches one spiritual truth and enables him to
apply it in life situations. In Romans 15:13, it is associated
with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound
in hope. In Philippians 2:1-4, it is the basis for spiritual
fellowship. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, the Spirit transforms us
into the Lord's image from glory to glory. Many of these
points are made, implied or illustrated in other passages,
as well, such as Acts 1:8, Romans 15:19, 2 Corinthians
3:2-6, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 1:11 and 3:3,
Colossians 1:9 and I Thessalonians 1:5. Also in the
context of the Ephesians passage, the believer who is not
filled with the Spirit is vulnerable to the opposite in every
point, falling into the same libertine and destructive frame
of mind as drunkenness. Some of Strong's and Thayer's
definitions of the Greek word for dissipation are: excess,
riot, an abandoned, dissolute life, profligacy.
 
 To be filled
with the Spirit is to be sanctified unto progressive holiness
of spirit and daily walk and for personal growth in Him in
every way; and to be equipped, guided and empowered
for the Lord's service and honor.
Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he
filled* it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him
a drink (Matthew 27:48). As a sponge may be soaked and
dripping with a liquid, so may the believer be filled with the
Spirit.
* πλήθω, pletho, one of the Greek words used in reference to Spirit-
filling.
IV. HOW MAY A BELIEVER
 BE FILLED WITH
THE HOLY SPIRIT?
A. THE HUMAN SIDE
Inasmuch as filling is associated with power for service
and spiritual growth, and that Paul urged the Ephesians,
be filled with the Spirit (5:18), one must do as Paul urged:
1. Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies a
living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual service of
worship. 2. And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may
prove what the will of God is, that which
is good and acceptable and perfect.
~ Romans 12:1-2 ~
Verse 1 speaks of the dedication of one's body for the
Lord's service, and verse 2, the dedication of one's very
spirit for the purpose of sanctification. It is a dedication of
one's entire person, body and soul.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum illuminates the Greek:
Romans 12:1 encourages believers to
present your bodies a living sacrifice as
an act of an initial dedication. The word
present is in the aorist tense, which
emphasizes that there must be a one-
time presentation of the body. Romans
12:2 teaches that a believer should then
live a continuously separated life,
allowing himself to be continuously
transformed [Greek present tense], and
not conformed to the world.4
The same thought is found in Romans 6:12-13:
12. Therefore do not let sin reign in your
mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13.
and do not go on presenting the
members of your body to sin as
instruments of unrighteousness; but
present yourselves to God as those alive
from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God.
The ultimate example of the dedicated life is presented to
us in 1 Peter 2:21-24:
21. For you have been called for this
purpose, since Messiah also suffered for
you, leaving you an example for you to
follow in His steps, 22. WHO
COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY
DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23.
and while being reviled, He did not revile
in return; while suffering, He uttered no
threats, but kept entrusting Himself to
Him who judges righteously; 24. and He
Himself bore our sins in His body on the
cross, so that we might die to sin and live
to righteousness; for by His wounds you
were healed.
When a believer so dedicates himself to the Lord for
service and sanctification, he is filled by the Spirit that he
may live just that kind of life.
B. THE DIVINE SIDE
The question is, Which Person or Persons of the Triune
God fills the believer with the Spirit? 
 
 The issue: The
Greek phrase en pneumati, which is found in be filled with
the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and other passages, is
variously translated "in, with, by, or through the Spirit,"
depending on context and translation. Dr. Ryrie notes
these other verses in which en pneumati
appears:
 
 Ephesians 2:22: in whom you also are being
built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit;

Ephesians 3:5: it has now been revealed to His holy

apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
 
 Ephesians 6:18:
pray at all times in the Spirit;

Colossians 1:8: he also informed us of your love in the

Spirit.
He then asks, "Does it mean [filled] with the Spirit or by
the Spirit?" and concludes, "The case can mean either or
both." He then proceeds to answer our question: "The
Spirit is the Agent who fills us with Himself."5
V. FILLING CAN BE SUSTAINED,
 LOST,
REGAINED AND EXPANDED
A. A DEEPER LOOK AT EPHESIANS 5:18
The literal meaning of be filled with the Spirit is "keep on
being filled with the Spirit." The tense in the Greek
"emphasizes continuous and repeated action."6 This, in
turn, means that the believer must continually and
repeatedly exercise his will to do those things that the
Lord requires of him both inwardly and outwardly. He must
respond positively as the Lord shows him attitudes,
viewpoints and activities he is to drop, new areas of
sanctification he is walk in, and new ministerial challenges
he is to meet. In so responding, his capacity for filling
expands as new areas of his life open up for the Lord, and
the Spirit fills Him afresh to the level of his increased
capacity. Inversely, if a believer slacks in his dedication or
otherwise gives in to sin, he will become less than full of
the Spirit; but if he repents, fullness will be restored.
B. THREE KEY PASSAGES
Scripture provides three terse exhortations, two negative
and one positive, which, if followed, enable the believer to
continually be filled with the Spirit.
 
 1. The Two
Negative Exhortations
a. Ephesians 4:30: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
This is not to be taken figuratively: The Spirit is a Person,
and can literally be grieved. The Ephesians 4 context
makes it clear that grieving the Spirit is caused by sinning.
Some of the specific sins mentioned are lying, anger,
stealing, sloth, speaking unwholesome words. If one is to
retain his filling, he must not sin.
b. 1 Thessalonians 5:19: Do not quench the Spirit.
Quenching the Spirit is a specific kind of sin; and
inasmuch as it is a sin, quenching the Spirit also grieves
Him.
"Quench" is used of quenching a fire in Matthew 12:20,
Ephesians 6:16 and Hebrews 11:34; and inasmuch as fire
is a symbol of the Spirit (Exodus 3:2 and 13:21, Matthew
3:11, Acts 2:3), and 1 Thessalonians 5:20 exhorts, do not
despise prophetic utterances, one may conclude that
quenching the Spirit refers to the stifling or suppression of
one's own spiritual gift or the gifts of others. If one is to be
filled with the Spirit, he must not stifle or suppress his own
spiritual gift or the gifts of others: he must not quench the
Spirit.
The exhortation to not quench the spirit is addressed to all
of the members of the church at Thessalonica (1:1-2), and
is in the plural. All the members of the congregation were
to be careful to heed the exhortation when they gathered
together for worship. In application, pastors, the entire
eldership, and other spiritual leaders must be especially
careful here: They can either stifle the spiritual flames in
their congregations, evangelistic teams, or other ministry
groups, or fan them.
2. The One Positive Exhortation
Galatians 5:16: Walk in the Spirit (pneuma), and you will
not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The majority of translators
and commentators hold that pneuma refers to the Holy
 Spirit; a minority, the saved human spirit.
If one walks in the Spirit (or spirit), he will neither quench
nor grieve Him. To walk in the Spirit (or spirit) is to avoid
all that Scripture exhorts us to avoid and to embrace all
that it exhorts us to embrace. Chafer points out, "Walking
in the Spirit is a command in the present tense, that is, a
Christian should keep on walking by the Spirit."7 It follows
plainly that if one keeps on walking in the Spirit (or spirit)
he will keep on being filled.
VI. SPIRIT-FILLING AND MATURITY
Being Spirit-filled is not the same as being spiritually
mature. A newborn baby may be perfectly healthy, yet
physically immature. Proper nutrition and exercise over a
period of years will bring him into physical maturity.
Similarly, a brand new believer might be Spirit-filled, but
he is certainly not spiritually mature no matter how refined
his personality or accomplished he may be in other areas
of life. He needs to feed on the Word of God (1
Corinthians 3:2, 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Corinthians 10:3, Hebrews
5:14), apply his Bible knowledge to his daily walk
(Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:12),
and be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18) in order to
mature.
One who is Spirit-filled is not necessarily spiritually
mature; but being Spirit-filled hastens spiritual growth unto
maturity.
VII. SPIRIT-FILLING AND WORKS OF POWER
One of the words translated miracles is dunamis, which
Strong renders as "force; specifically miraculous power."
Special power is released by God for the working of a
miracle.
Some in Scripture who were filled with the Spirit
performed miracles of healing and judgment; yet, it does
not follow that if one is Spirit-filled he will necessarily be
called of God to perform a miracle. The effecting of
healings and miracles are spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12):
The Spirit distributes them sovereignly as He chooses (1
Corinthians 12:11), and He distributes them at the
moment of one's salvation irregardless of how mature or
Spirit-filled the believer may turn out to be (Romans 12:4-
6, 1 Corinthians 12:7 and 11, 1 Peter 4:10). Therefore, no
dedicated, mature, Spirit-filled believer need fret if he is
not used to perform a miracle.
VIII. EXTREMES AND THE BIBLE WAY
In Charismatic congregations, members are urged to
decisively dedicate themselves to the Lord's service and
be empowered for that service through baptism by the
Holy Spirit; and those who so dedicate themselves are so
empowered. However, what really happens is that they
are filled with the Spirit, not baptized by Him.
This writer knows two men who, by their testimony, lived
rather lifeless Christian lives for more than twenty years
and then received this filling thinking that they were being
baptized by the Spirit, and their lives were permanently set
on fire for the Lord. One became the pastor of a rather
dead mainline church and brought it to life. Another led
hundreds, perhaps thousands, to the Lord, including this
writer, and has led many of them into lives of zealous
discipleship and service. Sad to say, due to the
confounding of the two ministries of the Spirit combined
with misunderstandings of certain Bible situations
involving Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues, these
fillings in Charismatic settings are almost always
accompanied by erroneous teaching and unbiblical
practice. In addition, the emphasis is often more on power
and spectacle than on the service to the Lord that the
power enables, more on bedazzlement than worship: Now
Herod was very glad when he saw Yeshua; for he had
wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been
hearing about Him and was hoping to see some miracle
performed by Him (Luke 23:8). (Healings and miracles,
yes, as the Lord wills, but with proper emphases,
proportion and focus.)
So what's a little error if it causes people to be set on fire
for the Lord? Truth mixed with error is like a mirror
smeared with mud - and error muddies the mirror through
which we already see the Lord dimly (1 Corinthians
13:12). It also corrupts the image of Yeshua we present to
each other and to the world. Furthermore, error begets
error begets error ad infinitum, and aberrations in doctrine
and practice are thus progressively compounded.
On the opposite extreme are congregations who do not
teach on the need for dedication nor urge their members
to be filled with the Spirit, and their pews are filled with
relatively lifeless believers. Indeed, it is often difficult to tell
who is saved among them!
There is a healthy, middle ground - the biblical ground -
that many congregations have struck. They teach on the
need for dedicated lives and challenge their members to
decisively and once and for all dedicate themselves to the
Lord for sanctification and service, and thereby be filled
with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). That is the healthy middle
ground - doctrinally. However, on the practical side, all too
many of these congregations do not take the works of
power seriously enough, but toy with them. For example,
they pray for healings because it is part of the program,
but in unbelief and without fervency (James 5:16: The
fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful in its
working), and see no results. The healthy doctrinal ground
MUST be accompanied by healthy biblical practice: They
must pray aggressively and full of faith - yes, even outside
the protective walls of their sanctuaries - as Peter and
John prayed for the man at the Gate Beautiful (Acts 3:1-8)
- and they will see similar results.
Therefore, let congregational leaders exhort their flocks to
live dedicated lives, be filled with the Spirit, and follow up
with healthy, Spirit-filled, faith-filled practice. And to whom
it may concern: Be filled with the Spirit. No need to wait
until you are in your congregation. Dedicate yourself now -
and follow up with action!
Shalom!