Are you ready for some good news?
When you accept Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit and He indwells you forever. But, once in Christ, you can be continually filled with the Spirit. You’re filled and you can be filled again and again.
Today, as we continue a devotional on the infilling of the Spirit, we come to the theological insight that has most shaped my understanding of life in the Spirit.
How is it possible that you receive the Holy Spirit when you become a Christian, but you can also receive continuing, even deepening, infillings of the Holy Spirit? The way to explain this theologically is that there are two Greek words in the New Testament for filled, that are related but have very different meanings.
- Filled to be empowered
One word is pléthó. It always refers to the Holy Spirit coming upon someone temporarily for ministry, boldness, gifting, and it is followed by immediate action. For example, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31) Also, “Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right!’ Then he went on to speak the word of God.” (Acts 13:9-10)
- Progressively filled to saturation
The other Greek word for being filled with the Holy Spirit, pléroó, describes something becoming increasingly full. The filling does not happen at distinct times, but is a slow, progressive saturation. For example, “…they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 6:5) and “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52) This is referring to the abiding work of the Holy Spirit in every Christian’s life. It is permanent. As we grow in our Christian life, we become more like Jesus because of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit producing fruit in our lives.
So this explains to me how in Acts 8 the people could definitely have the Holy Spirit, yet not have had the experience of the Holy Spirit coming upon them for supernatural works. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit. Every Christian can receive continued outpourings of the Holy Spirit that enable them to do what God has called them to do. And that’s the Gospel!
