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Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a great topic in the Bible, and it has been the subject of much debate throughout the past centuries. Thus, it requires careful explanation. We look to the Lord for His special grace to bring us into the truth concerning this matter through the Spirit of reality who indwells us. We need to pray for this, and we need to prepare our spirit and our mind. If we desire to understand and receive the truth, we need an open spirit and a clear mind. We must use our spirit to receive the truth because truth is received in our spirit, but truth must first pass through the understanding of our mind. If truth does not pass through the understanding of our mind, it will not be possible to receive it in our spirit. Thus, we need a clear and adequate train of thought. However, it is not enough to simply use our mind to understand God’s truth. We must also use our spirit to contact the truth in order to touch spiritual reality. In addition to understanding the truth with our mind, we must also receive the reality of God’s truth with an open spirit in order to gain the life supply.
There is also a distinction between objective knowledge and subjective experience in regard to every truth. The significance of this distinction is great, particularly as it relates to the matter of being filled with the Holy Spirit. In the past and even now, some emphasize objective knowledge of this matter whereas others emphasize subjective experience. Those who emphasize the objective aspect place too much emphasis on the doctrine of being filled with the Holy Spirit. They use their mind to study the filling of the Holy Spirit, but they do not pursue the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit in their spirit. Conversely, those who emphasize the subjective aspect pay too much attention to the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, but they completely neglect the doctrine concerning the filling of the Holy Spirit. They seem to use only their spirit, not their mind. Those who emphasize the objective side are rich in Bible knowledge but lacking in spiritual experience; consequently, they fall into emptiness and death. Those who emphasize the subjective side have an abundance of spiritual experience but lack Bible knowledge; consequently, they fall into instability and error. Therefore, we beg the Lord to have mercy on us so that we would place equal emphasis on both knowledge and experience in order to avoid the emptiness and death that come from being too objective and the instability and error that come from being too subjective. For this, we must exercise not only our mind to understand the doctrine and truth concerning the filling of the Holy Spirit but also our spirit to pursue the experience and gain the reality of being filled by the Holy Spirit.
Two aspects of the Holy Spirit
The Bible clearly shows that there are two aspects of the Holy Spirit in relation to us. People who have been greatly used by the Lord, such as Andrew Murray, C. H. Mackintosh (the author of Notes on the Pentateuch), and others, acknowledge this matter. If we want to accurately understand the filling of the Holy Spirit, we must understand what the Bible says about these two aspects.
The expression of the two aspects
In
“The Spirit of reality...shall be in you” (John 14:17).
In this verse the Lord clearly said that when the Holy Spirit came, He would be in us.
Upon
“The Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8 see also Luke 24:49).
On the one hand, the Lord said that the Holy Spirit would be in us, and on the other hand, He said that the Spirit would be upon us. Being upon is outward, and it is absolutely different from being in. Therefore, the Lord’s expressions show that there are two distinct aspects of the Holy Spirit in relation to us: an inward aspect and an outward aspect.
The promise of the two aspects
The Lord’s promise of the Comforter — before His death
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter...even the Spirit of reality...and shall be in you”; “But if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 14:16-17; 16:7 see also 14:26; 15:26).
The Lord spoke these words to His disciples before His death. Before He left, He promised that He would send the Holy Spirit as the Comforter.
The Father’s promise of power — promised by the Father in the Old Testament and restated by the Lord after His resurrection
“I send forth the promise of My Father upon you; but as for you, stay in the city until you put on power from on high”; “Wait for the promise of the Father...You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8).
The Lord spoke these words after His resurrection and before His ascension. He repeated the Father’s promise in the Old Testament concerning the Holy Spirit to His disciples, promising to pour out the Holy Spirit upon them as power when He ascended to the heavens. The aspect of the Holy Spirit as power is different from the aspect of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. As the Comforter, He enters into the disciples, but as power, He comes upon them. Therefore, the Lord’s promise before His death and His promise after His resurrection relate to the two aspects of the Holy Spirit.
The fulfillment of the two aspects
The Lord’s promise concerning the Comforter being fulfilled on the evening of the day of resurrection
“It was evening on that day, the first day of the week...Jesus came and stood in the midst...He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:19-22).
Most people think that the Lord’s promise concerning the Comforter was not fulfilled until the day of Pentecost. However, the Bible shows that the Lord fulfilled His promise on the evening of the day of His resurrection. On the day of the Lord’s resurrection in John 20, the Lord came, stood in the midst of the disciples, breathed into them, and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. This fulfilled His promise concerning the Comforter. This was not the fulfillment of His promise concerning power, because that promise was spoken after this event but before His visible ascension in Acts 1:9-11. Some may ask, “How could the Comforter come so soon? The Lord said that if He did not go, the Comforter could not come, but on the evening of the day of His resurrection the Lord still had not ascended.” Those who say this have not read the Bible carefully. John 20 tells us clearly that the Lord ascended to the Father on the morning of the day of resurrection. When He appeared to Mary in the morning on the day of resurrection, Mary wanted to touch Him, but He said, “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father” (v. 17). He did not let Mary touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father. He could not be touched by anyone before He placed the freshness of His resurrection before the Father in His ascension. Eight days later, however, He allowed Thomas to touch Him (v. 27), which indicates that He had ascended to the Father on the morning of His resurrection. Consequently, He could give the Holy Spirit as the Comforter to the disciples on the evening of the day of His resurrection, fulfilling the promise that He made to them before His death.
Furthermore, John 7:39, which says, “The Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified,” also proves that the Lord could send the Spirit after His resurrection, because He was glorified in His resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:26). He rose from the dead through the Holy Spirit, through which He was designated the Son of God in power (Rom. 1:4) and through which His disciples were regenerated (1 Pet. 1:3), making them His brothers and the Father’s many sons. He was able to send the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Son into the disciples so that we could call His Father our Father (Gal. 4:6; John 20:17).
Thus, according to the Bible, the Holy Spirit as the Comforter came on the day of resurrection, not on the day of Pentecost. The Lord’s promise concerning the Comforter was not fulfilled on the day of Pentecost but on the day of resurrection.
The Father’s promise concerning power being fulfilled on the day of Pentecost
“As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly there was a sound out of heaven, as of a rushing violent wind...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-4).
This verse refers to the descending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This fulfilled the Father’s promise concerning the Holy Spirit of power whom the Lord spoke of before His ascension. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended in His aspect of power, not in His aspect as the Comforter. This was different from the day of resurrection. On the day of resurrection the Holy Spirit descended as the Comforter. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out as power.
The function of the two aspects
The Comforter being for life
“Another Comforter...He abides with you and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17).
This verse says that the Holy Spirit as the Comforter abides with us and is in us. This speaks of the Holy Spirit in His function as life. Therefore, the Comforter is the Holy Spirit in the aspect of life for our inward life.
“The Comforter...will teach you” (John 14:26).
The Holy Spirit as the Comforter teaches us how to live before God. This is a function in the aspect of life.
“When the Comforter comes...He will testify concerning Me” (John 15:26).
The Lord Jesus was the first Comforter sent by God (the Greek word translated as “Advocate” in 1 John 2:1 can also be translated as “Comforter”). He went back to the heavens and sent the Holy Spirit as another Comforter, the second Comforter. In reality, the Holy Spirit as the Comforter is the transfiguration of Christ. He is Christ in another form coming and living in us. He testifies to us concerning Christ, reveals Christ in us, and makes Christ known in us as our life. All these items are related to the Holy Spirit in the aspect of life; they are functions according to the aspect of life.
“The Comforter...will convict the world...He will guide you into all the reality” (John 16:7-13).
Since the Holy Spirit as the Comforter is for our inward life, He will convict us and guide us into reality. Therefore, the Comforter’s convicting and guiding into reality are also the functions of the Holy Spirit in the aspect of life.
Power being for the work
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit descends upon us so that we may receive power to witness for the Lord. This clearly shows that the function of the Holy Spirit as power is not related to the inward life we receive from the Lord but to the outward work we do for the Lord.
“Proclaimed in His name to all the nations...I send forth the promise of My Father upon you; but as for you, stay in the city until you put on power from on high” (Luke 24:47-49).
When the Spirit of power promised by the Father descends upon us, we receive power from on high and are able to preach the gospel of the Lord to the uttermost parts of the earth. Since the Spirit as power enables us to preach the gospel, it is obvious that His function in the aspect of power is for work.
The Holy Spirit as the Comforter is the Spirit of life within us. He is a person within us to be our Lord, the One whom we should obey. The Holy Spirit as power is the Spirit of power outside of us. He is outside of us as our power, the One whom we can employ. For our inward life God gave us the Holy Spirit as the Comforter so that He could be the Revealer, Leader, Supplier, and Maintainer of life within us. For our outward work, God gave us the Holy Spirit as power so that He could be the power, authority, ability, and skill of our work. The Holy Spirit whom God has given to us is truly complete.
The symbols of the two aspects
Breath
“He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).
When the Lord came to His disciples on the evening of the day of His resurrection, He breathed out from Himself and breathed into the disciples. This signifies that the Holy Spirit as the Comforter came out from the Lord and was imparted into the disciples. Breath is for life and signifies life. Therefore, breath is the symbol of the Holy Spirit as life.
Wind
“A rushing violent wind...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2-4).
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples as power while they were in the upper room in Jerusalem. In this aspect, He was not breath as on the day of resurrection when the Lord breathed into them. Instead, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was like a rushing violent wind that blew upon them from the outside. This signifies that the Holy Spirit as power blew upon them outwardly. Wind is powerful; it symbolizes power. Thus, wind here is a symbol of the Holy Spirit as power, which is different from breath. When breath is mentioned, we think of life. When wind is spoken of, we think of power. We receive breath into us to maintain our life, but no one receives wind into him. Wind is a motivating power outside of us.
The record of the two aspects
In the Gospel of John
The promise of the Comforter is recorded by John in his Gospel (14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15) and is also fulfilled in his Gospel (20:19-23); John speaks of the Spirit of life. The ministry of John concerns the word of life (1:4). He shows that the Lord came so that man could have life. He came to be man’s life. The Lord gives the Spirit as the Comforter so that He can get into man as the Spirit of life and cause this life to become richly flowing rivers of living water. Thus, John speaks of the Spirit of life, according to the line of life. He also speaks of the promise of the Comforter and of the fulfillment of this promise. The promise and the giving of the Comforter are recorded and fulfilled in his Gospel. The events written by Luke in Acts are not related to the promise of the Spirit in the aspect of life.
In the Gospel of Luke and Acts
The promise of power, which is recorded by Luke in his Gospel and in Acts (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8), is fulfilled in Acts (2:1-4); Luke speaks of the Spirit of power. The ministry of Luke concerns the word of repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47). He tells us that the Lord came to redeem man from sin and to be man’s Savior. The Lord caused the Spirit to descend so that He could be the Spirit of power upon man to cause man to repent, believe, and receive salvation for the forgiveness of sins. Thus, Luke speaks of the Spirit of power, according to the line of power. He speaks of the promise of power and of the fulfillment of this promise. The promise of power is recorded in the Gospel of Luke and in Acts, and it is fulfilled in Acts. The descending of the Holy Spirit recorded by Luke fulfilled the promise of the Holy Spirit in the aspect of power. The events written by Luke are not related to the promise of the Holy Spirit in the aspect of life. Many do not pay attention to this fact; consequently, they confuse the records of Luke and John to the point that they do not discern any difference between the aspect of the Holy Spirit as power and the Holy Spirit as life. Thus, in their knowledge of the Holy Spirit, they fall into error because of this confusion.
The experience of the two aspects
The Lord Jesus
“Begotten...of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:20 see also Luke 1:35).
The Lord Jesus was conceived and born of the Holy Spirit. No one can doubt that the life in Him was fully of the Holy Spirit. Before He was baptized at the age of thirty, He was filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit. He was full of the Holy Spirit; thus, He was able to live for God and to be occupied with the things of God (2:49).
“He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him”; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to announce the gospel” (Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18).
The Lord was conceived and born of the Holy Spirit, and His inward life was fully of the Holy Spirit. Although He was filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly, the Holy Spirit did not descend upon Him until His baptism. At the time of His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Prior to His baptism, He lived before God, but He was not yet working for God in His ministry. After the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, He began to work for God on the earth. These verses clearly show that there are two aspects of the Lord’s experience of the Spirit — an inward and an outward aspect. On the one hand, He inwardly received the Holy Spirit as life at the time of His conception and birth. He was filled with this Holy Spirit of life so that He could live before God. On the other hand, He outwardly received the Holy Spirit as power at the time of His baptism at the age of thirty so that He could work for God. Since the Lord Himself experienced the inward and outward aspects of the Holy Spirit, should we not as well? It is a pity that many have not seen this point and confuse the two aspects.
The apostles
“While the doors were shut where the disciples were...Jesus came and stood in the midst and...He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:19-22).
On the day of resurrection the Lord breathed into the disciples, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The disciples certainly received the Holy Spirit at that time. The Lord’s speaking was surely not an empty promise nor was the Lord’s breathing into them merely a lifeless demonstration. The Lord truly caused the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. After this event, the living of the disciples before the day of Pentecost was different, proving that the disciples had inwardly received the Holy Spirit of life and reality as the Comforter. Before the Lord’s death they argued about who would be the greatest; after the Lord’s resurrection and before the day of Pentecost, they met together and prayed in one accord for ten days (Acts 1:14-22). Furthermore, these Galileans were able to keep the Lord’s commandments, staying in Jerusalem, a place full of opposition and threatenings, far from their homes and relatives. They had no concerns or fears. They simply waited single-heartedly for God to fulfill His promise. They could not have done this without being inwardly filled with the Holy Spirit of life. In addition, Peter, who rarely understood the Lord’s words and could not clearly speak of them, was able to understand the Bible and to explain it very clearly even though he had not received the Holy Spirit in the aspect of power at Pentecost (vv. 16-22). This proves that he had the Holy Spirit of reality as the Comforter within him. The record in Acts 1 concerning the disciples’ experiences in the upper room in Jerusalem proves that they received the Holy Spirit as the Comforter and as the Spirit of life and reality before the day of Pentecost.
“You shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now”; “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”; “As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-4).
Although the Holy Spirit entered into the disciples on the day of resurrection, the Holy Spirit had not descended upon them. Although they had the Holy Spirit of life inwardly, enabling them to have the Lord’s life and the supply and sustenance of the Lord’s life, they did not have the Holy Spirit of power outwardly, which would enable them to testify for the Lord and preach the gospel. Although they could live in the Lord’s life and understand the Lord’s word because the Holy Spirit of life and reality was in them, they were unable to release the Lord’s life to others or preach the word of the Lord. For this, they needed the Holy Spirit to descend upon them outwardly as the Spirit of power. Therefore, at the time of His ascension the Lord commanded them to wait for the experience of the Holy Spirit of power, even though He had already given them the experience of the Holy Spirit of life on the day of His resurrection. They experienced the Holy Spirit of life inwardly, but they had to wait to experience the Holy Spirit of power outwardly. Even though they had the Lord’s life within, they still needed to testify and work for the Lord outwardly. Their inward life was not enough to enable them to testify and work for the Lord outwardly; they needed outward power. They received this power on the day of Pentecost. On the day of resurrection the Holy Spirit entered into them to be their life, and on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell upon them to be their power. On the day of resurrection they experienced the Holy Spirit of life. On the day of Pentecost they experienced the Holy Spirit of power. Thus, their experience of the Holy Spirit also reveals the inward aspect of life and the outward aspect of power. This is very clear in the Bible. We should not confuse these facts.
The Samaritan believers
“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them”; “They believed Philip, who announced the gospel of the kingdom of God and of the name of Jesus Christ”; “In whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Him also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise” (Acts 8:5, 12; Eph. 1:13).
God works according to principles. Ephesians 1:13 speaks of God’s principle involving man’s receiving the Holy Spirit based on faith. Once a person believes in Christ, he receives the Holy Spirit according to God’s principle of faith. The Samaritan believers heard the gospel and believed in Christ. Therefore, according to Ephesians 1:13, they must have received the Holy Spirit. The sealing of the Spirit in Ephesians 1:13 refers to the aspect of life. Since the Samaritan believers received the Holy Spirit, they received the Holy Spirit of life inwardly.
“When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John...so that they might receive the Holy Spirit...Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17).
Although the believers in Samaria experienced the Holy Spirit entering into them inwardly as life through faith, they did not experience the Holy Spirit falling upon them outwardly as power until the apostles came and laid hands on them. Those who do not see the difference between the inward and outward aspects of the Holy Spirit with respect to the believers think that these verses show that the Samaritan believers had not received the Holy Spirit at all. They think that even though the Samaritans believed in the Lord’s name, they did not receive the Holy Spirit until the apostles came and laid hands on them. This view is not correct. Since the Samaritans heard the complete gospel from Philip the evangelist and believed in this gospel and in the Lord’s name, they must have received the Holy Spirit inwardly. To think in any other way is not logical. The Holy Spirit entered into them when they believed according to God’s principle of faith. When the apostles came and laid hands on them, they had a further experience of the Holy Spirit falling upon them. This caused them to experience the outward aspect of the Holy Spirit as power.
The Ephesian believers
“In whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Him also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise” (Eph. 1:13).
Ephesians 1:13 was written to the Ephesian believers, and it says that when a person believes in Christ, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit. This clearly proves that these believers received the Holy Spirit of life when they believed in the Lord.
“Believe...into Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 19:4-6).
The experience of the Ephesian believers was similar to the experience of the Samaritan believers. When the Ephesians believed into Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered into them, but the Holy Spirit did not come upon them until Paul laid his hands on them. We must pay attention to the phrases fallen upon in Acts 8:16 and came upon in 19:6. These phrases are very specific expressions; they do not refer to the Holy Spirit entering into the believers in Samaria and Ephesus as the Spirit of life. They refer to the Holy Spirit coming upon them outwardly as the Spirit of power.
Paul, when he was known as Saul of Tarsus, first experienced the Holy Spirit inwardly and then experienced the Holy Spirit outwardly three days later (9:5-18). When he was enlightened by the Lord and received the Lord on the road to Damascus, he surely received the Holy Spirit of life. He received the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, however, three days later when Ananias came and laid hands on him. According to the record of the Bible, those of the household of Cornelius were the only ones who simultaneously experienced the inward and outward filling of the Holy Spirit (10:43-48). When they heard Peter say, “Through His name everyone who believes into Him will receive forgiveness of sins,” they immediately believed in their hearts. Therefore, the Holy Spirit fell upon them at that moment. In order for the Holy Spirit to fall on them, the Holy Spirit must have entered into them. Thus, they simultaneously experienced the inward and outward aspects of the Holy Spirit.
These examples in the Bible show that there are two aspects of the Holy Spirit; the first aspect is related to inward life, and the second aspect is related to outward power. Our experience of the Holy Spirit, therefore, is related to these two aspects. For example, we often meet believers who have the Holy Spirit inwardly but not outwardly. Even many who love and pursue the Lord do not have the Holy Spirit outwardly. They are very good in the aspect of life. They are holy and godly with a proper human living and a careful manner in doing things, but they lack much in the aspect of power. When there is a need to testify for the Lord, they become fearful and withdraw, and they are not released and have no power to testify for the Lord. Other believers, however, who are released and bold and who seemingly preach the gospel with power, are lacking in the inward life. It is possible to pay attention to life and neglect power, and it is possible to focus on power but neglect life. We should place an equal emphasis on both aspects. We should not pay attention to just the inward aspect of life and overlook the outward aspect of power. Neither should we emphasize the outward aspect of power but overlook the inward aspect of life. We must emphasize both aspects equally, paying attention to both the inward and the outward, pursuing both life and power. In this way our condition will be proper and normal.
Twenty years ago in northern China, many Christians received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Those who received the outpouring began to teach that if a person did not receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he had not received the Holy Spirit. They overemphasized the outward aspect of power but overlooked and even denied the inward aspect of life because of ignorance. Consequently, their life was immature and shallow. They also made many mistakes despite the fact that they were burning, bold, and seemed to have much power. At this same time, a group of pious believers who loved the Lord began to oppose this teaching. They said that a believer needs only to obey the Holy Spirit in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit because a believer receives the Holy Spirit when he believes in the Lord. Thus, they said that there is no need to pursue the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They considered the teaching about the outpouring of the Spirit as a false doctrine. These brothers overemphasized the inward aspect of life and neglected and even opposed the outward aspect of power because of ignorance. Therefore, they lacked zeal and power and did not obtain many positive results in their work for the Lord even though their living was holy and their faith was pious. The first group accused the second group of keeping dead doctrines. The second group accused the first group of preaching an erroneous, even a fanatical heresy. When viewing their actions according to the light in the Bible concerning the two aspects of the Holy Spirit, each group emphasized only one aspect. This should be a warning to not overemphasize either aspect. We must pay attention to the aspects of life and power as they relate to the Holy Spirit. We should check to see if we are lacking in either aspect, and if we are, we should pursue this lack in order to be balanced.
The inward filling
Since there is an inward and an outward aspect in the Holy Spirit’s relationship with the believers, there is an inward and an outward aspect to being filled with the Holy Spirit. The different aspects of the filling of the Holy Spirit are even referenced in the New Testament with different words in Greek. These words were chosen by the Holy Spirit. In Greek two different words are used to speak of the Holy Spirit’s inward filling and the Holy Spirit’s outward filling. When the Bible speaks of the inward filling of the Holy Spirit, it uses the word pleroo. The original meaning of this word is “to fill,” as when water or air fills a vessel. Therefore, it refers to the Holy Spirit’s inward filling.
The Lord’s commandment
“Be filled in spirit” (Eph. 5:18).
This verse speaks of the Holy Spirit’s inward filling. According to the Lord’s commandment in the Bible, the believers are charged to be filled in spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are following the Lord’s commandment. If we are not filled inwardly, we are disobeying the Lord’s commandment. We should pursue the inward filling of the Holy Spirit.
The inward filling of the Holy Spirit being for spiritual living and causing our spiritual life to mature
Being filled inwardly by the Holy Spirit is for spiritual living, and it causes our spiritual life to mature. This is the spontaneous function of the Holy Spirit’s inward filling. If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly, we cannot have a daily life that is according to the Spirit, and it will be impossible for our spiritual life to mature. Both a spiritual living and spiritual maturity depend upon our being filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly.
“The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52).
The early disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Joy comes out of life, and it is expressed through living. Therefore, the filling of the Holy Spirit in this verse refers to the inward aspect of life, which is for life and living.
“Look therefore carefully how you walk...Understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine...but be filled in spirit,...being subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Eph. 5:15-21).
The conditions spoken of in these verses, including walking carefully, understanding the will of the Lord, not being drunk with wine, fearing Christ, and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ, are all part of a spiritual living. Therefore, there is an aspect of being filled with the Holy Spirit that is related to our spiritual living. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly, allow the Holy Spirit to have the authority, and receive the discipline of the Holy Spirit so that we can have a spiritual living that is pleasing to God.
Being full of the Spirit after being filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit...was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, while being tempted for forty days” (Luke 4:1).
After we are filled with the Spirit inwardly, we are full of the Holy Spirit. Fill is a verb, and full (pleres in Greek) is an adjective. Thus, filling is the process, and being full is a condition that results from passing through the process. To be filled is to go through a gate, but to be full involves maintaining a condition constantly. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to arrive at the level of being full of the Holy Spirit, and we need to maintain a condition of being full of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus was filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit and full of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, He could be led by the Holy Spirit and also victoriously pass through Satan’s temptations.
“Look for seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3).
In the early church after Pentecost, all the possessions of the believers were common to them (4:32), so there was a need for some to oversee the daily dispensing (6:1). They chose seven men who were full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Overseeing the daily dispensing requires not only wisdom but also a proper living. Therefore, the men who were chosen were full of the Holy Spirit. They were not filled with the Holy Spirit for a short period of time; they were constantly full of the Holy Spirit. As a result, their life was rich and full of wisdom. This enabled them to bear the burden of the very difficult matter of overseeing the daily dispensing for many people.
“Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5).
Stephen was constantly full of the Holy Spirit inwardly; he was not one who was filled for only a short period of time. Thus, he had a rich life and the wisdom to oversee the daily dispensing of food for many people and also a victorious life and faith to stand firm for the Lord even unto death.
“Being full of the Holy Spirit, he looked intently into heaven” (Acts 7:55).
Stephen kept himself in a position of being full of the Holy Spirit. His persecutors were exasperated with him and gnashed their teeth, but he was full of the Holy Spirit. He was able to be faithful unto death and to be martyred for the Lord because he was full of the Holy Spirit.
“He was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24).
This verse refers to Barnabas, who, as a person full of the Holy Spirit, was also a good man and a person full of faith.
The expressions of being filled by the Holy Spirit inwardly
The overflow of life
“Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He said concerning the Spirit” (John 7:38-39).
The Holy Spirit within us is the Spirit of life, and the inward filling of the Holy Spirit produces a maturity in life. Therefore, one of the expressions of the inward filling of the Holy Spirit is a rich overflow of life. The Lord promised that those who believed into Him would overflow with the fullness of life. John then indicated that the Lord’s words referred to the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed into the Lord were about to receive. This shows that those who believe into the Lord can receive the Holy Spirit to such an extent that they richly overflow with the waters of life. An overflowing of the waters of life is an expression of the inward filling of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).
The fruit that the Holy Spirit bears within us is also an expression of being inwardly filled with the Holy Spirit. This is spontaneous. Since the Holy Spirit within us is the Spirit of life, He will bear these nine beautiful fruits of the spiritual life within us if we give Him the opportunity to fill us. These nine fruits can be divided into three groups. Love, joy, and peace are the first group. If we have love, we will have joy. Once we have joy, we are at peace. Long-suffering, kindness, and goodness comprise the second group. Only a long-suffering person can be kind, and only a kind person can be good. Faithfulness, meekness, and self-control are the final group. Initially, it does not seem as if faithfulness and meekness are related, but our practical experience tells us that faithfulness causes us to be meek. If we are not faithful, we can easily be short-tempered. Therefore, true meekness is an issue of faithfulness. Just as meekness comes out of faithfulness, self-control comes out of meekness. Self-control implies the ability to rule ourselves. Only a person who truly is meek can rule himself. The order in which these nine fruits are listed is different from the order of the eight steps in 2 Peter 1:5-7. The order in 2 Peter is according to the steps in the growth in life. The order in Galatians is according to the experience of the fruit of life. These nine fruits of life are all expressions of being filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly in our living.
The way to be filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly
Applying Our Co-death with Christ on the Cross
1. “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh...They who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts” (Gal. 5:17, 24).
The first step toward being filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit is to deal with our flesh by applying our co-death with Christ on the cross. The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. Everything of the flesh, whether good or bad, is contrary to the Holy Spirit. The greatest enemy, the greatest hindrance, and the greatest problem encountered by the Holy Spirit in us is our flesh that lusts against Him. Therefore, if we want the Holy Spirit to rule in us, to have a place in us, and to fill us, our flesh must be dealt with by the cross. We must apply our co-death with the Lord on the cross to our flesh, putting our flesh and all that is of the flesh to death. When we put our flesh and all that is of the flesh in a position of death in Christ’s death on the cross, not allowing the flesh or the things of the flesh to have any ground in us, the Holy Spirit will gain the position in us to completely possess and fill us.
The cross must deal with our flesh and all the things that are of our flesh. It needs to deal with our inward parts until they are empty, enlarging them so that the Holy Spirit can fill us inwardly. The flesh, the world, and sin that fill us must be dealt with by the cross in order to make room for the Holy Spirit. The extent to which we are filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly is the extent to which we have allowed the cross to deal with these things. When our dealing is complete, we will be completely filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are thoroughly cleansed through this dealing, we will be thoroughly filled with the Holy Spirit. When we do not allow our inward parts to be occupied by the flesh, the world, and sin, the Holy Spirit can immediately possess and fill them.
Consecrating ourselves to the Lord completely
After receiving the dealing of the cross, we must consecrate ourselves to the Lord completely. Receiving the dealing of the cross removes the barriers and the things that occupy us. Consecrating ourselves to the Lord allows Him to come in and possess us. We need to let the cross deal with our flesh, the world, and sin so that we can be holy and spiritual but, even more, so that we can return to the Lord to be used by Him. If we let the cross deal with everything and give ourselves back to the Lord for His use, the Lord will come through the Spirit to possess and fill us. Once the Tent of Meeting was prepared and consecrated to the Lord, the Lord’s glory immediately filled it. Once the temple was built and given to the Lord, the Lord’s glory again came in and immediately filled it. If we truly deal with everything and offer ourselves to the Lord as His dwelling place, the Spirit of the Lord will come and fill us.
Believing in the inward filling of the Holy Spirit
Once we receive the dealing of the cross and consecrate ourselves, we must believe. Our believing is related to two points.
First, we should believe that the Holy Spirit will fill us. The Holy Spirit is within us and desires to fill us; He is only waiting for us to give Him more ground in our being. After receiving the dealing of the cross and offering all of our inner being to Him, the Spirit will certainly fill us even more.
Second, we should believe that the Holy Spirit has already filled us. Since the Holy Spirit is desiring and waiting to fill us, we should believe that He not only will fill us but that He has already filled us after we empty our inward parts and consecrate to Him. When we empty ourselves and offer ourselves to Him, the Spirit immediately fills us. This is like air filling a cup that is emptied of water. Being filled does not depend on our feelings. It does not matter whether we have some specific feelings. Genuine Christian experience is based on faith, not feelings, and even if there are some feelings, faith takes precedence. Once we empty ourselves and consecrate ourselves to Him, we should believe that the Holy Spirit has already filled us inwardly.
Minding the Holy Spirit
“Do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. For those who are according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4-5).
After dealing with our flesh, consecrating, and believing, we must mind the Holy Spirit. Since we consecrate ourselves to be filled by Him and believe that He has already filled us, we should simply mind Him. Indeed, we must mind Him and His things and not mind the flesh or its things. The more we mind the Spirit, the more He gains the ground in us to possess and fill us.
“Walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25).
If we truly follow the Spirit, we must walk by the Spirit. When we do not follow the lusts of the flesh or rely on the power of the flesh, we will be constantly full of the Spirit, not just momentarily filled by the Spirit.
The outward filling
When speaking of the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, the Bible uses the Greek word pletho. The record in Acts 2:1-4 concerning how the early disciples were filled by the Holy Spirit illustrates the biblical meaning of the word pletho as it relates to the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. Verses 2 and 4 speak of “a rushing violent wind” that “filled [pleroo] the whole house where they were sitting...And they were all filled [pletho] with the Holy Spirit.” In this short record, two different words, pleroo and pletho, are used to describe two different kinds of filling. Pleroo is used in the depiction of the Holy Spirit as a rushing violent wind that filled the house where the disciples were. Pletho is used in reference to the Holy Spirit filling the disciples who were in the house. The rushing violent wind that filled the whole house where the disciples were sitting was the Holy Spirit, or the power of the Holy Spirit. The house was filled (pleroo) with the Holy Spirit, or the power of the Holy Spirit. This filling refers to an inward filling because the inside of the house was filled. When the room that the disciples were sitting in was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit inwardly filled (pleroo) the room but outwardly filled (pletho) the disciples. With respect to the room, there was an inward filling of the Holy Spirit, but with respect to the disciples, there was an outward filling of the Holy Spirit. This outward filling is what we call the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. When the Bible uses the word pletho to speak of the filling of the Holy Spirit, it is referring to the outward filling of the Holy Spirit upon us.
The meaning of the word pletho can be illustrated with baptism. When we are baptized, water fills (pleroo) the baptismal pool inwardly, but it fills (pletho) the person being baptized outwardly. Thus, with respect to the baptismal pool, there is an inward filling, but with respect to the person being baptized, there is an outward filling.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The Bible clearly associates the outward filling of the Holy Spirit with being baptized in the Holy Spirit. God wants us to pay attention to this great and important matter in the New Testament, so we should not only study it well but also pursue it deeply.
Many believers, even very spiritual ones, are not one hundred percent according to the light in the Bible in their view of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This causes difficulties among the children of God regarding this matter. It has even caused error and confusion. Thus, we must put aside our views and prejudices and those of others and return to the Word of God carefully and earnestly, seeking God’s light of truth in this matter. For this reason we want to look at this matter carefully.
The prophecies of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
“He Himself will baptize you in the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 3:11).
In the Bible the first person to speak of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was John the Baptist. Before the reality of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God sent John to baptize people in water as a symbol of the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit. When John the Baptist baptized people in water, he said that the Lord Jesus would baptize people in the Holy Spirit, indicating that they would receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In his prophecy the One baptizing was the Lord Jesus, not the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus carried out His spiritual baptism with the Holy Spirit as the power. In this regard, we may say that the Holy Spirit is the power in baptism. This is like the water that is used in a baptism. The water represents the means of the baptism itself.
“You shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5).
The Lord prophesied concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit to the disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension.
The fulfillment of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
“You shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now”; “As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly there was a sound out of heaven, as of a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5; 2:1-2, 4).
The prophecies of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. According to the Bible, the fulfillment of the baptism in the Holy Spirit occurred in two stages. The first stage was fulfilled at Pentecost in Jerusalem, and the second stage was fulfilled in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea. Although the fulfillment occurred in two stages and two places, it was one complete fulfillment. This is similar to a person writing a book. He may write two sections, and the first section may be written in Taipei, whereas the second section is written in Tainan. The two sections together, however, form one complete book. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was in two stages because the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not for individuals but for the church. The church was formed by joining two groups of people — Jews and Gentiles — together. In the eyes of God the people of the world are divided into two groups. God chose and called some from each group to form the church. Although the Lord wanted to baptize the church in the Holy Spirit, there was a separation between Jews and Gentiles that was like the wall of a fortress, which was the middle wall of partition (Eph. 2:14). This wall prevented Him from baptizing those who believed in Him, both Jews and Gentiles, in the Holy Spirit in one place at the same time. Consequently, He accomplished this matter in two stages and in two places.
The first stage was accomplished upon a group of believing Jews on the day of Pentecost in the upper room in Jerusalem. According to the environment and the conditions of that time, the Lord accomplished the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon this group first because He did not have a way to practically include the Gentiles in the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the Jews. Despite this limitation, the Lord could not wait. Therefore, He accomplished this matter upon the Jewish believers first and then brought the Gentiles into the church through the Jewish believers. He accomplished the first stage of this matter upon the Jewish believers and reserved the second stage until there was a proper way to accomplish it upon the Gentile believers.
We must pay attention to how the Bible speaks of this matter. The Lord’s prophecy was that the disciples would “be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). When this prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were outwardly “filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4). This shows that the outward filling of the Holy Spirit is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. The room in which the disciples were sitting was like a large baptismal pool. The Holy Spirit of power, like a rushing violent wind, filled the room in a way that water fills a baptismal pool. The disciples sitting in the room were spiritually baptized, or outwardly filled, with this spiritual water — the Holy Spirit of power, that is, the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the outward filling of the Holy Spirit is like baptism. It is outside of us, not within us. A believer does not go into the baptismal waters to drink the water. He is immersed in the water. He does not want to drink the water; he wants to be immersed in the water. He does not want the water to get into him; he wants the water to get onto him by being immersed in it. He does not want to be filled with water inwardly; he wants to be filled outwardly with water. Similarly, when we speak of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, our focus should be on our entrance into and covering by the Spirit, not on the Spirit’s entrance into us. In this regard, baptism is not for the Holy Spirit to fill us inwardly but for the Holy Spirit to fill us outwardly. This outward filling of the Holy Spirit is symbolized by the baptismal waters covering us when we are immersed in the water.
The Jews who were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost represented all the Jewish believers both past and present. In God’s eyes all the Jewish believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit once for all on the day of Pentecost. This corresponds to the Lord’s word to Peter in Matthew 16 about building the church upon Himself as the rock. The Lord gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of the heavens so that he could bring in the people whom the Lord needed to build the church. According to the Lord’s word, Peter was charged with opening the door to the kingdom of the heavens for those who would believe in Him. If a Jewish person believes in the Lord today, does he need to go to Peter and ask him to open the door to the kingdom of the heavens? This is not necessary, because Peter opened the door on the day of Pentecost once for all for the Jewish people who believe in the Lord. When he opened the door on the day of Pentecost, it was opened forever. In the same principle, the Lord baptized all the Jewish believers, past and present, in the Holy Spirit once and for all on the day of Pentecost. His baptism accomplished this aspect of His work forever. However, the Lord accomplished the baptism of the Holy Spirit only upon the Jewish believers at Pentecost. This was the first stage of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The second stage was accomplished at a different time upon the Gentile believers.
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as also on us in the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord...you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit” (Acts 11:15-16).
The second stage of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was accomplished in the house of Cornelius upon a group of Gentile believers who were representative of all the Gentiles, even those who believed before them, such as the Ethiopian eunuch. Cornelius was a centurion of the Italian cohort. His whole family was Gentile. The Lord opened the door for the Gentiles to believe in Him through those in the house of Cornelius. Therefore, Cornelius invited Peter, who held the keys to the kingdom of the heavens, to his house. Just as Peter opened the door for the Jews on the day of Pentecost, he opened the door for the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. Today when a Gentile believes in the Lord, he does not need to ask Peter to open the door, because the door was opened in the house of Cornelius. The Lord confirmed this fact while Peter was speaking by causing the Holy Spirit to fall upon those in Cornelius’s house, just as it fell upon the Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost. When Peter saw this, he remembered the Lord’s promise concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He realized that this was also the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Thus, on that day in Cornelius’s house the Lord baptized the Gentile believers in the Holy Spirit. Other than these two instances, the Holy Spirit did not fall upon man as He did on the day of Pentecost and in Cornelius’s house. The Bible speaks of these instances as the Lord baptizing people in the Holy Spirit. According to the principle of representation, just as the Lord baptized all the Jewish believers, past and present, in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, He also baptized all the Gentile believers, past and present, in the Holy Spirit in the house of Cornelius. In the Lord’s eyes all the Jewish believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and all the Gentile believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit in the house of Cornelius. Just as the Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost represented all Jewish believers throughout the ages, the Gentile believers in the house of Cornelius represented all Gentile believers throughout the ages.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit not being accomplished through the laying on of hands but by Christ, the Head, directly baptizing the church, the Body, in the Holy Spirit.
The incidents on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius involved two stages of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which together fulfilled the baptism in the Spirit. These two incidents did not occur through the laying on of hands. Instead, in both cases Christ, the Head of the church, directly baptized the church, His Body — including the Jewish and Gentile believers, both past and present — in the Holy Spirit. In this way Christ eternally fulfilled His promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit was accomplished by the Lord on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius. Consequently, the Bible refers to only these two cases as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Apart from these two instances, the Bible does not refer to any experience of the Holy Spirit falling upon man as the baptism in the Holy Spirit because the baptism in the Holy Spirit was completed on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius.
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit...This is what is spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh’”; “Having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this”; “The Holy Spirit fell upon all those hearing the word...On the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out” (Acts 2:4, 16-17, 33; 10:44-45).
These verses show that the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which was the Holy Spirit’s falling upon people and outwardly filling them, fulfilled the promise of God in the Old Testament to pour out the Holy Spirit. The pouring out was a pouring upon. God poured out the Holy Spirit upon people outwardly. Pouring out does not refer to the Holy Spirit entering into the believers. In the New Testament the pouring out of the Spirit upon people is mentioned only in Acts 2 and 10. Chapter 2 speaks of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost, and chapter 10 refers to the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the Gentile believers in the house of Cornelius. The Bible refers to the baptism in the Holy Spirit only in regard to the events on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius. Thus, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This indicates that the baptism in the Holy Spirit involves an outward filling rather than an inward filling, as people generally believe.
The fact of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
“In one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks” (1 Cor. 12:13).
When the Lord baptized the church in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius, the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon the church became an accomplished fact. Consequently, when we believe in the Lord, we partake of this accomplished fact whether we are a Jew or a Gentile. The Lord’s death on the cross also is an accomplished fact; consequently, whoever believes in the Lord partakes of the Lord and partakes of the fact of His death. Just as the Lord’s death is an accomplished fact, the baptism of the Spirit is an accomplished fact. Today people are joined to the Lord’s death and partake of His death when they believe in Him. In God’s eyes, according to the fact, they are already dead because they are joined to the Lord’s death. In the same way, once a person believes in the Lord and is joined to the church, which is the Body of Christ, he also receives and partakes of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is upon the church. In God’s eyes, according to the fact, he has already been baptized in the baptism of the Spirit, which was poured out upon the church. If a family receives a large inheritance, a child who is born as a member of the family will be able to partake of that inheritance. He inherits because he is a member of the inheriting family. May we see that the baptism of the Spirit and our co-death with Christ are accomplished facts. Once we believe in the Lord, we partake of these facts. Just as we died together with the Lord Jesus, we also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit when the church received the baptism of the Spirit. All the Jewish believers in the church were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and all the Gentile believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit in the house of Cornelius. When a Jew believes in the Lord, he partakes of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that the Jewish believers received on the day of Pentecost. When a Gentile believes in the Lord, he partakes of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that the Gentile believers received in the house of Cornelius. The entire church was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the baptism of the Spirit that was accomplished on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius. This is the reason that 1 Corinthians 12 says, “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks.” Those who are in the church were baptized in the Holy Spirit as a whole, corporately, and once for all, not individually or separately. All the believers in the church, regardless of when they live or where they live, partake of this accomplished fact.
The experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
“You shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now”; “The day of Pentecost was being fulfilled...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”; “The Holy Spirit fell on them just as also on us in the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord...You shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5; 2:1, 4; 11:15-16).
These verses in the Bible show that the baptism of the Spirit involved an experience of the outward filling of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius. When we are outwardly filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit of power falls upon us, we experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit involves receiving the Holy Spirit of power outwardly and being filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit.
The fact of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was accomplished once for all upon the church at Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius, but believers can experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit at any time and at any place.
The fact of the baptism of the Spirit was accomplished on the church once for all, but the experience of the baptism of the Spirit is not limited to one place or one time. Some believers experienced it nineteen hundred years ago, and some experience it today. According to the fact, all the believers who belong to the church were baptized in the Spirit at Pentecost or in the house of Cornelius, but according to experience, we all experience the baptism of the Spirit at different times and in different places. According to the fact, everyone was baptized together once for all in the Spirit, but according to experience, we can and should individually and repeatedly experience the baptism of the Spirit.
According to the fact, everyone who is saved and belongs to the church has partaken of the baptism in the Spirit, but according to experience, some have not experienced the baptism in the Spirit. Some do not even understand the baptism in the Spirit. Partaking of the fact of the baptism in the Spirit is one thing; experiencing the baptism in the Spirit is another. Although we have partaken of the baptism in the Spirit, some have not experienced it. For example, a young boy may inherit a large fortune but not enjoy it or even know of his inheritance. In fact and in name, he has received an inheritance, but in experience he has not enjoyed it because he is so young. His older brothers, however, will not only receive the inheritance in fact and in name but also enjoy the inheritance in their experience. When the young boy grows up, he can and should enjoy the inheritance as well. Some believers are like this young boy in regard to the baptism in the Spirit. Although the fact is theirs, they are lacking in experience. However, when they see the glorious fact and remove any hindrance that prevents them from experiencing this fact, they can experience this fact by faith.
The function of being filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit
Causing spiritual work to have power
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses...unto the uttermost part of the earth”; “As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled...They were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:8; 2:1, 4 see also Luke 24:49).
Being filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly is for our spiritual living and causes our spiritual life to mature. Being filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly is for our spiritual work and causes our spiritual work to have power. Being filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly for life is good, but it is not adequate for the work. Peter and the early apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly before the day of Pentecost, but they were unable to work for the Lord because they had not been filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly to work for the Lord in power. When they were filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly by receiving the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of power, they were empowered to do a great and efficacious work for the Lord.
The Holy Spirit within us causes us to repent, to listen to God’s word, and to know the Lord. The Holy Spirit upon us causes others to repent, to listen to God’s word, and to know the Lord. Many who are saved and come to the Lord are unable to bring others to salvation and to the Lord because they lack the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. They have the Holy Spirit inwardly but not outwardly. They are lacking in zeal and courage. They are embarrassed and regard the preaching of the gospel as a difficult matter. They are not released and do not have power. They are restrained, they retreat, and they cannot testify for the Lord. Those who receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit burn with zeal and have a double portion of boldness. When they preach the gospel, they are not embarrassed or afraid of difficulties. They are released and free, strong and empowered. They do not retreat but bravely testify for the Lord.
Many brothers and sisters read the Bible, pray, and truly love the Lord, but they are not released in their gospel preaching and are afraid to testify for the Lord. They even find it difficult to open their mouths in the meetings. This is because they have the Holy Spirit inwardly but not outwardly. If they pursue this matter, one day they will experience the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, and their spiritual condition will have a great change. They will be bolder, and they will become “thick-skinned.” They will testify to others and open their mouths in the meetings, and they will not have the slightest fear of preaching the gospel to a crowd or of speaking and singing on the streets. At Pentecost those unlearned Galilean fishermen received the outward filling of the Holy Spirit upon them, and they were greatly released. They did not have the slightest concern. They were not afraid of the opposition or the threatenings of those in authority. They had great power and boldness to testify for the Lord, and they influenced thousands of people. If the brothers and sisters in our gospel groups were all filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly, people would be moved whenever we went out. I truly hope that every brother and sister in a gospel group would pursue the outward filling of the Holy Spirit in order to be empowered. Once we are filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly, we will be released and bold. We will not be afraid. We will know only how to testify for the Lord and how to treasure people’s souls. When people meet us, they will be moved. If we want to testify and work for the Lord, we must seek the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. I hope that the brothers and sisters would pursue this matter in small groups consisting of a few saints. If we do not have the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, we will not have the power to work for the Lord. If we want to gain this power, we must pursue the outward filling of the Holy Spirit.
Proving the ascension of Jesus who was made Lord and Christ
“Having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear...Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified” (Acts 2:33, 36).
The outward filling with the Holy Spirit not only gives us power to testify for the Lord but also proves Jesus’ ascension and exaltation. Furthermore, the outward filling of the Holy Spirit empowers us by bringing us into a heavenly condition. The Holy Spirit who fills us outwardly has been poured out by the ascended Lord; He has come down from the ascended Lord, bringing the heavens and the Lord’s heavenly condition to us. When we receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, we feel as if we are in a heavenly condition. The exalted and glorified Lord Jesus upon His throne is before our eyes, enabling us to ignore every situation and difficulty on earth and to testify for the Lord in the heavens by the power from the heavens.
When the Holy Spirit falls upon us, not only do we feel our heavenly condition, but others can sense our heavenly condition. When the early apostles stood up on the day of Pentecost and testified of the ascended Lord, the listeners noticed their heavenly condition (v. 37). When the heavenly power was poured upon the apostles, others were affected by their heavenly condition. Thus, if we want to testify for the Lord in the heavens to enable people on earth to feel the reality in the heavens, we must be outwardly filled with the Holy Spirit in order to gain the heavenly power.
The patterns of the outward filling with the Holy Spirit
Peter and the disciples
“They were all together in the same place” (Acts 2:1).
Peter and the first one hundred twenty disciples were filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They pursued this matter together and received it together. When they received it, there was a sound out of heaven, as of a rushing violent wind, and the Holy Spirit filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues as of fire, which were distributed and sat on each one of them. They were all outwardly filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, even as the Spirit gave them to speak forth. They were in such a released condition that people jeered and said that they were full of new wine as if they were drunk. They not only received the Holy Spirit at this point, but they continued to be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit (4:8, 31).
The Samaritan believers
“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them...They believed...And they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:5, 12, 17).
When the early Samaritan believers believed and were baptized, the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon them. They did not obtain the outward filling of the Holy Spirit until Peter and John came to lay hands on them. At that point they received it, and when they did, others saw it.
Saul
“As he went...a light from heaven flashed around him...Ananias went away and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him, he said, Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me...so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:3, 17).
Saul (who later became Paul) repented and believed in the Lord on the road to Damascus. Three days later Ananias was sent by the Lord to lay hands on him. Then Saul received the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. When he was filled outwardly, he recovered his sight. He did not receive the outward filling only once; rather, he continued to be filled with the Holy Spirit (13:9).
The household of Cornelius
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those hearing the word” (Acts 10:44).
While Peter was preaching the gospel to those in the household of Cornelius, they heard, believed, and received the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. When they received this filling, they spoke in tongues and magnified God. Peter and the Jewish believers who came with him were witnesses of this filling.
The Ephesian believers
“When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
Twelve of the early Ephesian believers were like the Samaritan believers who believed in the Lord and were saved, but who did not receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. When Paul came and laid hands on them, however, they received the outward filling. At that time they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
The five preceding examples occurred after the day of Pentecost. Peter with the disciples and those in Cornelius’s house were the two groups of believers who received the outward filling of the Holy Spirit directly from Christ the Head. The rest were filled outwardly through the laying on of hands by those representing the Body of Christ.
Other examples
The New Testament gives three other examples of being filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost.
“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15).
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. Therefore, he was able to be a powerful witness who prepared the way of the Lord.
“Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41).
Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit when she heard the greeting of Mary, who was pregnant with the Lord Jesus. For this reason she could speak such a spiritual word in the following verses.
“Zachariah...was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied” (Luke 1:67, see also vv. 68-79).
Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day that John was named. Therefore, he could prophesy and utter high and spiritual praises.
Manifestations of the outward filling of the Holy Spirit
Speaking in tongues
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues”; “They heard them speaking in tongues” (Acts 2:4; 10:46 see also 19:6).
The disciples on the day of Pentecost, those in Cornelius’s house, and the Ephesian disciples all spoke in tongues when they were filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit. Thus, speaking in tongues is a manifestation of being filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit.
Prophesying
“The Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6 see also Luke 1:67).
When the Ephesian believers were filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit, they not only spoke in tongues but also prophesied. Thus, prophesying is another manifestation of being filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit.
Of the five examples of the outward filling of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts, speaking in tongues is mentioned only in regard to the disciples on the day of Pentecost, those in Cornelius’s house, and the Ephesian believers. The other two instances — the Samaritan believers in chapter 8 and Saul of Tarsus in chapter 9 — do not mention the matter of speaking in tongues. This shows that the manifestation of speaking in tongues is not required as a proof of the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. What the Bible does not record is as meaningful as what the Bible records. Therefore, we dare not preach, as certain groups preach, that a person must speak in tongues in order to be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit. This is not according to the record of the Bible in at least two cases in Acts.
Others can see it
“He has poured out this which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:33 see also 8:17-18).
When the disciples at Pentecost and the Samaritan believers were filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit, others saw it. This is certain. When a person is filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit, there will be a heavenly, spiritual condition that others can see.
The way to be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit
Repenting and dealing with sin
“Repent...each one of you...for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
When a person repents for the forgiveness of his sins, he receives the Holy Spirit. Thus, if we want to be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit, we must thoroughly repent and turn to God. We must confess all our sins before God and clear them up, dealing with them until we are clean. This is the first requirement.
Believing
When we repent and turn to God, after we have dealt with and cleared up our sins, we must believe that we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Since the baptism of the Spirit is a fact accomplished upon the whole church and we are part of the church, we have already participated in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This should be our enjoyment and experience. We should believe in what the Lord has accomplished and what the Lord has spoken concerning this fact. Then we should use faith to receive what the Lord accomplished according to His word.
Obeying
“The Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).
God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. Therefore, if we want to receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, we must obey God. We should obey and agree with what God wants us to do and with whatever He asks of us. Then we will be able to receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit.
Praying with one accord
“These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer” (Acts 1:14).
If we want to receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, we must pray individually, and we should pray together with one accord. The first group of people who were filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost prayed together in one accord for ten days before they richly received the outward filling.
Meeting to pursue
“As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1, 4).
At times we also need to meet together to pursue the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. The disciples on the day of Pentecost received the filling when they pursued in this way.
Through the laying on of hands
“Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit”; “Ananias...laying his hands on him...said...be filled with the Holy Spirit”; “When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 8:17; 9:17; 19:6).
These portions in the Bible show that the early Samaritan believers, Saul of Tarsus, and the Ephesian believers all received the outward filling of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. When new ones believe in the Lord and become a part of the Body, a representative of the Body should lay hands on them so that the anointing on the Body can flow to them. This is because the Holy Spirit has already flowed from Christ, the Head, to the church, the Body. Under normal conditions, believers will receive the Holy Spirit when a representative of the Body lays hands on them. Therefore, we should ask the Lord to bring us into a normal condition of having those among us who could represent the Body and lay hands on the brothers and sisters so that the anointing on the Body could flow greatly among us, causing many to receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit.
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