What's the difference between the Holy Spirit Baptism and Filling?
What is the difference, if any, between being filled with the Spirit and being baptized in the Holy Sprit?
There is a difference between the work of the Holy Spirit in Baptizing the believer and filling the believer.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Our initiation into the Body of Christ
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when we are united with Christ and become His eternal possession. It occurs only once at the time when a person understands and chooses the gospel of Jesus’ substitutionary death and resurrection. At this time we become part of the Universal Church or the Body of Christ also known as the Bride of Christ. From this moment on, the Believer will never have one ounce more of the Holy Spirit. There is no second installment. All of the power and presence of God available to man is now resident in you.
Filling of the Holy Spirit – Daily yielding to God’s control
The Filling of the Holy Spirit is a process by which the indwelt believer, who has already experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, must choose how much of his life he is willing to submit to the control of the Spirit. When you were baptized you received all of the Spirit and He promises never to leave you. He offers to control your desires, your resources and your understanding. But you may choose to deny His offer and follow your own sinful desires, allocate your resources as you like and rely on your own understanding.
The issue of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not getting more of the Spirit, but giving the Spirit more of you. In this way, being filled with the Spirit means being emptied of self.
The process of being “filled with the Spirit” is a matter of yielding your own will to His, denying self and following His leading. He is always willing to do His part, but He waits for you to choose to do yours. In this way, you remain in control of your own will, but can choose to yield your will to His. As often as you are aware of something in your life that is not completely in line with God’s will invite the Spirit to take-over that area and He promises to do it. Because of the sin nature’s presence in your life you will find that it’s necessary to ask the Holy Spirit to fill you over and over. This process may be necessary several times a day.
There is a difference between the work of the Holy Spirit in Baptizing the believer and filling the believer.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Our initiation into the Body of Christ
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when we are united with Christ and become His eternal possession. It occurs only once at the time when a person understands and chooses the gospel of Jesus’ substitutionary death and resurrection. At this time we become part of the Universal Church or the Body of Christ also known as the Bride of Christ. From this moment on, the Believer will never have one ounce more of the Holy Spirit. There is no second installment. All of the power and presence of God available to man is now resident in you.
Filling of the Holy Spirit – Daily yielding to God’s control
The Filling of the Holy Spirit is a process by which the indwelt believer, who has already experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, must choose how much of his life he is willing to submit to the control of the Spirit. When you were baptized you received all of the Spirit and He promises never to leave you. He offers to control your desires, your resources and your understanding. But you may choose to deny His offer and follow your own sinful desires, allocate your resources as you like and rely on your own understanding.
The issue of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not getting more of the Spirit, but giving the Spirit more of you. In this way, being filled with the Spirit means being emptied of self.
The process of being “filled with the Spirit” is a matter of yielding your own will to His, denying self and following His leading. He is always willing to do His part, but He waits for you to choose to do yours. In this way, you remain in control of your own will, but can choose to yield your will to His. As often as you are aware of something in your life that is not completely in line with God’s will invite the Spirit to take-over that area and He promises to do it. Because of the sin nature’s presence in your life you will find that it’s necessary to ask the Holy Spirit to fill you over and over. This process may be necessary several times a day.
posted by pastordan at 10:15 AM
5 Comments:
I am new to the site, and love what I am reading so far. God bless you in your ventures.
Sounds like this is what churches should be established to do: reach the people; and not focus on the building of bigger and bigger churches, who end up housing fewer and fewer people. Go to where the people are: the ones in desperate need.
Amen!
I agree with what I've read. This gave me a more understanding of the the difference between the two. thank you for the understanding now I know what to pray for. God bless u.
I agree with you, but can you give Scripture references to support this view? I have been challenged to do so myself and quite frankly, I'm having difficulty doing so.
I agree with you, but can you provide Scriptural support for this view? I have been challenged myself and am searching out support for this view, but quite frankly, I'm having difficulty doing so. So you if you have Scriptural support for this, please share it. Thank you.
I WAS ASKED TO TALK ABOUT SPEAKING IN TONGUES FOR THE ARGUMENT WAS SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS THE EVIDENCE THAT ONE IS BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND IT WAS AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION WHERE AS WE KEPT ON DISCUSSING WE DISCOVERED NOT EVERYBODY IS SUPPOSED TO SPEAK IN TONGUES ACCORDING TO APOSTLE PAUL, WE DISCOVERED PPL DON'T READ THEIR BIBLE BUT THEY BELIEVE WHAT THE ARE TOLD FROM THE PULPIT PPL OUT OF ASSUMPTION OR IGNORANT OR PRESURPOSITION OR ARGUING OUT OF WHAT THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THRU ONES ARGUMENT U SEE HOW THEY'VE NEVER DONE THERE OWN PERSONAL STUDY ABOUT THE SUBJECT THEY ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU'VE HARD IN THE PULPIT, NO WANDER MOST CHRISTIAN DECIDE TO FAKE TO FIT IN THE WAVE, PEOPLE ARE GETTING FRUSTRATED FOR NOT SPEAKING IN TONGUES, IF I MAY ASK ANOTHER QUESTION DO YOU PRAY TO GET A A SPIRITUAL GIFT OR A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO YOU GRACIOUSLY? WHY WOULD YOU FORCE BY PRAYER TO SPEAK IN TONGUES, IF ONE DOESN'T TODAY HE WILL TRY THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY AND SO ON? THE BIBLE STATES VERY CLEARLY HE GIVES ACCORDING TO THE WAY HE WILLS, IT IS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL(NOT ACCORDING TO "YOUR PRAYERS") 1COR 12,13,14 THESE VERSES ARE VERY CLEAR, ANY SPIRITUAL GIFT INCLUDING SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS NOT.... FOR ...... EVERYBODY TO HAVE IT, IT SAYS TO OTHERS HE GAVE.... TO OTHERS HE GAVE.... TO OTHERS HE GAVE..... I TOTALLY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE PASTORS READING IT, THAT ALL OUGHT TO SPEAK IN TONGUES. BUT EVERY BELIEVER IS BAPTIZED WITH THE SAME SPIRIT. ALL ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND BEING BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE FIRST STEP TO TAKE IS TO DEFINE WHAT BAPTISM IS, THEN BRING THE HOLY SPIRIT IN...WHEN A CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN BAPTIZED (IMMERSED/DEEPED,...) INTO THE SPIRIT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UNDERSTAND BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT AND INFILLING IN THE SPIRIT AND YOU WILL URGUE WITH UNDERSTANDING.... TO BREAK IT DOWN, WHEN A CHRISTIAN IS BORN AGAIN HE IS BAPTIZED/IMMERSED/DEEPED IN GOD.... BEHOLD THE OLD IS GONE, HE BECOMES NEW FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO WALK OR HANDLE A CHRISTIAN LIFE IT IS SIMPLY AN INITIATION INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST IT IS WHEN WE ARE UNITED WITH CHRIST AND BECOME HIS ETERNAL POSSESSION, IT HAPPENS ONCE IN A LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN (AS YOU'VE SAID EARLIER IN YOUR DISCUSSION)AND AS HE CONTINUES TO WALK WITH GOD HE KEEPS ON BEING FILLED WITH SPIRIT.... SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS NOT THE EVIDENCE OF BEING BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT!!!! WHAT WE SEE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS IS A TRANSITION, IF U KEEP ON STUDYING YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AS I TOLD YOU EARLIER, AT 1ST WHEN THEY SPOKE WITH OTHER TONGUES SOME PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, READ THAT IN ACTS 2, BY THE TIME WE ARE COMING TO PAUL HANDLING THE SUBJECT WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOBODY INCLUDING THE ONE UTTERING UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, SO PAUL IS BRINGING ORDER IN CHURCH BY HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT SPEAKING IN TONGUES OR GENERALLY ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS IS ALL ABOUT....... by george iravonga, iravonga2000@yahoo.com
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