Wednesday, July 26, 2006

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.