We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. How did you become a Christian? By faith. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.""So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him."
You receive Christ by faith. You live by faith. Everything you receive from God, from the moment of your spiritual birth until you die, is by faith. Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? You can be filled right now, by faith.
You do not have to beg God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. You do not have to barter with Him by fasting or weeping or begging or pleading. For a long period of time, I fasted and cried out to God for His fullness. Then one day I discovered from the Scriptures that the"just shall live by faith."
An Illustration of Faith.. Suppose that you want to cash a check for a hundred dollars. Would you go to the bank where you have several thousand dollars on deposit, place the check on the counter, get down on your knees, and beg,"Oh, please, Miss Teller, cash my check?" No, that is not the way you cash a check. You simply go in faith, place the check on the counter, and you wait for the money which is already yours. Then you thank the teller and go on your way.
Millions of Christians are begging God, as I once did, for something which is readily available -- just waiting to be appropriated by faith. They are seeking some kind of emotional experience, not realizing that such an attitude on their part is an insult to God -- a denial of faith. But faith is the only way you can please God.
Though you are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and faith alone, it is important to recognize that several factors contribute to preparing your heart for the filling of the Spirit. First, you must desire to live a life that will please the Lord. You have the promise of our Savior,"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Second, be willing to surrender your life totally and irrevocably to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:1, 2:"I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Third, confess every known sin which the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and experience the cleansing and forgiveness which God promises in 1 John 1:9:"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
I call this process"Spiritual Breathing." Just as you exhale and inhale physically, so you also breathe spiritually. You exhale spiritually when you confess your sins.
The Command and the Promise
If you have wronged a brother or have taken that which is not rightfully yours, the Holy Spirit may lead you to make restitution to right your wrong. If so, obey Him, or you will miss His blessing. The blessings of the fullness of God's Spirit come only to those who willingly obey Him.
Jesus promised,"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
Again, you are not filled with the Holy Spirit because you desire to be filled nor because you confess your sins or present your body a living sacrifice -- you are filled by faith.
There are two very important words to remember.
The first iscommand. In Ephesians 5:18, God commands you to be filled:"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Not to be filled, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit is disobedience.
The other word ispromise -- a promise that makes the command possible:"This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him."
Now, is it God's will for you to be filled and controlled by Him? Of course it is -- for it is His command! Then right now you can ask God to fill you -- not because you deserve to be filled, but on the basis of His promise.

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. When you purchase a mechanical item that runs on battery power, frequently the notice"Batteries Not Included" is printed on the box. The Holy Spirit -- your Source of power for living -- is"included" when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Therefore, you do not need to invite Him to come into your life. Ask God in faith today . - Bill Bright.


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