Be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18

I believe one of the chief reasons most Christians do not seek the filling of the Spirit is that they see it as unattainable, an ideal experience that is set before us as a goal, but not one that we should expect to ever measure up to. This is not entirely unreasonable, for it certainly is an ideal and, we hold our ideals in life often at a distance, far off, set upon a lofty pedestal or mountain where they are kept in perfect condition, not corrupted by our fallen world and weak characters.

But the filling of the Spirit is not only an ideal, nor even chiefly an ideal. The Spirit is not an idea to be cherished, but a Person to be known and experienced. And the filling of the Spirit is the experience in day to day living that we need, and which we are commanded to experience. Look again at the verse above and you will notice that it is a command, not a suggestion, and it is a passive command, not an active one. We are commanded to let God do something that He alone can do, not that we can achieve. So the filling of the Spirit is not something that we attain or aspire to or work to have come about. It is received through faith by grace and it is receivable right now because God has commanded us to live in this reality.

Let me ask you, is it reasonable that God would command us to experience something, to experience Someone, and not be willing to fulfill His part of the transaction? Is it logical that God who knows all and plans all and has all power would command us to live in a reality that He will unprepared to provide? If that were the case, then no one could ever live in the fullness of the Spirit, for it is an experience that must come from God and must be initiated and supported and performed by God. It does not matter one bit on our achievements, only on our faith, just as our salvation.

So the only question is are we willing to let Him do His work? Are we willing to believe that He wills to fill us with Himself and that He can fill us with Himself? The only condition we need to measure up to is humility, which includes admission of our moral failings, confession of our sins, and surrender to Him. And then to believe that He will do what He said He will do. He will fill you with His Spirit.

So, why not right now ask God to fill you? He is ready, willing, and able.