My Quandary

Is the Holy Spirit present in us all the time, or does He somehow leak or diminish, making it necessary to ask to be filled with Him regularly and continuously?

My Questions:

1. How do we receive the Holy Spirit?

2. Who gives Him to us?

3. For how long do we receive the Holy Spirit?

4. What does the Holy Spirit do?

5. What must we do to have the Holy Spirit on an ongoing basis?

Confusion has recently caused me to dig deeper into my understanding of the Holy Spirit, his presence in us, his role, and our/my responsibility.

There was a teaching at our church (maybe three years ago) that we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit repeatedly. It was stated that the Holy Spirit ‘leaks’ from us, and in time, it could completely leak out if we do not ask to be filled again and again.

Therefore, I am seeking to understand the following:

A. Do we need to be filled with the spirit repeatedly? Do we need to ask God to fill us continually?

Or,

B. Once given the Holy Spirit, He resides within us. He does not ‘leak out’ or ‘diminish’ somehow. However, it is our responsibility to yield, be open, and be obedient to His leading, teaching, and counsel on a daily basis.

And finally,

C. I need to understand why Paul had to lay his hands (Acts 19:6[1]) on believers for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Is the laying on of hands necessary today? Do we not receive the Holy Spirit upon our conversion? (regeneration)

My Current Understanding and Subsequent Confusion

I understand that we receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit then resides within us for the rest of our lives, acting as our teacher, counselor, guide, and so much more. Our role is to yield to Him to lead a life worthy of Christ’s sacrifice.

My confusion arose when it was preached in our church that we need to ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit on a regular basis, as if the Holy Spirit’s presence leaks or somehow diminishes from us over time. Personally, I find this hard to believe and understand. I believe that when Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit, it is given fully for our lives and into eternity.

If the Holy Spirit's work within us leaks or diminishes, it is due to our lack of yielding to His work and influence in our lives. We are the ones who need to check our behavior and ourselves. We must seek to listen to and follow the Spirit’s guidance, counsel, and wisdom. The more we yield to Him, the more He works within us. The Holy Spirit is always there.

He is our mark, which identifies us as being Christ’s. We are free to choose how available and yielded we are to Him.

In other words, one can be a Christian and not yield to the Spirit within them, therefore not exhibiting Christ-like character and the fruits of the Spirit. This is not God’s plan, and it will be for us to give an accounting to Christ for our decisions and actions.

Examining the Scriptures

The Holy Spirit is given to us at our conversion or regeneration, as some would say. That is when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior and Lord. The following scriptures support this.

Acts 2:38-39
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Jesus Bible)

Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to us:

John 16:7
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (Jesus Bible)

“He is present in every true believer today. And so His Power is available today.” Billy Graham[2]

“In summation, broadly speaking, the operation of the Holy Spirit among men in the three periods of human history may be defined by three words: 'upon,' 'with,' and 'in.” In the Old Testament, He came upon selected persons and remained for a season (Judg. 14:19). In the Gospels, He is represented as dwelling with the disciples in the person of Christ (John 14:17). From the second chapter of Acts onward He is spoken of as being in the people of God (1 Cor. 6:19). Billy Graham[3], pg. 38.

My Questions:

1. How do we receive the Holy Spirit?

We receive the Holy Spirit when we are born again after we have asked God to forgive our sins, repent of them, and ask Jesus to become the Lord and Savior of our lives.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Jesus Bible)

Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Jesus Bible)

2. Who gives Him to us?

It is a free gift from God through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Jesus sent his Spirit to us to act as our helper, guide, teacher, counselor, etc. (John 16:7)

Titus 3:4-7
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Jesus Bible)

3. For how long do we receive the Holy Spirit?

“When a person is born again… the Spirit of God takes the Word of God and makes the Child of God. We are born again through the operation of the Holy Spirit, who, in turn, uses the divinely inspired Word of God. God’s Spirit brings life to men. At that point, the Holy Spirit indwells a person for life. (Emphasis added) He receives eternal life.” Billy Graham,[4] pg 56

4. What does the Holy Spirit do?

The Holy Spirit has a three-fold ministry

In the World

• Convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11[5])

• Acts as a restrainer, holding back the growth of lawlessness (and sin) (2Thes 2:7[6])

In the Church

• Through the Holy Spirit’s work, the church came into being (1Cor 12:13,14)[7]

• By the Spirit, God lives in the Church (Eph 2:22)[8]

• Spirit gives gifts to each believer for the equipping of His people, as the Church needs (Eph 4:12)[9]

In the Believer

• Through the Spirit, Christ lives in you (Rom 8:10[10], Gal 2:20[11], 1Cor 6:19[12]); so we are the dwelling place of the Spirit, since he lives in us!

• Illuminates / enlightens the Christian’s mind (1Cor 2:10[13], Rom 12:2[14], Eph 4:23[15])

• Comforts - Acts 9:31[16]

• Guides John - John 16:13[17]

• Sanctifies - Rom 15:16[18]

• Strengthens us, intercedes for us – Rom 8:26[19]

• Searches all things and reveals truth to us - 1 Cor 2:10[20]

• Teaches us - 1 Cor 2:13[21]

• Among other things.

5. Our part... what do we need to do to have the Holy Spirit on an ongoing basis?

The Holy Spirit is not some magic bullet, a thing to be purchased or bargained for. He is a person and part of the Holy Trinity of God! So, you can’t pass him around as if it were a thing that is shared, like a bowl of candy. You cannot impart him to another person, like a vapor or some such thing. No! The Holy Spirit is God!

The Holy Spirit is given to us to reside within us. He was sent by Jesus. He is present in the world and in us! He does not diminish or leak out. He carries enormous power that He makes available to us when we are fully yielded to Him.

If the Spirit is somehow diminished in us, it is entirely our own doing. It happens when we don’t yield to His wisdom, guidance, and counsel, when we ignore Him, and when we quench His activity in our lives.

“We must make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit so that when He fills us, we will become vessels of blessing to the world…” Billy Graham[22], pg 99

So, once the Holy Spirit is given to us and becomes resident in us - as in all believers in Christ Jesus - He is forever ours and present. The only thing we can do is yield to His activity in our lives.

What about the concept of being continually filled or receiving a special anointing?

In his book The Holy Spirit, Billy Graham makes a statement that confuses me when commenting on Ephesians 5:18. In the original Greek language Paul used, “Be filled with the Spirit” actually means continuously being filled. We are not filled once and for all, like a bucket. Instead, we are to be constantly filled. It might be translated as “Be filled and keep on being filled” or “Be being filled.”

Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (Jesus Bible)

Some theologians and scripture teachers interpret the last part of this passage as ‘be being filled’ with the Spirit. As if one had to continually make an effort to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the part I am struggling with. On one hand, Billy Graham says:

“We must make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit so that when He fills us we will become vessels of blessing to the world…” Billy Graham[23], pg 99

So, we are told that we are to be vessels of blessing to the world when the Holy Spirit fills us. However, does that mean that we lose that ability over time? Does the Holy Spirit leak out or diminish within us? Do we somehow use up our supply?

I don’t see that. John MacArthur, in his commentary on this scripture verse, says the following:

Ephesians 5:18 Commentary by John MacArthur
True communion with God is not induced by drunkenness but by the Holy Spirit. Paul is not speaking of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (Ro 8:9[24]) or the baptism by Christ with the Holy Spirit (1Co 12:13[25]), because every Christian is indwelt and baptized by the Spirit at the time of salvation.

He is rather commanding believers to live continually under the influence of the Spirit by letting the Word control them (see note on Col 3:16[26]), pursue pure lives, confess all known sin, die to self, surrender to God’s will, and depend on His power in all things.

Being filled with the Spirit is living in the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, letting His mind, through the Word, dominate everything that is thought and done. Being filled with the Spirit is the same as walking in the Spirit (see notes on Gal 5:16–23). Christ exemplified this way of life (Lk 4:1). (MacArthur Study Bible Notes NIV) (Underline and bold font is my addition)

I am very much in agreement with John MacArthur and his interpretation of scripture. He states that ‘being filled with the Spirit means to live in the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ’ and allow Him to dominate everything that we think and do. We are not to either quench (resist or refuse his counsel) or grieve (deny his power and existence and His source, being the Lord Jesus Christ) the Holy Spirit.

It is not a continual effort to be filled. We receive the Spirit once and for all. We are then to live continually under His influence. That means yielding to His leading, guidance, instruction, and correction in all we do daily.

Billy Graham put a secondary twist or nuance to the term ‘being filled with the Spirit’, in his book, The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life (1988). He says: “… to be full of the Spirit seems to me to refer to the ‘state of being’ of the believer.” As stated before, I understand and accept that a believer receives the Holy Spirit at conversion. The believer does not receive a part of the Spirit… but the entire being.

Mr. Graham goes on to say… “However, for them to be 'filled with the Spirit' might also refer to a particular and occasional empowering or anointing for special purposes or tasks.” Then, later on in his book, he says, “I believe God gives us the strength of the Holy Spirit commensurate with the tasks He gives us… When God calls us to any task, He also supplies the power for that task.”

Work of the Spirit in Us is Commensurate With Our Assignment

I agree with Mr. Graham here. I believe God gives us whatever we need to complete a task assigned by Him. When we walk in obedience to God’s will and do as He directs us, He gives us, through His Holy Spirit, the tools we need to complete it, including Spiritual wisdom, guidance, knowledge, discernment, understanding, and so on. Under those circumstances, those things may come to us for a time to accomplish that calling or task.

If that is called anointing or being filled with the Spirit, then it is a matter of word semantics, for we may lack the words needed to describe what God is doing in us and with us through the action of the Holy Spirit.

The power of the Holy Spirit is inexhaustible! He is God. Eternally powerful. Eternally present. Eternally inexhaustible. He always gives us what we need.

Don’t Limit God

My desire is NOT to put God in a box and limit His work just because I believe one interpretation over another. God is almighty in power and can do whatever He wants when He wants. My role and calling as a follower of Christ is to yield to the Spirit’s work within me, to follow Christ’s teaching and leading, and to be a disciple in a spiritually dark world, bringing Christ’s light into the darkness.

I desire to honor God with all I do, reflecting His light and truth to the world. My hope is to be an instrument of God.

Being Filled with the Spirit

So, now we are getting to the crux of the matter. What does being filled with the Spirit mean?

Dr. Jeremiah says: 4. We are filled by the Spirit. There are ten references in the New Testament to people being “filled with the Holy Spirit”—from John the Baptist (Luke 1:15) to Jesus (Luke 4:1) to the apostles (Acts 2:4; 4:8) to the Church (Acts 4:31) and others in between. In every case, the reference accompanies some dynamic act, event, or word of power or consequence.

Our responsibility is to remain filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) by not grieving (Ephesians 4:30) or quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19) the Spirit.

This I agree with. We are to remain filled with the Spirit by not grieving or quenching Him and by being fully yielded to His work within us. Paul, in Ephesians, is “giving a command for believers to live continually under the influence of the Spirit by letting the Word control them (see note on Col 3:16), pursuing pure lives, confessing all known sin, dying to self, surrendering to God’s will, and depending on His power in all things.” (MacArthur *[27] Commentary on Eph 5:18)

Additionally, MacArthur clarifies that “Being filled with the Spirit is living in the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, letting His mind, through the Word, dominate everything that is thought and done. Being filled with the Spirit is the same as walking in the Spirit (see notes on Gal 5:16–23).”

What is a Dynamic Act?

Earlier in my notes, I quoted Dr. Jeremiah, who describes some of the Holy Spirit's work as a dynamic act (dynamic act, event, or word of power or consequence). What does that mean? Unfortunately, Dr. Jeremiah does not expound on that statement, so I am trying to dig further.

Billy Graham (above notes) says: “I believe God gives us the strength of the Holy Spirit commensurate with the tasks He gives us… When God calls us to any task He also supplies the power for that task.” (Notes above)

So, when we are given a special task, does the spirit then supply us with the power to complete that task over and above what we normally need? Does he give us a greater understanding of His Word, more impact on what we are doing, or a greater consequence of our actions?

With everything I have read so far, I think the answer is YES.

Is it a greater filling? I’m not sure about that, for it would mean that I had not received the full Holy Spirit but only a partial amount, which, as I said before, I don’t think is possible because He is a person and not a thing to be divided. I think it is a greater release of the power that is within us under the direction of the Holy Spirit resident within every Christian, commensurate with what we need to accomplish/carry out the assignment.

Does that make it dynamic? Quite possibly. It is the work of God, so why not?

Can we pass on the Holy Spirit to Others?

This finally brings me to my final dilemma: passing on the Holy Spirit to others. In Acts 19:6, Paul laid his hands on fellow believers, and only then did they receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:6
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Jesus Bible)

Even after reading commentaries, I am still somewhat confused, but here is what I think is happening here: These believers had become followers of Christ before his death. This means the Holy Spirit had not been made available to them at their conversion. However, when Paul then visited with them and asked them if they’d received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they had not. So, by laying his hands on them, God allowed the Holy Spirit to then fill them. This was a way of leveling things out, from my perspective.

It’s like a grandfathering clause that allows the past to become the present. However, once that group of believers was gone, there would be no further need to impart the Holy Spirit to others, for they would have received it at the time of their conversion, as we do now. So, Paul’s ability to pass on the Holy Spirit was a temporary ability God granted him. Paul, and possibly the other apostles of Christ, were the instruments by which the playing field was leveled out.

So, can we today pass on the Holy Spirit from one person to the next?

Here is something that truly confuses me when people talk about passing the Holy Spirit around. With all that I have understood, the Holy Spirit is a gift from Jesus Christ to us. It is His Spirit dwelling within us. He comes to us at our conversion, when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior and the Lord of our lives. We then have the privilege of His counsel, guidance, teaching, and so on.

So then, can we just pass Him on to others? Can we hand him from one person to the next? Can we lay our hands on someone and have that person receive the Holy Spirit?

NO!!!!!!

I don’t believe that. If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, he does not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. That person has not made a confession of faith, nor has he asked Christ into his life. So, no, we cannot just give him the Holy Spirit. It is the work of God!

Receiving the Holy Spirit is only done at the time of our conversion. It is a gift from God to us through the work of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not ours to give and pass around.

Personal Conclusions

1. The Holy Spirit “has come that we might glorify God.” (Graham[28]) (John 16:14[29]) So, if that is one of the Holy Spirit's roles, why would he come partially to us, and why would we continually need to be filled?

2. The Holy Spirit also has the role of bearing witness to Christ. (John 15:26[30])

Billy Graham makes a profound statement and asks a question: “I believe this is one of the tests of a Spirit-filled life. Is Christ becoming more and more evident in my life? Are people seeing more of Him and less of me?”

That is the crux of our walk with Christ. Are people seeing more of Him in my life and less of me?

Is my theology and grappling with what others say truly reflective of God’s calling in my life? Am I, as a Christian, yielding to the Spirit’s leading in my life? If not, then I need to. I need to get out of the way so that God’s purpose for my life can be fulfilled. If I don’t, then I may lose the chance to be used by God to enlarge His kingdom. What a personal loss that would be.

So, going forward, I desire to yield daily to the Spirit’s leading, letting Him guide me in all that I do, encouraging, teaching, counseling, or reprimanding me when I have strayed.

“We must make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit so that when He fills us we will become vessels of blessing in the world,…”Billy Graham[31]

3. Filled once, continually yielded.

However, contrary to Billy Graham and possibly Dr. Jeremiah, I do not believe I need to ask for God to fill me with His Holy Spirit all the time, for He has given me the Holy Spirit, and He is resident within me all the time. He does not leave me or diminish or leak out of me. He is ever-present. But I believe the Holy Spirit works and acts in a capacity that is commensurate with what I am called to do. Sometimes, he is more evident and active than others.

In conclusion, I have found Dr. Jeremiah's summary of the work of the Holy Spirit within the believer to be concise and accurate. These statements sum up what I understand and accept.

1. We are born of the Spirit. When Jesus explained to the Pharisee Nicodemus what it meant to be “born again” (John 3:3), He referred to the new birth as being “born of the Spirit” (verse 6; also, Galatians 4:29). Before believing in Christ, we were “dead in [our] trespasses” (Colossians 2:13), but the Holy Spirit took up residence in us, giving us new life (being reborn).

2. We are indwelt by the Spirit. Six times, in five different verses, the New Testament says the Spirit of God “dwells in you” (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:14; James 4:5). Simply stated, if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. At this very moment, the Spirit of God is helping you understand and apply what you are reading—a permanent, live-in Counselor (or “Helper”; John 14:16).

3. We are baptized by the Spirit. Every Christian has been “baptized into one body”—the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). That means you are a hand, eye, foot, mouth, or some other part of Christ’s Body (1 Corinthians 12:14-27). Everything you do affects every other member of the Body; no more “Lone Ranger” Christianity—we are part of each other.

4. We are filled by the Spirit. There are ten references in the New Testament to people being “filled with the Holy Spirit”—from John the Baptist (Luke 1:15) to Jesus (Luke 4:1) to the apostles (Acts 2:4; 4:8) to the Church (Acts 4:31) and others in between. In every case, the reference accompanies some dynamic act, event, or word of power or consequence. Our responsibility is to remain filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) by not grieving (Ephesians 4:30) or quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19) the Spirit.

5. We are illuminated by the Spirit. Paul says that in Christ, “the eyes of [our] understanding [have been] enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). Things that seemed foolish to us before now make perfect spiritual sense. The Holy Spirit makes God’s truth clear to speakers (1 Corinthians 2:13) and hearers. If you have Christ, you have the Spirit—and the ability to discern spiritual truth.

6. We walk in the Spirit. Paul set up a logical progression for the Galatians: “If we live in the Spirit, [then] let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). Walking in the Spirit is an ongoing life of obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord after trusting Him as Savior and receiving the Spirit of Christ who lives within.

7. We exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. The evidence that we belong to Christ is the transformation wrought by the Spirit in the form of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—the fruit of the Spirit (John 13:35; Galatians 5:22-23). We have the privilege of being “ambassadors for Christ” on earth (2 Corinthians 5:20), revealing His character by means of the fruit of the Spirit. (NOTE: The information above is from the Turning Point Magazine, from Dr. Jeremiah on the Holy Spirit.)

Questions to ask:

Have you given the Holy Spirit access and made Him welcome?

Are you fully yielding to the Holy Spirit’s work within you?

Are you enjoying all the benefits of having the Holy Spirit in your life?

Do you know the peace that comes in times of difficulty as you trust His guidance?

Do you respond to his leading and see the fruit of your labor?

Are people drawn to you because you reflect Christ?

Etc.

References:

[1] Acts 19:6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (NIV - Jesus Bible)

[2] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg. 15

[3] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg 38.

[4] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg 56

[5] John 16:7-11 — 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (Jesus Bible)

[6] 2 Thessalonians 2:7 — 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. (Jesus Bible)

[7] 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 — For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (Jesus Bible)

[8] Ephesians 2:22 — 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Jesus Bible)

[9] Ephesians 4:12 — 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Jesus Bible)

[10] Romans 8:10 — 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. (Jesus Bible)

[11] Galatians 2:20 — 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Jesus Bible)

[12] 1 Corinthians 6:19 — 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (Jesus Bible)

[13] 1 Corinthians 2:10 — 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (Jesus Bible)

[14] Romans 12:2 — 2 Do not conform 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. (Jesus Bible)

[15] Ephesians 4:23 — 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (Jesus Bible)

[16] Acts 9:31 — 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (Jesus Bible)

[17] John 16:13 — 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

[18] Romans 15:16 — 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Jesus Bible)

[19] Romans 8:26 — 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Jesus Bible)

[20] 1 Corinthians 2:10 — 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (Jesus Bible)

[21] 1 Corinthians 2:13 — 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. (Jesus Bible)

[22] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg 99

[23] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg 99

[24] Romans 8:9 — 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Jesus Bible)

[25] 1 Corinthians 12:13 — 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (Jesus Bible)

[26] Colossians 3:16 — 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Jesus Bible)

[27] Ephesians 5:18 - from John MacArthur Commentary
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. See notes on Ac 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3. True communion with God is not induced by drunkenness, but by the Holy Spirit. Paul is not speaking of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (Ro 8:9) or the baptism by Christ with the Holy Spirit (1Co 12:13), because every Christian is indwelt and baptized by the Spirit at the time of salvation. He is rather giving a command for believers to live continually under the influence of the Spirit by letting the Word control them (see note on Col 3:16), pursuing pure lives, confessing all known sin, dying to self, surrendering to God’s will, and depending on His power in all things. Being filled with the Spirit is living in the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, letting His mind, through the Word, dominate everything that is thought and done. Being filled with the Spirit is the same as walking in the Spirit (see notes on Gal 5:16–23).

[28] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg 103

[29] John 16:14 — 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. (Jesus Bible)

[30] John 15:26 — 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. (Jesus Bible)

[31] The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Dallas, 1988. Pg 99