1)“Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive” (John 7:38-39).
Since the Holy Spirit in us is the Spirit of life, and since our being filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit is for the maturity in life, the manifestation of being filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit must be an abundant, overflowing expression of life, flowing as rivers of living water out of our innermost being.
1)“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).
The fruit of life borne by the Holy Spirit from within us, such as the different virtues listed in these verses, is also a manifestation of our being filled with the Holy Spirit.
1)“The flesh lusts against the Spirit...crucified the flesh” (Gal. 5:17-24).
Our flesh lusts against the Spirit. Therefore, in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must first receive the dealing with our flesh through our co-death with Christ on the cross. It is only when we put the flesh and all that is of the flesh to death in Christ’s death on the cross, not allowing the flesh and all that is of the flesh to have any place in us, that the Holy Spirit can gain ground in us, fully possessing us and filling us.
After we have received the cross’s dealing with the flesh, we still need to consecrate ourselves fully to the Lord for His use, at which time the Spirit of the Lord will possess us and fill us.
After we have dealt with the flesh and consecrated ourselves, we must then believe that:
1)The Holy Spirit will fill us-the Holy Spirit already lives in us, longs to fill us, and is waiting for us to give Him the ground. Now that we have thoroughly dealt with ourselves, giving all the ground to Him, He will surely come and fill us.
2)The Holy Spirit has filled us-since the Holy Spirit lives in us and longs and waits to fill us, once we empty ourselves and offer ourselves to Him, not only will He fill us, but He has already filled us. This is because once we are emptied and consecrated, He immediately fills us. This is not based upon feeling but based upon faith. Even if there is feeling, faith is still first, followed by the feeling.
1)“Do not walk according to flesh, but according to spirit...mind...the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4-5).
After we have received the dealing of the cross, consecrated ourselves, and believed, we still must walk according to spirit and not according to flesh, and we must mind the things of the Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit will possess and fill us within.
2)“Walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25).
If we truly walk according to spirit, we will surely walk by the Spirit, not doing anything by the flesh or by depending on the strength of the flesh. In this way, we not only can be filled with the Holy Spirit instantly, but we also can be full of the Holy Spirit constantly.
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