Lesson 3-6 - How You Can Continue to be Filled with the Holy Spirit

Objective: To experience the Spirit-filled life as a moment-by-moment reality.

Read: Acts chapter 10

21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.

How to Be Filled Continually - Part I
How to Be Filled Continually - Part II
Life Application

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. When you purchase a mechanical item that runs on batteries, 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. He came to live within you when you became a Christian, and Jesus promised that He will never leave you.

The moment you received Christ, the Holy Spirit not only came to indwell you, but He imparted to you spiritual life, causing you to be born anew as a child of God. The Holy Spirit also baptized you into the body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12:13, Paul explains, “We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body.”

There is but one indwelling of the Holy Spirit, one rebirth of the Holy Spirit, and one baptism of the Holy Spirit – all of which occur when you receive Christ.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is not a once-for-all experience. There are many fillings, as is made clear in Ephesians 5:18. (18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit)

How to Be Filled Continually - Part I

Read Ephesians 5:18.

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit

In the original Greek, “be filled” means “keep on being filled constantly and continually.” Living a godly life is a vital part of this process.

1. What characterizes the life of the Christian who is “being filled” constantly and continually?

John 15:1-11

1 ”I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 ”Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

9 ”I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

Galatians 5:16-25

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

2. Which two commandments do you think are most important to living the Spirit-filled life?

Matthew 22:36-40 36 ”Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Why?

3. In your own words, explain the concept of Spiritual Breathing (from the video at the beginning of this study).

Exhale:

I John 1:9. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Inhale:

Ephesians 5:18 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit

I John 5:14-15 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

4. How can Spiritual Breathing enable you to live a godly life and be filled continually with the Holy Spirit?

5. To be filled continually with the Holy Spirit, you must abide in Christ.

Read John 15:1-11.

How can you do that?

John 14:21, 15:10

14:21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

15:10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

What does the example of the vine and the branches in verses 1-8 mean to you in your Christian life?

How to Be Filled Continually - Part II

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Read Ephesians 4:25-32.

25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

How do you grieve the Holy Spirit? Which commandment in that list do you need to pay special attention to?
How can you get rid of the sin in your life? According to Romans 8:13, what does the Holy Spirit want for you?

13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
Spend time daily in prayer and Bible study. What do these verses teach about the role of prayer in the life of the Spirit-filled believer?

Hebrews 4:15-16 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

James 5:16 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

I Samuel 12:23 23 ”As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.

James 1:5 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Acts 4:31 31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

What do these verses tell us about the role of God’s Word in the Spirit-filled life?

Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

II Timothy 2:15 15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

II Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Obey God’s commandments. According to these verses, what role does obedience have in the Spirit-filled life?

John 14:15, 23-26 15 ”If you love me, obey my commandments.

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Witness for Christ. According to Acts 1:8, for what purpose was the Holy Spirit given?
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.