How to Receive the Fullness of the Holy Spirit

The bible shows us seven clear requirements for receiving an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. These requirements or conditions apply for someone receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit for the first time. They are also very helpful for anyone wanting to continually be, being filled with the Holy Spirit as we are told we should be in Ephesians 5:18.

1. Repent

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.” Acts 2:38-39

Repentance is essential for becoming a Christian and we have already looked at this in a previous blog (Repentance).

However, for a believer, repentance is an ongoing necessity in our daily life. As we have already discovered, repentance means to have a change of mind and direction. Just by realising that we need more of the fullness of the Holy Spirit is an act of repentance in itself.

We need to examine ourselves and also ask the Lord to reveal if there is anything that we are doing that is grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

It is also possible that we might be doing something that is hindering or suppressing the work of the Holy Spirit. The bible states that we are not to quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

2. Be Baptized

Acts 2:38 showed us the first requirement is to repent but it also shows us the second condition and that is that we should be baptized in water. Have you been baptized yet? We will look at this in more detail in a future blog. It is not essential for salvation that a person is baptized. However, if we are to be obedient to what Jesus, our Lord wants us to do, then clearly it should be a believers top priority to do so as quickly as practicable.

Even, if like me, you have been baptized already, it is very useful to think about and consider well, what baptism symbolises. We were buried with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4 also Colossians 2:12) Can I say “amen” and say that what Paul said in Galatians 2:20 does also apply to me?

3. Ask God

“So, I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

Jesus had to ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it makes sense that we too should ask to receive that precious gift of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16).

These verses in Luke are meant to reassure anyone who might be a little fearful of receiving a full immersion or baptism in the Holy Spirit. After all, does not perfect love cast out fear (1 John 4:18).

4. Be Thirsty

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39

Are you thirsting to be full of the Holy Spirit? I know I am! This then is our fourth requirement of getting an infilling of the Spirit.

Let’s be honest, without the Holy Spirit and His fullness in us, we will not be able have victory over besetting sins in our life and we will certainly not be able to help or minister to anyone else effectively.

I once spent 6 months travelling around Africa and one of the highlights for me was the two week crossing of the Sahara desert. Every morning, I had to drink about 8 pints of water just to be able to function normally. Prior to drinking that much, I learnt first hand what it’s like to suffer dehydration in the desert and it wasn’t pleasant at all. Therefore, if we want to avoid ‘dry patches’ in our Christian walk, we do well to drink daily from the well and be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit.

5. Come to Jesus

As we just read in John 7:37, we need to come to Jesus and ask Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit. As John the Baptist told us, it is Jesus who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11).

6. Drink

John 7:37 states that we must thirst for the Holy Spirit and come to Jesus; then it says we must drink.

Just as in the natural, there are different ways to drink, so it is in the spiritual. For example, when coming to a brook to drink, some people might choose to scoop water up and drink with their hands; some might just lick the water up directly from the brook (see Judges 7:5).

So, sometimes when I come to “drink”, I might just have my arms open with my hands open to receive. Other times, I might just sit and pray in tongues. You might like to listen to some worship songs and have an attitude of openness to receive from the Lord. I don’t think there are any hard and fast ‘rules’ just as long as we come and ‘drink’.

7. Present Your Body to God

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; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:13

These verse clearly show us that our bodies are meant to be temples for the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is vital that we treat our bodies in the light of this. If we want to be vessels that can hold the presence of the Holy Spirit, we need to ensure that we are honouring God with every part of our bodies.

The bible shows us the most difficult part of our bodies to put under the subjection of the Lordship of Christ:

but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8

However, it is a very interesting fact that if you do a a study, particularly in the book of Acts, you will discover that the evidence of someone being filled with the Holy Spirit is through a person’s tongue; through speech, prophecy, singing or speaking in other tongues.

Here is a summary of the conditions:

1) Repent
2) Be Baptized
3) Ask God
4) Be Thirsty
5) Come to Jesus
6) Drink
7) Present Your Body to God

One final thought on receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit; Jesus said “rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38).

We are meant to be rivers not lakes (or a Loch, if you live in Scotland!)

Therefore, now that we have received the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, how are we going to use the overflow to be a blessing to others and to further the Kingdom of God?