[Pastor Ralph]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)? Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit? Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?

[Jezemeg]

I believe that being 'filled with the Spirit' means allowing yourself to continually surrender everything to God as they are revealed to you by the Holy Spirit. Don't hold onto anything not of Christ just because you feel that it is 'harmless' or has some 'value' as far as this world is concerned. This is a continuing experience, unless we are willing to totally submit to God everyday, holding back nothing we do not remain 'Spirit filled'...we block the healing force of the Holy Spirit.
To me, this is slightly different to being filled with the fullness of God, which happens after one has surrendered their own will to God. The Holy Spirit reveals one's weaknesses so that we can all repent of our wrongdoings and stand in righteousness before God. After we've surrendered our will completely, it is then that God's wonders are exhibited through us...in otherwords God uses our actions to display His overwhelming Love and Grace. It is not necessary that we understand the reason behind God requiring something of us, it is important only that we remain in the state of righteousness and are willing to be obedient when God calls us.

[Ken7]

The story is - at the Revival a church leader prayed; "Fill me Lord!" and someone yelled back; "Don't bother he leaks!".

To be filled to Gods "Full Measure" is a sanctification process that will last my lifetime and still will not be complete. The key is - don't stifle this process with waste and too much inactive time - the clock is ticking.

Gods gave me every gift when I first believed but to have a fresh touch - to open another door God wants into is a daily activity. It is also nightly for me ...God speaks clearly to my heart when I am quiet.

[charisbarak]

We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit when we are "converted." The fullness is the amount of my life I am willing to let His Holy Spirit control me. Sometimes, it's more; sometimes, it's less.

I sometimes get the "bug" to clean out a certain room in the house. I throw out stuff, rearrange other things, deep clean the area. The same is true for each area (room) of my life. There is a time to grow, to relinquish space to God, rearrange my time & priorities, & deep clean that certain area of my life to make it habitable for God to live in, fill & use.

I want to know Him more intimately...

[pickledilly]

Having the Spirit come to take up residence in your heart is a one-time experience at the moment of salvation. Nowhere does the Word say there's some 2-part process of receiving the Spirit. But being filled with the Spirit is a continual reality in the daily call to die to self so that the life and character of Christ might grow more and more in the believer.

This progressive submission of body, mind, will, and emotions gives access and freedom for the Spirit to do His work of transformation in me. The Holy Spirit is united with my spirit, but my natural outer self is an unfit and unholy environment for God's fullness. His central goal is to gently expose my sins, lead me to repentance, cleanse me, and make me like Christ. Every time I study His Word, spend time communing with the Father in prayer, give up a desire of mine for one of His, choose to demonstrate love instead of anger, or offer Him praise in the face of great trial, I'm opening the door for the Spirit to move into another area of my life and fill it with Himself - bringing what's in my inner being through to my outer being. Less of me and more of Him is the method of filling. I guess I'd have to say the main thing required is obedience and release of control on my part.

I really like the quote Pastor Ralph used: "Give all you know of yourself to all you know of God." Greater knowledge of Him should lead to greater love for Him that leads to greater submission to Him.

I don't really see a reference in verse 16 to being filled with the Spirit. To me, it refers to the truth that the Spirit's presence within brings strengthening power. Verse 19 tells me that fully knowing the love of Christ is the key to being filled with that power (along with the holiness of God and all that is to be gained by His covenant promises) to whatever capacity is possible in a human vessel. The presence of the Spirit's power makes it possible to be filled with the fullness of all God has for me.

[JustJeff]

Ah, filled with the Spirit! A time when every thought is brought into captivity, and every emotion is under control of the Holy Spirit. When we are no longer a fleshly, lustful, human being, but a Spiritual being, totally and utterly at the service of our Blessed Redeemer, giving Him all the praise, all the glory, all the honor for only He is worthy.
Alas, now it is for a moment. We return to our human state, having tasted of that which is to come. We continue forward, knowing more clearly of that which awaits and as we grow in the Lord, by continuing is His Word and allowing the fullness of God to gain dominion over our being, we become more Spiritual and preparing for the time when we will be Spirit filled for evermore. Amen.

[masika]

Bibles says that Holy Spirit is the Spirit Of God or a part of trinity or triune of God. What a joy when God Himself comes and dwells in us, what a joy when God come and dwells in our fragile body. We have to be filled with Holy Spirit so that God can get control of our life. This should be life thing not just for a while or a season.
Bible clearly says that a person who is saved or blood washed , a person whose sins are forgiven are eligible for this great exprerience.

[Patricia A. Conti]

To be filled with the Spirit is an ongoing reality. To study and learn more about our God, to continue to increase our knowledge about God and change our lives accordingly is a continuus process to be lived out, day after day. Only in this continued growing in God's Word and adjusting the way we live accordingly can we be filled with the fullness of God.

[kiqstart]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)? Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit? Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?


I believe it is a never ending thing, and at times it just seems to be more evident. I find myself on a spiritual high during special events, however the Holy Spirit is always with me.

[haar]

To be "filled with the Spirit" means to allow the Holy spirit to have absolute/ total control of our hearts. This enables us to live by the power of the spirit, obey by the power of the spirit, love by the power of the spirit, forgive by the power of the spirit, etc. Without this, we cannot please God as the carnal nature in us will over power us and we will end up doing what we want and not what God wants.

Being filled with the spirit is a continous experience requiring us to continuously be connected to the source of power through reading and meditating in the Word, talking to God, worshiping him (felowship). We will become 'deflated' whenever we disconnet ourselves from the source of power and thus become susceptible to fall into sin.

To be "filled with all the fullness of God" we need to surrender our hearts fully to God. All known sins must be confessed, all grudges and resentments have to be tackled and forgiveness granted to whoever we are holding the grudges/ resentments against. He (God) has to have unlimited access to and control of us.

[Stan]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)? Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit? Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?

It means opening your heart to The Spirit of God giving Him full rein through out you life letting Him make the changes that we as humans struggle with every day and never quit have the strength to change ourselves. I believe that it is an on going process as we learn through study to yeild to the Spirit He becomes more willing to make the changes that need to be made in us. As we struggle everyday with the sin in our life He is hindered in making those changes,but as we over come through prayer and study He can strengthen us to change in the areas that He knows we need to change.

I believe it is differant in that the Spirit helps us in our relationship with God and as we become filled with the fullness of God then we become impowered to make changes ourselves,but till we surrender ourselves to God and the Spirit He can do no work in us. We all need the power of the Spirit to learn where the change need to come and have the strength to make that change.

[sahala p.s.]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)? Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit? Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?

To be "filled with the Spirit" means having a process of sanctification of our whole lives from sins and selfishness, Holy Spirit permeate our entire being, Christ has access to and fill completely all the "room" in our "house".

This is not a one-time experience but a continual reality.

To be filled with the Spirit we have to unlock all doors of the room of our heart and let Christ come in and fill completely the entire room of our lives. It means we have to make all things of our lives: our value system, our habit, our conduct, our way in treating people, and our thought, be in harmony with or be aligned with the Word of God. It is not easy thing. It entails our full commitment, our readiness to pay the price and to bear the pain for it.

It is the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)

[Commissioned]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)?
To be "filled with the Spirit" a person would have repented, invited Christ in to be Lord, they have surrendered to the Holy Spirit's guidance, who now dwells in them. Every believer is "filled with the Spirit." Being "filled with the Spirit" is to have our feelings, thoughts and purposes placed more and more under the control of the Holy Spirit so that He can manifest his power through us in greater measure.

Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality?
Being "filled with the Spirit" is a one time experience but the work of the Spirit in the believer is a continuous process.

What can we do to be filled with the Spirit?
To be "filled with the Spirit" one must be born again. When we repent and accept Jesus Christ as Savior we are "fillled with the Spirit."

Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?
Being "filled with the Spirit" is different from being "filled with the fullness of God." The later is the presence of God in the believer reflecting from our innermost being the character and stature that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. The former state is explained above in answering the first part of the question.

[Lisa Rupert]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)? Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit? Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?
What it means to be "filled with the Spirit" to me is not having that void exist inside of me. A feeling of completeness, a oneness with Christ. Knowing that he is in full control of all situations. Being able to communicate with God. Feeling a desire to know more about him, and nourishing on his word. The more you nurture the void it becomes full and grows into a mature fullness. I believe that the complete fullness of God will come when you are totally nourished.

[heavenlymann]

I think this is an ongoing, continual reality. To be filled with the Spirit is to not quench the Spirit(after having received Him thru salvation) but be led by Him more and more(sanctification process). To the degree we do this is the degree we experience the fulness of God more and more in our inner selves which is translated to our outer actions and demeanor. "(we) are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." II Corinthians 3:18

[linda bass]

Being "filled with the Spirit" means to be strengthened with power through His Spirit.
Being "filled with the Spirit" is a one time process. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within those who accept Christ. However, the Spirit working in our lives is a continual,ongoing process.
We become filled with the Spirit by repenting of our sins and accepting Christ as our Savior and Lord.
We become "filled with all the fullness of God" when we are ready to allow Christ access into all areas of our life.

[June]

To have a changed heart and life. To change all your ways and have the power to resist evil. It is a continual reality and we must work at keeping it so.The Holy Spirit is always impartiing God's love to us and gives us joy, comfort and help. He gives us power to do the will of God and enables us to speak God's Word.
We must have a sincere love for God and others, comprehend Christ's love for us so that God's presence reflects from our innermost being the character & statures that belong to Christ.
Being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the fullness of God is baptism in the Spirit and must be maintaiined by prayer, witnessing, and a sanctified life worshipping God.

[PCHRIS]

I beleive its a continual reality, an ongoing working in one self for continual growing, loving, forgiving, in every aspect of one's life. As we pertain this I beleive the fullness of God will happen within us.
As long one wants this to happen, some will take longer than others but thats because some have more rooms to clean out for the total fullness of God to happen and that maybe our entire lifespan.

[Blessed Me]

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)?
It means to be strengthened daily by allowing the Holy Spirit work on our inner man. 2 Cor. 4:16 the inward man needs to be renewed day by day. To be "filled" means there is no more room, growth is complete. This is why Paul prayed this prayer "to be empowered with miraculous power, that is being filled with the Spirit" for it is by this power the process has begun, we can be changed.

Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality?
No, I do not believe it is a one time experience. We receive the Holy Spirit when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like Jesus said, "the Spirit is with you, but He shall be in you. When? John 20 - following Jesus Resurrection, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said "receive the Holy Ghost." Then He said, "Now that the Holy Spirit is in you, go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Ghost to come upon you, for that is when you shall receive power" Acts 1:8

What can we do to be filled with the Spirit?
By not quenching the Holy Spirit. 1Thes 5:20, Despise not prophesying. People quench the Spirit whenever they say, "The gifts of prophecy, tongues, healing, word of knowledge, and discernment of spiits are all irrelevant." For a person to be filled with the Spirit they must have "faith," deeply desire the power of the Spirit to come upon ones life. I will not quench the Spirit, I want to be filled, for it is by this power I will be able to become the person God desires me to be. I cannot do it on my own.
If it were a one time thing, why are our churches filled with the weak?

Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)?
Matt 5:48 Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. I would say this is for sure a process, allowing the Holy Spirit to do His empowing work on our lives, will bring us closer to being filled with the fullness of God.