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We now come to the fourteenth experience of life, which is being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a very complicated matter because it is a vast subject in the Bible. In the past two thousand years all Bible expositors, as well as those with spiritual pursuit, have had different views and various explanations regarding this subject. Therefore, to this very day many people, unable to find a common definition, are rather confused regarding this subject. However, if we accept the word of the Lord with a pure heart and compare our experience with it, we will feel that it is rather simple. As we presently discuss this subject, we will try to simplify it as much as possible, departing wholly from the nature of research and simply speaking about our experience in accordance with the Scripture.
When considering this matter of being filled with the Holy Spirit or the work of the Holy Spirit on us, we must be very clear that, as far as the Bible is concerned, it is divided into two periods — the Old Testament and the New Testament; and as far as our experience is concerned, it is divided into two great aspects — the outward and the inward.
The first characteristic of the work of the Holy Spirit on man in the two periods, the Old Testament and the New Testament, is that in the Old Testament the Spirit of God came upon man outwardly, and in the New Testament the Holy Spirit dwells within man. The Old Testament often contains such sayings as, “The Spirit of God (or the Spirit of the Lord) came upon...” a certain person. This implies that the Spirit of God came upon man and moved man to do a certain work. Although in the Old Testament this action of the Spirit of God coming upon man to move him to work for God occurred quite frequently, in principle, at that time the Spirit of God had not entered into man or dwelt in man and mingled with man. Since the Spirit of God merely came upon man, He would “not strive with man forever” (Gen. 6:3), and He could be taken away (Psa. 51:11). It was not until the New Testament period that the Holy Spirit began to enter into man and mingle with man; moreover, He will live in man forever, no more to be separated from man; thus, man can enjoy the blessing of the Holy Spirit eternally. Therefore, the indwelling is the most outstanding feature of the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament period.
Second, we must see clearly from the light of the Bible that in the Old Testament period the Spirit of God descended upon man to move man to perform God’s work. The emphasis was upon the Spirit of God being the power to man. In the Old Testament, through generation after generation, the Spirit of God continually descended upon man as a divine power that moved man to work, fight, and speak for God, or as the excelling wisdom that enabled man to manage affairs for God. For example, after the Spirit of God descended upon Moses, he was empowered to fight with Pharaoh and speak for God. The Spirit of God upon him also became Moses’ wisdom, enabling him to manage the affairs for God, take charge of the house of God, lead the Israelites, rule God’s people, and build the tabernacle for God. All this work performed by Moses did not stem from his own power or wisdom but was the result of the descending of the Spirit of God upon him.
Although people in the Old Testament received the Spirit of God upon them as power and wisdom, in principle, they did not receive the Spirit of God into them to mingle with them and be their life. In the Old Testament times the Spirit of God merely descended upon man as power but did not enter into man as life; He only bestowed a divine power upon man but did not impart to man a divine nature. Therefore, in the Old Testament we see a number who possessed the power of God yet had nothing whatever of God’s nature. Samson is the best example (Judg. 14—16). He had the supernatural power of God upon him, but at the same time he did not have the nature of God in him at all. Here we have a strong man whose power was beyond measure yet whose nature was totally incompatible with God. It is rather difficult to find anyone in the Old Testament who was stronger than Samson; as far as power is concerned, Samson was undoubtedly a superman. But with regard to his nature and life, Samson was the poorest among all those used by God in the Old Testament. In nature and life Moses and David had something that was somewhat close to the presence of the Spirit of God, but with Samson such a condition did not exist at all. Therefore, with respect to power, Samson was full of the Spirit of God, but with respect to life, he did not have the Holy Spirit. This is because in Old Testament times the Spirit of God descended upon man as power, not as life. He descended upon man so that man might have God’s power but not His nature. It is not until the New Testament times that the Holy Spirit formally entered into man and became man’s life so that man might have God’s nature.
Based upon the above two points, we can conclude that the Spirit of God who descended upon man in the Old Testament did not come in His person to be the Lord for man to obey but as a power to be employed by man. We know that the Holy Spirit is a person, but in Old Testament times the Spirit of God did not descend upon man in His person. If He had descended upon man in His person, He would have come as Lord, and man would have had to obey Him. Nevertheless, in Old Testament times He descended as a power without His person; therefore, it seemed instead that He obeyed man and was employed by man.
Take for example the gasoline in a car: it is not the master of the car for the car to obey. Rather, the car is filled with gasoline because the car does not have the power to move. The gasoline is the moving power of the car and is used by the car. Likewise, God desired that Moses deliver the Israelites out of Egypt and lead them into Canaan, but Moses found himself lacking in power. He lacked the power to speak to Pharaoh on behalf of God. He also lacked the power to lead the millions of Israelites through the wilderness. Neither did he have the power to rule the house of Israel nor the power to build a tabernacle for God according to the heavenly pattern. Undoubtedly, Moses was learned in all the knowledge of Egypt and was very capable; however, his limited learning and capability were not sufficient to meet the need of this great commission. Therefore, the Spirit of God came not to be his master for him to obey but to supplement his lack of power and be under his command. Moses was like a bicycle that could run only ten miles per hour, and the Spirit of God was like a motor added to the bicycle that increased its speed to seventy miles per hour. Actually, the Spirit of God coming upon man in the Old Testament was just like the motor added to the bicycle, the purpose of which was not to become the master of the bicycle nor to control it but to become its moving power and increase its effectiveness. This was exactly the meaning of the vision of the burning bush, which Moses saw when he was called (Exo. 3:2-3). The bush was Moses, and the fire was the Spirit of God that descended upon him. The bush was of little use, but the fire burning upon it became its strength.
Therefore, we must keep in mind the principle that in Old Testament times, although the Spirit of God descended and became a great moving power to man, nevertheless He did not descend in His person to become the Lord of man for man to obey; rather He descended upon man as a power to be employed by man.
However, the principle of the work of the Holy Spirit is entirely different in the New Testament. At this time, when He descends to work on man, He not only descends upon man to be the power to man, but He dwells within man and is mingled with man to be his life, thereby imparting God’s nature into man. This means that now He comes in His person to dwell in man. Since He comes in His person to dwell in man, He comes to be the Lord of man, requiring man’s obedience to Him. It is interesting that there is not a single sentence in the entire Old Testament saying that man ought to obey the Spirit of God. But in the New Testament we are told that the Holy Spirit takes the control over us (Acts 16:6-7) and that we ought to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Second Corinthians 3:18 especially calls the Holy Spirit “the Lord Spirit.” The Holy Spirit today is the Lord, a person. He dwells within us to be our Lord; therefore, we must commit ourselves to Him and submit ourselves to His rule. He is not only our power but also our Lord. He is not only the gasoline in the car but the Driver. He is not only the motor of the bicycle but the Owner who rides it. Not only does the moving power of the car depend on Him, but whether the car stops, proceeds, goes forward, or goes backward is all under His driving and operating. Our nature and our life are of Him. He is our life, our nature, and our Lord.
We who are under the New Testament dispensation enjoy the double blessings of the Holy Spirit, namely, the aspect of His being power to us and the aspect of His being our life and nature. Those living under the dispensation of the Old Testament enjoyed the Spirit of God only as the outward power, whereas those of the New Testament enjoy the Holy Spirit as the inward life as well. This does not mean that in New Testament times God terminates the aspect of the work that was done in the Old Testament, but rather He continues even more the former aspect and adds another aspect. In the Old Testament there was only one aspect, but in the New Testament there are two aspects. In the Old Testament there was only the outward, but in the New Testament there are both the outward and the inward. Therefore, under the dispensation of the New Testament, we can not only rely upon the Holy Spirit as the outward power to perform the work committed to us by God, but through the Holy Spirit as life within, we can mingle with God as one. What a glorious grace of God this is!
We have seen the characteristics of the working of the Holy Spirit in the two great periods of the Old Testament and New Testament. We come now to see our experience of the Holy Spirit inwardly and outwardly.
People in Old Testament times did not experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit but only the outward descending of the Spirit of God. However, in New Testament times man can have both aspects; moreover, man must first experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and later experience the outward descending of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in New Testament times the indwelling of the Holy Spirit becomes the basis for His outward descending upon man.
The first person in the New Testament who experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was Jesus of Nazareth. When the Holy Spirit dwelt in Jesus of Nazareth, this great act of God marked the change of age. Since the history of the human race began, although many had experienced the descending of the Spirit of God upon them, moving them to do the work of God, there was not one among them who had the Holy Spirit indwelling him, mingling with him, and becoming his life and nature. Neither Moses nor David was such a person; neither Elijah nor Daniel was such a person. For four thousand years there had not been such a person. It was not until four thousand years had passed that Jesus of Nazareth appeared, in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt and mingled and became His life and nature. This was because the very life within Him was from the Holy Spirit.
Since the Lord Jesus was the first to experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and since He is the Head of the New Testament believers as well as of the church, then the manner of the Holy Spirit’s work on the New Testament believers and the church is the same as that which was upon Him; the Holy Spirit works on the Body in the same manner as He worked on the Head. The experience of our Head, the Lord Jesus, with regard to the Holy Spirit, becomes the very pattern or example for us, the New Testament believers, in experiencing the Holy Spirit.
The experience of the Lord Jesus with regard to the Holy Spirit was clearly divided into two aspects: first the inward experience of the Holy Spirit as life, and then the outward experience of the Holy Spirit as power. He began to experience the Holy Spirit as life within when He was being conceived. The Lord Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20). It was the Holy Spirit who entered into Mary, one of the old creation, and out from her was born Jesus the Nazarene. Therefore, from the time that the Lord Jesus was conceived, His inward life and nature was of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we may say that from the day He was born He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
From the day the Lord was born until He came forth to work for God — during these thirty years — He lived in the presence of God by the Holy Spirit as the life within Him. Isaiah 53:2 says, “He grew up like a tender plant before Him, / And like a root out of dry ground.” This refers to His life before He was thirty years of age. It was entirely by the Holy Spirit infilling Him as His life that, on one hand, He was able to live humbly in the house of a poor carpenter as a son of man, and on the other hand, He was able to walk according to the laws of God.
When He was thirty years old and was about to work for God, the first outward event occurred: while He was being baptized in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove, and He was filled with the Holy Spirit. After forty days of trials in the wilderness, He was even more filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and worked for God in the various regions round about Galilee (Matt. 3:16; Luke 3:21-23; 4:1-15). We see that this condition of His was exactly the same as that of the Old Testament people experiencing the Holy Spirit. When Ezekiel was by the river Chebar, the Spirit of Jehovah descended upon him, and he opened his mouth and spoke for God (Ezek. 1:1-3). In the same manner, when the Lord Jesus was in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and He opened His mouth to preach the glad tidings of the kingdom of the heavens. This proves that the Lord Jesus experienced at this time another aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit: the descending of the Holy Spirit upon Him as a divine power, enabling Him to work for God.
From this we see that the Lord Jesus experienced the Holy Spirit in two aspects: the experience of the Holy Spirit within as life in order that He might have God’s nature, and the experience of the Holy Spirit without as power, enabling Him to do the work of God. He first experienced the Holy Spirit within as life while He was being conceived; later, when He was being baptized, He experienced the Holy Spirit without as power. At this time He was filled with the Holy Spirit both inwardly and outwardly.
Some think that John the Baptist was the first one filled with the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. It was really not so. Concerning John the Baptist, Luke 1:15 says, “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” However, in the original text the filling here refers to the aspect of outward power, in the same principle as that of the Spirit of God descending upon the prophets outwardly in the Old Testament. Although with respect to time he received the Holy Spirit while he was in his mother’s womb, this, however, was still of but one aspect — the outward aspect of power. It was unlike what the New Testament people have received, which is of two aspects — first the inward and then the outward, the aspect of life and then the aspect of power. Although John was the greatest among the prophets, the Lord said that the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he (Matt. 11:11). Therefore, according to the principle of experiencing the work of the Holy Spirit, he was somewhat like those who were in the Old Testament period; his experience cannot be fully listed in the New Testament period.
Immediately after the Lord Jesus, the apostles were the first group to experience the Holy Spirit. They also experienced first the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and then the outward descending of the Holy Spirit. As early as John 14, the Lord promised His disciples that He would ask the Father to send them another Comforter, even the Spirit of reality, to dwell within them so that they might live as the Lord lives (vv. 16-20). This word of the Lord indicated that they would experience the Holy Spirit inwardly as life.
On the night of the resurrection, while the disciples were together, the Lord came into their midst and “breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). Thus, the Lord fulfilled His earlier promise by causing them to have the Holy Spirit enter into them and become their life. On the day God created Adam out of the dust, He breathed into him so that he might have life and become a living man with a spirit. Now, in the same manner, the Lord breathed into the disciples so that they might have life and become regenerated men. However, that which God breathed into man at creation was not the Spirit of God; therefore, what man obtained was only his own spirit plus a created life. On the night of the resurrection, what the Lord breathed into His disciples was His own Spirit; therefore, the disciples obtained the Holy Spirit plus His uncreated, eternal life so that they might live forever as the Lord Himself lives. Therefore, strictly, accurately, and practically speaking, Peter, James, John, and the rest of the apostles became regenerated by obtaining God’s life on the night of the resurrection. The breath that the Lord breathed into them was the breath of life. It was wholly for life, not for power.
At Pentecost the apostles experienced the other aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit, namely, the Holy Spirit as power. Acts 2:1-4 says, “As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly there was a sound out of heaven, as of a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues of fire, which were distributed; and it sat on each one of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, even as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.” From this time forth, the apostles preached the gospel with great power, bringing thousands and tens of thousands to salvation.
If we compare both instances of the experiences of the apostles in receiving the Holy Spirit, we can see the difference. The Holy Spirit of life, which they experienced on the night of the resurrection, was symbolized by the “breath”; whereas the Holy Spirit of power, which they experienced at Pentecost, was symbolized by three things — “wind,” “fire,” and “tongues.” Both wind and fire typify power, whereas the tongue is for speaking and is also related to power. Furthermore, at Pentecost the Holy Spirit “sat on each one of them”; He did not enter into them. Therefore, what they experienced then was the Holy Spirit upon them outwardly as their power. It was through this outward power of the Holy Spirit that they were able to speak in the different tongues of the nations, preach the gospel, and later work for the Lord in different regions.
Therefore, in the experience of the apostles, we can also see both aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit and that they experienced the inward aspect first and then the outward.
After Pentecost the experience of the Holy Spirit inwardly as well as outwardly was fully accomplished in the Head (the Lord Jesus) as well as in the Body (represented by the apostles). From this time onward, all those who desire to experience the work of the Holy Spirit can experience both the indwelling and the outward descending of the Holy Spirit at the same time. The proof of this was seen in the house of Cornelius.
In Acts 10 we see that Peter was sent to preach the gospel in the house of Cornelius, and while he was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard, causing them to receive not only the indwelling Holy Spirit as life but also the Holy Spirit as power descending upon them outwardly. Therefore, beginning with the household of Cornelius and continuing to this day, it is possible to experience the Holy Spirit’s work within and without at the same time. The Holy Spirit within is the basis for the Holy Spirit without, while the Holy Spirit without is the proof of the Holy Spirit within. This is the most normal condition.
Of course, throughout the generations there have been many who experienced the Holy Spirit only as life within when they were saved; then after a certain period of time they experienced the Holy Spirit as power without. There have also been some who never experienced the Holy Spirit outwardly as power. In any case, in the dispensation of the New Testament, none can experience the Holy Spirit outwardly as power before experiencing Him inwardly as life. Neither can anyone only experience the Holy Spirit outwardly as power without experiencing Him as life within. Such cases can never occur in the New Testament dispensation.
In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need first to know that, as far as the objective fact is concerned, both aspects — the inward and the outward — have been accomplished by God. The Holy Spirit as life within was given on the night of the resurrection, while the Holy Spirit as power without descended on the day of Pentecost. The chorus of a hymn by A. B. Simpson says, “Doubt not the Spirit, / Given long ago” (Hymns, #248). The descending of the Holy Spirit is like the crucifying of the Lord Jesus — both are accomplished facts. Today the Lord Jesus does not need to be crucified again; neither does the Holy Spirit need to descend again. God does not have to give the Lord Jesus to man again to be crucified for man; neither does God have to send down the Holy Spirit again to fill man within and without. God has already accomplished it all. The problem now is in our receiving it by faith. In order to gain Christ and experience Christ today, we need only to receive Him; likewise, in order to obtain the Holy Spirit, either inwardly or outwardly, we also need only to receive Him. To what extent we receive the Holy Spirit, to the same extent the Holy Spirit will fill us. We will now study separately the two aspects of receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit.
The way to be filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly is as follows.
In order to receive the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, we must first confess, repent, and accept the fact that Christ has died for us. Likewise, in order to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we must first accept the fact that we have died with Christ. Then we must deal with sin, the world, the flesh, our self-opinion, and our natural ability, to the end that we may completely empty ourselves of these, allowing none of them to have any more place in us, but rather allowing the Holy Spirit to gain all the ground in us. If we will respond to the demand of the Holy Spirit, removing that which must be removed and forsaking that which must be forsaken, thus emptying ourselves and letting the Holy Spirit have all the ground and authority in us, then automatically the Holy Spirit will fill us, and we will subjectively experience and enjoy the infilling of the Holy Spirit. For this reason we have placed this lesson of being filled with the Holy Spirit after all the experiences of the dealings.
After we have dealt with everything and emptied ourselves, we must believe that the Holy Spirit is filling us from within. We only need to believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit, without trying to feel whether or not we have been filled. Real faith does not depend on feeling. If we will only believe in this manner, the Lord will cause the filling of the Holy Spirit to become our practical experience.
The way to be filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly is as follows.
We have previously said that the Spirit of God descending upon man as power is for empowering, that man may be made competent for the work committed to him by God and that he may be used by God. Beginning in the Old Testament, whoever was really willing to be used by God obtained the descending of the Spirit of God upon him as power. Moses was such a person; so also were Samson, David, Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, and other prophets.
In the New Testament the principle is still the same. The first example in the New Testament of one upon whom the Holy Spirit descended was the Lord Jesus. The reason the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord on the day He was baptized was that the Lord was testifying to heaven and earth through baptism that from that day He was going to be officially used by God. At the time when people in the world cared neither for God’s will nor God’s work, but lived only for themselves, Jesus of Nazareth stood forth before the whole universe, declaring that He desired to live for God, to be used by God, and to work for God. It was at this time that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him.
This was true also with the first group of apostles. Originally, they were fishermen, but they gave up both the fish and the boat, and with their whole heart were willing to be used by God. They desired to continue the work of the Lord to fulfill God’s work on earth. Their heart’s desire and attitude prepared the way for God to pour out the Holy Spirit upon them at Pentecost.
Examples of this kind are innumerable in church history. About two hundred years ago, among the Moravian Brethren there was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Before that, they also were prepared to be used by God; therefore, at a meeting of the Lord’s table, the Holy Spirit greatly filled them. After this they were used by God in a surpassing manner.
Actually, if from the beginning all those who are saved would be willing to abandon everything for the Lord to be used by Him, then upon being saved each one would be in a position to receive both aspects of the filling of the Holy Spirit simultaneously, as occurred in the house of Cornelius. We regret to say that today there are too few who are willing to be used by God upon being saved. Most people are satisfied with just possessing eternal life and not having to perish. They completely disregard God’s work and God’s plan; neither do they desire to have power to work for God and fulfill His plan. Although each one when saved has to some extent the move of the Holy Spirit and a desire to work for God, nevertheless, because they are not willing to give themselves up to be used by God, they suppress the Holy Spirit’s move and their desire. Even though the Holy Spirit within repeatedly moves them and puts demands upon them, they persist in refusing. When Rebekah was engaged to Isaac, she made no delay, but leaving her father’s house, she followed the old servant to give herself to Isaac (Gen. 24). Many people today have believed in Christ and are saved, yet they refuse to give themselves to Christ. They linger in their original position, unwilling to let the Lord use them. Hence, our Lord always seems to be cheated by men. He gave salvation to men, yet men turn their backs on Him, refusing to give themselves to Him. Such a condition renders men unable to receive the outward filling of the Holy Spirit after they are saved.
Since man is so unwilling to be used by God, few obtain the outward filling of the Holy Spirit, causing this experience to become mysterious and rare. In fact, the outward aspect of the Holy Spirit is by no means more precious or more difficult to obtain than the Holy Spirit within, the only requirement being that we be willing to be used by God.
Once we have offered ourselves and are willing to be used wholly by God, we must believe in the outward filling, the outpouring, of the Holy Spirit. This too must be taken by faith rather than by feeling. If we are so willing to be used by God and we believe in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, then the outward power of the Holy Spirit will be manifested upon us.
Therefore, there is no need to beg for the outward filling of the Holy Spirit. All we need to do is to rise in answer to God’s call, commit ourselves to the Lord to be at His disposal, and tell Him, “Lord, I know that You have saved me so that You can use me. Now I put my all in Your hands to be at Your disposal. I also know that according to my own strength I can do nothing; therefore, I need Your Spirit. Since I know that Your Spirit has already been given, I am here to receive it by faith.” In this way the experience of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not a difficult matter. As to the manner of the manifestation of the outward filling, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to bear full responsibility. Some admire others’ outward manifestations and insist that they also speak in tongues, cry, or laugh as others do; if so, what they really desire is the speaking in tongues, the crying, or the laughing, not the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Others insist not to cry or laugh, for they are afraid of being possessed by a demon. This also is a wrong concept. Our insistence often limits the free working of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, while we experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we need to afford complete freedom to the Holy Spirit, neither insisting upon anything nor refusing anything.
In summary, the filling of the Holy Spirit within and without is a glorious blessing under the New Testament. It is also a fulfillment of the blessing promised to Abraham by God (Gal. 3:14). May we, on one hand, empty ourselves more so that the Holy Spirit together with the fullness of the Godhead may fill us from within, thereby enabling us to live out the glorious image of God. On the other hand, we need to give ourselves more to the Lord to be used by Him so that the Holy Spirit may descend upon us richly, giving us power and gifts. Then we can serve God, deal with God’s enemy, and bring in the kingdom of God.
