The Fullness Of The Holy Spirit
		Pastor Anand Babu Ravuri, Christian Living Ministries, India

In the book of Romans Chapter5, Verse 11 "the word of god says, "If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you ". This is certainly a beautiful verse. Paul's argument here in not only profound but also very practical.  He is saying, it is the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ and gave him the resurrection life.  He is also saying that, it is the word "mortal" in this verse.  Even though we are saved and have become new creation in Christ, we still retain the old nature which makes us sin and live against the will of God.  This mortal body or the old nature can be handled only by the Holy Spirit who lives in us.  No mater how many pious and definite we make to live for the glory of God, we are sure to fail! It is the spirit of God who will control the old nature and even transform it to bring out the New Life we are

 The moment we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us.  This is called the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a believer.

But just the Holy Spirit living in us is not enough.  We need a daily filling of the Holy Spirit.  Now the question that is lingering in our minds is, how do we get the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  There are three things through which we can have the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

First, through daily repentance, we can have the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  It is in this repentance, the Holy Spirit takes complete control of our lives.  When we come to God in our brokenness, the Holy Spirit takes authority over our lives.  Precisely friends, it is in this control and authority, we will have the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  We must also note that the fullness of the Holy Spirit is not an one time experience.  It must be a daily experience.  There must be repentance every day in us.  Even a small sin against God or people around us must be confessed with genuine repentance.

Let us take a moment to examine our lives.  Is there any unconfessed sin in your life?  What are those areas which are hardened in your heart?  Of all the things in a Christian life, stubbornness is the most dangerous.  God can work with any thing.  But stubbornness is one thing He cannot.  In stubbornness we will only drift away from the presence of God.  Rather, if we can come into His presence with repentance and brokenness, He will not only forgive but also give us the fullness of His Spirit.  It is in this fullness of the Spirit we will experience the depths of Abundant Life in Christ.

For example, let us take a look at the life of King David.  He was a mighty man of God with so many talents and achievements.  He was both handsome and physically strong.  Yet, when the temptation came he fell.  And the sin of adultery he fell into was a very serious sin which was murder!  Somehow, David hardened his heart in the presence of God.  And this time of stubbornness before God was the most painful in David's life.  He was filled with such enormous guilt that he could not go any further.  He breaks down in repentance and wrote the most powerful Psalm ever written, Psalm 51.  One of the consequences of his stubbornness was loosing the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  In Psalm 51, verse 11, King David says", "Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me".  King David clearly realized that in his stubbornness with sin, he was loosing the fullness of the Holy Spirit in his life.  Then, in Psalm 51, verse 17, King David cries out to God saying, " The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise".  Surely, in this repentance and brokenness, king David restored his fellowship with God and received back the fullness of the Holy Spirit and went on to become the greatest of kings in the Old Testament.

Second, through persistent prayer, we can have the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Our Lord Jesus spoke of this in Luke chapter 11, verse3.  He said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”  As the people of God, we need to be asking our heavenly father to fill us with the Holy Spirit.  Not just once but in every prayer we must be pleading for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  In Acts chapter one and two, the disciples were waiting and praying in one accord for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Surely, the Holy Spirit came upon them like a mighty wind and a cleansing fire!  Friend, are you praying daily for the filling of the Holy Spirit.  You may be asking many good things from the Lord but are you asking for the greatest of all gifts, the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Also, like the early disciples, we need to be praying in one accord for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Our relationship with God and people around us must be cordial in order to be filled by the Holy Spirit.  Let us examine our lives.  Is there a strained relationship in your life?  May I urge you to reconcile with that person as early as possible.  Then your prayer will be powerful to receive the fullness of the Holly Spirit.

Third, through daily surrender to the Holy Spirit, we can have His fullness!  This wonderful truth is given in the epistle to the Gelatins chapter5, verse25.  Here Apostle Paul says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit".  Walking in the Spirit means simply to surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit so that he may take hold of us and guide us according to the purposes of God.  What an important truth this is for our Christian lives!  Take the life of our Lord Jesus or the early apostles.  They never went about their lives on their own strength but thorough constant surrender; they received the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Friend, are you making a conscious and meaningful surrender into the hands of the Holy Spirit every day?  The Spirit of God needs your surrender so that He may take complete control of your life.  It is My prayer that you will surrender to the Holy Spirit every day in every prayer.