The Infilling of the Spirit

When I became a Christian I had a life changing "moment". I had been on a week long camp, as a teenager, and had seen people around me who were living life and filled with something or some purpose. I cannot remember the exact thinking (as a 14 yr old)I went through the night I became a Christian.

But I know I repented to the Lord and begged Him to come into my life as Lord of my life. I recall that I was on my knees praying to the Lord, for waht seemed like hours. I knew that I needed to really mean what I was asking (to die to self and let Him be my King over my whole life, my sole purpose and existence). I believe that this is why I spent some time praying to the Lord. My heart changed through that time. At some point in my praying, I had a vision of a door and all I had to do was open that door and allow Jesus in. He was knocking... Who would have thought something like this was so difficult to do. But self will & the flesh is stubborn.

Something in my heart changed and the door opened. All of a sudden something warmth, fell onto me and filled me. From the top of me to my toes. At that moment my life was changed. My heart soured for the Lord. I lay quietly on the floor of that room, completely at peace.

Since that night, 21st July 1994. My life has never been the same! I can never deny the existence of the Lord, my Lord.

This was my moment of salvation, my moment of the infilling of the Holy Spirit in to my heart. The 2 were 1 event for me.

Because I had such a life changing conversion and dramatic moment, I have always felt pulled towards the more passionate outward Christians and over the years I got caught up in some very flesh Pentecostal movements.

They scarred me a little, but I am growing in the Lord and learning what is real and what is not.

But I struggle with understanding the infilling or baptism of the Spirit as being a separate event. It happened for me at what I thought was the same time. I have recently been pondering alot of where I was at during that week b4 that dramatic moment for me. I know that I had been "convinced" that I needed a Saviour, I knew that I wanted to be a Christian and my have thought I already had done so.

When I share with people about living a life for the Lord, I always share about the importance of giving up of your own will and giving into the Lord completely and fully. As a teenager this is what I called "giving Him your whole heart". This to me has been a prerequisite of being a born again believer, that you are 100% sold out for Him.

Then over the years I have met people who haven't had "dramatic" conversions. They have had slow, progressive ones, with no big infilling moment.

I am not a Christian of over 16 years, yet I still can not say I "know" whether there is a one time conversion event or whether a believer needs a subsequent Spirit baptism. I don't look down on any believer either way. I absolutely do not believe you have to have evidence of tongues. I got peace!!

Years of being a Christian have shown me that everyone is different in their conversions.

Will I ever find out what is the truth about an infilling?

Through Him only
Sherid

sounds like you already no enough about the truth , to rest in the truth ,and to be set free by the truth

i think what is confusing ,and for me it has been ,,is some people are baptised in the spirit when there new birth begines ,and others have the baptisim of the spirit later on ,,,,for me i believe i was born again with out the baptisim of the spirit ,that came about three years later

i was on meth ampetamine for about 4 days ,during that time i was being drawen powerfully by the spirit ,through bible study and prayer, repntance had begune acording to the light i was recieving ,and on the forth day ,things became clear that the bible was real and i was defending what i now know to be the infalabilty of scripture with my drug actic cousen it was instinkive becasue of the revalation i was recieving befor my new birth ,

joy was welling up in my heart the conversation about jesus was flowing my heart was being convicted and convinced by his spirit ..i sat down on the couch and sighed with joy as gods peace flooded through my soul and mind and his preacence became utterly real that minuite ,and it was then that the faith god had delt to me reached a point , and became the substance ,of things hoped for ,and the evdence of things not seen ,i literay saw a golden shower of light like rain come from above me and passed my vission of sight ,,,,,,,from that day i was changed ,, the next day , when i woke up i was convicted of my utter sinfullness and that the whole world was under the sway of the evil one ,and that there was none righeous no not one , that was such a striking revalation
that im glad it did not last that strong for verry long ,but god comferts those that morn ,and he did not turn away from one with a broken and contrite spirit

my repentance grew verry slowely but surely even tho
i turned from the lord saying ,lord i am not worthy to be called a deciple ,depart from me iam a sinfull man

but he did not leave me nor fosake me

then baptisim in spirit came later ,well thats how i understand what happened to me

carters wrote:
But I struggle with understanding the infilling or baptism of the Spirit as being a separate event. It happened for me at what I thought was the same time.

I am not a Christian of over 16 years, yet I still can not say I "know" whether there is a one time conversion event or whether a believer needs a subsequent Spirit baptism.

Well, fast forward almost a year later on my yearly visit to church (Easter) and He audibly spoke to me and said, “You quit for you.” And I had quit the last week because I was getting forgetful, etc. I asked the guy I took to church with me if he said something and he sshh’d me! And I saw myself in my room telling God what I told him (He remembered and He heard!!) and I knew that I knew that I knew God spoke to me there in the back seat of that church. I started crying and with every single excuse I came up with in my mind, peace came over me and so I said, “I’ve tried just about everything... I just want you to know that if this doesn’t work, I’m coming back.” I felt this huge smile. I was like, “Ok, I’m in.”

I share this humbly with you because God was so awesome to me that day! Like that gospel song, “I never shall forget the day when all the burdens of my sins were rolled away.”!!!! My story continues; as awesome as THAT day was.... nine months later in my friend’s living room with other people from church, I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the gift of speaking in tongues! God has so much more for all of His children if we would but ask Him.

Don’t say, “If you want me to have the baptism of the Holy Spirit THEN I’ll take it, Lord.” I have not known one person to receive it like that; every person that I know has actively sought and believed that the second baptism was for them and they asked God for it, “I want the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” When you settle all the denominational stuff in your spirit and decidedly want what is rightfully yours, He will be there!

God bless you, off to work for the day!
Lisa

Sorry double entry

lindi

Brother Carters

My conversion was definately a significant one to me and those around me. I was born to believing parents and grew up attending church up until about the age of 18. I always believed in God and was aware of His omniprescence as a result I knew I was a sinner and would not set my foot in church because I felt that by doing so I was being a hypocrite because my life was full of nothing but sin.

in 2002 I attended my second service since I stopped attending church with my sister in law. the message must have been about salvation i think coz I recieved absolutely nothing did't even understand yet during the alter call I went up as my sister in law kept pushing me to do so. Someone prayed over me and told me I was saved. Didn't even know what being saved meant anyway I went on living as a devil just as i had been before enslaved to sin.

Then in 2008 my dad was taken ill. I really heeded and treasured his words (he always used to express his worry that I had departed from God and wanted me to be baptised). Following his short illness my dad passed away. By this time I could recognise God's miraculous hand in my life.My life was in turmoil I was deep in debt, depressed had just moved house didn't have a penny to my name yet God in his mercy and love provided the exact amount of airfare and a little extra to cover funeral expenses. I knew this was the divine at work.I then bought my ticket to fly back home but unfortunately got caught in traffic on my way to the airport therefore missed check in. I tried to plead with the airline and prayed but they told me next flight would be on the day of the funeral. So i missed my dad's funeral defeated I went back home and just couldn't understand why God had provided the airfare but not opened doors for me to ge to my fathers funeral.I really wanted to be there as I had last seen my dad two years before (I live in UK and my family live in Africa ). On the day of the funeral I was inconsolable and out of despair and anguish and not realising what I was doing, I prayed to God and said I was a failure everything i did ended up in failure and since He says He could do better with my life You do it Lord I am fed up. I completely surrended and was immediately infilled with Spirit. I was comforted and felt so at peace and my life has never been the same since.

I now know for a fact that had I boarded that plane I would not had loved Jesus the same as I do now I'd have just gotten my way and gone right back to living like a devil.In losing my earthly father I gained a heavenly Father. From that day I drank the living waters I could spend hours in the word and I understood it when I read it. I was no longer a slave to sin but gloriously set free for who the son sets free is free indeed. When I stumble I am quickly convicted and run to Him in repentance and He cleanses from sin. Oh how wonderful it is to recieve forgiveness of sins.I struggle every now and again with the sins of heart. I pray to Him to reveal my heart to me because the heart is exceedingly wicked and who can know it except for Christ the searcher of mens heart. from this I have learnt the true meaning of grace, repentance,forgiveness, love and mercy.

I am dying slowly to self and living in Him. I have been living in constant trials since being born again I have lost part of my sight, hearing,(I am 32 years old) my good health I depend on Him daily for strength. My friends have deserted me, my spouse despises me and so many things I could list yet the sufferings of this present times are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in Christ Jesus. I am nothing without Him

So yes some are filled with Spirit on conversion and some later. We know only in part and prophesy in part. I know He filled me because He changed me and is changing me still. I rejoice and am exceedingly glad because Jesus the lover of my soul lives & He is glorified and sat at the right hand of the Father.To Him be the praise

To God be the glory

lindi

Will I ever find out what is the truth about an infilling?

Sherid, Does this description help you at all:

Consider the instruction: “Do not get drunk on wine, which [ruins your life]; Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Eph. 5:18 This is all about influence: Instead of letting alcohol influence and dominate us, we let the Spirit influence and dominate us - our way of thinking and living. It means we are totally receptive to God. We allow the Spirit to convict us of our shortcomings and transform us in all levels of our personhood. When our conscience, our thinking and our living become dominated by Spirit we develop spiritual maturity. Then our abilities and giftings become available for God’s purposes, rather than our own ends.

When the Spirit fills and dominates us, God, the giver of our gifts remains our center of focus, not the gifts and our tasks in themselves. Through the Spirit’s influence, everything about us becomes wholly available to God, to be used for the nurture of human life - always in honor of God, and always in harmony with God’s purposes.

While it is God who “has put his Spirit in our hearts” 2 Cor. 1:22, it is our duty to allow the Spirit to fill and dominate our living.

Sherid: My experience was the other way. I was marvelously born again at eight years old and had a fantastic sense of being clean and of my sins being gone. I am now forty-one and it seems to me like yesterday. I know at that time that the Holy Spirit came to dwell in me. However it was another ten years before I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as in Acts 2. At that time there was another radical change in my life as the power of the Holy Spirit came over me. However others have been born again and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the same time. There is no requisite time period between being born again and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

As far as the term infilling is concerned, every believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, but not every believer has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The 120 in the upper room believed on Christ and were born again, but they had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul asked the Corinthian believers if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed. John tells us the Jesus said the coming of the comforter was for the sake of supernaturally empowering the believer for ministry. Both events can happen at once or they can happen sequentially.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit of God is a seperate experience from that of salvation. While it is certainly true that the Holy Spirit came into your heart and life at the moment of salvation still, he wants to endue you with power from on high.

Jesus, told all of his followers before his ascention that they should wait for the promise of the father Acts 1:4. Here was speaking of being baptized with the Holy Spirit Acts1:5.

You must understand that there is a diffrence in being born of the spirit and being baptized with the spirit. They are two diffrent works altogether.

(A) To be born of the spirit is that which took place at your conversion to Christ, as the Holy Spirit brought you to Christ Jesus and performed the work of regeneration within your heart and life.

(B) To be baptized with the Holy Spirit, is in order that you will have power with God Acts 1:8. Every Believer should ask God the father to fill them with the Holy Spirit sand expect to recieve him Luke 11:13

Once a believer has been baptized with the Holy Spirit many things will transpire in our heart and lives. However, the initial evidence that one has been baptized with the Holy Spirit, is that of speaking in tongues as the spirit of God gives the utterance. Acts 2:4, 10:45-46, 19:1-7.

Jesus died at Calveries Cross, that all mankind maybe saved. That salvation process includes the Holy Spirit taking up abode in our hearts and lives. The Holy Spirit of God is our helper and guides us in all truth. John 16:7-15.

I have found a wonderful book by James McConkey that describes all the facets of receiving the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, being baptized in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, etc. Here is an excerpt:

Granted, then that we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost; that we have been baptized with Him; that He has come into our lives to abide forever; what then is the secret of His fullness, of His abundant life of Peace, Power, and Love? We answer:

THE ABSOLUTE, UNQUALIFIED SURRENDER OF OUR LIFE TO GOD, TO DO HIS WILL INSTEAD OF OUR OWN. Thus,

1. When we surrender our SINS and believe, WE RECEIVE the Holy Spirit; when we surrender our LIVES and believe, we are FILLED with the Holy Spirit.

2. THE RECEIVING of the Spirit is God’s answer to repentance and faith; THE FULLNESS of the Spirit is God’s answer to SURRENDER and faith.

3. At CONVERSION the Spirit enters; at SURRENDER the Spirit, ALREADY ENTERED, takes FULL POSSESSION. The supreme, human condition of the fullness of the Spirit is a life that is WHOLLY SURRENDERED TO GOD to do His will.

-end of excerpt

This in one of the best books on the understanding the receiving and walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit out there. I have uploaded it to Scribd. The link is below. You can download the entire book. Look for the download button. Download formats include PDF, Word, txt.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/82870504/The-Three-Fold-Secret-of-the-Spirit-by-James-McConkey

Thanks for the replies.

I never doubted that I haven't received the infilling. I know I have it and received at salvation.

I do not believe that is has to be evidenced by speaking in tongues. Beliving that this is the evidence of the infilling is completely unscriptural as the Bible states that not all will receive the gift of speaking in tongues.

IN fact the Lord revealed to me the day after my salvation, that outward fleshly standards set by men (like saying everyone has to speak in tongues) are exactly that - men's standards not the Lords'.

I did not wish to debate this etc. And I especially care little for outward signs that men think make themselves better than other Christians. The Lord has humbled me in that regard. I believe the Lord is more interested in the radical change that occurs within a person, towards Him.

My thread was more about understanding that the Lord may deal differently with everyone of us in regards to how the infilling occurs, in relation to where you heart is at with the lord.

I was interested in finding out about the infilling in how TrueWitness says, when one wholly and fully surrenders to the Lord.

I just wondered whether there was a difference in terms of a person who becomes a Christian, but doesn't actually surrender fully versus someone who does. This is more the type of discussion I was hoping for. And whether the infilling is the difference between those that fully surrendered vesus those that half heartedly commit.

I hope this makes more sense.

I will read the book True Witness suggested, it is more along the lines of what i was looking for. Sorry for not making myself more clear.

edited = for spelling
Through Him only
Sherid

Quote: Lindi

So yes some are filled with Spirit on conversion and some later. We know only in part and prophesy in part. I know He filled me because He changed me and is changing me still. I rejoice and am exceedingly glad because Jesus the lover of my soul lives & He is glorified and sat at the right hand of the Father.To Him be the praise

Praise the Lord for your testimony LIndi. Thank you

Quote: Brothagray: "joy was welling up in my heart the conversation about jesus was flowing my heart was being convicted and convinced by his spirit ..i sat down on the couch and sighed with joy as gods peace flooded through my soul and mind and his preacence became utterly real that minuite"

Brothagary - this is what I felt as well!! Praise God.

oh frank ,that must be so hard ,to have a wife that despises your faith ,bless you

i have a wife and most of the time i believe she is saved ,,but she defenitly has not recieved the baptisim of the spirit ,i prayed for 5 years ,and spoke to her about ,,,,, i even did a type of bible sermon ,at home one sunday ,,and i trully believe she will be filled one day ,,, i pray and hope you wife is to

maby i can put the link to it ,its on you tube ,,i would aprecate some constructive critacisim on the message by anyone who might watch

sherid i think has hit the nail on the head ,about a fully giving oneself in a mentel atatude to recieve the baptisim ,,,,,,,when i think back to my baptisim in spirit ,,,i went through agrulling war with the idea of giving my whole life to jesus and giving up everthing for him

link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swfggPfpGPk

ill nevver forget that day sister never

and ill never forget the drawing of gods spirit befor that time that went on for about 4 months ,,at the time i could not describe the influence of gods spirit ,,but i knew it was supanatural and sweet and i could feel faith forming ,,,,,,praise god allright ,,you can say that again lol

im under the impression ,it is a bit rare to be baptised by the spirt at conversion ,,,,what a blessing and suprise that would be be

Circumstances can force us into places we would not normally go, as you have already found out. These circumstances with your husband will compell you to find everything that you need in Jesus......... bro Frank

So true, and so beautifully said.
Bless you bro Frank

Thanks a lot for the excellent testimony Sherid. I hope there are many people with such testimony for Jesus in SI and in real life rather than people who call their sinful life style as resting on the finished work of Jesus.

When I share with people about living a life for the Lord, I always share about the importance of giving up of your own will and giving into the Lord completely and fully. As a teenager this is what I called "giving Him your whole heart". This to me has been a prerequisite of being a born again believer, that you are 100% sold out for Him.

It is true. When I accepted Christ, I was not 100% sold out but my attitude was to give everything and to repent of everything in my life. Like sister Lysa shared not everyone has strength to leave our past life in 1 go, I never had a one time victory but my attitude was to be saved from them. I hated being addicted to them. Then only a person can be born again.

Then over the years I have met people who haven't had "dramatic" conversions. They have had slow, progressive ones, with no big infilling moment.

I am not a Christian of over 16 years, yet I still can not say I "know" whether there is a one time conversion event or whether a believer needs a subsequent Spirit baptism. I don't look down on any believer either way.

Yes I have met such people as well. In my life I was always struggling with Sin until I had an infilling moment like you. In which Jesus showed me how much he loves me. The love of God will be full in us and that is the proof. We will no longer doubt our calling. It happened to me when I was locked alone in a room crying about my sinful life.

Baptism of Holy Spirit is a moment in which we are completely filled by Holy Spirit and we receive power to live as his witness. There is a difference between being completely filled and general infilling of spirit. It is not a one time activity but it is a daily activity. For example how can a vessel be filled with water all the time? only when it has a source, same way we need to keep seeking to remain filled all the time.

I absolutely do not believe you have to have evidence of tongues. I got peace!!

I believe the same, Jesus said like in John 3-8:-
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

So the spirit leads each man in different ways, we cannot expect the spirit to work the same way by giving gifts of tongues. There are many men of God who have delivered Godly sermons but never spoke in tongues, there are few even in SI sermon speakers. John Wesley, Charles Finney, D.L.Moody, A.B.Simpson, William Booth, C.T.Studd and Watchman Nee never spoke in tongues. Were their life not a witness for Jesus?

Carter wrote: I do not believe that is has to be evidenced by speaking in tongues. Beliving that this is the evidence of the infilling is completely unscriptural as the Bible states that not all will receive the gift of speaking in tongues.

IN fact the Lord revealed to me the day after my salvation, that outward fleshly standards set by men (like saying everyone has to speak in tongues) are exactly that - men's standards not the Lords'.

I did not wish to debate this etc.

I do not wish to debate either, however, in every instance in the book of Acts when someone is baptized with the Holy Spirit, they either spoke with tongues or prophesied as the spirit gave the utterance.

Speaking in tongues is not a gift. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift from God to man.

thats exactly right ,either toungs or prophecy

some men of the great revivels ,did not speak in toungs ,,,,,

weasly ,,whitfield, edwards

many people prophesy ,and exalt the name of god ,,and fall on there faces

1800 people fell on these faces weeping ,and trembling ,and praising god ,,at one of john weaslys sermons ,,,all were over come greatly in the spirit ,,with out any toungs ,,

ohh the diversety of gods gifts,,what a great god we have who gives according to his good pleasure

many fine men of god ,interpet toungs as a gift
and experance it as a gift,not as coming as a sign regarding baptisim of the spirt

and many fine men of god ,who experence great baptisim of spirit with emence power like the men i mentioned above ,didnt even believe the gift of toungs was for there genaration ,,and that may well be so ,of that day and age they lived in ,,,being that toungs never appeared in the first great awakening