DO WE NEED TO BE REFILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?
by Penn Clark
When we read where the apostles in the Book of Acts were being “filled” with the Spirit, some have concluded that their original experience was being topped off or they were being rebaptized by the Holy Spirit. Some even go so far to teach that we need to be refilled because we leak. This crazy notion is commonly taught in our Charismatic and Pentecostal circles today. The Holy Spirit is not a liquid; He is a Spirit! We do not leak spirits. Nor do we need to be refilled. For that matter, there are not multiple baptisms with the Holy Spirit available. Our problem is not that we need a secondary experience, but rather, that we are not using what we already been given in the first place.
Instead of using the verses as proof that we need to be refilled, let’s use them to show how readily the Holy Spirit wants to inspire us. In order to substantiate this, let’s begin by looking at what the Strong’s Concordance says about being filled.
In John 2:6-7, when Jesus ordered the large stone jars to be “filled to the brim” at the wedding feast, the Greek word used in this verse was gemizo (GK. 1072) which means to be filled entirely.
A similar Greek word, which can be used the same way, is pleroma (GK. 4138), which means, “filling completely, replete, as filling a container with content.”
However, neither of these Greek words are used when talking about people being filled with the Spirit. Instead, the word pletho (GK. 4130) is used which means, “to be influenced” by the Holy Spirit. It is from this word that we use when saying someone was being momentarily inspired.
This little difference sheds lots of light on what it means to continually filled by the Holy Spirit so that He can speak through us. With this in mind, let’s look at the list of verses where it says someone was filled with the Holy Spirit. Notice how each time it resulted in their saying something:
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and she spoke out with a loud voice. (Luke 1:41,42)
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied saying. . . . (Luke 1:67)
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in other tongues. (Acts 2:4)
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them. . . . (Acts 4:8)
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)
Then Saul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said. . . . (Acts 13:9)
They weren’t being rebaptized in the Holy Spirit; they were being momentarily used by the Holy Spirit to say something. They were simply being inspired by Him and that should be something that happens to us again and again.
We should stop seeking refillings and start obeying His promptings to speak through us. This will not only inspire us, but it will inspire others. We need to use what we have already been given, rather than seeking more of what we are not using. Most of us have done so little with our initial experience, that we should not be seeking another. For example, I have found many Pentecostals have neglected their ability to speak in tongues. When asked why, they usually say they don’t understand what tongues are for, not understanding the benefits. Usually, these same people are the ones who are always seeking to be re-filled by the Holy Spirit instead of learning how to use what they have already been given. However, once we allow Him to start speaking or praying through us more regularly, we will never seek to be rebaptized.
To learn more about how to yield more to the Holy Spirit, look for my book Giving Away The Holy Spirit. To learn more about why we need to speak in tongues in a more disciplined way, look for my book The Benefits of Speaking In Tongues at www.wordsmithpublishing.store
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