“Is that what a Christian is?” Some unbelievers sometimes doubt when looking at the lives of those who claim to be born again. To truly be Christ-like, we have no other options: we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
In general, in churches, we don’t talk much about the Holy Spirit. Except in Pentecostal or charismatic circles, where the manifestation of the gifts can sometimes be overflowing with emotions. Yet even Jesus placed great emphasis on his importance in the life of a believer. “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you… But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:7 and 13 NIV).
The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the trinity. It is not a dove or a flame of fire. He is a person who is there to accompany us, teach us, and convince us of which path to take (John 16:8). When we recognize our lost state and repent of our past life by accepting Christ’s sovereignty over us, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit. We can ignore His presence, much to His sadness (Ephesians 4:30), or we can let Him take His full place in our lives, and thus be filled with his presence. How do we know if we are filled with his presence? There may be the manifestation of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5), but the Holy Spirit does much more than that in the life of a devoted believer to the Lord.
Stephen’s example describes well the signs of a Holy Spirit-filled believer.
Service When the apostles needed help ministering to believers, they sought people filled with the Holy Spirit to assist them. Stephen was one of them (Acts 6:1-5). We can serve in the church simply because we have the necessary talent or because we are helpful by nature. But to be ready to submit to the will of God and walk in unity with local authorities, we need the humility that the Holy Spirit can inspire in us. If you are not serving in your local church or in another ministry that works to grow the Kingdom of God, come closer to the heart of God: there is something wrong. If you actively participate in the growth of the Kingdom of God, with passion and humility, it is an excellent sign that demonstrates that you are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Wisdom On another occasion, Stephen had to answer difficult questions from several religious men. And with his answers, “… they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke” (Acts 6:10 NIV). It was also after being filled with the Spirit of God that Solomon was able to demonstrate extraordinary wisdom. This third person of the trinity knows everything and has much more experience than us in life. When we take the time to listen to Him, we make the right decisions that save us a lot of trouble. If the words that come out of our mouths are not edifying or are negative, we must draw closer to the heart of God: there is something wrong. When our language brings life, when we make decisions based on the Word of God, it is an excellent sign that demonstrates that we are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The face of an angel Stephen’s contemporaries could not ignore the peace and love that emanated from his heart. The Spirit of God in him made even the features of his face sweet (Acts 6:15). The consequence of having a life filled with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of His presence, is described in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (NIV). If we are constantly worried, or our forehead is always furrowed with anger, we must draw closer to the heart of God: there is something wrong. When our gentle look brings smiles to the people we meet, when those around us find peace when they see us, it is an excellent sign that demonstrates that we are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Being filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit is not only good for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, but it also makes us much more pleasant to be around. And so, more attractive! It’s a win-win situation! So let’s put our flesh aside and give more room to the Spirit of God today.