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Filled with the Spirit
by A.B. Simpson
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"Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). “Ye are complete (filled) in Him” (Colossians 2:10).
The Completeness of this Filling
The emphatic word in both these verses is “filled.” It is the Greek pleroo which means to fill full, so full that there will be no room left empty. This is the thought which, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we desire to impress in this message. It does not mean to have a measure of the Holy Spirit, and to know a good deal of Christ, but to be wholly filled with the Holy Ghost, and utterly lost in the fullness of Jesus.
 It is the completeness of the filling which constitutes the very essence of the perfect blessing. A fountain half full will never become a spring. A river half full will never become a water power. A heart half filled will never know “the peace which passeth all understanding” and the power which flows from the inmost being, as “rivers of living water.”
The Nature of this Filling
It is all connected with a living Person. We are not filled with an influence; we are not filled with a sensation; we are not filled with a set of ideas and truths ; we are not filled with a blessing, but we are filled with a Person. This is very strange and striking.
Christianity all centers in a living Person, and its very essence is the indwelling life of Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit is simply the agent and channel through whom He enters, possesses and operates in the consecrated heart.
This reduces Christian life to great simplicity. We do not require to get filled in a great many compartments, and with a great many different experiences, ideas, or influences, but, in the center of our being to receive Him in His personal life and fullness, and then He flows into every part and lives out His own life in all the diversified experiences and activities of our manifold life.
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Quick Reads
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Suppose I want to buy a hundred sheep, and go to the nearest sheep-farm, and find what I want. I say to their owner, “I am prepared to give you two[dollars] each for your sheep.” He contracts to sell me the sheep at the price, I put down the money, and thus the sheep become mine. What do I do next with them? Drive them home?
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 Do you know Christians you'd like to share a part of your spiritual life with? Pray with them or read the Bible with them? Perhaps learn more about the Holy Spirit with them?
Having your own home fellowship/bible study is a joy you should not miss, but maybe right now you're thinking:
"I can't lead a Bible study, I don't know enough!"
"I could never have a group of Christians at my home! Lord knows I can feed them! But what would I teach them?"
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 ESV).
Almost all of Peter Wade's books can be easily adapted for a home group, but Enjoy Your Bible is especially easy to use as a group learning activity. There are 18 powerful chapters with many examples from the wisdom of a lifetime of Bible teaching. You and your group will learn the tools you need to understand the Bible, and you'll enjoy it! Plus, the final chapter is an Introduction to Figures of Speech for those who want to dig a bit deeper.
Your group members will be more involved if they have their own copies, and we'll partner with you so you can achieve that goal with a 20% discount when you buy 5 or more books. Go to our website and read more about Enjoy Your Bible when you make your purchase.
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