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Can you hold all of God? You are like a cup. God’s love, mercy, grace, and power is like an ocean—feeding the mighty river of the Holy Spirit flowing “without measure” (John 3:34). As this river of life flows, it breaks down the banks and flows “where it wills” (John 3:8), blessing all in its path. God’s supply is greater than your supply of sin. As God fills you with His Spirit, the power of God transforms you, cleansing all your sin and filth. It’s not by your might or power that anything will be accomplished, God says, but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).
You are transformed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). This flow will make you pure and clean, free from sin. The Spirit will fill your cup and anoint you with the oil of His healing grace and wisdom. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Nobody can be filled with the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, He will overflow. And where there is no overflowing, He is not there. He overflows your boundaries; He occupies everything around you; He goes in His direction and controls every area of your life.
Do you know why you sin? You think sin will give you more pleasure than God will give you. Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). He will satisfy. “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). The joy of the Lord is your strength to overcome. Paul prayed, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). You were made to contain God and be filled with Him.
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The command is to walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. With the command comes life-changing truth that the Holy Spirit is living in you and continually filling you. In Acts the disciples were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, but were filled again and again. “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).
You will never know the “fullness” of God until you have had a life-changing experience of power and purity in the Holy Spirit. God’s river will cleanse all in its path and will overflow in power over all the boundaries of men.
A few years ago June and I visited Niagara Falls and were impressed by the overpowering sense of it all. Every minute, about 500,000 tons of water plunge into the Niagara River gorge. The electrical generating station powers several large cities. God could have used a lot less water, but He didn’t. He could have made the falls lower, but He built them over 12 stories high. And because they are from His creative hand, people come from around the world to see Niagara Falls.
What a picture of the flow of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace! God’s grace toward you flows like Niagara, in superabundance to cleanse, empower, and meet your need. The flow is without measure (John 3:34).
The Spirit-filled life is not getting more from God, but freely receiving all that God is. His presence is what makes you holy. He sanctifies, He empowers. He does it all. You come in humility, like an unashamed beggar, and let go of your right to yourself (Galatians 2:2021). The human side to the filling of the Holy Spirit is consecration to the lordship of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:12); God’s side is the cleansing, empowering, and filling our hearts with the love of God by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:45). You want to “do so you can be” what God wants. But you can’t make it happen. God wants you to “be,” and He will “do” through you. The issue is that of surrender, letting go and being totally dependent on Him.
A truth is made real by experience. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:3132 NKJV). You can experience the truth of the promise of the Holy Spirit: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
Prayer: Lord, I live in a condemned world and I am condemned. I need Your daily filling and cleansing. I want to be clean. I thought that I had to empty myself and clean myself so You could fill and use me. But Your Word says You will empty and clean me by filling me. Help me to stop doing to be. Lord, help me to be to do. Help me be a part of the vine, of You. Let the river of the Holy Spirit cleanse my heart and life by filling me to overflowing. Lord, I ask to be filled afresh with the Holy Sprit. Amen.
You are transformed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). This flow will make you pure and clean, free from sin. The Spirit will fill your cup and anoint you with the oil of His healing grace and wisdom. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Nobody can be filled with the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, He will overflow. And where there is no overflowing, He is not there. He overflows your boundaries; He occupies everything around you; He goes in His direction and controls every area of your life.
Do you know why you sin? You think sin will give you more pleasure than God will give you. Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). He will satisfy. “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). The joy of the Lord is your strength to overcome. Paul prayed, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). You were made to contain God and be filled with Him.
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The command is to walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. With the command comes life-changing truth that the Holy Spirit is living in you and continually filling you. In Acts the disciples were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, but were filled again and again. “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).
You will never know the “fullness” of God until you have had a life-changing experience of power and purity in the Holy Spirit. God’s river will cleanse all in its path and will overflow in power over all the boundaries of men.
A few years ago June and I visited Niagara Falls and were impressed by the overpowering sense of it all. Every minute, about 500,000 tons of water plunge into the Niagara River gorge. The electrical generating station powers several large cities. God could have used a lot less water, but He didn’t. He could have made the falls lower, but He built them over 12 stories high. And because they are from His creative hand, people come from around the world to see Niagara Falls.
What a picture of the flow of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace! God’s grace toward you flows like Niagara, in superabundance to cleanse, empower, and meet your need. The flow is without measure (John 3:34).
The Spirit-filled life is not getting more from God, but freely receiving all that God is. His presence is what makes you holy. He sanctifies, He empowers. He does it all. You come in humility, like an unashamed beggar, and let go of your right to yourself (Galatians 2:2021). The human side to the filling of the Holy Spirit is consecration to the lordship of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:12); God’s side is the cleansing, empowering, and filling our hearts with the love of God by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:45). You want to “do so you can be” what God wants. But you can’t make it happen. God wants you to “be,” and He will “do” through you. The issue is that of surrender, letting go and being totally dependent on Him.
A truth is made real by experience. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:3132 NKJV). You can experience the truth of the promise of the Holy Spirit: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
Prayer: Lord, I live in a condemned world and I am condemned. I need Your daily filling and cleansing. I want to be clean. I thought that I had to empty myself and clean myself so You could fill and use me. But Your Word says You will empty and clean me by filling me. Help me to stop doing to be. Lord, help me to be to do. Help me be a part of the vine, of You. Let the river of the Holy Spirit cleanse my heart and life by filling me to overflowing. Lord, I ask to be filled afresh with the Holy Sprit. Amen.