The Truth About The Holy Spirit (Part Six)

Let’s examine the consequences of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We’ve already mentioned that speaking in tongues isn’t one of them (see Part Five). In the Bible the fruit of the Spirit is inseparably connected with being filled. In Galatians 5, we find apostle Paul contrasting the works of the flesh (the part of humanity corrupted by sin, bent towards evil and opposing God's will), and the fruit of the Spirit. Paul instructs that the means of not fulfilling the works of the flesh is by keeping in step with the Holy Spirit which is a condition for the filling (Galatians 5:16). Then Paul pictures in very clear and graphic images the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) and sets in contrast to them the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit produced by being filled by the Spirit is a perfect picture of internal spiritual growth, and of becoming a living embodiment of Christ's teachings. And for that reason, it may be said that one of the consequences of being filled with the Holy Spirit is the producing of behaving like Jesus. This is the fruit of the Spirit, and this Christlikeness is produced only by the Spirit completely controlling or filling the life. Be encouraged!

Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible teacher & expositor