Practical Ways to Let the Holy Spirit Keep Filling You by GARY CURTIS for Charisma News
The apostle Paul taught the early believers to “be filled with the Spirit.” Then, he gave them practical ways to practice this imperative for Spirit-filled living:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16).
“Do not be drunk with wine, for that is reckless living. But be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:18-19).
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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Every born-again believer is baptized “into Christ” by the Holy Spirit’s power (Rom. 8:9-11) and becomes part of the Father’s forever family. His Spirit now lives in us and makes us sure we are his children (Rom. 11:12-16).
Paul’s instruction to the Ephesians about Spirit-filled living includes the privilege and imperative for every believer to “be filled with the Spirit.” The word “filled” is in the present tense and is to be a repeated experience. It is kind of like shampooing your hair: wash, rinse and repeat. We are to be filled and then “re-filled” again and again.
As we grow and mature in Christ, we are to continuously live by the power of God’s Spirit, which is in us, and the life-giving practice of “singing and making melody in [our] hearts to the Lord” through “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”
Psalms are scriptural lyrics, set to music. Like the gift of prophecy, these expressions of inspired Scriptures serve to instruct, encourage and comfort the saints of God.
Many older believers will remember a resurgence of “Scripture songs” in the church during the Charismatic Renewal of the early ’60s and ’70s. By these songs of Scripture, newborn babes in Christ memorized the lyrics along with the melodies and learned scriptural truths. These songs joyously joined the Word with the Spirit and released a refreshing genre of Spirit-filled worship in the Church.
