You can explain the concept of the Holy Spirit-filled life using this
simple recipe for chocolate milk.
Step One: Add chocolate syrup to a glass of milk.
Step Two: Stir.
In the Christian life, the "chocolate" of the Holy Spirit is added at
the moment of salvation. Ephesians 1:13 explains that we receive the
Spirit when we trust in Jesus as our Savior. The Spirit never needs to
be added again.
However, in milk the chocolate syrup settles on the bottom of the
glass until the milk is stirred up. Then the appearance and taste change
completely.
Similarly, a Christian cannot experience the sweetness of spiritual
change and growth until he or she asks the Holy Spirit to be in control.
Then the Spirit produces godliness in a Christian's life, as promised in
Galatians 5:22,23.
God adds the Spirit when we become Christians, but we must "stir" Him
up in our lives daily.
Challenge a Christian by asking, "Are you settled or
sweet?"
How can you stir up the Holy Spirit in your
life?
When you receive Christ as your Savior and Lord, God gave you an
amazing gift -- His very life, breath and power lives in You in the
person of the Holy Spirit.
We experience the Holy Spirit's constant help, guidance, comfort as
we ask Him and we trust Him to keep on
filling us. When we do, we overflow: "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).
Hey Laura:
Not really a bad analogy. Pretty much on target, and simple
enough to understand. Being filled with the Holy Spirit has
been made to seem way too complicated. We seem to expect some
mystery or something really deep or supernatural, but it is really
simple. You would know what I meant if I said that I was filled
with rage, or filled with jealousy, or filled with anger. It would
be obvious to you that I was allowing one of those emotions to control
my thinking, my behavior, my attitude, my life.
That is how it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He
controls the attitude, the behavior, the thinking, the life of every
Christian.
Deny self, follow me. Real simple.
Terry
