Filled with More Than the Spirit

Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

When God commands us to be filled with something, that means we are to only have inside of us what God commands us to be filled with. To be filled means there is no room for anything else to be inside us. To be filled means to be filled to the top with no more room for anything else to get inside. When you purchase a bottle of water, we often say that it is full, but it is not. At the top of the bottled water is a little bit of space that could have been filled with water. We could say that the bottled water is almost full, but it is not filled.

God does not want any space in our lives for anything else to fill us. Sadly, many believers are filled with things that God does not want in their lives. We try to fill ourselves with good, but then we allow bitterness inside, and the result is a tainted message that we give to others. This is just one illustration. If we are filled with what God wants us to be filled with, then the message we give will have the impact on the lost that God wants us to have. I find in the Scriptures that we are to be filled with more than just the Holy Spirit of God. Let me share several things that God wants us to be filled with.

First, we are to be filled with hope. Hope means that we never give up on faith living. Hope causes us to believe that someone will turn out right. Hope causes us to believe that the work we are doing for God will be blessed. Hope causes us to believe that the trumpet is going to sound, and we will be raptured to Heaven soon. If I am filled with hope, then doubt will have no place in my life. Being filled with hope is a result of believing God's Word is true and that God will honor His Word.

Second, I am to be filled with joy. Joy is a result of looking at what you have within and not looking at the circumstances that are without. Joy is living above the clouds of adverse circumstances, seeing that the sun still shines and that God is still in control. Joy is a result of an optimistic look at life through the viewpoint that God is still God.

Third, I am to be filled with peace. We often look for peace through possessions and money, and neither of these will give us peace. Peace only comes from God, which means you only get the peace of God when you serve Him. When you are filled with peace, you will live your life to help others to be at peace with God. Peace is the result of knowing that your sins are paid and that you don't have to serve God for Him to love you; rather, you serve Him because you love Him.

Fourth, I am to be filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. When I am filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, I will not try to do things in my power, but in His power. You will never be filled with the Holy Ghost without walking with God in His Word and by spending much time in prayer. Many people talk about being filled with the Holy Ghost, but they never spend the time begging God for His power on their lives.

My friend, your life is to be filled with these four things. It is not that you pick and choose which one you are filled with; rather, each one will cause you to be filled with the other. One without the other means that you are not filled with the ingredients God wants you to have. When the believer allows these four ingredients to fill their lives, we will be able to give a pure message that will make a great impact in the hearts of the lost to save their soul.