24: Common Ways the Holy Spirit Manifests Himself in All Believers – Filling (Part Two)

I was sitting in study hall with a friend I knew was not a Christian and I began explaining the gospel to him. I felt free and eloquent, more, I might say, than my normal self. A believing friend sitting there with us commented afterward that she had never heard me explain the gospel so clearly. I believe this was my first experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

If there are two different kinds of filling by the Holy Spirit, pimplēmi (pim·play·me) and pleróō (play·rah·oh), how do we differentiate them?

Pimplēmi refers to a sudden, temporary equipping of the believer with power and boldness to proclaim or demonstrate the gospel. It correlates more closely with service and proclamation. It is never required or commanded of believers, but is a characteristic of those called to prophetic office (like John the Baptist). We never see it directly requested by individual believers (they might request boldness and get a filling) but is given at the sovereign discretion of God. It would not be wrong to ask for this kind of filling when needed. Jesus promised this kind of filling when we were being persecuted and brought before a court to give testimony (Matthew 10:19).

Pleróō refers to being characterized by the moral qualities of the Holy Spirit. It correlates more closely with Christian growth in character. This kind of filling is commanded of all believers and a requirement for all who serve in any office. Leaders must be spiritually mature. It is not so much something to be requested as it is to acquire through repeated submission to the Holy Spirit and growth; it is a state of being mature.

You will only experience the pimplēmi kind of filling if you are active in service to Christ. Why doesn’t the Holy Spirit give us this kind of help every time we witness to someone, or have to do some ministry? I don’t know. But it is really cool when He does. You must strive to be full of the Spirit and His character, strive for maturity in Christ, because this is the holiness Christ has called you to. Everyone can be full of the Holy Spirit as they perpetually yield themselves to Him.