The first fourteen verses of Luke chapter 11 deals with perseverance in our Christian life; from asking for bread from a friend at midnight, to asking God for the Holy Spirit. We are to be intentional, and continuous in our request as though asking for something that we can’t live without. In verses 9-10 Jesus gives us the key…
“So, I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find: knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened to him.” In this passage the verbs are present imperative (commanding) , and the promise (from God) is in the future tense. “it will ...” If we are faithful the promise will be granted. We should do them continuously; asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of God’s Grace to draw closer to Him.
Doing these things, (asking, seeking, knocking) is a confession of our need for a Savior; and causes us to see the reality of that need; the closer we get to Him the more clearly we see our shortcomings.
I talk a lot about being “Filled with the Spirit” and “Being Holy” These two concepts are completely tied together, forever linked as one. When we realize (through the conviction of the Holy Spirit) our own sin and need for a Savior; and trust Jesus as that Savior, we are now able to receive The Holy Spirit as our guide to help us make sense of what we can’t understand without Him. Then, and only then are we able to navigate the spiritual life that we are to live as Christians.
Being Spirit filled is a process, sometimes it is a very short process, but nevertheless it is a process. I believe it depends on our personal desire for God. Do we want to be Sanctified? Or safe? All? Or just enough? We can’t enter into the process of salvation without His conviction drawing us. Can we be “saved” and not filled with the Holy Spirit? Initially yes; we can be saved without being filled (Acts19:2-4) but not able to function in the girts and spiritual wisdom that He provides.
The Good News is that he who asks, seeks, and knocks will receive the Holy Spirit, with all that He provides for the believer.
