Are You Baptized or Filled?

Having grown up in church I have seen my share of felt boards, object lessons, and power-points, each detailing some biblical concept that was over my head but there is one lesson that I still remember more than 15 years after seeing it. I was at church camp and my cabin leader was doing a devotion. We sat in a circle on the floor as she pulled out a poster with a picture of a tree on it that was labeled "sin". She used the poster to explain salvation, sanctification (the fact that this was discussed will seem foreign to some), and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She explained that salvation is "cutting down the sin tree", that is, it erases the sin. Next, she said that sanctification is "pulling up the roots", meaning our desire to sin is removed. Lastly, she said that Holy Spirit baptism meant filling the space left by the roots with God's Spirit. I was probably around 10 years old when I heard this and although I can't remember anything else about that week (forgive me if you were my cabin leader and I can't remember who you were) but I remember that poster.

That picture has been in my mind this past week.  It brought me to a thought that had never crossed my mind before. If the Holy Spirit is the tree that replaces the "sin tree" then why are people who have been baptized in the Spirit not bearing new fruit? If church people were filled with the Spirit then wouldn't the churches be filled with people? Does the Holy Spirit not bring boldness to believers to share the Gospel?

Please understand that when I ask if church members are filled with the Spirit I am not accusing them of lying about being baptized in the Spirit, I am pointing out that there is a difference between receiving baptism and being filled. To be filled with something implies that there is no room for anything else. Filling a bucket with water implies that there is no room for anything else. But how many of us (even good church people) allow other things to take place in our hearts and minds and then expect the Holy Spirit to squeeze in too? I am preaching to myself. I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (with evidence of speaking in tongues) at a young age but I have not allowed the Spirit to FILL me until recently. If you are filled with Him there is no extra room for hatred, envy, greed, lies, or any other manner of sin. The more I fill my mind and heart with God's word and the more time I spend with Him, the less time I have for the trash I had allowed to enter for so long. Perhaps if we set out to be filled with His Spirit instead of just baptized in it we would bear the fruit.

Don't misunderstand. I believe in the baptism of the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. But if we seek the Spirit merely to speak in tongues, we miss the point. We should be empowered by His Spirit to share the Gospel. We should look, sound, and act different than those who are not filled. Please join with me in asking God to fill us with His Spirit so that we will bear the fruit.