The Feeling of the Holy Spirit

I have a confession to make: I want a faith that feels good. I want to soak in the joy that is in Jesus. And…I don’t want to feel guilty wanting it. But is this wrong? It depends on what it means to “feel good” and whether it is itself the end or merely the motivation to a greater end.

John Piper addressed this topic in his 1996 book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. The thesis of his book, as I understand it, is that Christians ought to pursue pleasure within the context of worshiping God. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” Obviously, this is not a selfish, superficial and materialistic pleasure that this world offers. Rather, it is a profound satisfaction that comes from being and living within the will of God. Psalm 37:3–4 (NIV84)3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Piper wrote in a related article, “By Christian Hedonism, I do not mean that our happiness is the highest good. I mean that pursuing the highest good will always result in our greatest happiness in the end. But almost all Christians believe this. Christian Hedonism says more, namely, that we should pursue happiness, and pursue it with all our might…As Christian Hedonists we know that everyone longs for happiness. And we will never tell them to deny or repress that desire. Their problem is not that they want to be satisfied, but that they are far too easily satisfied.”[1]

Piper’s exhortation is: “Pursue happiness with all your might…by pursuing God! Don’t just settle for a temporal, carnal kind of happiness; get it from God Himself!” But what does that mean? Is God like a different kind of drug? Does this have something to do with being “filled with the Holy Spirit?” Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

One could interpret (wrongly!) that the Holy Spirit offers a different and better buzz, a spiritual high, a feeling of bliss. And all we need to do is drink our fill of Him: 1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

God’s Word, however, does not associate Spirit-filling with good-feelings, at least not as a primary effect.  Rather, the filling of the Holy Spirit initiated believers into the New Covenant, and enabled the New Testament Church in Acts to speak and serve for the glory of God.

1. Christian Initiation: Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9:17)
2. Qualified for Service: Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them. (Acts 6:3)
3. Enabled to Boldly Speak/Prophesy/Rebuke: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said... And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly…Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said…( (Acts 4:8, 31; 13:9)

This was the context in which Paul wrote the command to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” It was a command to live wisely and do according to the Lord’s will:

Ephesians 5:15-18 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

So, is it OK to want to be happy in God? Seems so to me. And that is what I desire. Moreover, as I’ve grown, I realize that I also want to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And the two are linked, but not in the way that I once immaturely thought. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not at all like taking a spiritual drug; instead, I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit so I can speak and serve boldly for the sake of Jesus. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter marked by the theme of “joy”, he wrote, “I want to know Christ, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead” (3:10-11).  If the greatest happiness in life is found in glorifying, serving and even suffering for a Great God, then may the Holy Spirit fill me for these purposes.

Questions:

1. Describe “happiness”. How would define it? What does it look like?
2. Are you a “happy” person? Why or why not? Is it biblical to believe that God wants you to be happy? Support your answer from the Bible.
3. Could one be “filled with the Holy Spirit” and not be happy?
4. How could we increase our spiritual “happiness quotient”—and how can we be more filled with the Holy Spirit?