The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) was one of the most phenomenal and important events in all of history, for it was the day of “the coming of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus had deliberately prepared the disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Bible, the revelation of the indwelling Spirit had been progressive (Joel 2:28–29, Luke 3:16, etc.).
However, there's a portion of Scripture that refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8, Ephesians 5:17-21)
In these verses being filled with the Spirit is contrasted with being filled or drunk with wine. The idea is one of being controlled by God's Spirit rather than by other forces. When we are filled by the Spirit, we see a resultant attitude of joy and thanksgiving. We also see a relational posture of humility toward God and of submission to one another.
So how can a person be filled with the Holy Spirit? To be clear, there is an important difference between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. All believers in Jesus Christ have God's Spirit dwelling within them (1 John 4:12-14, John 7:37-39, John 14:16-17, Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 4:30); but not all believers live filled or controlled by the Spirit's power. Some Christians describe this distinction by saying believers have all of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit may not have all of them. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the time of our salvation, but we are filled by Him when we submit to Him.
