Ephesians 5:18 - Filled With The Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) Don't be drunk with
wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead,
let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.
INTRODUCTION
True communion with God is not induced by
drunkenness but by the Holy Spirit. Paul is not speaking
of the Holy Spirit's indwelling (Rom. 8:9) or
the baptism by Christ with the Holy Spirit (1
Cor. 12:13), because every Christian is indwelt
and baptized by the Spirit at the time of
salvation. He is rather giving a command for believers
to live continually under the influence of the
Spirit by letting the Word control them, pursuing
pure lives, confessing all known sin, dying to
self, surrendering to God's will, and depending on
His power in all things. Being filled with the
Spirit is living in the conscious presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ, letting His mind, through the
Word, dominate everything that is thought and
done. Being filled with the Spirit is the same as
walking in the Spirit. [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
COMMENTARY PEARL
The Bible tells us to be filled with the
Spirit, but have you ever wondered what that
actually means?
Some people surmise that to be filled
with the Spirit is to have an emotional
experience, and it can include that. But it doesnt
always include that. Which means you can be filled
with the Spirit and not have any emotional
response whatsoever. Then again, you can be filled
with the Spirit and feel a lot of emotion.
But here is the problem: All too often,
some of the most bizarre, aberrant things we see
happening in the church today are attributed to the
Holy Spirit. People are saying the Spirit is
telling them to do these things. But do we find
these things in the Bible? The answer is no. So
are these things from the Holy Spirit? I dont
think they really are.
So what does it mean to be filled with
the Spirit? We could compare it to driving a
car. We read in Acts 2 about the day of
Pentecost, the story of the explosion of the Holy
Spirit that set the church in motion. In the same
way, when you get into your car and put your key
into the ignition and turn it over, there is an
explosion, if you will, that fires up the car. You
dont need to keep turning your car on again and
again once youre driving. You just need that
initial explosion, and then you drive the car.
It is great when you have an emotional
experience. But we must remember that the Bible says,
The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).
By and large, the Christian life is a walk of
faith, not a walk of feeling. Feelings will come
and go. But the just shall live by faith. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
In The Amplified Bible this text reads:
"And do not get drunk with wine but ever be
filled and stimulated with the (Holy) Spirit."
However we may view the doctrine of the
Holy Spirit, or whatever experience we may have
had of Him in the past, if we do not enjoy an
ever-present flow of His power in our lives, then we are
living below the New Testament standard. This text,
as many commentators have pointed out, is a
command to be obeyed. If we are not experiencing
what the Bible commands, then our lives are not
in harmony with God's purposes.
I meet many Christians who are sighing
over lost ecstasies, mourning over lost
victories, and who are downcast because they have lost
touch with God. It is largely because they are
living not "the life of the Spirit," but the life
of following an ideal with their own resources,
stirred by emotion through a special sermon or
something they read in a book. They grow tired and are
on the point of giving up.
A translator in India, working on an
early edition of Every Day Light on the Holy
Spirit, wrote: "I'd like another subject. I'm tired
of working on the Holy Spirit." A lot of
Christians have that problem; they grow tired of
working on the Holy Spirit, instead of letting the
Holy Spirit work on them. Let's stop working on
the Spirit, and allow Him to work on us!
Blessed Holy Spirit, help me as I thread
my way through the maze of thoughts and
attitudes about You. Help me to come out with Your
thoughts and attitudes. I want to be filled with the
Spirit"today and always. For Jesus' sake. Amen. [Every
Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes
devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Come to Me, and rest in My Peace. My Face
is shining upon you, in rays of Peace
transcending understanding. Instead of trying to figure
things out yourself, you can relax in the Presence
of the One who knows everything. As you lean on
Me in trusting dependence, you feel peaceful
and complete. This is how I designed you to
live: in close communion with Me.
When you are around other people, you
tend to cater to their expectations--real or
imagined. You feel enslaved to pleasing them, and your
awareness of My Presence grows dim. Your efforts to
win their approval eventually exhaust you. You
offer these people dry crumbs rather than the
living water of My Spirit flowing through you. This
is not My way for you! Stay in touch with Me,
even during your busiest moments. Let My Spirit
give you words of grace as you live in the Light
of My Peace. (Phi. 4:6, 7; John 7:38; Eph.
5:18-20) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Ephesians 5:18 - Filled With The Spirit.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190614-1108.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio (currently live):
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
