Friday, May 14

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. - Ephesians 5:18

It is very interesting that Paul puts these two things in contrast, one against the other. Don't get drunk with wine, he says. This implies there are things in life that may tend to drive you to drink. Some people drink because they feel they need it to have a “good time”. Others are simply able enjoy it in moderation with friends or family. But many people drink in order to deal with the pressures and demands of life. They feel the need for some kind of release, or something that will help them relax a bit, or give them some confidence, etc. Paul warns us to be careful what we look to for this kind of help. It is important to note that the Bible never forbids drinking, but the trouble with alcohol is that it so easily leads to a lack of control. The word here translated debauchery is a Greek word that means “without any limits, or recklessness” It refers to the tendency to throw all restraints overboard and live without control.

In contrast to this he says to satisfy that need by being filled with the Spirit, for that is God's provision for this need in human life. None of us should feel ashamed about our sense of need. We were not made to be self-sufficient, independent creatures. Because you feel like you need something to help you, to strengthen you, to make you feel adequate to face life, do not be troubled by that. You do need something! But let it be the right thing. “Be filled with the Spirit.”

Here he touches on the great secret of genuine Christianity, the possibility of being filled with the Spirit. When you became a Christian, when you believed in Jesus Christ and received Him as your Lord, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. You have the Spirit, but the interesting paradox is that, though all Christians have the Holy Spirit, we constantly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is the momentary taking from Him of the resources you need for the situation in which you find yourself. It really has nothing to do with an experience or a feeling; it is a quiet drinking again and again of an inner supply of strength and peace and joy.

This is a truth that many Christians seem to miss. They think that Christianity means coming to church, getting a blessing, and then going away to try to live in the light and warmth of the blessing until it leaks away, and then they must come back and get filled up again. But that is not Christianity. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38) That is the strengthening that comes from the Spirit, and there is more than enough of the Spirit for any situation!

Spend some time in reflection on these questions…

Where do I feel pressured in my life?
Where do I feel out of control in my life?
Where do I feel insecure in my life?
Where do I turn for security, control and confidence in my life?

Father, I pray that You will teach me to draw upon the well of Your Spirit within me, to know that every demand or opportunity I face, I face with You, and that you are fully prepared to live Your life through me in every situation – Amen.

Jeff Frazier