eDevotion
Encouragement for your daily walk with God
Here is a biblical truth every Christ follower needs to know; God wants every aspect of your being under the complete control of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Paul’s statement to the Ephesian Christ followers [5:18] is so important. “Be filled” is an imperative (command) in the Greek.
It takes three ideas to illustrate what “be filled” or “Spirit-filled” means:
1) to be pushed along; like the pressure of wind filling a sail and pushing a vessel across a body of water. In this case, we consent to the Spirit’s gracious pressure to move us in the right direction.
2) to be permeated; like a German kaesarei (cheese shop). My wife and I lived in Germany for several years as missionaries. While there, we went into many of them. I can tell you without the slightest hesitation, although the room was not “filled” with cheese, the smell permeated the entire shop, giving it a distinct oder. That’s how God wants the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, so that there is no doubt in the mind of others that we possess the distinct and pervasive presence of the Spirit.
3) to be controlled; this is the PRIMARY meaning of the Greek word to “be filled”—domination or total control. Luke 6:11 is a good example of that idea. The scribes and Pharisees “were filled with rage” when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. On another occasion, Jesus described the disciples’ reaction to His news that He would be leaving them by saying, “Sorrow has filled your heart” (John 16:6). In both examples, “be filled” signifies an emotion that completely dominates their thoughts—to the exclusion of everything else.
With regards to worldly concerns, being overwhelmed with emotion can be foolish or even harmful. But with regards to the spiritual life, not only is it beneficial, but it is also in complete agreement with God and His Word to be overwhelmed with the Spirit—every thought and action in His full control.
Don’t be drunk with wine...but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
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