Help from the Holy Spirit #4
| Do not get drunk with wine which leads do debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians5:18) |
The New Testament often talks about being full of the Spirit. But how does this happen? Does God pour the Holy Spirit, like a liquid into our bodies till it gets up to our "full" mark? How do we know whether we are full or empty?
Paul is not simply warning us against the dangers of drunkenness. He's using the effects of alcohol to teach us something. We know when someone is full of alcohol because it affects their speech, actions, and mood in a very negative way. In the same way when a person is full of the Holy Spirit, their speech, actions, and mood are also affected, but in the most positive way - they become better people.
How does one stay drunk? One has to keep on drinking. So too, being filled with the Spirit is not a once off event - it is an ongoing process. Paul's verb "be filled" in the original Greek is in the present continuous tense i.e. "Keep on being filled."
Therefore: Being filled with the Spirit is an ever on-going process of allowing God to be in control in our lives. It is being "under the influence" of the Holy Spirit and bearing His fruit. It is the best way to live.
