What happens when someone becomes intoxicated? If they’re intoxicated with love, they’re exhilarated. If they’re intoxicated with alcohol, they’re drunk. Intoxication changes our speech, responses, and attitudes. Ephesians 5:15–21 contrasts the influence of alcoholic spirits with being filled with the Holy Spirit.
“Be very careful, then, how you live… Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:15–21 NIV).
What fills us controls us. Consider the difference between being filled with—.
- Love versus hate.
- Peace versus worry.
- Joy versus sadness.
- Hope versus despair.
- Thankfulness versus grumbling.
- Faithfulness versus flakiness.
These contrasts reveal the difference between being filled with the Spirit and being controlled by the flesh.
The Holy Spirit’s Filling
God gave animals instincts. He gave humans himself. God created us to walk with him. If your Christian life has become boring or impotent, you may be missing out on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Every Christian has the Holy Spirit. We receive him the moment we come to Christ. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Rom. 8:9 NIV). But there is a difference between being indwelt by the Holy Spirit and being filled with him.
To illustrate the difference, picture making a glass of chocolate milk. When you add chocolate syrup to plain milk, the syrup settles in the bottom of the glass. The milk is indwelt with chocolate. If you took a sip before stirring it, you would taste plain milk. Stir the milk, and the syrup disperses throughout the glass. Now, every sip of the chocolate-filled milk tastes chocolaty.
Christians can look and act like unbelievers even though we have the Holy Spirit. But the more the Spirit controls the more we look like Christ. His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control disperse into every aspect.
Who’s in Charge?
The Holy Spirit is not some power we wield as we please. We don’t live without a thought of God and then say, “Holy Spirit, fill me to witness to my neighbor.” Rather, we surrender every area of our lives to him. He’s the hand that fills the glove.
God does not divide our lives into sacred and secular. Everything is holy when done through him. We may not always sense his leading, but he directs the steps of those who ask. The late Donald Gray Barnhouse summed it up this way. The Holy Spirit is not a power at our disposal to use as we wish, but a person who wants to possess our total being.
Surrendering to Christ’s Lordship is synonymous with being filled with the Holy Spirit. We don’t wait until our lives are sparkling clean to invite his filling. We ask him to help us forsake the things that grieve God, and he knows what to do. Don’t be surprised if he focuses on a different area of your life than the one that bothers you.
The Christian life is a walk of faith. Since we know God wants us to be filled with his Spirit, we can trust him to fill us when we ask.
The late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, used to say that living a life pleasing to God was not difficult; it was impossible. The only person able to live a life pleasing to God is Jesus Christ, and he wants to live it through us.
Strength Finder
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20 NIV).
From the preceding verse, what is our role?
Are you ready to experience your best life (John 10:10)? Here is a suggested prayer to get started:
Closing Prayer
Dear Father,
Thank you for your great love for me. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit. Please search me and point out any area that I need to confess and forsake. Thank you for your cleansing. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Take leadership over every area of my life: my thoughts, my will, my emotions, my words. Thank you for filling me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Throughout each day, ask God to fill you with his Spirit. Then cooperate with the Spirit by practicing the Spirit-filled conduct Ephesians 5:15-21 describes. Your life will never be the same!
Adapted from Little Women, Big God.
Why You Need to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit? #Peace, #power Share on XBlessings,
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#MondayLinkUp #InstaEncouragements, #TellHisStory, #Let’sHaveCoffee, #Grace&Truth
Thank you, Debbie, for this message on the Holy Spirit and our great need for Him. This is very timely for me as I’ve been seeking Him to guide me and keep me on the right path to live fully for God. It’s a jungle out there and we need frequent reminders of how He works and our part in seeking and surrendering (and finding). I especially love the object lesson of the chocolate milk — what a wonderful way to explain the difference between being saved and having the Holy Spirit in your life – and being filled with the Holy Spirit in all areas of our lives. God bless you, my sister, as you continue to serve our Father.
Thank you, Sandra. I’m glad you enjoyed that illustration. We can think of it when we have chocolate milk!
I love the chocolate milk analogy. I’m going to use that with my grandchildren.
I used to use that when I taught high school students. The other was to tell a glove to pick something up. Then put my hand in the glove and ask it to write my name, illustrating why we need to allow God’s Spirit to control us.
We are so blessed by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your analogy of stirring the syrup into the milk is a great visual to help us understand. The chocolate is infused throughout. That’s a mixture. I also like the thought that when we have the Holy Spirit, we are a compound–we can’t be separated. Thank you for sharing, Debbie.
I like that Katherine. We’re a compound that can’t be separated!
“God gave animals instincts. He gave humans himself. ” I love that. It sums up the difference between us and the animal kingdom. The chocolate milk analogy was also a powerful word picture.
Thanks, Barbara. I’m glad I have the Holy Spirit!
This was a great post! I loved what you said, “What fills us controls us.” We get to make the choice what fills our minds and hearts. I choose to surrender to Christ.
I choose that too, Jerralea. In some situations, we must choose it minute by minute!
It’s hard to imagine life with the Holy Spirits guidance. Great explanation Debbie.
I can’t imagine it after experiencing HIm. Thanks, Yvonne.
I so love your chocolate milk analogy – it went straight to my heart! I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit stirred up within! What a good! Good Father we have!
Yes! He is good!