Be Filled With the Spirit

Be Filled With the Spirit

Thursday

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
— Ephesians 5:18-20 (ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

— Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV)
"Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." The contrast in this verse is deliberate and powerful. Wine controls the body. The Spirit transforms the soul. Wine leads to reckless behavior. The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Being filled with the Spirit is not a mystical experience reserved for a spiritual elite. It is a command given to every believer. And it is a present tense command, meaning it is to be an ongoing, continuous reality. You do not get filled once and coast through the rest of your life. You are to be continually filled, day after day, moment by moment.

How do you stay filled? Through the Word, through prayer, through worship, through fellowship, and through obedience. The Spirit fills those who make room for Him by emptying themselves of self-reliance and worldly distraction. Notice the result: singing, thanksgiving, and submission. The Spirit-filled life is not quiet and passive. It overflows with praise, gratitude, and humble service.
Reflect:
What might be "quenching" or "grieving" the Holy Spirit in your life right now?
What would it look like to make more room for His filling today?

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