"Filled With the Spirit"

After preaching yesterday, it struck me how little people know or understand the Spirit of God. When we speak of the Spirit, it makes some winch because the lack of understanding. Some believe and teach that the Spirit only works in and through the word. While there are verses to show us the Spirit uses the word of God, He is not the word of God. When Paul says, "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph. 6:17), there is a major difference between the "sword" and the one bearing the "sword." The Spirit of God dwells in those in Christ Jesus! Paul taught that that plainly in Romans 8. The word cannot intercede for us but the Spirit of God does (Rom. 8:26-27). We cannot grieve the word but we can grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:30). We can read and take in the word of God, which is the Spirit's sword, and it performs its work in us bringing us to salvation (I Pet. 1:23-25/I Thes. 2:13). But the word is not the Spirit! The word cannot testify with our spirit that we are children of God. The Spirit of God cries out to God that we are children of His (Rom. 8:16-17). Others want to tie the Spirit to feelings! He is God's Spirit, not some emotion or emotional tie. He was given as a promise, not some emotional outpouring.

The question comes, how can we be filled with the Spirit as Paul taught in Eph. 5:18? Let's look closely at this. Here is the verse, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit." Wine controls a persons inner being! Drunkenness affects a persons faculties and diminishes your life. When a person drinks, we know it diminishes our faculties as we can see when people drive and drink. One doesn't have to be drunk to be be affected. However, in this verse we are told not to get drunk with wine. Why? Because it is dissipation! Some versions read "leads to debauchery." Dissipation and debauchery means a wastefulness. It leads one to wasting their life and serves no purpose. Something greater is to control and that is "being filled with the Spirit." When we are speaking of "filled" we are speaking about something influencing, controlling you. How are we to be "filled with the Spirit?" It is not some miraculous feeling that comes across you that makes you "feel" something. In Eph. 5:19-21, there are 5 participles used in the Greek and those participles modify the verb "filled". In other words, here is how to be filled with the Spirit. (1) "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymn and spiritual songs." "Speaking" is the participle! (2) "Singing" is the participle. (3) "making melody" is the participle. (4) "Giving thanks" is the participle. (5) "Be subject" is the participle. What do these mean? Whenever we speak in our songs, whenever we sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord, whenever we give thanks in all things and be subject to one another, something begins to happen within your being and you allow the Lord's entrance and control in your life! There is nothing miraculous, but simple, common things we give ourselves to and the Lord will respond by filling.

"Being filled with the Spirit" is simply focusing on God and His desires, allowing Him to influence your thinking and heart desires! How many times do we rob ourselves, especially in our worship, not realizing we allow or not allow the Lord's entrance into our hearts by our attitudes and desires! To have little to no interest, to have no desire to speak or sing, to not be thankful for all things and never think others as more important, you cut yourself off from what the Lord wants. Maybe we ought to think of it this way: are we quenching the Spirit of God?