On Being Filled with the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18-21
It is safe to assume that everyone here today has indoor plumbing. If we want a glass of water, it is simply a matter of taking a glass, placing it under the faucet, and turning on the water. The water is available for us. It is simply a matter of taking it and using it.
Jesus used the idea of water when he talked about the Holy Spirit. In John 7:38-39, he said that any person who places his faith in him would have “rivers of living water” flowing out of him. John even wrote in parentheses after this statement, “Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would come.” Believers receive the Holy Spirit in abundant supply at their conversion.
Our message today, however, is on being filled with the Spirit. We know that we have Him in our lives if we have trusted Christ as our Savior, but what does it mean to be filled with Him? The only place in Scripture that examines in a literal fashion the act of being filled with the Spirit is Ephesians 5:18-21. As we look at these verses today, I believe we will see more clearly how to be filled with the Spirit. As a result, I hope that it is something that we will seek in our relationships with God in the days ahead.
The best way to examine our passage today is a three-step process. Paul’s words in verse eighteen are a command, an imperative issued for Christians. In order to understand this command, we need to examine three things. We will begin by looking at the context for the command, the verses surrounding this particular mandate. Secondly, we will examine the construction of the command itself. This particular Greek form is rich with meaning in light of the way the Holy Spirit works. Finally, we will investigate the qualifications of the command, the evidences of obeying it. In these ways, I believe we will come to understand clearly exactly what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
The context of the command. The fifth chapter of Ephesians begins with the words, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children . . .” Paul then tells them how they may accomplish this by a series of contrasts. In verses three through five, he tells them not to be known for immorality, but instead for thankfulness. He contrasts light and darkness in verses six through fourteen. Paul continues with a charge to refute foolishness with wisdom in verses fifteen through seventeen. Finally, in verses eighteen through twenty-one, he describes the in-filling of the Holy Spirit as contrasted with immoral drunkenness.
Do you remember the response of the crowd to the disciples on the day of Pentecost? Acts 2:13 says, “Others mocking said, ‘These men are full of new wine.’” The behavior exhibited by the disciples led some of those observing them to accuse them of being under the influence. But what did Peter say in response? Verse fifteen tells us that he said they were not drunk, but instead were the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. What was that prophecy?
Joel 2:28-29 tells us that God said, “ . . . I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and you sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” This is what happened at Pentecost. The believers may have been under the influence, but it was not under the influence of spirits. Instead, they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Every reference to the fullness of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts carries with it an understanding of power, exuberance, or boldness. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you . . .” We have already seen the example of the believers on the day of Pentecost. In Acts 4:8, we see Peter testifying before the council with boldness as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The first deacons were required to be men “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). Stephen, one of the first deacons, preached powerfully to those who stoned him. In Acts 7:55, we are told “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” It was at this point that they cried out and stopped up their ears as they picked up the stones to kill him.
So is it possible that being filled with the Spirit might resemble drunkenness? If it means an increase in boldness or a relaxing of inhibitions related to sharing one’s faith, then I would venture to say yes. Does being filled with the Spirit mean a loss of mental and emotional or even physical self-control, a type of euphoria accompanied by such manifestations as speaking in tongues and being “slain in the Spirit.” I would have to raise some red flags in this area.
On a moral plain, however, the truth is this: if you are going to be under the influence, then be under the influence of the Holy Spirit instead of alcohol. We are all aware of the devastating effects of alcohol. It is a chemical depressant, while the Holy Spirit is a spiritual stimulant. Alcohol impairs our judgment, but the Holy Spirit improves our judgment. Alcohol makes some users violent, while the Holy Spirit makes Christians more loving. Alcohol destroys homes and families, but the Holy Spirit brings families together. The bottom line is that alcohol has no place in the lives of God’s children. They ought instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The construction of the command. I said earlier that the command, “be filled with the Spirit” is an interesting Greek construction. For the linguists in the room, it is a perfect plural imperative. For those of us not so linguistically inclined, allow me to take a few minutes to explain the meaning of this phrase.
For starters, the in-filling of the Holy Spirit is not something we can do for ourselves. In other words, you nor I can fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit. Instead, we must allow Him to fill us. If we were water glasses, we could set ourselves under the faucet, but we could not turn the water on. This concept implies an act of submission on our part to the work of the Holy Spirit. In the same way that we must allow the Holy Spirit to do the filling, by a simple act of our wills, we can also stop the Holy Spirit from filling us. This is a sad but true diagnosis of the lives of most Christians today.
The second aspect of the in-filling of the Holy Spirit is that it is something that must happen over and over again on a daily basis. I read a story about a child’s plastic wading pool that had to be refilled constantly. It seemed that the children who were using the pool were constantly fetching buckets of water to keep their pool full, because there was a crack in the bottom and water leaked out constantly. Like it or not, you and I are cracked and leaky, too. The literal translation of “be filled” in Ephesians 5:18 is, “keep on being filled.” It is a matter of submitting to the Holy Spirit every day of our lives and allowing him to fill us up.
The third and final point of construction in this phrase is the plural case. Paul was not simply addressing an individual in the Ephesian church. He was addressing everyone in the Ephesian church. Being filled with the Spirit was not just the responsibility of the pastor or the deacons. It was a part of the life of every member of the body. The same holds true today. Being filled with the Spirit and experiencing his power is not something reserved for the spiritual elite. It is a privilege of every born-again child of God. And from what I can see, it is not an add-on option for better living. Being filled with the Spirit is essential to walking with God.
We have examined the context and the construction of Paul’s command, but now let’s get down to the basic facts:
The qualifications of the command. Paul lists four subordinate functions that identify a spirit-filled life in the verses that follow his command. These include speaking to other believers, singing to the Lord, giving thanks to God, and submitting to each other. Let’s examine each as a separate function of spirit-filled believers in the local church.
Paul says, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” The three genres of music mentioned here cover three distinct styles of singing. The psalms, of course, represent the written songs of the Old Testament. The hymns, likewise, represent the written music of the New Testament. Spiritual songs, it seems, are songs “inspired by the Spirit.” Some writers believe these to be experience or testimony songs, telling about the personal experience of the writer. Others believe these to be spontaneous songs created under the influence of the Spirit during worship. Regardless, Paul said to share these with your fellow believers. Remember, the command to be filled was for all believers, as was the command to speak.
The second subordinate was “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” It is interesting to note that we are to speak to each other, but we are to sing to the Lord. I believe there is a truth to this distinction that is deeper than we know. One of the truths of Creation is that music is a gift from God to be used for God’s glory. The earliest songs were songs of praise. Since the fall of humankind, however, one of the effects has been the perversion of music. It is rare to find in Scripture a reference to singing that is not directed to God. It is a part of worship. Paul’s distinction between speaking to each other and singing to God was no accident. It was simply an indicator of the spirit-filled life.
Thirdly, Paul tells us that a person filled with the Spirit practices thanks-giving. We cannot stress enough the necessity of giving thanks in the life of the Christian. It is something that is always taking place. We cannot afford to take anything for granted. One of my pastor-friends tells me that for sinners, Hell was better than we deserved. All things considered, that just makes grace a little more amazing. It was Paul who said, “There but by the grace of God go I.” He was thankful that God had been gracious to him. Are we always giving thanks? If we are living a life filled with the Spirit, we will be.
Finally, Paul uses the “s” word to get our attention. He writes, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” This is one of the most difficult concepts for us to grasp today. We do not want to be in subjection to anyone else for any reason. I mentioned the idea of accountability to a fellow minister awhile back, and he responded, “Don’t tell me I have to confess my sins to you.” Never mind the fact that James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” We just simply do not like the idea of being exposed to another person. I have heard Baptists say, “Isn’t that why we left the Catholic church?” The truth is that Spirit-filled Christians will submit to one another joyfully!
It is also important to note the last five words of verse twenty-one: “in the fear of God.” Have we forgotten who God is? My parents used to tell me to apologize to my sister when I did something wrong to her. I bucked them a few times on this, but my dad finally told me that I would be punished if I failed to apologize. Suddenly, apologizing wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I feared my Father’s discipline if I didn’t go through with it. I wonder sometimes if our high and mighty sense of independence would be quite as high and mighty if we lived with reverence for God. This is not some kind of “gotcha” fear that God will strike us down if we misstep, but instead a respectful fear of God’s power and holiness. That is the sense of Paul’s admonition to submit to each other. He was saying, “Submit to each other because you know how God feels about it.”
We have examined the context of the command, the construction, and the qualifications as well. We have seen what it means to be filled with the Spirit. Now two questions remain: How can we be filled with the Spirit and Why should we be filled with the Spirit? Let’s answer them briefly as we conclude our study today.
How can I be filled with the Spirit? The answer to this question is simple: submit yourself to him. Think of your life as a house. Every room has a locked door. You hold the key to every lock. Perhaps one room is your relationship to your family, another your attitude toward people who are different from you. Perhaps you have a closet for secret sins or a room just for unresolved anger. Being filled with the Spirit means handing over your key chain to him. It means you allow him into every aspect of your life.
But don’t think it’s easy. He will probe into areas of your life that are taboo. He will expose areas of your life that are dark, even forgotten. He will remind you of unconfessed sin. The Holy Spirit will literally clean house. And you will have to choose to let him keep filling you up or just be a nominal, carnal Christian. If you’re willing to pay the price in order to experience the joy, then you need to decide today to allow the Holy Spirit to fill you.
Why should I be filled with the Holy Spirit? Primarily speaking, this is God’s will for you! Anything less is to be outside the will of God. The interesting thing about God is that he never pushes, never pries, never forces himself on anyone. When you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, it is because you have reached a point where you have weighed the options and nothing else is close to satisfying you. When you allow the Holy Spirit to fill you, it is because you want more of God, more of his presence, more of his power, more of his grace. If you hunger for God, then you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Let’s be clear on a few things today. The Holy Spirit only lives in the lives of Christians. If you do not know Jesus, you do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enters Christians at the moment of conversion. When you surrender your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is placed inside you. Although the Holy Spirit lives in Christians, being filled with the Holy Spirit is an act of submission on the part of Christians. Most Christians are not filled with the Holy Spirit. If you want to walk with God and fulfill his will for you, you need to decide today to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
