By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper
Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:15-21
What is the greatest need in our life? Is it people, money, clothes, water, love, value or happiness? All of those are things people need but those are not our greatest need. The greatest need we have in our life is what Paul is recommending in these verses to the church of Ephesus.
We need the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our midst. If we truly were walking in the Spirit and living a Spirit-filled life our life would be so much more than what it is now.
Now, we as Baptists are a little afraid of the Holy Spirit. We are afraid He’ll make us talk funny and do weird stuff.
So, the tendency among Baptists is to avoid emphasizing the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit. But we need Him and all that He brings with Him. We need His presence and His power in a desperate way.
We shouldn’t fear the Spirit of God, instead we should welcome Him and create an atmosphere where He feels at home. An atmosphere where He can work in us and the church.
Greg Steele
In our text, Paul is telling the Ephesian believers what the Spirit-filled life is all about. He tells them that when they are walking in the Spirit, there will be some evidence of His presence in their midst.
When you and I are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be more like Jesus than we have ever been. That is what the Spirit of God wants to do in your life and mine.
He wants to duplicate the life of Christ in every saved individual. Are you filled with the Spirit? Let’s check the evidence and see where we stand.
Verse 18 tells us that the Spirit of God should control the life of the believer in their walk, talk, thoughts, attitudes, and their actions. Paul uses the word, “filled”, which means “to be full to the top; lacking nothing; nothing short of complete.” His will should be our will. His thoughts should be our thoughts. His desires should be our desires. Sadly, this kind of consistent living is missing from many of our lives.
This “filling” of the Holy Spirit is not something we can do on our own. We are to be vessels that God can fill and use for His glory. That means that we are to be clean, ready and open to the filling of the Spirit of God.
Paul is not offering us an option for living but is laying down the command of God for our lives. When all these things are taken together, it seems clear to me that it is always the Lord’s will for every believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
When we aren’t then it seems obvious that we are walking in rebellion and sin before the Lord (James 4:17). When we are not walking in the Spirit as we should be we will not be able to hear His voice when He speaks, God will not be able to use us as He desires to. Are you living a Spirit-filled life? B&R
