Thursday Devo
Scripture:
Ephesians 5:18-19
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
Commentary:
5:18 Wine was the staple drink of the ancient Mediterranean world and was fermented in order to preserve it from turning into vinegar. be filled with the Spirit. As earlier (see note on 4:28), Paul expresses a negative exhortation (what the saints are to stop doing) along with a positive command (what the saints are to start doing). Whereas wine can control the mind and ruin one’s judgment and sense of propriety, leading to debauchery, in contrast with this, being “filled with the Spirit” leads to self-control along with the other fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [and] gentleness” (Gal. 5:22–23). The command in Greek (plērousthe) is a present imperative and does not describe a onetime “filling” but a regular pattern of life.
5:19 Being filled with the Spirit results in joyful praise through singing and making melody. This may refer to different kinds of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs found in the OT Psalter. It seems more likely, however, that Paul is referring both to the canonical psalms and to contemporary compositions of praise (see also Col. 3:16). “Spiritual” communicates the influence of the Holy Spirit’s filling (Eph. 5:18) in the believer’s acts of praise.
5:19 Being filled with the Spirit results in joyful praise through singing and making melody. This may refer to different kinds of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs found in the OT Psalter. It seems more likely, however, that Paul is referring both to the canonical psalms and to contemporary compositions of praise (see also Col. 3:16). “Spiritual” communicates the influence of the Holy Spirit’s filling (Eph. 5:18) in the believer’s acts of praise.
Questions:
- The "being filled" that Paul is talking about is a continual infilling, as we have discussed earlier this week. As you see in the commentary, this should be a regular pattern of life for the Christian. But so many of us neglect the Holy Spirit and live lives that are devoid of His presence and power. What do you think it looks like to have a regular patter of the infilling of the Holy Spirit in your life? How often are you praying for Him to fill you? How might your life look different if He did?
- Paul says in Ephesians to not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. It's interesting he makes this comparison because when you are filled with the Spirit, He takes over your mind and your life. You act differently. Being FILLED with the Holy Spirit is not getting more of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit getting more of YOU. It happens when we intentionally submit more and more of our lives to Him. It's not about losing control, but giving up control to Him. Does he have all of you? Do you long for the presence and power of God in your daily life? Spend some extra time praying for His Spirit to move in your life and family.
Pray:
- That the Holy Spirit would fill you today.
- That this would become a regular pattern in your life.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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