Living Dependently Ephesians 5:18

Introduction

This is a review of what Chris Mueller taught last week on living the Christian life dependently on Christ, rather than living on your own strength. The key passage was , specifically the final phrase where Paul tells us that we are to “be filled with the Spirit”.

Consider the points that were made from these words:

This is a command. It is an imperative. It is not a request or a suggestion.

This command is in the present tense. It is to be the normal pattern of the Christian life, and not just for “super spiritual” moments like when you’re serving in the church or attending a church gathering.

This command is in the passive voice, which means that you can’t do it! Active voice says that you have to do it. Middle voice says that you do it to yourself. But the passive voice says it is done to you.

Here is the question that needs to be asked and answered: If we are required to be filled with the Spirit all the time, how can we do it? Chris Mueller gave us an acronym to help us remember: PASSS.

P

P is for PASSAGE. We need to be in the Word of God. is parallel to the verse in . Paul writes to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you”. Let’s diagram this sentence to see what these words are telling us to do.

Let’s notice some key teaching points found in this verse.

It is the Word of Christ, which is best interpreted as the Bible.

It is to dwell. This is the verb (predicate) in the sentence, and it has more to teach us

a. It is a command, not an option.

b. It is present tense, so it is to be a normal part of the Christian life.

c. It is in the active voice, so we have the responsibility to get into the Word.

It is to dwell richly.

It is to dwell within you. Having the Bible in your house or next to your chair or bedside

A

A is for AWARE. We need to be aware of our need to be filled with the Spirit so that we can live dependently on Christ.

S

S is for SIN. We need to recognize the sin in our lives that block the Holy Spirit from filling us. Then we need to confess the sins and repent. This is an ongoing, daily process.

S

S is for SERVE. The Christian life is one of serving. Peter tells us, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

S

S is for SHARE. We should be sharing the message of God’s Word to those around us. This certainly includes sharing the gospel with the lost, but we should also consider sharing the Word of Christ with those who are believers who need to be discipled.