THE SPIRIT-FILLED WALK

intro

His basic command for the church is that the people are to be different because we are in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We were dead in trespasses and sin when he found us and saved us by His grace.

God, through His amazing grace brought us out of death and depravity, and He delivered us from the doom and condemnation of His wrath.

When He saved us, the Lord placed us in the building He is building in the world, which He calls the church.

God, through the power of the new birth, adopted us into the family of God. God placed us, through the baptism of the Spirit, into the very body of Christ.

Here is what He did for us.

He saved us from our sins, transformed us into new creatures, placed us in the body of Christ, then left us in this world to be light to a world trapped in darkness.

2 Corinthians 5:19–20 AV

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Philippians 2:14–16 AV

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

The way this is accomplished, the way we become salt and light, the way we carry out God’s plan for our lives, is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When God saved is, He placed His Spirit within us, 1 Cor. 12:13, Rom. 8:9.

Beginning here, and continuing through the end of the book, Paul describes what the Spirit-filled life looks like.

The teachings found here are foundational truth that have the power to transform us, and by extension, they have the power to transform every relationship in our lives.

Ephesians 5:18 AV

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Living the Spirit-filled life begins with being filled with the Spirit.

That’s what this Eph. 5:18 is about.

Notice the demands Paul lays before us here.

These demands teach us what we need to know about The Spirit-Filled Walk.

I.  IT DEMANDS CAPITULATION

Most of the message I am going to preach today will revolve around the verb phrase “be filled.”

One of the interesting components of that phrase is the fact that it is in the “middle voice” in the Greek.

In Greek, there are three basic voices in which verbs can be written.

Two of those are familiar to us, while the third, and the one used here, is not.

Those verb voices are:

• Active - The subject acts. The boy hit the ball.

• Passive - The subject is acted upon. The boy was hit by the ball.

• Middle - The subject acts upon himself. The boy hit himself with the ball.

We are commanded to “be filled with the Spirit,” but we know that we cannot make that happen.

We cannot just decide to “be filled with the Spirit,” and make it happen. Yet, the Lord commands us to “be filled with the Spirit.”

The middle voice in this verse suggests that God will fill us, but only when we yield our lives to Him.

The same voice is used in the first phrase of this verse, where the Bible says, “And be not drunk with wine wherein in excess.”

A person becomes inebriated when they yield control of their lives to the power of the alcohol.

A person must surrender to the action of picking up the bottle, or the glass, and taking the first drink.

If the person continues to consume alcohol, they will become drunk, because they yielded themselves to alcohol.

If we are going to fulfill this command to “be filled with the Spirit,” the first step is for us to surrender ourselves to the Lord in this matter.

We must open ourselves to Him so the Spirit can fill us with His power.

II.  IT DEMANDS COMPLIANCE

Not only does ancient greek have gender, and voices, but it also has moods.

Ancient Greek verbs have four moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive and optative),

This verb praise is also written in the imperative mood.

An imperative is a command.

So, when the Bible says, “be filled with the Spirit,” it is not optional.

Either we are filled with the Spirit, or we are out of God’s will.

The Bible is filled with all kinds of commands.

There are things we are told not to do, while there are other things we are told to do.

The command to “be filled with the Spirit” is to followed to the same degree as any other command in the Bible.

God expects us to “be filled with the Spirit” just like He expects us to refrain from cursing, stealing, committing adultery, coveting, or just like He expects us to be holy, to tithe, and to witness.

When the Lord gives a command, He expects His people to obey that command.

To obey Him is proof of our love for Him.

John 14:15 AV

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

So, whatever God tells me to do in this matter, I am to do without question and without hesitation.

I am to obey Him and I am to “be filled with the Spirit.”

III.  IT DEMANDS CONTROL

The image Paul uses for being “filled with the Spirit” is an interesting one.

He sets up a contrast between a person who is under the control of alcohol and a person who is under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s examine this contrast for a few moments.

• A person comes under the power of alcohol when they yield control of their lives to alcohol.

They choose to drink, and when alcohol is given and inch, it will take a mile.

• A person comes under the power of the Holy Spirit when they yield control of their life to Him.

• A person who yields to alcohol soon finds out that the alcohol will take over.

It consumes everything in the individual and brings them under its control. Alcohol controls the way a person thinks, speaks, walks, acts, sees, and hears.

It so dominates the life that a person under its control will often say and do things that they have no memory of the next day.

Alcohol takes over and produces the fruit of its control, which is “excess.”

• In like manner, a person who yields to the Holy Spirit will find that He also takes over. Instead of producing an “excess” of wickedness, the Holy Spirit will produce and “excess” of holiness in every life He fills.

When the Spirit of God fills a life, He also controls how a person thinks, speaks, walks, acts sees, and hears.

When He takes over, He produces the fruit of His control, the Fruit of the Spirit.

The contrast between a life lived in the flesh and one lived in the Spirit is seen in Gal. 5:16-23.

Galatians 5:16–23 AV

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

• Alcohol will produce an “excess” of wickedness.

• The Holy Spirit will produce an “excess” of holiness that will affect every area and relationship in your life.

Conclusion

Who controls your life?

What kind of spirit energizes you?

It might interest you to know that you are somebody’s slave, Ill. Rom. 6:11-23.

The word “filled” here means, “To be filled to the top; lacking nothing; nothing short of complete.”

When we are filled with the Spirit, there is no room for us. When we are filled with the Spirit, it means that He has the totality of our being and that He is in residence in a big way. When we are filled with the Spirit, He will dominate every aspect of our lives.