“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”
We are now into Chapter 5, verse 18. Just as in some of the previous passages, Paul writes and tells us to avoid something. But it never stops there. When there are things to avoid, there are things to replace it with.
So, in verse 18 we are told not to get drunk with wine, but …. Although the drinking of wine is not prohibited in Scripture, being drunk is prohibited. God never permits our losing our self control, turning that control over to the influence of some substance.
Rather, we are to be filled with the Spirit. We are to be under the influence and control of the Spirit, instead of wine or any other substance.
There are several characteristics of this word ‘filled’ that we need to think about. First, it is an imperative. That means it is a command. We are told to do something. Paul is the one writing, but because he is writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, we must respond as though it were God speaking directly to us personally.
Second, it is a passive verb. That means we are not the actor. Something or someone else is the actor and we are on the receiving end of that action. The action here is the filling of the Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit.”
If we are not the actor, how can this be a command? I assume it means that we are to allow or to be open in some way for the action to take place. So what I think is that God is telling us that we need to allow, or open ourselves up to being filled or controlled by the Spirit of God, rather than being controlled by wine.
Suppose when you were a kid, your dad would have told you that your brother needs to practice his football passing skills. He asks you to go out and be the receiver for him for awhile.
While this is kind of a simple example, it shows that you can be directed to go and be on the receiving end of some action over and over for a period of time. To be a good receiver for your brother you have to be alert and prepared to receive the football.
Third, the word is in the present tense. Present tense means now, today. Also, in Greek, the present tense is a continuing action. Therefore, we could think of the command this way: Continually allow yourself, or open yourself up to, being filled with the Spirit, moment by moment, and day by day.
When you go out to be a receiver for your brother, you know that the intention is that you receive the pass more than just one time.
How can we do this? We have busy lives and our minds are in hundreds of different places thinking about things and making decisions all day long.
I think we need to be sure we are having regular times of prayer each day, as well as memorizing and meditating on the Scriptures. If we do this on a regular basis, we will then have the foundational and fundamental mindset that is directed toward God and spiritual things.
If this is our pattern, then, I think, we will be better equipped to yield moment by moment to the Spirit’s filling and control.