Tag Archives: bible

Be filled with the Spirit

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Ever wonder what it means to be filled with the Spirit? In Ephesians 5, Paul explains the symptoms of a Spirit-filled Christian and even commands it. So what does that look like? I am indebted to John MacArthur for pointing the following out.

Let’s read the text first, starting in verse 18:

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives [...]. Husbands [...]. Children [...]. Fathers [...]. (NASB)

Alright, here’s the command and the symptom of what it means to be Spirit filled. Now compare the parallel passage in Colossians 3, starting in verse 16:

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Wives [...]. Husbands [...]. Children [...]. Fathers [...]. (NASB)

Now compare the two. Look pretty similar, don’t they. Notice the first part of the first verse. In Ephesians, Paul says “be filled with the Spirit”, but in Colossians, he commands us to “[l]et the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” Both commands yield the same result, so being filled with the Spirit means to let the word of Christ richly dwell within us.

What’s the word of Christ? Follow your cross references to get an example of what that means. At the very least it means the Gospel message, but we can understand it to mean the whole revelation of God to us, i.e. the Bible. So if you never thought that reading the Bible was necessary, consider these passages. I’d also make sure to read 1 John and supplement it with my Good Person Test to test whether you are even truly saved because there is no Christian who does not desire to read God’s complete, inerrant, infallible, sufficient revelation to man. What do you think?

Not just doing, but attitude

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I am reading in 1 Chronicles right now and just finished the last chapter. David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10ff reminded me of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he raised the bar from simply doing to the intentions of the heart. Don’t just not commit adultery, don’t lust in your heart, either. Don’t just not murder, but don’t be angry with your brother, either.

Of course this wasn’t a new concept in the NT, it was supposed to have been like that all along, even under the Law, and the passage in Chronicles makes that clear. Starting in v.17 (emphasize mine):

17 Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. 18 O Lord , the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; 19 and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.

Notice the focus on the heart, and deeds coming from it. Especially in v19, David asks God to give his son a perfect heart to keep God’s commandments, or in other words, in order that he would keep God’s commandments. Of course God judges our actions, but He also judges our intentions and thoughts.

If you’re not a Christian, how would you stand up to a test like that?