The Bible says, "Be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine… but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:17).
We must be wise and understand what the will of the Lord is: for us to be "filled with the Spirit." If that is so, then for us NOT to be filled with the Holy Spirit is sin. Notice the unusual comparison: "Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit." God is saying, "Don't be under the influence of alcohol; be under the influence of the Holy Spirit."
The late Dr. Kenneth Wuest, one of the most revered Greek scholars, said, "Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not like putting gas in the tank, but a driver behind the wheel." When a person is under the influence of alcohol, he or she is changed. When we are controlled by the Spirit, we will be changed.
Being filled is not a one-time experience. The Greek tense here is continuous: "Be ye being filled" continuously.
How are we filled with the Spirit? We ask. Scripture says, "This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will [Did you get that?] he heareth us… whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition we desired of him" (1 Jn. 5:14–15). "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Col. 2:6).
How did you receive him? By faith! So ASK to be filled with the Spirit. It works. Jesus said, "Ask, and ye shall receive." If we ask anything according to the will of the Lord, we know that we have it! How? Because He said it.
Oh, dear people, walk by faith and not by feeling. Believe God as you ask to be filled, controlled, by the Holy Spirit. Call on the Holy Spirit to control you continuously.
Prayer: Father, You want us to be Spirit-filled Christians and to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives to the fullest. Help us to walk by faith and see the Spirit do all He came to do in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Quote for the Day: "God loves everyone, but He prefers 'fruits of the spirit' over 'religious nuts!'" —Author Unknown
