Sunday, January 13, 2019

Under the Influence

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

Ephesians 5:18–21

Dr. Curtis Hutson used to tell the story of a drunk man speeding down the road. When he was pulled over, he asked the policeman how much the ticket was. Hearing the reply he said, “Go ahead and write up two tickets. I’ll be coming back through in about an hour, and that way you won’t have to stop me again!” He would never have said something like that if he had been sober. But he was “under the influence” of alcohol.

Paul uses drunkenness to contrast and compare the effect of being filled with the Holy Spirit. A person who is intoxicated does not behave as he normally would. Instead his words and actions are being guided and shaped by the force that is controlling his brain. In the same way, although for a completely different reason, being filled with the Holy Spirit means that we are no longer in control, but rather we have surrendered that control to God so He can guide our steps.

Many people have had more to drink than they realize, and become drunk because of it. But it is not because someone forced liquor down their throat. Rather, they choose to give themselves over to drink, and drunkenness results. Likewise, we cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit unless we yield ourselves to His control. The choice must be ours. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The continuing process of being filled with the Holy Spirit is essential to victorious Christian living.