“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” (Eph. 5:18)
When we got saved, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within us (John 14:17). When the Holy Spirit came, He didn’t come in doses; a little here and a little there. No, at salvation, we received ALL there was to receive of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is clear that either you have the Holy Spirit or you do not have the Holy Spirit.
So, when the Bible says we are to “be filled with the Spirit” it doesn’t mean we get MORE of the Spirit. Rather, it means the Holy Spirit has more of us! Meaning, the more of our life we yield to the Holy Spirit the more He is able to fill and control.
When Paul said, “Be not drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit” he likens a SPIRIT-filled person to an ALCOHOL-filled person; both are controlled by what they are filled with. In other words, if you are not “filled with the Spirit” it is because you are “filled” with something else! And what FILLS you CONTROLS you!
Some people lash out in anger toward others because they are “filled” with bitterness. Others brag on themselves and lift themselves up because they are “filled” with pride. Still others, commit immoral acts because they are “filled” with lust. Why? Because what FILLS us CONTROLS us.
What is filling you, today? What is controlling you? Tomorrow, we will look at how you can KNOW you are filled with the Spirit.