Spirit-Filled Living

“Don’t be drunk with wine…be filled with the Holy Spirit.”           Eph 5:18 NLT

Sometimes people get drunk to try to fill an emptiness on the inside. But it doesn’t work. Like the Irishman quipped, “It’s champagne tonight and realpain in the morning!” Recognizing that His disciples wouldn’t survive without Him when He left, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit” (Jn 14:16 NIV). Once you understand what the Holy Spirit can do, you won’t want to live a single day without His help. Observe: (1) He will plant your feet on the path of truth (See Jn 16:13). (2) When you doubt your salvation, He will confirm that you are truly God’s redeemed child (See Ro 8:16). (3) In difficult situations when you don’t know what to say, He will give you the right words at the right time (See Ac 1:8). (4) He will reproduce His nature in you (See Gal 5:22). This is referred to as “the fruit of the Spirit,” not the efforts of your flesh. Fruit doesn’t struggle to grow; it simply draws life from the tree to which it’s connected and thrives. Paul writes, “Don’t be drunk with wine…that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” You can generally spot someone who is drunk by the way they slur their words and wobble when they walk. When it happens, we say they are “under the influence.” Paul’s point is clear: As a believer, your walk and your talk should be “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit. So today ask God to fill you with His Spirit—and stay topped-up by reading His Word and praying daily. 

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