First, to those of you who are using this blog as your Bible study, I must apologize for the lack of activity last week. My schedule reached a frantic pitch and some things were rolled forward. With that said ... I ask your forgiveness and patience ... and let's move into Lesson 9.
Read Ephesians 5: 15 - 21. Reading out loud sometimes slows us down and helps us focus on the words and the flow of thought.
In these verses we encounter the wonderful phrase "filled with the Spirit". I believe there is much confusion about that. What does it mean? What does that "filling" look like? Are you? How do you know? If not, why not? This seems to be instruction to believers. As you consider those questions, I want to share a bit about the structure of these verses which I think helps clarify.
We have already seen much in this letter about "walking worthy of the call with which we have been called." We have learned that it is to be no longer as the Gentiles walk. We found that it is to be in love. (God is love) It is also to be in the light. (Jesus is the Light) Verse 15 adds to our understanding. The worthy walk is to be in wisdom. That wisdom includes our use of time. Pause for a moment and reflect on your use of time. This day is all we have. What we waste is gone. What we spend in foolish pursuits or in frivolous activity is gone. Evaluate your own use of time. Ask God to show you where you are wise and where you are perhaps foolish. Please do not hear this as a call to obsessive activity! There is great wisdom in quiet, reflective time. There is great wisdom in time to decompress when needed. There is great wisdom in setting aside time just between you and God. Make wise use of time.
Another point of wisdom is in our seeking to understand the will of the Lord. That is why we do Bible study!
In Greek, verses 18 - 21 comprise one sentence. The NIV translation uses five. That creates some interpretation challenges. In this one sentence, there are only 2 commands, 2 imperatives. Those are: 1) do not get drunk with wine and 2) be filled with the Spirit. The command to "be filled" is followed by 5 participles all describing the action. These participles give evidence of what a person filled with the Spirit does. The person filled with the Spirit is involved in speaking to fellow believers. He/she is a singing person. He/she is a 'melodying' person - makes melody in her heart (the core of who she is). Doesn't that ring of joy? He/she is a thanking person - thanksgiving comes from his lips because of Jesus. And he/she is one who submits to fellow believers. There is mutual give and take as body life is lived out. That means respect for the "other" - it means a willingness to honestly listen to the 'other' - it means that one doesn't always get their own way! Mutual submission ... indeed a revolutionary idea! That is what it means to be "filled with the Spirit".
My prayer for us today ... May we all be more open in our hearts to receive the Spirit of God. May we reflect that Spirit in all our interactions today. And may the joy of the Lord spill out of our overflowing, singing hearts!
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