To be full means there is no room for anything else. When my stomach is full I can’t eat another bite. As usual, we equate everything with physical things. However, today we’re going to get into the spiritual world of being full. Our text is from Ephesians 5:18-21. Paul is speaking to the Ephesians about how we are to be controlled by the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 5:18-21 “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.”
He starts with the analogy of drinking. Drunkenness is always condemned in the Bible. It shows a complete lack of self-control. He explains to them they were to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not wine. In other words, they were to be controlled by the Spirit. When we are full of something it affects everything about us. Paul uses this metaphor meaning to be completely possessed, permeated, and dominated, by the power of the Holy Spirit. For us to be totally controlled by something we must be emptied first. We are to empty ourselves of self. However, to stay full of anything we must be constantly taking something in.
When we are saved we all receive the Holy Spirit that comes to live within us. We are baptized, placed into, the Holy Spirit. This is a one-time event, but as we live as a Christian we are to be constantly filled with Him.
Act 1:5 “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”
The evidence of this filling is shown in three ways in verses 18-21. First, we are to be joyful, and that is seen as we make melody in our hearts to the Lord. This command is also clearly seen in Colossians 3:16.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
The song in our heart is to be compatible and complementary to the word of God. We are to let it dwell in us richly. In other words, we are full of it. It is expressing the glory of God in our souls, and we are not fearful to express that outwardly. The joy that is deep within us will have to come out.
Paul and Silas were great examples of this in Acts 16. They were beaten and thrown in jail. Not a jail as we think of jails today. It was probably a cold, musty, dungeon with chains and shackles. A place where no one would think about singing, except someone controlled by the Spirit of God. Someone controlled by their physical feelings would be thinking of their circumstances.
Act 16:22 “And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:”
However, we find Paul and Silas were praying and singing in the middle of the night. As they praised God, He caused an earthquake to come and their chains fell off. The guard was ready to take his own life for fear his prisoners had escaped. Just at the right time, Paul stopped him to let him know they were all still there. They were exhibiting Colossians 3:16. Because of their actions the guard and all his household were saved.
Their circumstances did not control their actions. This was another evidence they were filled with the Spirit. They were feasting on God and His goodness and others knew this by the songs they were singing.
They were being thankful. When we are controlled by the Spirit, there will be a continual awareness of what He is doing in our life, and we will be grateful.
The last evidence mentioned in these verses is submission. When this word is mentioned in our society most give it a negative connotation, but it is really a beautiful picture of Christ when thought of properly. After he ate the last supper with His disciples he washed their feet. He lowered himself to the position of a servant. The King of Kings bowed down to wash feet. He submitted unto those he loved, and that loved Him.
John 13:4-5 “He riseth from supper and laid aside his garments; and took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”
When we submit to one another, we are acting as Jesus did. Submitting to one another gives the idea of a reciprocal relationship of unity and purpose. Philippians 2:2-5 expresses this thought.
Philippians 2:3-5 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will be joyful, thankful, and submissive. Now answer the question. How full are you?
Excellent