Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Leaders set an example in being filled with and influenced by Holy Spirit. They lead others in being a dwelling place of God by His Spirit and by this they give life to others in their world.
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
We must understand what the will of the Lord is for us in this life. Being filled with the Spirit is the truth. Paul compares it to those who are dunk with wine in the world. Why do people get drunk with wine? So they can get everything they want to get. Why are they in bars getting drunk? So they can give to one another? No, they have one thing on their mind. To get something for a self-gratifying time. The primary focus of their time is their time. What am I going to get? That is the way of the world.
As sons and daughters of God, we should be under an influence of life. It’s a different kind of drunkenness. It’s not measured by what we get but by how much we give to others. Holy Spirit fills us to give us a right spirit, a right focus, and a right anointing to empower us to give life to one another. The presence of Holy Spirit in our lives will cause us to become unashamedly bolder than usual. We won’t be afraid to sing, but we won’t sing to get attention. We will simply sing to give life to others. This is a metaphor that challenges each of us to be filled with the Spirit giving life to one another. The true songs our lives are manifested in the atmosphere we bring to others. Paul was not merely talking about a church service. He was addressing a way of life.
We are to be filled with psalms. This is a joyful and thankful sound. It is the testimony of being filled with God’s word, not religious singing to one another, not religiously reciting Scripture. It’s giving life because something of life is coming off us. I believe in you. He is in you! I saw that! Yes, that is Christ in you. Wow. I appreciate you. I am so glad you are here. You are a child of God. I believe in you! He loves you! We have the same Father. Hymns are happy songs. Hymns are joyful songs. This is a testimony of something coming off of us to one another that fills others with joy and not complaint, not murmuring, but joyful life. We should be like poetry. We should express life-giving words to one another. Something of life should be coming off us.
Ephesians 5:20 …giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…
This is not to be religious in our thankfulness. It is an attitude of our hearts. It is to be real and to be really thankful. It is to remain in Christ. To remain in the place of the Spirit. How often are we to do this? Always! The more we are thankful the more life will be in our lives. It is a matter of being givers of life.
Ephesians 5:21 …submitting to one another in the fear of God.
This is not control. It’s relationship. The parts of my body are in submission with the other parts of my body. It’s not a matter of one part being greater or controlling another part. It’s a matter of relationship and the ability to give life and to receive life from one another for the sake of being a healthy living body.
As the body of Christ, we express the life of Christ in us and through us to others. We must be life-giving at all times. This is not just in the setting of a Sunday service, but wherever we are in life. We don’t do anything in life as independent individuals. We do all for the purpose of being the gate of heaven.
As leaders we must lead others to the way of being the church that is filled with the Spirit, life-giving in character and action, and life-receiving and life-giving in submission one to another.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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