Filled with the Spirit

Ephesians 5:18 - "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,"


Talk about a verse that has been misused. When I was younger I attended a church that believed you could get drunk in the Spirit. The Bible tells us we can be filled with the spirit, receive the Spirit, be anointed by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and guided by the Spirit. There is a reference to being baptized with the Spirit. You can have the Spirit with you, in you, and upon you. You can walk by the Spirit, have the fruit of the Spirit, or grieve the Spirit. But the Bible never says you can
be drunk in the Spirit.

So why did my little church then and a few churches today have people stumbling around acting drunk in the middle of a worship service? I could say, "Because it takes all kinds." Some people just act weird. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, so why would the Spirit fill you and take you out of control? The Bible also says, within the context of spiritual gifts and the Spirit moving in the church, that all things are to be done in an orderly fashion.

Ok, so why are they acting drunk? Because they use this verse as a comparison: "Do not be drunk with wine...but be filled with the spirit." They say this means you can get drunk in the Spirit because the passage compares the two - wine and the Spirit. However this is not a passage of
comparison but of contrast - wine vs. the Spirit.

What a great difference there is between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit. You are never more out of control when you are drunk. And you are never in more control when you are anointed by the Holy Spirit. When you are drunk you are self-seeking. When you are filled with the Spirit you are sacrifice for other people because the fruit of the Spirit is love. When you are drunk you destroy brain cells, relationships, cars, etc. When you are filled with the Spirit you are mindful of the things of God and use your spiritual gifts to minister to other people.

The Bible says if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the things of the flesh and that we overcome the flesh by the work of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

Father, empower us with Your Spirit that we may be filled with Your power to do Your work until You come.

Blessings,

Robert Furrow