Eph
5:18-21 (ESV) And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be
filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to
God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence
for Christ.
NOTE:
Merriam-Webster describes debauchery as extreme indulgence in sensuality (for
the first definition). It has also been used (now archaic) as seduction from
virtue or duty. Still another definition (vocabulary.com) is overindulging in
life's pleasures. So, we have a comparison being made between overindulging in
alcohol and being filled with the spirit. Therefore, we can view the first as
follows: if you are going to overdo something, overindulge in the Holy Spirit,
not in that which feeds your flesh. So, how do we overindulge in the Spirit?
How do we allow the Spirit to fill us when it is already in us? I think it
means two things. One, it means to give God control over more areas of our
life. To put him on the throne in regards to all the various areas of our life
that we try to control. Second, it means to dig into the word of God more.
There is a striking parallelism between this passage and Col 3:16 (RSV)
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one
another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with
thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word
or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him." The two sections are almost identical with the
difference of "letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly"
substituted for" be filled with the Spirit." This leads me (and
others) to believe that digging deeper into God's word (which will bring up
areas of your life that God needs to rule) is the same as being filled with the
Spirit.
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