Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

It Isn’t Illusive Or Mysterious

EPHESIANS 5:18-21 – And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

THEME OF THE DAY. IT ISN’T ILLUSIVE OR MYSTERIOUS. I sometimes wonder if we don’t make the Christian life harder than God intended it to be. Oh, don’t get me wrong. Being a Christian is the most difficult and courageous thing a person will ever become and pursue. We face incredibly powerful foes in the devil, the world, and ourselves. We must be spiritually diligent every day or we will be defeated every day. We must renew our minds by the Word and prayer every day or we will be shaped by culture every day. We must keep our hearts in the love of Christ or we will become backsliders in love with the world. And we must strive for holiness every day or we will become unholy every day. There is nothing easy about the call of God to follow His Son. There is a reason why few genuine Christians exist. Jesus told us, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). But God has provided all we need to live the Christian life, not in joyless defeat, but in a joyful experience of walking with His Son. And what are the chief things He has given for us to live out the Christian life as He intended? His Holy Spirit and His Word.

In regards to living out the Christian life, I don’t want to sound too simplistic, but the Apostle Paul gives us two commands concerning the “how to” in living the Christian that are not illusive or mysterious. He said in his letter to the Galatians, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). The other command is found in today’s scripture – “be filled with the Spirit.” It is in these two commands, we live the Christian life. It is obeying these two commands, we will grow into Christlikeness and enjoy Him all the way to heaven.

So, what would be the evidence that we are walking in the Spirit and being filled by Him? First, what those experiences of Him are not. Being led and filled by the Spirit is not some “warm feeling” inside of us or some strong inward impression that we follow. God does impress things upon our hearts, but they will always be affirmed by the Scripture and godly counsel of others. Back to the question . . . what would verify in our lives that we are Christians walking in and filled by the Holy Spirit and thus living out the Christian life as God intended and has provided for? There are three characteristics in today’s scripture of a Spirit-filled person who will be a walking in the Spirit person.

First, there will be a life of sincere worship, individually and with other believers – “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” Worship is why we are saved and it is never in isolation. We worship individually and with other believers. The Spirit of God creates worshippers. Next, a Spirit-filled, Spirit-walking person will live in the spirit of thanksgiving – “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This will be the greatest revelation of our spiritual health. A lack of thanksgiving in all things indicates a lack of walking in and being filled with the Spirit. When the Spirit of God is at work, thanksgiving is present. He always creates a thankful heart when ruling the heart. Finally, a Spirit-controlled person will look to the interests of others first and that out of fear of the Lord – “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Here is another good tool of evaluating whether we are walking in the Spirit; how much emphasis do we place on the interests of others above our own? Where the Spirit leads, selfishness decreases and selflessness increases.

The Christian life is hard, but not complex. May the Lord help us to be filled with and walk by His Spirit and that through obedience to His Word in all things.

PRAYER: “Father, help me not to make difficult what You have not.”

QUOTE: “Walking in the Spirit is not some feeling or impression to follow. It is walking in complete obedience to His Word”