Building Strong Marriages The Key… Being Filled With The Spirit Ephesians 5:18 What it means to be filled with the Spirit. It is not being baptized in the Holy Spirit. It means to be influenced and controlled by the Spirit.
Building Strong Marriages The Key… Being Filled With The Spirit Ephesians 5:18 “filled” (Greek – pleroo) – generally speaking its primary significance has to do with the idea of being controlled or being influenced by something. A person controlled by sorrow (Jn. 16:6). People within a given location being influenced by a teaching (Acts 5:28). People being influenced and controlled by Satan (Acts 5:3).
Building Strong Marriages The Key… Being Filled With The Spirit Ephesians 5:18 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…” Being filled with the Spirit is being contrasted to being drunk with wine. When one is drunk with wine, he is being controlled by the influence of alcohol. When one is filled with the Spirit, he is being controlled by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Building Strong Marriages The Key… Being Filled With The Spirit Ephesians 5:18 How one is filled with the Spirit. It is not some kind of mystical, direct operation of the Holy Spirit. His influence and control is accomplished by the process of learning and applying God’s word (Col. 3:16; Jas. 1:21-25).
Building Strong Marriages The Key… Being Filled With The Spirit Ephesians 5:18 Application to the marital relationship. The importance of being a Christian in order to know the total fulfillment possible in marriage. The importance of being a Spirit-filled Christian. The essence of the Christian life is to be filled with the Spirit, and only when this happens will our families and marriages be what God wants them to be.