FBC Daily Devotions

Read Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17.

There is much confusion around the command to be filled with the Spirit. Because it is a command, it seems fitting that we understand what it means. Some see this as a command to “receive” the Holy Spirit – a second work of the Holy Spirit after salvation. Others see this to mean asking for the Spirit to fill us with the subsequent assurance that anything done from that point forward (apart from sin) is done with the enablement of the Spirit and within God’s will. The phrase “spiritual breathing” has been penned in regard to this understanding. I would suggest this command is defined within the Scriptures itself.

The letters of Ephesians and Colossians are often called “sister” or “companion” letters because so much of their content is shared or duplicated in both letters. A brief examination of chapters 3-4 in Colossians and 5-6 in Ephesians reveals their similarities. The reading for today is one instance where Scripture clarifies Scripture. To be brief, the command to “be filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians parallels the command to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”. Both are followed with the results of obedience to the command: speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making music in our hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks for everything.

What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit”? It is a willful act of continually walking and yielding to the Spirit in our relationship with Christ, a relationship nourished by the Word of Christ (the Scriptures). It is choosing to live in the fullness of Christ as His Word dwells in us richly (John 15:7). It is allowing the Word of God to permeate every aspect of our lives. It goes without saying that walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) cannot be done without engaging the mind in the Word.

Personal thought:

To my surprise (again!), I found a strong connection between the Holy Spirit’s work and the Word of God. The connection was not what I had expected. It was not my intent to focus on the Word (as in last week’s devotions), but the Scriptures kept directing me back to it. It has reaffirmed and reinforced a commitment to God’s Word in my life.

To consider:

Being filled with the Spirit produces an inner joy and peace (Col. 3:15) that results in, among other things, a thankful heart. Paul says in Ephesians to give thanks to God for everything; in Colossians he says whatever we do, whether in word or deed, give thanks to God. If a thankful heart is a product of being filled with the Spirit, how are you doing in your walk with the Spirit? Are you quarter full, half full, completely full of the Spirit’s influence? Do you see any correlation between time spent meditating on His Word and a thankful attitude?