Ephesians 5:18

"Do you not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

Many people coming to Christ through the ages have had to wrestle with the various addictions and practices that were a part of their old life. There is no doubt that alcohol and other drugs have an appeal for many people to alleviate the misery of lives marked by abuse, neglect, failed relationships, or purposelessness. People medicate to relieve emotional pain and to give some sense of joy.

the Bible nowhere forbids the consumption of alcohol, except for those who have taken a vow. Paul indeed encourages the temperate use of wine, especially as a treatment for some ailments. Jesus himself was accused of mixing with drunkards, and we know that he created very good wine for a wedding.

however, the Bible does warn consistently about excessive consumption of alcohol. This turns something that is a gift from God into something destructive.

the word translated here as “debauchery” means both the lack of self control which drunkenness brings, as well as the waste of time and money that it entails.

drunkenness is first condemned for the destruction of self-control which it involves. Every part of life can give us indications of what can go wrong when a person is drunk. Everyday, road fatalities and injuries occur because of alcohol use. The rate of domestic violence spikes during summer when alcohol consumption also increases. Footballers and celebrities go on rampages when under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.

Christians are required to put to death the old nature. However, being under the influence of alcohol seems to amplify the sinful nature and reduce the moderating influence of the Holy Spirit. It seems that the driving force behind these drugs is not just chemical but demonic.

drunkenness is also condemned because of its wastefulness. Clearly, what we spend on drugs we cannot spend on productive things. What seems to be a relatively cheap form of entertainment comes at the cost of keeping people in poverty.

Of course when the substances go to their logical destination, they waste a person's life with unemployment, homelessness, and destroyed families just a part of the human cost.

each christian needs to come to their own conclusion about the role of various drugs in their life, and ensure that they are a positive factor in their walk with Christ.

instead of seeking a chemically induced high, Paul says we should be “ filled with the Spirit.”

It is interesting that Spirit fullness should be contrasted with drunkenness. This goes right back to Pentecost. Then, the disciples receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit were speaking in tongues and praising God. While some people recognised that this was an actibvity of the Holy Spirit, others cynically said they were drunk (Acts 2:13).

The tense of the verb “ be filled” is a continuous imperative. This means that it is a command that is to be continually or repeatedly obeyed. We are to be regularly filled with the Holy Spirit.

there is a one-time experience for Christians often called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is an occasion when we receive the power of the Holy Spirit in us. it is often accompanied by the gift of speaking in tongues, usually interpreted as a unique prayer language that comes by the inspiration of the Spirit and not through human learning. The Baptism in the Spirit is an entry point for the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be inundated by the Spirit, equipped for ministry, and empowered to do the works of Christ. We see this expression used often in the book of Acts (see for example Acts 4:31, 9:17).

we might think from the use of this expression in Acts that being filled with the Holy Spirit was something that people had no control over, indeed no say about. The Holy Spirit filled them uninvited.

Paul says we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a continuous imperative that indicates that we have some agency in the process. Clearly Paul thought so, and expected that the Ephesians did too

How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Pastor Che Ahn suggests 4 steps add we can take daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit

1. Decide everyday to walk in obedience to God. In Acts 5:32 we are told that God freely gives the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him.”

2. Ask the Father daily to fill you again with the Holy Spirit

3. Focus on the harvest that God wants to bring in, and on the way you can be a part of God’s great work

4. Be intentional about receiving an impartation from people who carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit, for example pastors and other leaders.

These are by no means prescriptive instructions. They do put us into a place of expectancy and receptivity to the Holy Spirit.

i would add to this regular times of praise and worship, so that our hearts and minds are soaking in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

key points in this verse:

• christians are not to be dominated by alcohol or other drugs to the point of losing self-control

• we are free to use alcohol, but we must allow this to be under the direction of the Holy Spirit

• being filled with the Spirit is similar in some ways to being drunk

• we must seek to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit