Are You Spirit-filled? (Ephesians 5:18) Part Two

Our passage says, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). In the Greek text, the verb "be filled" is present tense and indicates an ongoing condition. It reads, "Be being filled!" Why is this important? Since the verb is present tense, those who obey the command may be characterized as "full of the Holy Spirit." For example, Luke 4:1 describes Jesus as "full of the Holy Spirit." In Acts 6:3, the apostles direct the early church to choose "seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom," to help with the need of serving the widows of the church. One of those men, Stephen, is described (6:5) as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit." Later (Acts 11:24), Barnabas is described as "a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." So the phrase, "full of the Holy Spirit," describes the Christ follower who habitually lives with every area of his or her life under the control of the Holy Spirit! Praise God forevermore! It's an awesome thing to be a Christ follower who is Spirit-filled! Being full of the Holy Spirit points to a Christ follower that has consistently walked with his or her life yielded to the control or influence of the Holy Spirit, so that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is present in their lives! As a Christ follower, does this describe your life? Can others see that you're full of the Holy Spirit? The church saw it in Stephen's life! As a Christ follower, can it be said that you are a person that's "full of the Holy Spirit?" Here's the good news. It was said of Jesus Christ. It was said of Stephen. It was said of Barnabas. The Lord Jesus wants it to be said of every Christ follower. Do you have a "big want to?" It's all up to you. We'll continue this teaching in part three of "Are you Spirit-filled?" Your move. Be encouraged!