Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Ephesians 4-6
Ephesians 5:18
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
The grammar teachers warn writers about run on sentences. Paul had no such teacher. From Ephesians 5:18-21 is one sentence. In it, the Apostle mentions six distinct actions that a child of God should do, and that on a continual lifelong basis. This may be a run on sentence but it communicates a sort of runway. This is where God’s people are to take off and soar into a higher plane of living just as will be read in Colossians 3:2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Just as an eagle flies high above the earth, so too are God’s people to focus on the high things of God not the beggarly rudiments of the world.
Here are the six action steps for all God’s people; a book could easily be written about each, but for today just a concise overview.
One …be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess… Matthew Henry wrote of this statement, “Drunkenness is a sin that never goes alone, but carries men into other evils:…” To learn more about the downward spiral of drunkenness read Solomon’s soliloquy in Proverbs 23:29-35.
Two …but be filled with the Spirit… This is the Holy Spirit. If a person is to be filled with Him, they must be emptied of all else. The question is not how much of the Holy Spirit does one have, but rather how much of that one does the Holy Spirit have?
Three …Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… While the first two actions listed by Paul are personal, this one is congregational. When was the last time in a casual setting have two, three, or more just broken out in singing together of the Lord and Savior? Singing of and to Him is not meant to be only a church activity. It is also meant to speak to yourselves anywhere and everywhere. Remember Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:25).
Four …singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord… How easy it seems to sing popular secular songs that excite the flesh. Shouldn’t singing melodies to the Lord in your heart be likewise?
Five …Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… There is something about giving verbal thanks to the Lord for everything that makes everything better, more tolerable, and even understandable. Try it today!
Six …Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. This is the key to the difficult teachings of the following verses. Because there is a God in Heaven that will one day judge each child of God, each would be wise to submit themselves one to another. If for no other reason than to reverence God Himself.
While Ephesians is a defense of salvation by grace through faith (2:8-9) it is also a handbook of Christian living. As you run your Chistian life, run according to this run-on sentence of the apostle Paul.
Dr. William T. Howe
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