Bible Study

The Gift of Eternal Life Berean Bible Study Course

Part II--The Process Of Reconciliation With God

F. Lesson 12--We Must Be Faithful In Serving The Lord

8. READ: EPHESIANS 5:15-20

c. What should we be filled with?

Answer: Christians should be filled with the Spirit, (verse 18).

MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

• This verse begins with "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery." Drunkenness means that a person is "under the influence of" the thing (wine in this case) that the person has used to the point of evil. When one is influenced by what he has filled himself with (wine), he is led by that influence (drunkenness) to a consequence (debauchery--"to be involved in seduction and corruption").

When one is filled with the love of money, he is led by the influence of greed into all kinds of evil:

1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

• Those who do not retain the knowledge of God and who are filled with wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hate for God, slander, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, the knowledge of ways to do evil, disobedience to parents, senselessness, faithlessness, heartlessness and ruthlessness are under the influence of the sinful nature which leads to a depraved mind and to death:

Romans 1:28-32: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

• Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit are under the influence of that Spirit, and are led by the Spirit to holy living and life eternal:

Romans 8:12-17: "Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory."

Philippians 1:9-11: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

Acts 13:52 says of followers of Christ, "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

• We can either be filled with and influenced by the sinful nature again, as we did before our faith in and obedience to Christ, Who filled us with His Spirit, and be led to evil deeds and death--no inheritance in the kingdom of God--OR we can be filled with the Spirit, and, being influenced by the Spirit, we can be led to produce the fruits of the Spirit.

Those who are filled with the Spirit are under the influence of the Spirit, are led by that Spirit, live by that Spirit and are always keeping in step with the Spirit, and are not grieving the Spirit by gratifying our sinful natures while the Spirit lives in us.

Galatians 5:16-25: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."