Drunk Or Filled

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God."
Ephesians 5:18-21

There are a lot of implications in these verses, and a lot of application. Prior to coming to the Lord, I was a drinker, so I can tell you with a certain measure of certainty, that it takes quite a bit of wine to get one drunk. I think what Paul is saying here about this many faceted. On the surface, for a Christian to be drunk is not a good testimony to the world in which we live. But to get drunk on wine, not that he is condoning drunkenness by any other means, is to take time, which could be better spent, other than drinking. Now, that may to some seem to be a stretch. But what does the word "dissipation" mean? It means "using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly."* And that is what is done with the wine; that is what is done with the time; that is what is done with the person - when instead we could be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

Then Paul instructs us to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. In the Psalms, I see the writer being transparent and open before God, about good times and bad times. When we are filled with the Spirit, we will not put on a facade with our brothers and sisters, but will be transparent and real with them. Hymns usually speak of the glorious nature of God, and for the most part are uplifting and encouraging to our hearts. Spiritual songs lift up and praise the name of the Lord. So, if I read this instruction correctly, then, being filled with the Spirit, I am to be real to my brothers and sisters, transparent in speech and deed, encouraging them by reminding them of the glorious nature of our God, and lifting up the name of Jesus, because He is worthy to be praised. And with all of this we are to sing and make melody in our hearts to Jesus, because He is worthy, and is coming again! Maranatha!

Beloved, let us also have a heart of thanksgiving for all that we have in the Lord; a heart of thanksgiving to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in this heart of praise and worship and encouragement and thanksgiving, we submit ourselves one to another. That is a difficult thing for some of us. Some of us recoil at the mere word "submit," because of the abuses over the years. Nevertheless, the Word of God is the Word of God. Beloved, don't let past abuses harden your heart to the Word that God would have for you this day. As an act of obedience to God, we are to submit ourselves to one another. "Well, you don't know what he did." "You don't know what she is like." You are right, I don't. But God does. And still, His word is submit to one another. This is what is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord: obedience. The results are to be left up to Him. Beloved, sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord, and submit as an act of obedience unto Him. He will be glorified as He works in your life!

Are we to be drunk with wine, wasting time and destroying our testimony, which is exactly what refusing to submit to one another does. It wastes our time and energy in all of the protesting we do to it, internally or externally. And disobedience to the Word of God destroys our testimony. But if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then our will becomes in line with His will, and it is His will that we submit to one another, as an act of obedience to Him. So what are we going to do? The choice is still in our hands. Which is it, drunk or filled? Shalom.