Living in the Spirit's Fullness...Continued from page 2

I've already mentioned to you that the key word here is the verb, "be filled."  You are aware that this letter to the Ephesians was originally written in Greek, not in English, and the Greek is a wonderfully rich language.  Fortunately, we have lots of Greek scholars available to us, who give us very keen insights into it. This one word translated "be filled" has four dimensions to it, that are clearly seen in the construction of this Greek word.  Let me tell you what these four things are, because they are very important.

The first thing is this:  This verb is in the imperative mood.  That means it is a command not a suggestion!  Now that is crucial.  We understand the command "Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery."  That's pretty straightforward.  Put it in very simple terms: If you're planning on getting out of this service as quick as you can, in order to go and get drunk, don't do it!  Any questions?

But equally if you're planning on getting out of this service the minute it's over not in the fullness of the Spirit, don't do it!  In fact, because the two are put together here, we could even say, in the apostle's mind, it would be as unthinkable for us to go out of the meeting, not filled with the Spirit, as it would be for us to go out and promptly get drunk. That's the strength of this verb being in the imperative mood.  It is not a suggestion, it is a command!  Now what do you do with the commands of God?  If you're a healthy believer, you take them seriously.

The second thing we know is this verb is in the present tense.  Being in the present tense, means that this fullness of the Spirit is not a one-time climatic event that launches you into the spiritual stratosphere. Instead it is a continuous, continual experience. It is something that goes on and on. It is not one grand experience; it is a continuous succession of experiences. It is really saying, “Be continually filled with the Spirit."

The third thing we notice is that it is in the passive voice.  Verbs can be active or passive.  If they are active, they are what you do; if they are passive, it is what is being done to you.  This verb is in the passive voice.  What does it mean?  It means we have a responsibility continually to make sure that something is being done to us: that we are continually being filled with the Spirit. That's not a suggestion, it's an order.

The fourth thing is that this verb is in a plural form, which means it was addressed to everybody Paul was addressing when he wrote this letter to the Ephesians.  Who was he addressing? Wives, husbands, children, parents -- it's in the plural form so it is relevant to everybody.  Because we assume that this passage of Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is eternally true and relevant, it is true for us.