Lesson 75 October 26, 2003
Review:
What is the importance of the contrast being emphasized by these 2 cmds here??
Is there something that we should learn from the contrast between these 2 clauses?
The issue is influence and the results from it!
What we are told here is not to be under the influence of alcohol to the point of intoxication, but rather to be under the influence of the Word of God illuminated by the Holy Spirit so that we are able to live the CWOL and reflect the character of our Savior.
Observations on alcohol, its influence and results:
1. Alcohol in control of the body is a depressant and its symptoms are staggered gait, blurred or double vision, impaired reflexes, reduced mental functions, increased pulse rate, a decrease in blood pressure, dilated pupils, flushed skin, drowsiness and stupor.
2. The influence of alcohol on the body is analogous spiritually to the OSN in rulership of the life where it dominates the thoughts, choices and actions etc.; all the while the ministry of the Spirit in the life of the believer is suppressed and distorted.
3. Under intoxication, the alcohol so saturates the cells of the body that the coordination of their function is totally interrupted; this is analogous to the contamination of every cell of the body by the OSN, so that the natural function as created by God in the garden is now totally distorted interrupted.
- Adam, Eve after the fall demonstrated their distorted perception of reality and reactions; operation fig leaf; tried to hide from God; operation pass the buck
4. The antithetical option open to the Believer is to be under the empowerment of God the Holy Spirit who also indwells the body of each believer.
If we are to live with power, to experience the riches of God's grace directed towards us and therefore have the impact He desires us to have, it must be done through the continual habitual filling of the Spirit.
* Do you see the corresponding characteristics of sin nature in these characteristics? The parallels are very strong!
* What Paul is saying here is that this is not how we as believers are now to live;
* What are we to do? We are to be continually filled by the Spirit!
The drunk can not hide his drunkenness, because his walk and his talk will betray him.
Neither can the Spirit-filled believer conceal his condition/state, his walk will show it, so will his talk reveal that he is under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Are you being obedient to the Word?? to the will of God??
Descriptive terms that describe the believer reflecting the reality of this filling by the Spirit.
1 --- walking in the Spirit Gal 5:16
2 --- walking in the Light 1 Jn 1:7
3 --- epistles of Christ written not w/ink but with the Spirit 2 Cor 3:3
4 --- abide in Me Jn 15:4,6; 1 Jn 2:6; 3:6
5 --- walking in Love Eph 5:2
6 --- crucify the flesh Gal 5:24
7 --- spiritual 1 Cor 2:15
8 --- alive from the dead Rom 6:13
9 --- slaves of righteousness Rom 6:18 [freed from the power of sin]
10 --- being led by the Spirit Gal 5:18 syn with #1
Since Paul is not explicit here in this context about what the content of the filling is, it must be because he has already given us the answer and he expected those he was writing to understand what he meant.
(1) To begin, in Ephesians 1:10 Paul refers to the "summing up avnakefalaio,w [aor. mid inf.] of all things in Christ" (NASV).
(2) In Ephesians 1:23 Paul states that the Church is "His Body, the fulness (plhrwma) of Him who fills all in all."
Thus the Church is "Christ's fulness," that is, something which is filled with Christ, Who fills all things.
We see then, that Christ has a specific "filling ministry" with respect to His Body, the Church.
- So the church receives from Him what He possesses and is endowed by Him with all that is required for the realization of its goals in time.
The will of the Head is carried out, exercised through the body!
It is this connection that is the source of growth. Col. 2:18-19