In a 1964 Supreme Court decision, Justice Potter Stewart said he would not try to define “hard-core pornography”, but went on to say, “…I know it when I see it…”
In my previous post, we looked at Paul’s command to live carefully and make the most of every opportunity. To live carefully means to live accurately, exactly and diligently. It’s to live intentional lives, not careless, haphazard lives.
Today, we’ll look at what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. After reading this post, you’ll know it when you see it.
If you’re like me, you’ve found it’s not easy to live intentionally. I find myself easily distracted by any number of things. Too often, I get caught up in someone else’s agenda. Goals and objectives I’ve set are put on the bank burner while more urgent and very often, unimportant tasks, push to the front.
Honestly, I don’t possess the wisdom or the strength to live intentionally. You don’t either. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God hasn’t called us to do life in our own strength. In Ephesians 5:15-21, Paul said:
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Be filled with the Spirit. That’s the key to living intentionally. It’s the one non-negotiable when it comes to experiencing the life God has for us.
So what does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit”? How does it look? How does it feel?
The bottom line is this: we are filled with the Holy Spirit when we surrender ourselves to Him and give Him complete control of our lives. If there’s an area we’re holding back, then He’s not really in control and we’re not really filled.
It’s easy to deceive ourselves. We may think we’ve given Him control or we may say we have, but it doesn’t mean we actually have. There are some things we just don’t want to let go of. Maybe it’s a habit, a sin or an addiction. It could be a person or an activity.
There is a way to know, however, if we are genuinely filled with the Holy Spirit. We can look for the evidence of it. You could say, “I’ll know it when I see it.” If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will:
“speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” Your language will be different. You will desire to speak about spiritual matters. Your speech will be governed by the Holy Spirit.
Do you find yourself regularly talking about God and what He’s up to or are most of your conversations about politics, sports, TV shows or other material concerns? Are your words encouraging to others or are your words filled with doubt, discouragement and criticism?
If God is a rare topic in your conversations with others, then you might want to seriously consider if you are even a Christ-follower.
“Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” What’s going on inside you? In your heart? In that deep place where your desires and affections reside?
Do you long to know more of God? Do you sometimes find yourself humming a worship song without even realizing it? When you see a beautiful sunset with it’s brilliant colors and cloud formations, do you whisper, “Thank you, Father”?
Or are most of your desires for material things? Bigger house. Bigger television. Bigger whatever.
A heart that’s under the control of the Holy Spirit can’t help but worship Him.
“…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Are you thankful or are you a complainer? Can you be grateful for all that God has done for you and is doing now or can you not get your mind off what you don’t have?
Giving thanks is evidence of trust. We understand that God is good, loving and all-powerful and is able to meet our every need. If there’s something we’re lacking, then we know that God is able to provide it when the time is right. And if He never provides it, we understand He is still worthy of our thanksgiving and still has our best in mind.
On the other hand, if we often find ourselves complaining and whining because of something we don’t have or because someone else has what we want, then we can be sure we are not filled with the Holy Spirit. He will not lead us to complain, but to offer thanks.
There’s one more…and it’s probably the clearest evidence of a life under the control of the Holy Spirit, but also the most controversial.
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Well, that doesn’t sound so hard. You submit to me and I’ll submit to you and we’ll be one big happy family, right? Paul doesn’t end there though. Instead, he goes on to explain how this command plays out in three key relationships.
And that we’ll save for tomorrow.