Continually Filled.

We have been talking about how, through Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ. We looked at 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 and how we can have access to God’s wisdom. We need to understand that God’s wisdom empowers us to live life God’s way.

Ephesians 5:15-20 says, “So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his [God’s] purposes. So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom [God’s wisdom], for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes.

And don’t live foolishly for then you will have discernment to fully understand God’s will [only by accessing God’s wisdom can we have discernment to fully understand God’s will]. And don’t get drunk with wine, which is rebellion; instead be filled continually with the Holy Spirit. And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord. Keep speaking to each other with words of Scripture, singing the Psalms with praises and spontaneous songs given by the Spirit! Always give thanks to Father God for every person he brings into your life in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The words in [brackets] are mine.

There is a lot happening in the above verses, but right in the middle of it all is the key to how we can live life God’s way. That is by being filled continually with Holy Spirit. Being filled with Holy Spirit is not a once off thing. For as long as we are breathing, we will always have capacity to have more of Holy Spirit. Does that mean some people have a little bit of Holy Spirit and some have more? No, it just means how much evidence we have of Holy Spirit working in our lives is dependent on whether we are living life surrendered to Holy Spirit or we are fighting Him the whole way.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we walk by the Spirit. Why? Because Holy Spirit gives us wisdom on how to live. When we have God’s wisdom, we can discern God’s will. We don’t go seeing for ourselves.

Galatians 5:16- 18 says, “Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life. When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit you hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit. But when you yield to the life of the Spirit, you will no longer be living under the law, but soaring above it!”

So the key to living God’s way is by yielding to Holy Spirit. The key to freedom is surrender to Holy Spirit. Romans 8:2 says, “And because you belong to him [Jesus], the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Sin does not rule over us anymore. We can choose to yield to Holy Spirit. We can choose wisdom over foolishness. We can choose life over death.

But it takes humility. For as long as we think we know it all, or we got this, we will keep going around in cycles of foolishness. 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 says, “So why fool yourself and live under an illusion? Make no mistake about it, if anyone thinks he is wise by the world’s standards, he will be made wiser by being a fool for God! For what the world says is wisdom is actually foolishness in God’s eyes. As it is written: The cleverness of the know-it-alls becomes the trap that ensnares them.”

So let us let go of our own wisdom and ask Holy Spirit to reveal to us God’s wisdom so we can live lives that are pleasing to God. Because let’s face it, I cannot see myself thanking God for every person He brings into my life (Ephesians 5:20) except if I am filled with the Holy Spirit!

We need to be continually filled with Holy Spirit to live life God’s way. How do we do that? By yielding to Holy Spirit daily and in every decision.

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano.