Spirit Controlled Life

Chuckle: A child's comment on the Bible: "Christians have only one spouse. This is called monotony."

Quote: "God has given us the freedom to withstand the Holy Spirit's activity in our lives. When we ignore, disobey, or reject what the Spirit is telling us, we quench His activity in us." --Henry Blackaby

"Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control your life" (Ephesians 5:18 NLT).

Here, Paul contrasts getting drunk with wine, which produces a temporary feeling of "euphoria," to being filled with the Spirit, which produces lasting joy in a Spirit-controlled life. We should not be concerned about how much of the Holy Spirit we have but rather how much of us the Holy Spirit has.

As a branch subjects itself to the will of the tree, we should subject ourselves daily to the Spirit's control and draw constantly on His life-giving power to produce fruit in our lives. We have a choice every day we live: to be in control of our lives ourselves, or to be controlled by God's Holy Spirit. Which do you prefer? If we choose to allow the Spirit to fill us and control us, this choice involves two things.

First, it means saying "no" to self. There can only be one controller of the Christian life -- the Spirit or self. You must recognize that you are not your own; you are bought with a price -- the blood of Jesus. You must dethrone "self." "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23 NIV). "In every person's heart there's cross and a throne. You are on the throne until you put yourself on the cross. If you refuse the cross, you remain on the throne." --A.W. Toser

Second, you must enthrone Jesus every day as the Lord of your life. When you really make Jesus your Lord, there is love, joy, peace, etc. These are the first fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. This means that you have made Jesus Lord after his Holy Spirit awakened a need in you. This awakening is the work of the Spirit and it is He who gives you the desire to make Jesus Lord and allow His Spirit to fill and control your life.

To be filled with the Spirit is to be continually controlled by Him. The words in Ephesians 5:18 literally mean: ". . . . let the Holy Spirit continually fill and control you." This means a daily walk with, and remaining in, Christ and continually being filled with the Spirit. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "if you remain in me and I remain in you, you will bear much fruit." Is He, at this very moment. controlling you?

There are two prerequisites to being filled with the Spirit. (1) First, I must instantly confess my sin. The moment I become aware of a sin in my life, I need to confess it and receive forgiveness (1 John 1:9). (2) Second, I must practice immediate obedience to God. The moment God's Spirit impresses on me the need to minister, witness, pray, or whatever, I will obey. These two practices will lead to continually being filled by the Spirit.

When we begin to love Jesus and begin to enthrone Him as the Lord of our lives and begin to appropriate the fullness of the Holy Spirit, everywhere we go we will be witnessing for Christ and sharing his love. Unselfish service and ministry are indications of a Spirit controlled life.

Love, Jerry & Dotse