As I mentioned yesterday in my sermon, we often lean towards one side of Ephesians 5:18. That verse says, “18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:” We baptists lean toward the don’t get drunk side of that verse. There are two commands in this verse: 1) Don’t get drunk and 2) Be filled by the Spirit. I want to spend a few moments addressing the second command in this verse.
If you look at the greek word for “fill” in this verse, it gives the idea of a continuous filling. A filling that isn’t a one time thing, but an ongoing thing in the life of the believer. It is a daily process, not a one time event.
The late Billy Graham would use an illustration for what it looks like to be continuously filled with the Spirit. He tells of a lake on the property where he lives. The lake is spring fed and because of that the water is always fresh and clear. He uses that lake being spring fed as an illustration of what the Holy Spirit filling us continuously looks like. As the Holy Spirit fills the believer, He pushes out all of the junk and stuff that shouldn’t be there. He brings to us things that are good and pure. Things like what we see in verse 9 of Ephesians 5: “9 for the fruit of the light[a] consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth.”
When we yield to the Holy Spirit, we are essentially writing a blank check to Him giving Him the authority in our lives to clean out anything that is not pleasing to Him. We also will do whatever he wills and purposes for our lives. So how do you yield to the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit fill you continuously? It takes you asking the Spirit to fill you and you surrendering your will to Him.