Post by Shepherd on Mar 10, 2009 12:38:36 GMT -6
EPH-5-VII BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST EPHESIANS 5:18-19.
..AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT; SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD.
The Christian can walk worthy of his calling only if the Holy Ghost not only indwells but fills the heart. The Christian has a personal responsibility to do what is necessary that the Spirit might fill him completely. Paul describes just how this can be done.
Can you see who speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns would be the first step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost.
Living in this world is so difficult, that any person needs help to sustain his spirit just as he needs food to be strong enough to live. Paul recognized this and wrote to the Ephesian Christians; AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. EPH. 5:18. It would be well to keep in mind the word WINE does not refer to alcoholic beverage, but to anything that simulates and stirs the human being in a natural way.
Paul urges the Christian to let the spirit of God to stimulate and encourage the individual. It was customary among the people in Ephesus to seek stimulation in wine to help them live day by day. Even today, when life seems too hard in its demands, men are inclined to turn to alcohol. It is a notorious fact that when a person has drunk wine, and has become intoxicated, he may feel strong at the moment , but the experience leaves him worse off than before. There need to be no doubt that wine make a difference in the feeling of him who drinks it, and this the natural man craves.
If a Christian knows the Gospel, he will know that the Holy Ghost will guide him to secure the help of God from within by faith. If my faith is weak it would mean that I would be faced with trials, temptations, and doubts, as my faith wavered. I need strong faith to be victorious as a Christian.
Is there anything a person can do to increase his faith? Yes, there is. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.
Faith is made stronger when that person reads and listens to and becomes familiar with Scripture. The more Scripture one knows, the stronger his faith will be. The Christian who feeds on the Word will be strengthened, just as feeding on food strengthen his body. Faith is nurtured, made strong and stronger, by reading and listening to and hearing the Word of God.
This simple truth is very profound even as it is clear. The more Bible truth I know, the more I read and digest what is in the Bible, the more I think of Christ and of the power of God; and the more I think of Christ, the more ready I am to trust in Him, and the more is realize that He will help me, the more I can expect from Him.
Thus Paul puts these two ideas in contrast in the one verse. Do not drink wine; do not give yourself over to the things that will stimulate your human nature because this will not help your spiritually, since it is all of the flesh; but bring Scripture to mind. If we strengthen our faith, then it will actually help us and it will enable God to work in us.
Paul indicates the first step in strengthening faith...SPEAKING TO YOUR-SELVES IN PSALM ;AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD. EPHESIANS 5:19.
Psalms are passages of poetry found in the Bible. Hymns usually have been Written by godly men who have written to help worshipers to see what God will do and to give their own testimony in the hymn.
Psalms are taken from Scripture; hymns of praise to God have been written by Christians person. Spiritual songs are utterance of testimony and of prayer. In using these the Christian is singing and making melody in his heart to the Lord. This is the first step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost.
The message of the song is important in that it strengthens our faith.
PSALMS 23:1.. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT.
PSALMS 46:1..GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.
PSALMS 1:1-2..BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT WALKS NOT IN THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY, NOR STANDS IN THE WAY OF SINNERS, NOR SITS IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL. BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD; AND IN HIS LAW DOTH HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT.
These can be repeated again and again and will always strengthen faith. singing such songs is much like reading he Bible. We can read it again and again, and it does not become tiring. We need to keep the things of Christ in mind is what will feed faith.
We need the help of God. The help of God is promised to us and given to us in Christ Jesus. We receive the help of God in Christ Jesus according to our faith, but faith is not something we can produce out of our own minds and hearts. Faith is something we receive from God through His Word. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.
..AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT; SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD.
The Christian can walk worthy of his calling only if the Holy Ghost not only indwells but fills the heart. The Christian has a personal responsibility to do what is necessary that the Spirit might fill him completely. Paul describes just how this can be done.
Can you see who speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns would be the first step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost.
Living in this world is so difficult, that any person needs help to sustain his spirit just as he needs food to be strong enough to live. Paul recognized this and wrote to the Ephesian Christians; AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. EPH. 5:18. It would be well to keep in mind the word WINE does not refer to alcoholic beverage, but to anything that simulates and stirs the human being in a natural way.
Paul urges the Christian to let the spirit of God to stimulate and encourage the individual. It was customary among the people in Ephesus to seek stimulation in wine to help them live day by day. Even today, when life seems too hard in its demands, men are inclined to turn to alcohol. It is a notorious fact that when a person has drunk wine, and has become intoxicated, he may feel strong at the moment , but the experience leaves him worse off than before. There need to be no doubt that wine make a difference in the feeling of him who drinks it, and this the natural man craves.
If a Christian knows the Gospel, he will know that the Holy Ghost will guide him to secure the help of God from within by faith. If my faith is weak it would mean that I would be faced with trials, temptations, and doubts, as my faith wavered. I need strong faith to be victorious as a Christian.
Is there anything a person can do to increase his faith? Yes, there is. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.
Faith is made stronger when that person reads and listens to and becomes familiar with Scripture. The more Scripture one knows, the stronger his faith will be. The Christian who feeds on the Word will be strengthened, just as feeding on food strengthen his body. Faith is nurtured, made strong and stronger, by reading and listening to and hearing the Word of God.
This simple truth is very profound even as it is clear. The more Bible truth I know, the more I read and digest what is in the Bible, the more I think of Christ and of the power of God; and the more I think of Christ, the more ready I am to trust in Him, and the more is realize that He will help me, the more I can expect from Him.
Thus Paul puts these two ideas in contrast in the one verse. Do not drink wine; do not give yourself over to the things that will stimulate your human nature because this will not help your spiritually, since it is all of the flesh; but bring Scripture to mind. If we strengthen our faith, then it will actually help us and it will enable God to work in us.
Paul indicates the first step in strengthening faith...SPEAKING TO YOUR-SELVES IN PSALM ;AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD. EPHESIANS 5:19.
Psalms are passages of poetry found in the Bible. Hymns usually have been Written by godly men who have written to help worshipers to see what God will do and to give their own testimony in the hymn.
Psalms are taken from Scripture; hymns of praise to God have been written by Christians person. Spiritual songs are utterance of testimony and of prayer. In using these the Christian is singing and making melody in his heart to the Lord. This is the first step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost.
The message of the song is important in that it strengthens our faith.
PSALMS 23:1.. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT.
PSALMS 46:1..GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.
PSALMS 1:1-2..BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT WALKS NOT IN THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY, NOR STANDS IN THE WAY OF SINNERS, NOR SITS IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL. BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD; AND IN HIS LAW DOTH HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT.
These can be repeated again and again and will always strengthen faith. singing such songs is much like reading he Bible. We can read it again and again, and it does not become tiring. We need to keep the things of Christ in mind is what will feed faith.
We need the help of God. The help of God is promised to us and given to us in Christ Jesus. We receive the help of God in Christ Jesus according to our faith, but faith is not something we can produce out of our own minds and hearts. Faith is something we receive from God through His Word. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.
