Bible Study - Living - Empowered - Romans 8:26-27 and Ephesians 5:17-21; 6:18 - July 15, 2012
Bible Study – Living – Empowered – July 15, 2012
This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled
“Living Beyond Ourselves.”
Our scripture is Ephesians 5:17-21; 6:18 and Romans
8:26-27.
As a Christian are you empowered to live? All humans
have a natural nature to survive. There is a natural power and there is power
that comes from the Holy Spirit.
The joke of the man that bought a chainsaw came
across my mind. When chainsaw’s were first introduced to the consumer many
years ago, a chainsaw vender sold a chainsaw to an elderly farmer with the
promise that he could cut double the wood in the same time that he was cutting
with his hand saw. The farmer told the vender that he would give it a try. The
farmer took the chain saw home and came back two days later wanting his money
back. He told the chain saw vender that he could only cut the same number of
cords of wood per day using the chain saw as he had been using the hand saw.
The vender was puzzled and told the farmer that their repair person would check
the saw to determine what was wrong with it. The repair person promptly flipped
the “on” switch and pulled the started cord. The chain saw started and the
farmer immediately replied, “What’s that noise?” The farmer had used the chain saw
as he would have used the hand saw using his own power instead of the power of
the engine on the chain saw.
Many Christians are like the farmer. GOD equips HIS
children with the power of the Holy Spirit but so many times they work in their
own strength. Let’s explore.
Let’s read Ephesians 5:15-16:
Consistency in
the Christian Life
15 Pay careful
attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—
16 making the most of the time,xy because the days are evil.
Even though Christians are Spirit filled, they must walk circumspectly, which means carefully. They must be very careful where they place their feet, so-to-speak, as they walk in the Spirit. That is why Christians must be led by the Holy Spirit and trust in HIS leadership. That comes from building the right relationship which results a daily walk filled by the Spirit.
16 making the most of the time,xy because the days are evil.
Even though Christians are Spirit filled, they must walk circumspectly, which means carefully. They must be very careful where they place their feet, so-to-speak, as they walk in the Spirit. That is why Christians must be led by the Holy Spirit and trust in HIS leadership. That comes from building the right relationship which results a daily walk filled by the Spirit.
Christians are
to redeem the time which is to make each moment count for the LORD because
Satan is hard at work to deceive, defeat and destroy Christians and
non-Christians alike. Being a Christian filled with the Spirit is not an
end-point but a beginning point of obedient service as led by the Holy Spirit.
It produces Spiritual growth and maturity.
This leads us to
our next scripture.
Let’s read Ephesians 5:17-18:
17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the
Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless
actions, but be filled by the Spirit:
The Apostle Paul was writing to the Christians in
Ephesus. He used five interesting phrases, “don’t be foolish,” but “understand
what the Lord’s will is,” “don’t get drunk
with wine, which leads to reckless
actions” but “be filled by the Holy
Spirit.” Paul was writing to the Christians.
Christian lifestyle/mind-set and obediently serving
CHRIST go hand in hand. Paul was telling them to allow the Holy Spirit to
enlighten them, lead and empower them. When a person is drunk with wine, he/she
is not in command of his/her actions. They are generally free and uninhibited. Paul
was telling them, if they really wanted to experience true freedom, allow the
Holy Spirit to fill their lives and obediently serve CHRIST as HE leads and
guides them daily. Their actions will be directed by the Holy Spirit and those
that do so will obediently serve the will of GOD and not be reckless.
Paul
used the Greek verb “pleroo.” This verb is a present passive imperative. So
what does this mean? As a present tense verb, Christians are to continually
seek the filling of the Holy Spirit each day. This is different than being
baptized by the Holy Spirit. Christians are baptized by the Holy Spirit the
instant they received salvation. This is a once in a lifetime experience. As
Christians live each day, they need to make a decision to be filled by the Holy
Spirit. The passive nature of the verb means that Christians must be filled by
the Holy Spirit and not filled by their own actions. The Holy Spirit is the
only One Who can lead a Christian to carry out the will of GOD. The verbal
imperative carries the idea of a command. It is not an option for Christians to
live without being filled by the Spirit. That is, being filled daily by the
Spirit needs to be the lifestyle or natural mind-set of each Christian. It is
not a struggle but as natural and necessary as breathing.
There are a couple of things that come to mind:
(1)
Paul used the reference of not being
drunk with wine. A person makes a conscience decision to drink wine and when
he/she drinks to excess, the power of the wine results in the person being drunk.
Their actions are directed by the wine. Christians need to make a conscience
decision to drink in, so-to-speak, and allow the Holy Spirit to empower them
each day. A Christian can trust the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to lead
him/her to obediently serve GOD, through their relationship with CHRIST. When
Christians are filled by the Spirit, they are uninhibited by their flesh and
trust GOD to work HIS power through them.
(2)
It is interesting that when the Holy
Spirit first came into the lives of Christians at Pentecost, the non-believers
perceived them as being drunk – Acts 2:1-13:
Acts 2:1-13 – Pentecost (Notice verse 13)
1 When the day
of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.a
2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing windb came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.c
3 And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
4 Then they were all filledd with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different •languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.e
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nationf under heaven.
6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 And they were astounded and amazed, saying,g “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?h
8 How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language?
9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and •Asia,i
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and •proselytes,j
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”
12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?”
13 But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!”k
2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing windb came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.c
3 And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
4 Then they were all filledd with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different •languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.e
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nationf under heaven.
6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 And they were astounded and amazed, saying,g “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?h
8 How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language?
9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and •Asia,i
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and •proselytes,j
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”
12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?”
13 But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!”k
Some denominations believe that those baptized with
the Spirit will speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues is a gift from GOD but HE
gives many gifts to HIS children to equip them to obediently serve HIM. Seek
first the fullness of GOD and allow HIM to equip you as HE chooses – 1
Corinthians 12:11 - But one and the same Spirit is active in all these (gifts of the Spirit), distributing to each person as He wills.
Christians are in need of allowing the
Holy Spirit to fill them each day.
Then Paul gave a list of some of the attributes of
being filled with the Holy Spirit in our next scripture.
Let’s read Ephesians 5:19-21:
19 speaking to one another
in psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.e
20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.e
The daily filling of the Holy Spirit changes the
mind-set of the Christian from desiring the things of the flesh to desiring the
attributes of the Spirit. The Christian’s mind-set is changed from the things
of their old nature to the mind-set of their new nature in CHRIST.
-
Verse 19 - Christian fellowship as
expressed in psalms. Psalms were where some of the Old Testament Psalms or
portions of the Psalms were put to music. Hymns were songs of praise to GOD.
Spiritual songs were likely songs produced from an encounter with GOD through
CHRIST. The lyrics would have a message in them. These musical renditions would
reach out to fellow brothers and sisters in CHRIST and minister to each other.
It would also lift words of praise and thanksgiving to GOD to express their
love, adoration, trust and confidence in HIM. Music ministers to the physical
as well as the Spiritual nature of people.
-
Verse 20 - Having a positive attitude of
thankfulness toward GOD reflects Spiritual maturity. Christians know that GOD
is sovereign in all things that impact your life regardless of the
circumstances. Accepting all things in life with thankfulness and meaning it is
a sign of Spiritual maturity. To me, it is easy to accept the good things but
those things that are not so good are difficult.
-
Verse 21 - I believe submitting to each
other in reverence of CHRIST focuses on accountability. When Christians are willing
to be accountable to fellow Spirit filled Christians reflects a desire for them
to walk the talk to bring honor to CHRIST. This is not submitting to someone
with a title but to those who walk the talk as well is willing to be held
accountable as well.
Let’s read Ephesians 6:18 and Romans 8:26-27:
Ephesians 6:18:
18 Prayn ; at all times in the Spirito with every prayer and request, and stay alertp in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the •saints.
Christians are to be prayer warriors. Prayer
is vital to living in the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is like a sentry
posted to be on the alert for taking action when needed. Christians are on the
alert to pray for all matters in the world 24/7. Does that mean that Christians
must stay awake - 24/7? No, but as a Spirit filled Christians, GOD can call
upon them and prompt them to pray for all sorts of matters anytime HE chooses.
When you are prompted to pray for something or someone, DO IT!!! Christians may
think how do I know what to pray for or how to pray? Our next scripture reveals how.
Romans 8:26-27:
26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should,f ; but the Spirit Himself intercedes for usg Some mss omit for ush ; ; with unspoken groanings.
27 And He who searches the heartsi ; ; ; knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the •saints according to the will of God.
27 And He who searches the heartsi ; ; ; knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the •saints according to the will of God.
The Holy Spirit prompts Christians to
pray. HE knows the needs and will come to our aid. The Holy Spirit knows the
hearts of all people, Christian and non-Christian, and what they are facing or
will be facing.
There are many stories of people being
prompted to pray at the moment something critical event was happening to a
fellow Christian or a loved one. When you are prompted, pray!
Christians are on duty 24/7.
Christians are to be filled daily by
the Spirit to obediently serve according to HIS will and purpose.
Blessings!!!
posted by Bible Study | 7:44 PM
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