The Holy Spirit has been given to every child of God to make real to him all that God has promised and all that Christ has made possible. We have seen something of the work of the Holy Spirit as we begin the Christian life. Here in these verses we are told to be filled with the Spirit. What does this mean? We know what it is to be filled with fear. We are so controlled by fear that we either can't move or we react in some way that is different from our normal life. In the same way, we can be controlled by or filled with love or faith, or even with hate. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be so controlled by the Holy Spirit that our actions and our reactions show it. The result will be that Christ will be seen more and more in our lives. The verses which follow mention several areas of our lives where Christ will be seen. First he will be seen in our relationships with fellow-Christians; then in our praise and thankfulness to God. Also he will be seen in our willingness to submit to each other in Christ. Do we want this filling? Do we want this control? We must want if first of all before we can have it. But if we ask for it, it will be ours. Each morning pray this prayer: 'Lord Jesus, I give myself to you for this day so that your Holy Spirit can fill me and control me today.' |
沒有留言:
張貼留言