The End of “Wars” in the Church
Scripture calls us to put up with each other, to value others above ourselves, and to look not to our own interests but to the interests of others (Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3-4). It’s pretty hard to fight a worship war, defending our own particular preferences, if we’re seeking to follow these biblical directives. But, even more directly, Ephesians 5:19 says we are to use “psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” Whatever these words mean, they clearly suggest that the musical content of our worship ought to be diverse.
Read Article
Let Your Worship Enrich Your Conversation
At first glance, Ephesians 5:19 seems to be confusing, if not just plain confused. According to this verse, as we are filled with the Spirit, we will be “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” Doesn’t it make more sense for us to speak to God – or, better yet, to sing to God – using these musical genres? How are we to speak to one another with songs that are meant for God?
Read Article
Worship and the Power of Song
The connection between singing and spiritual inspiration is familiar to most Christians. At times, we experience God filling us with the Spirit when we are lifting our voices in praise. At other times, when God fills us with his Spirit, music provides a way for us to express the praise stirred up inside of us. No matter how and when we sing to the Lord, Ephesians 5:19 reminds us to lift our voices in musical praise. Yet, as we’ll see in tomorrow’s devotion, this verse commends a surprising and unexpected use of worship music.
Read Article
If You’re Filled with the Spirit, Then What?
It is significant that these evidences of the Spirit are mainly experienced in the context of Christian community. Speaking to one another and submitting are things we must do in relationship to others. Singing, making music, and giving thanks can be done with others or in solitude, though the context here underscores the shared experience of all five participles. One thing is clear: If we are filled with the Spirit, then we will share with our fellow Christians in speaking, singing, making music, giving thanks, and submitting.
Read Article
How To Be Filled with the Spirit: Part 3
Given all we’ve seen so far in Ephesians about the importance of the church as the body of Christ, it comes as no surprise that the filling of the Spirit is something we experience along with other believers. This is not to deny individual experiences of God, of course. There are surely times when God fills us with his Spirit even though no other believers are around. But often the filling of the Spirit is something that happens when God’s people are gathered for worship or ministry. It’s easy for us in our day to get so preoccupied by our own private experience of God that we neglect the essential corporate dimension. Ephesians offers an effective remedy to a hyper-individualism that minimizes the centrality of Christian community.
Read Article
How To Be Filled with the Spirit: Part 2
There is another peculiar feature of the imperative, “Be filled with the Spirit, though this does not show up in most English translations. The Greek tense of “be filled” is present. This tense suggests an ongoing action, not something that happens once and for all. In English, we might render the present imperative in Greek as “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” The use of the present implies that the filling of the Spirit is something that can happen again and again in the life of the believer.
Read Article
How To Be Filled with the Spirit: Part 1
There is no magic formula here, no secret words or actions to make God fill us with his Spirit. God is sovereign and fills us according to his sovereign will. At times, some Christians seem to have forgotten this basic truth, assuming that if they pray in a certain way or worship in a certain way then God is somehow compelled to fill them with the Spirit. This neglect of God’s sovereignty isn’t true or helpful.
Read Article
You Can Be Filled with the Spirit
The imperative “Be filled with the Spirit” implies that this is possible. There must be something we can do that will allow this to happen. What is that “something,” I wonder. How can we be filled with God’s Spirit?
Read Article
Drunkenness and the Filling of the Spirit
Paul surely knew the story of Pentecost and the charge that the believers were drunk. He also knew that many of the pagan religions of his time mixed drunkenness with mystical religious experience. Drinking great quantities of wine was thought to be a ticket to spiritual ecstasy and celebration. Paul was clear that this was not the way of Christ. His followers were not to get drunk on wine in order to be filled with the Spirit. Rather, they were to avoid drunkenness even as they were to be filled with the Spirit.
Read Article
Christianity is About So Much More than the “Don’ts”
The negatives in life are necessary. Young children need to learn, for example, not to run into the street. But sometimes we can get stuck in the “don’ts.” As parents, we can sound like a broken record with our children: “Don’t break that. Don’t touch that. Don’t talk to me that way.” At times the church has fallen into the “don’t” rut as well, emphasizing all the things people should avoid without moving on to what we should embrace.
Read Article
What’s Wrong with Getting Drunk? Part 2
We who follow Jesus Christ can avoid much of this trauma in our own lives by choosing not to abuse alcohol or put ourselves in contexts where drunkenness abounds. Yet, even more, we can help others by watching out for them. We can offer healing love to those who have suffered because of what they have done or what has been done to them. We can contribute to the establishment of wise policies to protect students and others. We can make sure people who drink too much do not drive while inebriated. We can sponsor 12-step groups that help people become free from their addiction to alcohol and other intoxicating substances.
Read Article
What’s Wrong with Getting Drunk?
We are free to receive and delight in God’s gifts.
But such gifts can be misused. We can eat so much good food that we become sick or unhealthy. We can listen to music so loudly that we damage our hearing. We can experience sexual activity in contexts in which it is superficial, hurtful, or abusive. Inebriated people are more inclined to choose such behavior because excessive inebriation clouds our ability to make wise choices.
Advice from my Grandmother
My grandmother was a strong, influential woman. She was never shy about sharing her opinions. One of these I heard consistently throughout my boyhood. Drinking alcohol, my grandmother insisted, was unequivocally wrong.
Read Article
An Unexpected Way to Know God’s Will for Your Life
As people who honor God’s wisdom and sovereignty, we want to know what God wants us to do with our lives, in order both to honor God and to choose the best course for ourselves.
Read Article
Do Not Be Foolish
“Don’t be foolish” assumed that I had a choice and that I could make the right choice if I thought carefully about my actions. “Don’t be foolish” was directive, but not debilitating. It was empowering, even encouraging. I could use my head. I could do what was right.
Read Article