I have realised that knowing our identity changes the way we interpret the Scriptures. Apostle Paul was determined and resolved to know and preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). His focus was always on the finished works of the Cross, instead of the "new waves of things" and "new seasons" that God is doing. Read all his epistles and you will know his focus. He was sold out for who Christ is and who we are because of Him - identity.
If there is only ONE thing we need to know and pursue, it has to be identity. It is knowing who Christ is and who we are, because as He is, so are we in this world. I have told some friends that I am very narrow-minded when it comes to the truth on identity. But if the Scriptures show me otherwise, I am willing to change my mind on that. It is the good fight of faith, because everything in life is challenging against identity. It started when Satan deceived Eve and Adam on their identity. From then on, it has always been the same story.
Recently, I felt the Holy Spirit asking me to meditate on Ephesians 5:18. I had thought that I knew this Scripture verse pretty well until the Holy Spirit taught me otherwise. Many charismatic circles taught the same thing. I probably haven't heard anything different. Yet sometimes, what we know can keep us from what we need to do.
Eph 5:18 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit...
We were taught that we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit over and over again. Some said that the infilling of the Holy Spirit will leak in our lives, therefore, we need to be filled again. But this contradicts what Jesus said in John 3:34 where God does not give the Spirit by measure and He has come to abide forever (John 14:16; 1 John 2:27). The Holy Spirit doesn't leak.
Yet the charismatic circles tell us to receive 'baptism of the Holy Spirit' over and over again. They don't use the word 'baptism of the Holy Spirit' to be exact. They say, "Get filled again. Come and receive again. Come and be prayed for again. Ask God to touch you and fill you with more again." They specifically use Eph 5:18 to prove that point. I used to think that way too.
Another verse that is commonly used to justify this type of "filling of the Spirit" is Acts 4:31. "Oh the disciples were already filled in the Spirit in Acts 2:4. But now they are filled again, you know?" Well, only 120 disciples received baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4. In chapter 4, there were new believers being added.
Acts 4:3-4 - And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
New believers were added and the total number became 5000. But Peter and John were arrested. They probably hadn't had a chance to pray for the new believers to be baptised in the Holy Spirit.
Could it be that in Acts 4:31, it was the REST of the believers who received the filling of the Holy Spirit? I believe so.
Note: In fact, in Acts 2:4 and Acts 4:31 - the Greek word used for "filled" is different from the Greek word used in Ephesians 5:18. Each time when it talks about baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts, the word used for "filled" is "pimplemi". Even Paul's own baptism of the Spirit (Acts 9:17) uses the word "pimplemi" But in Ephesians 5:18, the word used for "filled" is "pleroo", which means "to fill, to diffuse through one's soul: with everything which God wills."
Paul is clear that there is fruit produced for Ephesians 5:18. Yet majority of the time, there is no fruit produced after people get "filled by the Spirit over and over again" according to the charismatic type of interpretation. People keep getting touched without transformation. The truth is... nowhere in the epistles did Paul talk about this type of "filling of the Holy Spirit" for fruit bearing, except Ephesians 5:18. Hence, it is important to know what Ephesians 5:18 really means.
Paul talked about the fruit of "be filled with the Spirit" after Ephesians 5:18. "...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God." - Eph 5:19-21
It speaks of a transformed life. The same writer wrote in Romans 12:2 that transformation depends on mind renewal to the truth. It is in line with what Jesus said in John 8:31-32 - "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Even 2 Corinthians 3:18 is not talking about "filling of the Spirit". It is referring to New Covenant glory and truth - that transforms you.
Let me submit to us that what Paul really meant in Eph 5:18 is not, "get touched and filled by the Holy Spirit again and again and again." Because we have already received the fullness of the Spirit.
What could Paul be referring to?
Ephesians Chapter 4 & 5 are Paul's instructions on walking out the Christian life. They are very practical. Paul already spoke of what Christ did and what we have in Christ in Chapter 1-3. Now in Chapter 5, he talked about living out the Christian life. The word "BE filled" is an active, instead of passive thing. "BE holy", "BE perfect", etc. In other words, "Because you are filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, now BE filled... WALK in that fullness."
The Living Bible translates it as, "be filled instead with the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him." In other words, "be yielded to the Holy Spirit."
It is similar to Galatians 5:16 where Paul said, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
Gal 5:19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, DRUNKENNESS... (emphasis added)
Compare Galatians 5 with Ephesians 5:18.
Ephesians 5:18 - And do not BE DRUNK with wine, in which is dissipation; but BE FILLED with the Spirit... (emphasis added)
In other words, do not walk in the works of the flesh (do not be drunk with wine), but walk in the Spirit (be filled or be yielded to Him) - for it produces fruit!
Last but not least, the same writer, Paul said in Colossians 3:16-17
"Let the WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (emphasis added)
Take a look at Ephesians 5:18-21 - "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God." (emphasis added)
Be filled with the Spirit = Let the Word of Christ dwell in you.
To put it simply, Ephesians 5:18 is talking about "be yielded to the Spirit (which is also the Word), walk in the fullness of the Spirit, abide in the Word". It has nothing to do with "Oh come and get filled and touched by the Spirit again and again and again."
John 8:31-32 - "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
It's about knowing our identity - what we have already received. We are a brand new creation with a brand new nature. It's about renewing our mind to that truth. So now we don't ask for MORE of the filling of the Spirit. Because God has already poured out the fullness of the Spirit in us. Now we yield ourselves MORE to Him - the NEW MAN in us. It's letting Christ LIVE through us (Gal 2:20). That bears fruit. #identity
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