18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Paul continues his discussion of living a consistent Christian life. We may wonder how do we do that. We may wonder about the 'rules' for living; what the guidelines may be. We want directions; we want boundaries. Paul boils it down to a simple step.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Vs. 18 - “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,”
“But be filled with the Spirit” - What an interesting juxtaposition: drunk compared to filled with Holy Spirit. I have heard various and sundry explanations for this verse. A view that makes some sense to me is as follows: When you get drunk your behavior is not completely under control. The alcohol has reduced your ability to act in socially normal manners. You have lost control (you do stupid things, or at least behaviors you would never do when sober).
So, Paul is urging us to release our self-control, submit to the Holy Spirit. He has been given to us to lead and teach us everything we need to know to live for Christ. Abandon your ‘natural’ inhibitions to the power of the Holy Spirit. Your ‘natural self’ would advise you to take care of yourself first, to not bother someone with the gospel (they might be offended), to not pray in public, etc. Your new nature, guided by the Holy Spirit will be led to speak openly about Christ; to live and chaste and clean life.
Vs. 19-20 - speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father
“Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody” - Encourage each other with singing and songs. Songs and singing are not to take the place of teaching and preaching. People often sing when they are happy. There are several examples in scripture: the song of Miriam (Exo 15:20-21), Moses and Israel’s song (Exo 15:1-18), Moses’ song (Deut 32:1-43), Mary’s song (Luke 1:45-55), and in heaven (Rev. 5:9, 15:3).
“always giving thanks for all things” - We give thanks to Jesus for what He has done! We give thanks to God the Father for providing to us salvation through His Son! We are thankful for more than salvation - salvation is plenty for which to be thankful! He has given us so much more - life and breath, family and friends, peace with God, the peace of God, day to work, night to rest. All is from Him and through Him!
“To God, even the Father” - To God, that is, the Father of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Vs. 21 - “and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
“be subject to one another” - We have a responsibility to each other as Christians, as members of the church, the body of Christ as well as responsibility to Jesus as our savior. Paul writes to other churches concerning care for each other as Christians. In Rom 15:1 he tells us we are to bear “the weaknesses of those without strength.”
Also, Paul writes: “Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else.” (Gal 6:1-4)
James also lets us know we are responsible to: “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” (Jam 5:16) Dietrich Bonnhoeffer wrote in Life Together: “A confession of sin in the presence of all the members of the congregation is not required to restore one to community with the entire congregation. In the one other Christian to whom I confess my sins and by whom my sins are declared forgiven, I meet the whole congregation... For here it is not a matter of acting according to one’s own orders and authority, but according to the command of Jesus Christ, which is intended for the whole congregation, on whose behalf the individual is called merely to carry it out.”
As a Christian you are not responsible to Jesus alone. You are definitely responsible to God for your behavior. But you are also responsible to the Christians around you - for your actions will be reflected upon the church of Christ in this world.
“In the fear of Christ” - God says in Isaiah 8:13, “The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” If you have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, you have peace, you are forgiven. God is a fierce and loving God. Fear for that fierceness, and thanksgiving for that love propels us to follow His commands for us.
We show our love for Him, because as Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them... Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.’” (John 14:21, 23)
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