There is no shortage of worldly options which offer themselves as substitutes for the life God intends. The flesh always prefers gratification over denial. But Jesus said if we will be His disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. He always lived to please the Father, and as we learn to follow Him we find satisfaction for our souls. Denial of the flesh becomes a great source of joy, for in obedience to God there is rest and freedom from the bondage of sin.
No man can serve two masters, Jesus said: we cannot serve both God and money. The pursuit of wealth and love of money causes men to be pierced through with many sorrows, though money promises what only God can deliver. Trusting money instead of God places our feet on a foundation of slippery sand. People look to money to supply security, material possessions, the freedom to acquire, and to open doors for travel and experiences. But like all things men idolise, money is incapable of supplying what we seek. People want to "Live it up!" but these empty pursuits only makes a man sink lower. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, and all the money in the world cannot quench a man's unquenchable thirst for belonging, significance, purpose, and eternal life.
Alcohol is another worldly substitute for the Spirit-filled life. Ephesians 5:17-18 says, "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit..." There is a stark contrast between drinking to excess and being filled with the Spirit and are completely incompatible with one another. Alcohol stimulates dopamine production in the "reward centre" of the brain, but only intensifies feelings of depression later. Our bodies can become dependent on alcohol, and the permanent effects are deadly. Instead of looking to strong drink to cope with pressures of life, we are called to rely upon the Holy Spirit and the strength only He can supply. Drinking has put many in the poorhouse, but those filled with Spirit have wealth money cannot buy. Drinking makes a man forgetful and brings regrets, yet those who are filled with the Spirit have sharpened perception without fear or shame.
The mother of Lemuel said to her son in Proverbs 31:4-5, "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; 5 lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted." After warning her son not to give himself to ways which destroy kings, she reminded him that as a king he was always "on duty." Should he give himself over to drunkenness he would be unfit to uphold God's justice. His judgment would be clouded and be an influence for evil rather than good. The same is true for a child of God, having been made kings and priests unto Him through the Gospel (Rev. 1:6). No Christian is ever "off duty." It is God's will that we be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so we might live above reproach, conscious of God's leading and being empowered by Him. Even the risk of momentarily forgetting God and His righteous judgments should be enough cause for us to remain sober and vigilant.
What is the impact of a Holy Spirit-filled life? The passage continued in Ephesians 5:18-21: "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God." Drunkenness is a characteristic of the unsaved, a life of fleshly excess. Being filled with the Spirit brings God's Word to bear upon our lives, puts a new song in our hearts, causes us to overflow with thanksgiving, and enables us to maintain a humble perspective before men and God. Happiness depends on what happens, and the euphoria supplied by alcohol is temporary. The joy of the LORD is the strength of a Christian, and this fruit of the Spirit is available continually to all who trust in Christ - without the hangover.
Money, alcohol, fame, and earthly security are all pathetic, temporary substitutes for the genuine supplied only by God. God provides the true riches and the Holy Spirit. All who repent and trust in Jesus are known by God, and He gives eternal life to all who come to Him by faith. The world sells knock-off goods at shockingly high prices: they demand the death of your body and eternal soul. If you love the things of this world, you are being ripped off and robbed blind. Hear the words of a Saviour who actually loves you. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." In Christ we discover the "High Life" - a life worth living!
No man can serve two masters, Jesus said: we cannot serve both God and money. The pursuit of wealth and love of money causes men to be pierced through with many sorrows, though money promises what only God can deliver. Trusting money instead of God places our feet on a foundation of slippery sand. People look to money to supply security, material possessions, the freedom to acquire, and to open doors for travel and experiences. But like all things men idolise, money is incapable of supplying what we seek. People want to "Live it up!" but these empty pursuits only makes a man sink lower. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, and all the money in the world cannot quench a man's unquenchable thirst for belonging, significance, purpose, and eternal life.
Alcohol is another worldly substitute for the Spirit-filled life. Ephesians 5:17-18 says, "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit..." There is a stark contrast between drinking to excess and being filled with the Spirit and are completely incompatible with one another. Alcohol stimulates dopamine production in the "reward centre" of the brain, but only intensifies feelings of depression later. Our bodies can become dependent on alcohol, and the permanent effects are deadly. Instead of looking to strong drink to cope with pressures of life, we are called to rely upon the Holy Spirit and the strength only He can supply. Drinking has put many in the poorhouse, but those filled with Spirit have wealth money cannot buy. Drinking makes a man forgetful and brings regrets, yet those who are filled with the Spirit have sharpened perception without fear or shame.
The mother of Lemuel said to her son in Proverbs 31:4-5, "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; 5 lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted." After warning her son not to give himself to ways which destroy kings, she reminded him that as a king he was always "on duty." Should he give himself over to drunkenness he would be unfit to uphold God's justice. His judgment would be clouded and be an influence for evil rather than good. The same is true for a child of God, having been made kings and priests unto Him through the Gospel (Rev. 1:6). No Christian is ever "off duty." It is God's will that we be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so we might live above reproach, conscious of God's leading and being empowered by Him. Even the risk of momentarily forgetting God and His righteous judgments should be enough cause for us to remain sober and vigilant.
What is the impact of a Holy Spirit-filled life? The passage continued in Ephesians 5:18-21: "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God." Drunkenness is a characteristic of the unsaved, a life of fleshly excess. Being filled with the Spirit brings God's Word to bear upon our lives, puts a new song in our hearts, causes us to overflow with thanksgiving, and enables us to maintain a humble perspective before men and God. Happiness depends on what happens, and the euphoria supplied by alcohol is temporary. The joy of the LORD is the strength of a Christian, and this fruit of the Spirit is available continually to all who trust in Christ - without the hangover.
Money, alcohol, fame, and earthly security are all pathetic, temporary substitutes for the genuine supplied only by God. God provides the true riches and the Holy Spirit. All who repent and trust in Jesus are known by God, and He gives eternal life to all who come to Him by faith. The world sells knock-off goods at shockingly high prices: they demand the death of your body and eternal soul. If you love the things of this world, you are being ripped off and robbed blind. Hear the words of a Saviour who actually loves you. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." In Christ we discover the "High Life" - a life worth living!
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