In previous messages we have seen that, in the progressing stage of God’s full salvation, the believers enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity in the divine transformation for the divine conformation by being transformed, by being conformed to Christ’s image and conformed to the death of Christ, by entering into the Holy of Holies, by following Jesus, by living to Christ, by walking according to spirit, by sowing unto the Spirit, by walking by faith, and by living in the organism of the divine Trinity and participating in the dispensing of the divine Trinity. Now we shall begin to consider how the believers enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity in the divine transformation for the divine conformation by being filled in their spirit with the processed Triune God and letting the word of Christ dwell in them richly.
We enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity by being filled in our spirit with the processed Triune God and letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly. Ephesians 5:18b says, “Be filled in spirit,” and Colossians 3:16a says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” These are parallel verses, for the first charges us to be filled in our spirit with the Triune God and the second, to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. When we are filled in our spirit with the processed Triune God and let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, we enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity in the divine transformation for the divine conformation.
To be filled in spirit is to be filled in our regenerated spirit, the human spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God. However, some readers of Ephesians 5 may regard the spirit in verse 18 as the Holy Spirit. But according to the Greek text, Paul here is not saying that we should be filled with the Spirit; rather, he is saying that we should be filled in our spirit, that is, in our regenerated spirit. Our spirit should not be empty, but should be filled with the riches of Christ unto all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). If our spirit is filled with the riches of Christ, we shall have no problems in our Christian life.
All the items in Ephesians 5:18-6:9 are related to the one matter of being filled in spirit. We may read these verses and pay attention to such details as wives submitting to their own husbands or husbands loving their own wives, but fail to see the source of these virtues, that is, being filled in spirit with the processed Triune God. When we are filled in our spirit with the Spirit, then wives will be subject to their husbands, husbands will love their wives, parents will care for their children, slaves will obey their masters, and masters will treat their slaves in a proper way. All of these things are the issue of being filled in spirit.
We may say that the imperative “be filled” is actually in the “active-passive” voice. “Be” is active, and “filled” is passive. Hence, “be filled” is active-passive. In our language there may not be such a thing as active-passive, but in God’s New Testament economy active-passive is a great matter.
Peter’s word in Acts 2:40 helps us to understand how “be filled” in Ephesians 5:18 is a matter of active-passive. Peter entreated the people saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation!” Here “be” is active, and “saved” is passive. Hence, we may say that “be saved” is in the active-passive voice. It is to be done by God, but man needs to be active to receive what God intends to do. At the time of Pentecost, everything concerning God’s full salvation was prepared, and the Holy Spirit was poured out as the application and full blessing of God’s salvation ready for man to receive. In this matter God is waiting for man, and man needs to take the initiative. Although we cannot save ourselves, we must be willing to be saved by God. God is willing and prepared to save us. Nevertheless, we need to be saved; that is, we need to take the initiative to receive God’s salvation.
The principle is the same with Paul’s charge, “Be filled in spirit.” Just as God has done everything necessary for us to be saved, He has done everything necessary for us to be filled in our regenerated spirit. Nevertheless, just as we need to take some action to be saved, we need to take some action to be filled in spirit with the Holy Spirit who has been given to us and who now dwells in our spirit.
We should not limit the Spirit or restrict Him. The Holy Spirit with all of Christ’s riches as the fullness of God is ready to fill us in our spirit. Now we need to coordinate with Him, taking some action, to be filled.
Many of us are filled with the Spirit not thoroughly but only partly. The reason for this may be that we do not give the Holy Spirit enough room within us. Instead, we still have a great deal of reserve and do not allow the Spirit to have every part of our being. As a result, we are filled with things other than the Spirit.
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