Introduction
I know that it is rude and impolite, generally speaking, to ask personal questions. There are just certain questions that people should know better than to ask. For example:
You should never go up to a woman and ask, “How much do you weigh?”
Likewise, you should never go up to a woman and ask, “How old are you?”
You should never go up to anyone and ask, “Is that a wig?” or “Do you color your hair?”
You should never ask anyone, “Did your plastic surgery not work out, or do you always look like that?”
There are just certain types of personal questions that one should not ask.
But I want to take the risk of asking you this morning a very personal question, which I believe is appropriate in this setting.
The question is this: Is the Holy Spirit filling you right now?
Now understand I’m not asking you, “Do you believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit?”
I’m not asking you, “Have you ever been filled with the Holy Spirit?”
My question is: Is the Holy Spirit filling you right now—this moment—today?
There are really only three possible answers: Yes, No, or I don’t know.
Every Christian should be filled with the Holy Spirit, and every Christian should know it.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit enters our life. He places us in His body, the body of Christ.
But beyond that, the Spirit comes to empower us, guide us, and use us for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Today we are going to think together about the Spirit-filled life.
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I. The Spirit-Filled Life Is a Commanded Life
Paul writes, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (v.18)
The verb translated “be filled” is in the imperative mood.
This is not a suggestion or a polite request.
It is an unalterable command of the living God.
To live the Christian life apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit is to live in disobedience.
It is God’s will for every Christian to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
That’s why Paul immediately says in verse 17, “Understand what the will of the Lord is.”
What is His will? Be filled with the Spirit.
We are never commanded to be baptized by the Spirit, or indwelt by the Spirit, or sealed by the Spirit—those are gifts God gives once for all when we trust Christ.
But we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.
And the verb is plural.
Not just the pastor, not just the elders or Sabbath School teachers.
Every believer—new Christian or seasoned saint—is included.
It is also present tense, meaning continuous action.
We are to be continually filled with the Spirit.
Baptism of the Spirit lasts a lifetime; sealing lasts for eternity.
But filling must be renewed every day.
Think of it like your car’s fuel tank.
You can fill the tank full, but one filling will not last.
Every mile you drive draws the gauge closer to empty.
Likewise, no matter how full of the Spirit you are today, what you receive today will not automatically carry you through tomorrow.
You need to be filled again.
Here’s where the analogy changes.
If you let your car’s tank go empty, the car stops.
But even if you are not presently filled with the Spirit, He does not leave you empty.
He never leaves you at all.
Yet if you live on spiritual fumes, you will live without power.
Paul makes an intriguing comparison: “Do not be drunk with wine… but be filled with the Spirit.”
Most of us would quickly agree that it is wrong to be drunk.
If I asked how many believe it would be wrong for me to step into this pulpit intoxicated, every hand would go up.
But according to this verse, it is just as sinful for a Christian not to be filled with the Spirit as it is to be drunk.
The difference is that Spirit-filling brings life and health, while alcohol brings destruction.
One-quarter of automobile insurance premiums go toward drunk-driving claims.
If everyone were filled with the Spirit instead of alcohol, we could save more than 25,000 lives and billions of dollars each year in the United States alone.
Paul’s choice of words is rich with imagery. The Greek word for “filled” was used of the wind filling a sail and carrying a ship.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to let the wind of God’s Spirit guide the ship of your life—every thought, every word, every action.
Remember, the Holy Spirit is not a force but a person. Being filled is not like pouring liquid into a glass; it’s like inviting a living guest to occupy every room of your heart.
And the comparison to intoxication is not only contrast but analogy. Just as alcohol controls and changes a person’s behavior, the Holy Spirit, when given full control, leads us to live in ways that cannot be explained by mere human effort.
Paul’s first great truth is clear: The Spirit-filled life is commanded. It is God’s daily expectation, not an occasional spiritual luxury.
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II. The Spirit-Filled Life Is a Committed Life
When we talk about the Spirit-filled life, believers usually rush to two questions:
1. What is the Spirit-filled life?
2. How do I get filled with the Spirit?
But there’s a question that belongs in between those two: Why?
Why do you want to be filled with the Spirit?
Is it so you can use God, or so God can use you?
Many chase the thrill of the fill—they crave the feeling more than the filling.
But the Spirit’s purpose is not to give us a spiritual adrenaline rush.
It is to control every aspect of life.
1. Our Walk
Paul begins this section back in 4:1: “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”
In Galatians 5:25 he adds, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Verse 16 clarifies that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Somebody said it well:
“Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon succumb to that which is about us.”
The Spirit-filled life is a daily walk of step-by-step dependence—not occasional leaps.
2. Our Worship
Jesus declared in John 4:24 that true worshipers “must worship in spirit and truth.”
That means our worship must be energized and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Why do some people endure worship instead of enjoying it?
Because they never truly experience it.
They sing with their lips but not with a Spirit-filled heart.
It takes a Spirit-filled Christian with a Spirit-tuned antenna to catch the Spirit-filled signal of a Spirit-led service.
3. Our Witness
You cannot be an effective witness without being filled with the Spirit.
You can witness without formal training.
You can share Christ without a sparkling personality or even strong speaking skills.
But you cannot effectively witness without the Spirit’s filling.
Conversely, with His filling, your witness becomes inevitable.
When the Holy Spirit truly controls you, you cannot help but speak of Jesus.
It’s as natural as breathing.
Remember Jesus’ charge in Luke 24:49: “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Before He sent His followers into the world, He sent His Spirit into them.
4. Our Work
God never intended that we do His work for Him.
He intends to do His work through us.
Think of a glove.
A glove is designed for work, but until a hand fills it, it is powerless.
It cannot move, grasp, or accomplish anything on its own.
When the hand slips in, the glove becomes fully alive—but only as long as the hand remains inside.
That is what Spirit-filling is: God’s hand in your life-glove.
You do not pick the job and then ask Him to bless it; you let Him direct every movement.
And when the task is done, the glove does not boast.
All the credit belongs to the hand.
Living a Spirit-filled life, then, is not about getting more of the Spirit—you already have Him.
It is about the Spirit getting more of you.
It is about total, ongoing commitment of mind, body, schedule, and ambitions to His leadership.
This is a committed life—moment-by-moment, room-by-room surrender.
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III. The Spirit-Filled Life Is a Commended Life
There is something magnetic and attractive about a Spirit-filled Christian.
When a believer is filled with the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit ripens naturally, and life carries a freshness as real as an ocean breeze after a long, dry summer.
Paul highlights three beautiful evidences:
1. Gladness – A Singing Heart
“…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (v.19)
Isn’t it striking that the first mark of a Spirit-filled life is not mountain-moving faith, spectacular gifts, or even dynamic preaching?
It is a song inside the soul.
Notice Paul doesn’t say, “Carry a tune,” but “Make melody in your heart.”
God listens to the heart far more than the pitch.
I once read about a man who busked on a city corner. A wealthy passerby listened and finally said, “Would you sing at my funeral? I’ll pay you now.”
The singer asked why.
“Because,” the man said, “I want people to be genuinely sorry I’m gone.”
You may not be able to hit a note, but when your heart is Spirit-filled, God hears a symphony.
2. Gratefulness – A Thankful Spirit
“…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v.20)
The Spirit-filled life is a thankful life—not only for blessings but even in adversity.
How can anyone give thanks when life hurts?
Only by the Spirit’s filling.
I think of a young pastor who was constantly criticized by a sharp-tongued church member.
Every encounter left him discouraged.
Seeking counsel, he called his father.
“Next time she attacks,” his father advised, “ask her to kneel and pray with you.”
Then pray aloud, “Lord, thank You this dear lady isn’t my wife.”
Gratitude turns complaints into worship and hardships into testimonies.
It’s not denial; it’s Spirit-born perspective.
3. Graciousness – A Humble Heart
“…submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.” (v.21)
The Greek word for submit is a military term meaning “to arrange under,” but here it’s used between equals.
Spirit-filling enables us to see others as more important than ourselves and to serve without resentment.
In a world of self-promotion and loud opinions, Spirit-filled humility is startlingly countercultural.
It shines.
The Commended Life Summarized
Gladness – an inner song that can’t be silenced.
Gratefulness – thanksgiving in all circumstances.
Graciousness – humble submission and servant-hearted love.
These qualities commend the gospel far more loudly than arguments or slogans.
They make people say, “I don’t know what they have, but I need it.”
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Conclusion and Appeal
The great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said,
“If there were only one prayer which I might pray before I died it would be this: ‘Lord, send Your church men and women filled with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’”
That is precisely what the world needs today—Spirit-filled churches and Spirit-filled Christians.
Imagine the impact:
Homes where husbands, wives, and children are carried along by the Spirit’s gentle wind.
Workplaces where gratitude and grace replace gossip and greed.
Congregations whose worship is vibrant because it is Spirit-ignited.
This is not theory.
This is God’s daily invitation and command.
The command is clear: “Be filled with the Spirit.”
Not once, but continually.
Not for a select few, but for every believer.
Not for show, but for God’s glory.
How?
Ask. The filling is God’s gift, not our achievement.
Yield. Give Him every room of your heart.
Trust and repeat.
Make Spirit-filling as daily as breathing.
When you drive away from church today, your car will need fuel again soon.
Likewise, tomorrow morning your soul will need the Spirit’s fresh infilling.
Will you start each day with this simple prayer:
“Lord, fill me afresh. Take every thought, every word, every action.
Steer the ship of my life by the wind of Your Spirit.”
The Spirit-filled life is commanded, committed, and commended.
It is God’s will and your greatest joy.
Fill ’er up, Lord.
