Ephesians 5:17-20

Day 50

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 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;” Ephesians 5:17-20

Dissipation
The Bible gives several warnings about the abuse of alcohol.  When I was a kid, Baptists generally tried to convince everyone that the wine during the time of the Bible was different, just lightly fermented grape juice. If so, why, when Jesus turned water to wine, was the maître d’ for the wedding puzzled?  The normal pattern for serving wine would be to serve the pricy stuff first and then, after people have been drinking for some time, then serve the cheap stuff.  The reason for such custom comes from the dulled senses that happens due to the consumption of alcohol.  Seems serving grape juice may not have been the cultural standard in the time of Christ after all.  Though many Christians, including myself, may choose to abstain, clearly wine contained the same basic properties as we have available today.  The issue for Paul was not wine but allowing the consumption to take over the believer to the point of drunkenness.  Though not explicit in the text, it is reasonable to expand this concept to cover other mind dulling chemicals available to us today.  “Do not get drunk with wine…do not use illegal drugs…”  The reasoning Paul provided the church reflected his previously expressed concern of “making the most of your time.”  Getting drunk with wine would definitely constitute "walking unwisely" and not "making the most of your time."  The New American Standard Bible 1995 translated the word “dissipation.”  In physics dissipation describes a loss of energy.  “The strong waves on the lake were dissipating as the storm began to pass.”  In the case of Ephesians 5:17, dissipation describes as squandering of time, money, resources, and purpose.  Other translations selected different English words to capture the meaning.  The Christian Standard Bible says, “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living.”  The New Living Translation says, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.”  Ultimately, this verse directs us to a specific area of unwise living.  In the verses prior, Paul exhorted the church to walk wisely, not foolishly.  Here, he focused on the specific act of drunkenness as an example of unwise living.  It becomes impossible to make “the most of your time” if you are taking chemicals that leave you altered.  

Being filled with the Spirit provides the believer with the antidote to being drunk with wine.  All believers have the Spirit of God dwelling within.  Paul told the Roman church that the presence of the Holy Spirit marks the believer. "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Romans 8:9)  No unbeliever possesses the Holy Spirit.  No believer is without the indwelling Holy Spirit.  This truth cannot be denied.  We have seen already in Ephesians that the Holy Spirit functions as the authenticating work of God.  We are "sealed" in Christ by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14) However, simply being indwelled with the Holy Spirit does not mean the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit.  There is a conscience decision by the believer to grant complete authority and control over our lives to the Spirit of God.  "Be filled with the Holy Spirit" means to give to the Holy Spirit the rightful place in our lives as the driving control over our actions.  The Holy Spirit provides us with the antidote to mind-altering, judgment impairing chemicals.  Being altered by drugs and alcohol can prompt certain behaviors in revelers. Singing and partying often marks a group gathering while consuming alcohol.  Those under the influence lose their inhibitions.  Even those who are tone deaf or shy will launch into song.  That loss of inhibition has led to untold and horrendous decisions by those under the influence.  Culturally we've seen the devastation in the loss of jobs, families, and even the loss of life.  Alcohol and drugs, the mind-altering chemicals that are pitched as substances to make us happy, often bring misery.  Interestingly, Paul described the impact of being filled with a different altering presence, of being filled with the Holy Spirit.  In this case, being filled with the Holy Spirit brings joyful singing too.  Much as those under the influence will sometimes break out in song, those under the influence of the Holy Spirit also sing.  However, the lyrics follow a strikingly different pattern from when alcohol flows freely.  When believers gather under the power of the Spirit, singing praise to God with thankful hearts naturally flows from the heart of the church.  This verse provides us with a biblical justification for the role of music within worship services.  Paul listed a variety of musical styles and approaches but all with the same goal of music directed to the Lord.  By the power of the Spirit, let us praise the Lord today!

Suggested Prayer:  Lord, protect us from drugs and alcohol.  Give us the discipline to say no to things that alter our mental acuity.  Keep our minds sharp.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit.  Create in us a desire for the singing of praise and thanksgiving to You.  In all things, be glorified in our lives, in whatever we eat or drink or do with our time and resources. Amen.

Ephesians