“be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is a present continuous action and requires a believer to be (a) daily yielded to God, (b) daily in repentance with confession with godly sorrow, (c) daily allowing the word of God to richly indwell the inner man. Being controlled by the Holy Spirit empowers a believer (a) daily in spiritual battle (Spirit versus flesh) and, (b) daily in living out the person and character and conduct of Christ and in being obedient to the will of God.
A Church of Unity, Not Uniformity
The church has been called to function in unity in order to display the Gospel to a watching world. However, churches sometimes mistakenly think that unity means uniformity. This is a costly mistake that creates churches filled with man-made rules in an attempt to make everyone look the same, think the same, and act the same. This was never God’s intention! Instead, we have been called to find unity in one thing — The Truth — and learn to function together as the Body of Christ, despite our other differences.
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