Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 51 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; Eph 5:18.

Title: Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 51 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; EPH 5:18.

 

Announcementsopening prayer:  

 

 

EPH 5:18

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation [non delivering or destructive], but be filled [present passive imperative] with the Spirit [constant, daily dependence],

 

Perhaps this constant dependence can be best seen in the application of the justified life of the royal code of honor.

 

Passages that demand a constant, alert, daily dependence upon God the Holy Spirit.

 

Why are believer's tempted not to live in this way and why can they?

 

EPH 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

 

EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

 

EPH 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

 

EPH 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 

EPH 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

 

EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,

 

EPH 2:7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 

EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

 

EPH 2:9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

 

EPH 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

ROM 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

 

ROM 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

 

ROM 12:11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

 

ROM 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

 

ROM 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

 

All participles in ROM 12:9-19 are present independent verbal participles, meaning they function as commands. Present tense = continuous action.

 

ROM 12:14 Bless [present active imperative] those who persecute you; bless [present imperative] and curse not [present imperative].

 

ROM 12:15 Rejoice [present infinitive] with those who rejoice, and weep [present infinitive] with those who weep.

 

ROM 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another [present participle]; do not be haughty in mind [present participle], but associate with the lowly [present participle]. Do not be wise [present imperative] in your own estimation.

 

ROM 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone [present participle]. Respect what is right in the sight of all men [present participle].

 

ROM 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men [present participle].

 

ROM 12:19 Never take [present participle] your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God [aorist imperative], for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

 

ROM 12:20 "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him [present imperative], and if he is thirsty, give him a drink [present imperative]; for in so doing [present participle] you will heap burning coals upon his head." [make his conscience burn]

 

ROM 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil [present imperative], but overcome evil with good [present imperative].

 

That is eight present imperatives, which are direct commands for daily living and eighteen present participles, along with the two present infinitives, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep," which are descriptions of daily purposes in the lifestyle of the justified life in Christ, and all this in just a few verses. These are all divine in origin and will only exist in the Spirit filled believer.

 

So much emphasis has come upon what the believer should not do, and much less is placed upon what the believer is to purpose to do or be ready to do, or to pursue.

 

This is obviously not a "get my service done and over with so I can go do what I want, punch in and punch out" attitude, but a lifestyle. The believer is in full time Christian service and so much depends upon the Spirit and being occupied with Christ continually.

 

ROM 13:11 And this do [love your neighbor as yourself], knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.

 

Further revelation concerning the coming ages and the Rapture of the church had come to light. Immanency of the Rapture demanded that Christians awaken from the stupor of ignorance of the plan of God and away from the world system and sin nature dominance.

 

ROM 13:12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

 

ROM 13:13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

 

ROM 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision [present imperative] for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

 

"put on the Lord Jesus Christ" - live under the law of Christ and grace. Wear it comfortably like a seamless inner garment.

 

ROM 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.

 

ROM 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good [present imperative], to his edification.

 

ROM 15:3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell upon Me."

 

ROM 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you [optative - a wish] with all joy and peace in believing [present infinitive], that you may abound in hope [present infinitive] by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

An overabundance of hope in the face of all circumstances takes a continuous thought and faith in the message and promises within the word of God.

 

Hope is to look to the future, both near and far, with blessed optimism, joy, confidence, and understanding. It is not just a hope that is barely enough not to despair, but an overabundance [perisseuo] of hope is what is in the mind of God and should be in His child whom He has redeemed.