Do Not Be Drunk with Wine

Filled with the Holy Spirit

(Ephesians 5:18)

On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples who gathered in the upper room of Mark, their hearts were filled with joy. “Ah, Jesus’ promises are all fulfilled! God is truly with us! We truly belong to heaven!” The disciples wept, laughed, prayed, sang, and danced together. Seeing them, some people said they were drunk with new wine.

1. Drunkenness vs. the Holy Spirit
Those who are drunk surrender themselves to the power of alcohol, while those filled with the Holy Spirit surrender themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit. Drunkenness leads to dissipation, but being filled with the Holy Spirit leads to Christlikeness. The path of drunkenness is one of darkness and foolishness, while the path of being filled with the Spirit is one of light and wisdom. The Lord declares through Paul: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18).

2. Eternal Joy
People seek joy through the power of alcohol, but that joy is fleeting and often brings more problems in its wake. What we need is eternal joy. As the Lord promised to send the Holy Spirit, He said: “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22).

3. The Path of Wisdom
Walking the new path Christ has given us in the midst of spiritual warfare, becoming like Christ in a world filled with lies, and manifesting the truthful love of God in a place without truth—these are impossible through our own strength alone. Only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit can we walk this path and experience true joy along the way. Let us no longer act as the unwise but receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let us not be satisfied with false joy but enjoy eternal joy. Let us trust in the promise of the Lord, affirmed by the Holy Spirit, and live as those who are wise.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim