18" And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (NIV)
The Holy Spirit is the Key in our Christian experience, because it's impossible to follow God unless we are led by the Spirit. He alone unlocks and reveals, all the hidden truths of scriptures and reveals them with spiritual clarity. The believer must be led by Him. The only way to be led by the Spirit is to follow God's command to be filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Interestingly, God contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being drunk. Somebody who is drunk with wine or alcohol is controlled by and consumed by alcohol. But somebody who is "drunk in the Spirit" is controlled and consumed by the Spirit, who helps us live holy lives. How are we filled with the Spirit? The Holy Spirit entered you when you decided to give your life to Christ, to become a Christian. But we need to continually ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, to guide us, to help us do the things God wants us to do. When we're growing as Christians, we should allow the Spirit to take control over more and more areas of our lives. Especially those areas that we find difficult to conquer. He alone is well able to lead, guide, and transform, our lives.
Amen.