Holy Intoxication

Summertime in South Texas is notoriously hot and humid, to compensate, residents of the region gravitate to anything cold and wet: a favorite watering hole, beach or ice cold beverage always hit the spot.

In my younger days, my go to used to be ice cold beer, wine-coolers and other alcoholic beverages. But it was so hot that (in my effort to stay cool) I would routinely drink too much too fast and end up drunk. Overtime (though I did not perceive myself as an alcoholic) I came under conviction about drinking alcohol at all. One Sunday, a day after the 4th of July, upon hearing the pastor preach about drunkenness, I came home and dumped it all: wine-coolers, beer, tequila, rum…..everything and to this day some 30 years later, never picked alcohol up again.

The pastor drilled down on this text:

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…” (Eph. 5:18)

Of course he also shared from Proverbs 20:1, 23:31; Romans 13:13 and 1 Cor. 5:11 but I have a purpose in sharing the focal passage above along with a portion of my testimony. There is a lesson to be learned in this verse concerning spiritual life and it revolves around the words “drunk” and “filled.”

My testimony identifies a commonality for us concerning drunkenness and it boils down to this: We pour alcohol down our throats and it’s effects begin to take hold, slowly changing us, loosening us up and ultimately, for a time taking control of us. The result is termed”dissipation” by Paul: That is, excessive or “riotous” behavior. The Apostle exhorts (literally commands), don’t live this way, suggesting that he was speaking of a lifestyle of drunkenness. Then, right on the heals of the prohibition he connects the dots saying, “But be filled with the Spirit.” In other words, become so immersed in the Spirit of God that His presence and power within you control your attitudes, actions, thoughts and words. Consider the disciples on the day of Pentecost for instance: the Spirit of God fell on and filled them to such a degree that the people thought they were drunk; a supposition which led to an opportunity for Peter to explain what had happened to them in (Acts 2:13-21) and to go on and preach to them the gospel as well.

A person can become spiritually intoxicated in much the same way as they get drunk; only rather than wine it’s the word of God that such a person consumes. Jesus said in (Matt. 5:6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Just as I chased cold drink to quench my thirst and refresh my body on a hot day one’s thirst for spiritual refreshment will lead them to immerse themselves in the Word of the Lord and avail themselves to the Spirit of God to such a degree that they become spiritually inebriated. In the best case, every word such a person would say, every action they take and attitude they express then would be informed by the word of God and His Spirit – they would be “holy, as I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16; Lev. 20:7)

I write this because I don’t know too many Christians if any who are as I described above and also because it’s not for lack of instruction that we are not. Just as drunkenness is a choice so too is holy intoxication, both the wine and the word are available to us for consumption, it is up to us to choose wisely and be filled with that which can make us more like Jesus.