"Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ"  (Eph. 5:20).

Paul with a love command, exhorts us to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).  While we now have all of Christ in us, with the incorruptible Seed received at our Spirit rebirthing (I Pet. 1:23).  We are now complete in Christ, who is the head of all principality and power (Col. 2:10).  We even have the fullness of the Godhead bodily in Christ in us (Col. 2:9). We received the Person of Christ in us to live in us as us (Gal. 2:20).  We received the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9).  We received the divine nature (II Pet. 1:4).  We received Christ's wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (I Cor. 1:30). With all of that fullness received in Christ at the Spirit birthing, how can we be filled any more with the Spirit? While we received everything in Christ in the Spirit, unless the Holy Spirit has filled the mind and renewed it with the things of the Spirit we cannot be filled to overflowing in the Spirit.  In context, this verse is discussing a call for mind renewal.  If our mind is not renewed, we will choose natural wine or living in the flesh versus living the Christ-life in the Spirit.  We should be giving thanks for all things of Christ in us as us.

With the love and filling of the Spirit of Christ being expressed in and through us, by using the Holy Spirit renewed and filled mind, we will speak psalms of encouragement to one another. We will be singing spiritual songs and making melody in our hearts to the Lord (Eph. 5:19).  Christ is our song.  Christ is the melody, we are simply the instruments. Christ is building a love for one another in us.  This love comes out of the same Spirit of love, that He has for the Father.  Christ's Spirit is a love-for-others Spirit.  The spirit of man is a self-for-self spirit, and often moves to just plain selfishness with full expression of man living and operating in the flesh.  We greatly need a Spirit-taught and Spirit-renewed mind, so that Christ can have His full expression in and through us with His mind, Spirit, and purpose.

With the overflowing Spirit of Christ in us as us, we should be giving thanks for all things (Eph. 5:20).  We will be giving thanks to Christ, who is our savior and life.  We will be giving thanks for the Holy Spirit who is our teacher and the revealer in Christ renewing the mind to all that is in Christ and of Christ in us.  We will be giving thanks to the Father for sending His Son and the Holy Spirit, and for our precious fellowship in a loving relationship with Him.  We will be giving thanks for so many others – our family, Christian family and friends.  We will giving thanks for so many blessings in life, provided by our gracious and wonderful God and savior.  This marvelous and manifold grace of God gives us the love, power, and strength to give thanks always for all things!  V