Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
Eph 5:18
Paul’s positive alternative to being drunk is to “be filled with the Spirit.” Just as drinking a great deal can cause a person to be controlled by wine, focusing on the Spirit can cause a person to be filled or controlled by the Spirit. However, this control or filling is not being “out of control” in the sense of some highly charismatic display of emotion. The following verses speak instead of sharing psalms, singing, being thankful, and submitting to one another. Being controlled by the Spirit is living in a manner worthy of God’s calling.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
ACTS 2:4
Immediately before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His followers to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4–5). That time has come, and the Holy Spirit has entered the house where they’re waiting and touched each one with what appears to be a tongue of fire (Acts 2:1–3).
Until this very moment, the Holy Spirit did not indwell God-followers. He filled them as needed to complete unique missions as prepared for them by God. Some were inspired by the Spirit to accomplish great feats of art (Exodus 31:3; 35:31), some to prophesy (Micah 3:8). John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament-era prophets, was filled with the Spirit from before his birth (Luke 1:15), which was how he recognized Jesus when both were still in the womb (Luke 1:41–44). The filling of the Holy Spirit was temporary and didn’t necessarily happen only to perfectly-clean, committed believers: for example, King Saul was filled for a short time and even prophesied (1 Samuel 10:10–11).
After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to permanently indwell each believer. He seals us, identifying us as belonging to God (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13–14). And Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will never leave us (John 14:16). Those of us who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit can also experience the filling of the Holy Spirit, as people did in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit filled Stephen so he could face his death (Acts 7:55–60). Paul was filled on occasion (Acts 9:17; 13:9) and told us that we should seek to be, as well (Ephesians 5:18). But whether we are filled with the Holy Spirit or not, Jesus-followers can rest in the fact that He does live in us.