Final Greetings 21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. Paul wraps up his letter as he does with many of his letters with a personal touch. Since he's away for long periods of time or even in prison as he probably was when he wrote this epistle, he relies on the churches to get personal messages those in his ministry who are helping him with evangelism, discipleship and pastoring the churches, and sometimes even to make requests for people to come and visit him, to bring him clothes, or to bring him books and other study materials.
In this case, Paul is telling them that he's sending a coworker Tychicus to them (maybe the one carrying this letter) to tell them everything that's going on with him that Paul couldn't write in the letter. I'm sure Tychicus was also sent to find out how everything was going with the church and come back to Paul and tell him. While we don't know much of anything about Tychicus other than this short passage here, Paul describes him as a "faithful minister in the Lord." That's some pretty high praise, and I can think of nothing better that I would like written on my tombstone some day (hopefully it will be a true summation of my life at that point). Paul knew how important it was that the church in Ephesus be kept in the lop and that they be encouraged. I think Paul meant to tell them how even though he was in prison, the gospel was still going forth and had not bee thwarted and Paul was excited about the prospect of going to Rome and sharing the gospel with Caesar himself--even though the Holy Spirit had told him that if he went to Rome, that his life would come to an end. We'll see more and more as we go on through the epistles that Paul is sure that he's "about to be poured out like a drink offering" (his blood being spilled when they execute him), but this makes him rejoice all the more--we'll see this specifically in the book of Philippians that we'll study next. Paul wraps up with a benediction that we have loved to use in our churches I've attended, "23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible." What a great reminder that no matter how bad the circumstances look that our identity in Christ (the theme of this book) can give us the peace that surpasses all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). We can have this peace because we are sure of the love that we have from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as we are children of God and coheirs with Jesus by adoption--an incorruptible love that only God can love us with. Finally Paul wishes for them to fully experience the grace and love of God. We'll see the ideas of "grace" and "peace" closely connected in many of Paul's letters and they'll make their way into many of his salutations and benedictions. Is this what you are experiencing today? If not, is it perhaps because you have forgotten your identity in Christ that supersedes whatever circumstances you may find yourself in or under? I'm not saying that we never mourn or grieve--even Jesus wept in the face of tragedy and rejection. He felt such stress knowing what was coming during his prayer in the Garden that He sweat great drops of blood, and He prayed for God to make another way if possible, but still submitted to the will of the Father. There is much pain and suffering in this life, but none of it can change our identity or destiny, and none of it can steal our joy unless we let it (the theme of the next epistle that we're about to study).
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The Whole Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. This is probably one of the more familiar passages to Christians, but we usually preach it and teach it as a stand-alone passage without any context of the entire letter to the Church in Ephesus or its immediate context in that book. So, let's refresh ourselves again since we're almost done with the letter to the Ephesians what Paul has been saying to the Ephesians and what the Holy Spirit has to say to us today through this epistle. We started by talking about our identity in Christ as adopted sons and daughters of God who are coheirs with Christ and how we have received every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. This is the same for all Christians no matter where they came from in life whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, rich or poor--we all share in one true faith and one inheritance and we are all equal in the sight of God. Therefore, we can say that Christ has come to to break down the walls and barriers that sin has put up, and the gospel is to go forth to all people so that many may come to salvation and be sons and daughters of God.
Chapter 3 was a turning point in the letter where Paul stops to ask for prayer for himself as a minister of this one true gospel and to pray for the church in Ephesus that the gospel might do its work in and through them. This sets the tone for chapters 4-6 where Paul tells them what the gospel at work in them would look like. It brings unity and new life, it changes our behavior so that we produce the fruit of the Spirit instead of walking in darkness and producing the works of the flesh, and it changes every relationship that we have--wives and husbands, children and parents, and slaves and masters, just to name a few. There is now a greater purpose in all these relationships--to use them to point people to Christ and to use them to live out the gospel in front of others. Since we are the bride of Christ who lives in submission to his good will, brides should submit to the good will of their husbands, and husbands should love their wives as Christ loved and still loves His Church. Since we are now adopted children of God and we call him "Daddy," we should all be as obedient children who show honor to our heavenly Father, and we should do the same as children here honoring and obeying our earthly father and mother. Earthly parents should also be good stewards of the authority that God has given them to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and fathers are explicitly told not to provoke their children to wrath, as this is not the goal of Father God for His children. Last, but not least so far, we are all bought with a price and are slaves of Christ, so even those of us who are slaves of earthly masters in this world can use that opportunity to serve their master as if they are serving Christ and to work as unto the Lord, knowing that He is their Good and Faithful Master, and that one day we will all be free in Christ yet will choose to serve Him willingly and do whatever task He asks of us--even if it is the "dirty job" assigned to the dulos that we talked about in that section. We now seem to transition again to Paul's final thoughts for the church in Ephesus. He knows that the letter he's writing is coming to a close and he has one more major thought on his mind that he's going to cover in today's passage--spiritual warfare and making sure we are ready for the battle that we are going to face every day. We can't preach the gospel and make it sound like everything is going to sweet and easy. We are engaged in battle with an enemy that seeks to steal, kill and destroy, so although we are sons of the King, members of one Body, the Bride of Christ, children of God, and slaves of Christ, the last thing that Paul wants to tell the church about their identity in Christ (the big theme of this book) is that they are soldiers in the Lord's army, and we need to be dressed for battle each and every day, because, ready or not, it's coming. Paul tells the Ephesians to put on the full (or whole or entire) armor of God, so that they might be able to resist the schemes of the devil, and reminds them that our enemies now are not the other people in these relationships that we've just talked about (unsaved spouses, unsaved parents or children, or unsaved masters or slaves), but that our battle is against the rebellious forces of evil and sin that work among us and within us. Our orders from our commanding officer are this "Suit up!" and "Stand fast!." Paul is likely chained to two Roman soldiers at this time as he was under house arrest here and is looking at their armor as he writes this (Remember that in chapter 3 he identified himself as a prisoner for the gospel? This would be what he's referring to). Paul has probably even watched them put their armor on and knows the order in which they would put on each and every piece and what purpose each piece serves--maybe he even talked to his guards about this as is seems from the book of Acts that he took the opportunity to share the gospel with the guards that watched him so that the whole Praetorian guard knew the gospel and in Philippians 4:22 (one of Paul's prison epistles that we'll study next), he greets the Church in Philippi from the saved members of the household of Caesar. Paul is not wasting any opportunity to use every relationship--even the relationship of being the captive of the Roman army for the sake of the gospel to help spread the gospel, and he's willing to use whatever is there in front of him, like the armor of his Roman soldier guards to do so. The first piece of armor that Paul talks about is the belt. we may not find this to be so important, but ask any police officer today what the most important part of their uniform is, and you'll probably have them say it is their utility belt. While it's not the first thing you put on, you must put it on before all the stuff that hangs on it--which is all the important stuff: Your pepper spray, nightstick, flashlight, gun, ammo clips, taser, handcuffs, and radio, just to name a few things. If Paul was imprisoned today by police or soldiers in modern-day uniforms, the belt would probably still be the first item he would focus on as it holds everything else up that has been put on before that and everything that goes on after that attaches to this belt. You can't fight a battle very well if your pants are falling down or if you're juggling all of your weapons. Paul says that it is the truth of who we are in Christ and the truth of who God that performs this role. It keeps everything in its proper place and everything else hangs on those foundational, fundamental truths. Next the soldier would put on his breastplate to protect his vital organs, but this specifically protects the heart. Paul says that this is the righteousness that comes from Christ--not our own righteousness as we've talked about already in the book of Galatians and again in the book of Ephesians, as we cannot add anything to the infinite righteousness that has been granted to us by grace through faith. :Knowing this truth, we are sure of our eternal security in Christ because we did nothing to put ourselves in right standing with God and we can do nothing to lose our standing with God. This is one of the primary lies of the devil--that God wouldn't want someone like you, that He doesn't really love you, that you have to do something to earn, deserve, or keep His love, and that God would choose to not love you if He knew what you were really like. I've known people who have been Christians for longer than I've been alive that struggle with this, some of them on an almost daily basis. It is for this reason, I think, that Paul spent so much time writing to the Ephesians about their true identity in Christ. Next come the shoes/sandals that the soldier would wear to protect his feet. I don't know much about what they were like in Roman times, but I know our soldiers today probably wear steel-toed boots that are waterproof. I've heard soldiers say that one of the most important things to them is to have clean socks as it's important to keep your feet dry and prevent a situation where bacteria or fungus could grow and make your feet unhealthy (nor do you want your feet/socks to stink). Taking care of your feet is important because they need to be ready to move at a moment's notice to anywhere and everywhere that the commanding officer orders you to go. In this case, Christ may send us anywhere in the world to spread the gospel to anyone and we must always be ready to be about the work of the Great Commission. We must always be ready to give an answer for the reason for the hope that we have, we must always have the gospel on our mind and be thinking about how we can share it with those around us, and we must never get so anchored in our circumstances that we cannot quickly be uprooted and transplanted somewhere else when God tells us that we need to quickly move and go somewhere else to meet with a divine appointment that he's arranged for us. We never know when we could have a situation like Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Next the soldier would take up his shield and put on his helmet. The shields of the Roman soldiers were probably the most notable feature and were much like what we see with "riot shields" for police today. They could be linked together and the army could advance together in unison while behind the safety of their shields and push the enemy back. They could also be raised over the heads of the troop s as they advanced towards a walled city to keep them safe from projectiles that were coming from those on top of the city wall or from the falling debris as their catapults and other artillery took down the walls. Paul said that this shield that puts out the fiery darts of the evil one (the design of the Roman shield was that the fiery arrows would stick in the shield, but the shield would not catch fire). In other words, Satan's lies will not penetrate and will be extinguished by our sure hope that God is who He said He is, has done what He said He's done and will do what He says he'll do. We need no other evidence to be sure of it because we are certain it will happen because He said it, and God is not a liar and everything He sets His mind to do, He will accomplish. Since God sees all things in all places at all times, if God says it's going to happen, then that means that for Him, it is as if it has already happened, and we can be sure and certain that He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Oh how our lives would change if we would simply believe this and put that faith into action! Now for the helmet of salvation. It seems so strange to talk about salvation so late in the armor of God, as it is nearly the last piece of armor that we're going to talk about and is actually the last piece of defensive armor that we're going to talk about, but what is more important to protect than your head and your brain? You can take quite a bit of damage to the rest of your body and still survive and have surgery to repair it, but it's nearly impossible to fix issues with the brain--we still don't really understand how it works. Our salvation is supposed to protect our mind from the deceptions and lies of the devil as well as the temptations that come from our own flesh because we know that is no longer our identity and we don't need to desire those things any longer. Most of our battles start in our heart and then move to our mind, and we must fill our minds with Scripture and whatever is true, pure, and lovely (see Philippians 4:8) so as to not give room or a foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). We must take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and put it in submissions to Christ. So much of the spiritual warfare we face happens in our minds and we are not ready to fight these battles. Be careful about what you let into your mind even through idle words and thoughts, and what you dream about and meditate on, and fanaticize about. Also be careful about what you let into your mind through your eyes and ears. Images and music are especially powerful. Paul has now talked about all the defensive armor, but we know soldiers don't just suit up and stand there and take everything thrown at them without fighting back. There are armed with offensive weapons as well--in this case the Roman soldier was equipped with a short sword (dagger) that was extremely effective for hand-to-hand combat and was just right for finding any weak points in the enemy's armor and getting through it to deliver a fatal blow. Our offensive weapons we are to rely on are the Word of God (the Scriptures) and prayer. In both cases we are really relying on God to fight our battles for us. We are to by faith believe what the Word says that God will do and that it is true no matter what we feel or what lies come our way, "Let God be true though every one were a liar. " (Romans 3:4). Prayer has to be like our heavy artillery and calling in for "fire support." The resources of heaven and the legions of angels that are also under the command of the Lord of Hosts are not necessarily "at our command," but are available to us only through our lines of communication (think of it like our radio--one of the most important pieces of equipment for any soldier or police officer). The radio is no only our way for calling for help, but it's also our way for hearing instructions and orders, being notified of the location of enemy forces that we need to be on the lookout for, and hearing about other friendly unity (other Christians) who are under attack and are in need of assistance and reinforcements. We must be in prayer for each other and remember that Christ has prayed for us and is praying for us, making intercession before the Father, and that the Spirit is also praying for us, even when we can't form the words to utter and pray for ourselves. Prayer brings us into the very presence of God to ask the one who is in control of everything for the good and perfect things (according to His will) that He already desires to give us, and it is through prayer that we draw attention to who is really in control and who really deserves the glory and honor and praise for each and every victory. Paul spends the last few words of this passage instructing us how to pray for ourselves and each other. "...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." So, even in this Paul is asking for prayer to keep us and him (and the other ministers and missionaries) focused on the gospel and aware of all the opportunities that are before us. Just because someone may seem to be a "super-Christian" like Paul doesn't mean that they get everything right all the time, and Paul is under heavy assault from the enemy forces and needs the prayers of the saints to encourage him and keep his mind and eyes fixed on Christ when he could easily be distracted by the circumstances going on arround him. Ephesians 6:5-9 New American Standard Bible 5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. Another note about translations today. You'll notice that I'm intentionally using the NASB today instead of the ESV. There's a word in the text today that is translated as "servant" or "bondservant" in many English translations due to cultural sensitivity, but there is no more correct translation for this word than "slave." The translators of the NASB intentionally translated this word as "slave" whenever it appeared to give an accurate word-for-word translation.
Try not to read into the passage what you think the word slave means--this is exactly the same word used by Jesus at the Lord's Supper when He washed the disciples' feet and told them whoever wanted to be the greatest among them must be a slave to all. (See Mark 10:44). For those that would like to look the word up themselves it's Strong's number is G1401 (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G1401&t=NASB). There is much confusion over this word because the translators of the KJV didn't like the word "slave" because of the connotation of the African slave trade and used the word "servant" or "bondservant" except in the cases where the person was a slave to something that was not a person or that was the only word that would fit the scenario at hand ("a slave to sin" or the demon-processed slave girl that told fortunes in Acts 16). However, the word doulos in Greek means the lowest slave in the household--the one with no status or privilege and who gets the worst jobs assigned to them (like washing the feet of the guests as they come into the house). The Christians Paul is talking to are probably in this position of slavery as a result of their sinful lives before Christ--most likely because they are indebted to the men who are their masters and they were unable to pay their debt to them. In such a case, the master would be allowed to take possession of the man and his family and force them to work to pay off the debt or to sell them to another to pay off the debt and the man and his family would be indebted to the new master. The big difference in Roman culture and what we see described in Exodus 21 is that God made a provision in Exodus for the debt to be forgiven after 7 years, but no such provision is made in Roman society, so there may be debts that were so large that people were born into slavery that they could never get out of through no fault of their own. There was no system in the courts for the slave to say that his debt had been paid and that he should be set free, and it often became a caste system where if you were born to a slave, you were were a slave--once you lost your freedom (or one of your ancestors lost their freedom) it was nearly impossible to get it back, especially for someone in this category of the lowest of slaves. Whatever the circumstances surrounding their slavery, Paul tells them to obey their earthly masters. in the same way they would obey Christ--their Lord and Master. The phrase "with fear and trembling" can mean fear of being punished, but it can also mean a holy awe and reverence. The slaves were not simply to obey when their master's eye was on them, but they were to be good stewards of what had been entrusted to them and do their work as if it was unto the Lord--whose eyes were always on them, and they were to do so willingly from their heart. They were to work as if they were working for the Lord and not for men, knowing that God would see everything and they would receive their reward in heaven for their obedience even if they never received a reward here on earth. Paul then addresses those who have become Christians and are masters of slaves. The masters are to remember that the slave and the free man are both slaves of Christ and they should treat their slaves well and stop abusing and mistreating them because they will answer to God for this. We'll see later in the book of Philemon exactly how Paul deals with a situation where a slave ran away from his Christian master and became a Christian in the process, and Paul pleads for the slave, Onesimus, in his letter to the master, Philemon. I know this passage doesn't sit right with many Christians today and they want to try to make it into something else like a relationship between employee and employer (and there is much that could be learned from these verses about such a relationship), but the meaning of the verses is much different for someone who is not in a voluntary relationship and can't get out of it. Even in such a relationship, they were told to submit to the earthly authority they were under because all authority flows from God and it is Him you are serving. Of course, Paul wouldn't instruct the Christians to do something immoral because their master told them to do it, but he would tell that if they were going to refuse a command like that to be willing to pay the consequences. We see examples of Hebrew slaves that did this in the book of Daniel, chapter 3. 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18). Now would also probably be a good time to point you to Romans 13 to see that Paul also extended this teaching to "every governing authority," including the civil (pagan) governors and kings. We may think we have it bad, but at the time Paul wrote those words to the church in Rome, Nero was the emperor of Rome and was burning Christians alive as torches for his parties, forcing them to engage in gladiatorial combat for the amusement of the people, and lining the streets with crosses with Christians on them to discourage anyone from converting to Christianity, and yet Paul tells the Roman and everyone else reading the letter to submit to such authorities because it is for God to establish and depose kings, and government was established by God and we honor God by honoring those He has put over us as long as their commands do not come in conflict with the higher law of God. Acts 5:27-32 New American Standard Bible27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Children and Parents 6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Quite a short passage today, but an important one. Remember that we just talked about how wives should love their husbands and how husbands should love their wives. Naturally, the next topic that Paul is going to address in our Christian relationship is between children and parents. We are once again going to see the phrase "in the Lord" used. You may also want your Bible open to Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 as Paul is going to cite these passages and through the Holy Spirit extend a promise that looked like it was only to the Jews to the Gentiles as well.
One of the first things we see here is that it is the duty of the child to obey and honor their parents in the Lord. This is going to be an overarching theme of Paul's in many of his epistles--whatever earthly authority God has put you under, it is your responsibility to obey and honor that authority and to do so is to understand that the authority you are under has been placed their by God and that person's authority flows from God. They would have no authority if it was not for God giving them the authority that they have. This is no small thing to God as it was the first of the commandments in the Ten Commandments on how we are supposed to interact with each other. There are four commandments telling us how we are to treat God and love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) and then there are six commandments that tell us how to "lover your neighbor as you love yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). (See Mark 12:30-31). It is also the first commandment given with a promise attached to it--that those who obey would go well for them (prosperity) and they would live long in the land of the Promise (not necessarily long life). In the Old Testament, when the children of Israel were disobedient to the laws given to them by their Father in heaven, they were separated from the land of the Promise and put under the authority of wicked, pagan kings (like the kings of Babylon and the Medo-Persian empire). We also do see indications though in the book of Job that Old Testament saints believed there was some connection between obedience and longevity, and that this was possibly a sign to the younger generation that those who lived long had wisdom from the Lord to share which they should learn. We'll see in some other epistles later that we are to honor not just our parents, but all of our elders and learn wisdom from them, but we are only given the commandment to obey our own parents and the other authorities put directly over us. There is nowhere in Scripture that I know of where a child is commanded to obey the voice of every adult simply because they are older. It is the responsibility of the parents to raise their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to train them up in the way they should go. For this reason, they are to listen to the voice of their parents as a sheep would listen to the voice of its own shepherd, because the shepherd is there to lead the sheep and to protect it, but as the sheep will not listen to the voice of a stranger, so we should not expect children to heed the voice of anyone other than the voice of their parents (at least, not until they are old enough to understand that all authority comes from God and that they are put under the authority of others when they are outside the care of their parents--such as grandparents, babysitters, Sunday School teachers, kindergarten and preschool teachers, and so on). My personal opinion here is that the more that the parents can be involved in the raising of their own children, the better. This duty should not be delegated to anyone else if possible and it is an important part of deciding to have children. The world would love to get ahold of your children and fill their minds with its philosophies and worldview from a young age when their minds are very malleable and can be formed into whatever image they want. It is incumbent on us to make sure that if nothing else, we are filling their minds with Scripture, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs at home (things they likely won't be learning at school--even at a Christian school, and maybe not even at church) so that they know the truth about who they are, who God is, and what God requires of them. Eventually they will understand the concepts of sin and rebellion and it will also be incumbent upon parents to make sure their children know and understand the gospel. God ordained discipleship to start in the home between parents and their children, but you can't teach what you don't already first know. If you are afraid of not having answers for some of the tough questions that your kids will ask (and they will ask a lot of questions), there are some great resources for you that I'd be happy to point you to, but I already have some of them posted on our Discipleship Discord--namely The Gospel Project for Kids videos and The New City Catechism (there are songs for kids that go along with most of the questions to help them remember the questions and answers). These might be great opportunities for both parents and children to learn good theology and good doctrine together. Some of my earliest memories as a child are of watching my father have his daily devotions in the morning and eventually having him invite me to join him. It definitely took him longer to have me read the passage and for him to explain it to me, but it was worth the extra time for him to teach me the importance of meeting with God first thing in the morning--something that I've only recently gotten into the habit of doing myself. Let's return to today's text now as Paul wraps up with a short but important instruction to parents--specifically to fathers. Fathers are to be careful to not abuse the authority that they have been given by God and provoke their children to anger. Many times this comes from children seeing hypocrisy in the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy of parenting that fails to see parenting as a form of discipleship. Your children will follow in your footsteps wherever those footsteps lead. Just like how when walking through snow they may try to step in the footprints that you have left and it might be necessary for you to change your gait to match their stride. They're also not going to be perfect in everything that they do. Children require a lot of patience, grace and forgiveness, but there is also some discipline required and it's important to make sure that this correction is given in the right attitude. Most importantly though, it is imperative that your children know that you love them, and the way that they know this is that you show and tell them. Telling them is the easy part. Saying, "I love you" and having them say it back to you is "cheap," but spending time with them--both planned and unplanned time is extremely important for a child to know and understand the love of their Heavenly Father. If a child has a strong relationship with his or her father, they will grow and mature to a point where they don't want to do anything that would damage that relationship. In the same way, we will grow and mature spiritually to a point where we obey not out of fear of correction, but out of a desire to preserve to good relationship we have with Father God. Children are very emotional and can be tossed to and fro and have their emotions easily manipulated, but they should not be manipulated nor should they be used as pawns in the parents disagreements with each other or any other "politics" that involve the parents. Jesus tells us that we much all come to God like innocent little children and that anyone who misleads a child and makes the child sin would be better off having a millstone hung around his neck and thrown into the sea because things will not go well for that person on the day of judgment. We are all to be careful to protect our children and lead them in the way they should go and to teach them early on to obey and honor the authority that they have been put under at that time (their parents) as this is their model for how they will treat all authority moving forward--including how they will treat God. Wives and Husbands 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Let me start by saying that this passage is for everyone no matter your marital status. Remember that it was written to the Church (specifically to the congregation or congregations the worshipped in Ephesus, but we know that the Holy Spirit meant it for all Christians in all places and all times). The reason its so important that Christians get marriage right, including what they teach about marriage, even if they are not married themselves, is that it was instituted by God to teach us something about Himself and to give us a picture of our identity in Christ, both individually and as the Church universal, as the Bride of Christ.
For that reason, that we are considered the Bride of Christ and He is the Bridegroom, Paul starts with instructions to the wives. He tells wives to be submissive to their husbands as to the Lord because their role in the marriage should show people how our position and posture should be as the Church before Christ. Out of love, we give up our personal identity before to take on the new identity given to us by Christ. We choose, since love requires a choice, to put to death our personal ambitions to follow the leadership of Christ. However, Christ does not make us mindless automatons in the process and loves to communicate with us and hear what is going on with us, how we feel and what we desire--especially as we desire more and more to please Him and our desires become His desires. Our desire should always be to assist Him in His mission (to be His "helpmate" in the way that Eve was to Adam), to have an intimate (though not sexual) relationship with Him, and for everything that we do to be about exalting Him and making Him look good. Men need much the same thing from their wives in a marriage. They feel loved when their wife trusts them with the leadership role that God has given to them, works alongside them to help them with the things that are most important but maybe they are not best at (complementarianism), and when their wife honors them by speaking in a positive way about their character and their work to others. It is usually obvious to others when two people are married because of how they respond to each other when they are close to each other and how they long for each other when they are apart from each other, and it should be the same way with us and Christ--though the marriage has not happened yet, so we are more like the couple that longs to be married and can't get enough of each other. I'm sure you know the type. That's really all that Paul has to say to the wives, and we make much--probably way too much--out of these few verses. Like in the Garden of Eden, the responsibility falls on the man (in this case Christ) for the marriage and health of the relationship. We make a commitment to each other before God and men in a marriage covenant "for better or worse"--for so many people today that is simply a lie, and it ruins the way that people think about the covenant that God makes with us because we then start to believe that God is just as faithless in keeping His covenant as we are in keeping our covenants. Part of our problem here is that we, at least in the Western world, think that the decision to get married is a decision we needs to be driven by our emotions and because we feel romantically drawn and attached to someone. While it's true that this intimacy that is the closest intimacy in human relationships that we can have to model the intimacy that God has for us and within the Trinity and is an extremely important part of marriage, the act of intercourse should not be the primary reason to get married, because what happens when the person no longer "turns you on" or you are no longer able to perform as the man? If that is the foundation that your marriage is built off of, then it is not built to last. Paul tells us that the foundations for our marriages needs to be the kind of sacrificial love for each other that Christ had for the Church and that the intimacy is something that comes as a result of us both loving each other completely and fully in this way. (see verses 25-27). It is the responsibility of the husband to care for his wife in the same way that Christ loves and cares for the Church. While not directly voiced by Paul here, I have to imagine that there are a few things Paul is trying to say here. First would be the idea of women being treated as second-class citizens at the time, and that's not something that we saw in the life and ministry of Jesus. While there are some roles and responsibilities that God has given specifically to men (apostles and elders for example), God did not make Eve inferior to Adam--in fact it is clear in Genesis that a different word is used for how God made both Adam and Eve and he "fashioned" both of them as he made Adam out of the earth and made Eve out of a rib from Adam's side (a part of Adam's side to show they would be separate yet equal, and that she was made from the part of him closest to his heart). There should not be any spousal abuse either Personally, I think the time to see that and deal with it is before the marriage and that the proper remedy for such violence against others is something much different than divorce and belongs in the hands of law enforcement, the courts, and the other authorizes that God has given to us as ministers of His justice here on earth. Typically, I like the ESV, but I'm going back to the NASB as a more word-for-word translation of an Old Testament passage on marriage and divorce because an important phrase seems to have been eliminated by the translators for the ESV--this is not to say that I think the Word of God is fallible, just that the people responsible for translation sometimes have their own agendas, in this case softening what the Word of God said about divorce. In the book of Malachi, specifically chapter 2, we see that the nation of Israel is going to be judged for becoming like the pagan peoples around them and one of the things we see God upset about is their corruption of marriage and their system of easy divorce and the mistreatment of wives by their husbands. Malachi 2:13-16 New American Standard Bible13 “This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” So, spousal abuse should never happen, but divorce is not the answer. The answer here is for Christian men to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and then they will be willing to have much pain and suffering inflicted on them for the good of their wives and will want only good things for their wives. But what about the relationships where the man is not a Christian? How can the wife expect to submit to a husband who does not submit to the authority of Christ and can't possibly love her in the same way that Christ loved us because he is not filled with the Holy Spirit? For that question we need to turn to a different epistle what we'll cover at a later time, but I'll point to it now (I'm going to say with the NASB for the time being). I will not post all of I Corinthians 7 here, but encourage you to read it at this time. I will however point out a couple of things. First is that God forbids the Christian to marry an unsaved person and to be "unequally yoked." Courtship and marriage are not meant to be tools for evangelism. Second is that there is a real possibility that one person in the marriage gets saved before the other, and in the days of Paul there were a lot of women that were getting saved before their husbands. Paul told the person that was saved in the marriage to not divorce their spouse if they were already marriage but also to not prevent the unmarried spouse from filing for divorce if they no longer wanted to be married to the saved spouse after they had been saved and their identity and nature had changed. This is one of the only permissions given in the Bible for divorce and it is not permissible between Christians nor should it be initiated by the Christian. Never do we see in the Bible the reasons of "I just don't love him or her any more" or even "He or she is not the person I married" or "I think I would be happier with someone else." Jesus took on this idea of no-fault divorce head-on in The Sermon On the Mount. It's right there at the beginning of His ministry, but we just like to skip over that part of the Bible because it might "offend" people and we might lose church members. What good is it to have church members who won't read and come into conformity with the entire council of the Word of God? If someone gets huffy and leaves a congregation because the pastor faithfully preaches the Word of God, that person's problem is with God and the authority of His Word and not with the pastor. Matthew 5:31-32 English Standard Version Divorce 31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. I could go to many other places where Jesus taught about this topic and said the same thing and the people and his disciples said that this was a hard teaching and that it was better to just not get married. Jesus agreed that for some people, it is better to not get married, especially as the end of the ages comes, but that marriage is also a good and beautiful thing that should be encouraged, but it's not easy. I spent so much time focusing on divorce for because it's such a problem in today's congregations. I even took some time to point out that it's creeped into some of our more recent Bible translations and it was even an issue that caused divisions in the church such as the creation of the Anglican church when King Henry VIII wanted to marry and divorce as he please and the Church (what we would now call the Roman Catholic Church) would not permit to annul his marriage to his first wife. So, this is no trivial issue for Christians, especially since marriage is meant to reflect the eternal covenant relationship between Christ and His Church that we find in the Covenant of Redemption. In fact, that's where we left off in the text in verse 27. Let's jump back into today's text at verse 28. In marriage the two become one (the citation from Genesis 2 that says this will come up shortly in verse 31), so for this reason a man should love his wife's body as if it was his own body. Again, I think this is a prohibition on any kind of abuse--specifically physical and sexual abuse. We also have seen what I would believe to be a prohibition on what we might call emotional, psychological, or mental abuse in the admonition for husbands to love as Christ loves the Church, but I also think we find it here. If we are looking to the Greatest Commandments and we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbors (including wives) as we love ourselves, then all of the Law and the Prophets are wrapped up in these two commandments. These commandments tell us how to love perfectly and are there to keep us from sin and help us better display God's glory and holiness as we are made more and more into the image of God as we are sanctified and made in the image of Christ. The mystery of the two becoming one flesh is profound according to Paul, and it is something we probably won't fully understand or comprehend until we get to heaven, but somehow we will be one with Christ and since Christ is one with the Father and the Spirit, I think that we too will have perfect communion with all the persons of the Trinity. We will no longer be married or given in marriage in heaven because we will be married to Christ and will want no other spouse. While our human relationships pale in comparison to this, marriage is the closes thing that we can point to for both the eternal covenant, the unconditional, eternal, sacrificial love of God, and the intimacy and union that we have to look forward to that somehow God will take all that was divided (men/women, Jew/Gentile, and even God and men) and somehow make us one through Christ. This is something glorious to look forward to no matter what your marital status now, and it is something to be careful to portray correctly as marriage and family has been given to us by God as a way to show and tell the gospel to the world. Marriage was always meant to be an eternal union between a man and woman and for God to be in the center of the relationship. It existed before the Fall as we see in Genesis 2 and it is one of the things that is constantly under the attack of the devil as he seeks to redefine love, sex (both male/female and the purpose of the act we call sex), marriage and family. Divorce is now just about as prevalent in the Church as in the world, which should not be. If we love Him, we are to keep His commandments, even the ones that tell us to love our spouses unconditionally and eternally because that's the way that God has loved us. If you aren't willing to commit to this, then don't get married--Jesus says that and Paul says that too. We'll talk much more about this topic of marriage and family when we get to I Corinthians, especially chapter 7. However, we're not done talking about family here in the book of Ephesians and next Paul is going to address other important relationship that we have. First the relationships between parents and children and then between slaves and masters (probably best to think of this as the modern-day relationship between employees and employers). We'll tackle those two topics over the next couple of days as we make our way towards the end of the epistle to the Ephesians. Walk in Love 5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. So, now that we know that Christ has made us one and that we have been made new, receiving a new identity and should no longer look like the "old man," what now? Paul next tells believers that they are to "walk in love" by being imitators of God--remember we were made in His image to reflect His character, nature, and authority to creation. We are not just to walk in any kind of love, but the agape love that is a sacrificial love--the love that motivated Jesus to go to the cross to die in our place. Now we too should live our lives as living sacrifices until the Lord (see Romans 12) and should flee sexual immorality and all impurity and covetousness and the like (see I Corinthians 6).
There should be no hint of these things which are trademarks of the world within the Church and its members--not even filthy or foolish talk or crude jokes. We should be above reproach as we are called to be holy (set apart and different) because God is holy (see 1 Peter 1:13-16 and Ephesians 1:4). Instead we should be full of thanksgiving and praise for our God and Savior. In case we missed it earlier or in any of the other epistles where Paul addresses this issue or in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus teaches this, you cannot have the identity of the world and have the destiny of a saint. Those who are sexually immoral, impure, covetous and idolaters (those who worship a false god, even a false version of God that is pleasing and acceptable to their sensibilities) will have no part in eternal life or heaven because this is reserved only for the sons of God as their inheritance and the inheritance does not belong to anyone outside of the family. The inheritance for these children of the devil is the wrath of God because they have chosen to be "sons of disobedience." Because of this we should not partner with these kind of men in our ministry. They do not have the same mission or vision and they do not have the same end and we may get caught up in the wrath that will be poured out on them. This is not to say that you lock yourself in an ivory tower and have no contact with the world or that you find a way to only work with believers, but do not bind or "yoke" yourself to a relationship with an unbeliever where the two of you are pulling in different directions--things like marriages, business partnerships and the like. The world will always force you to compromise to move away from Jesus and the Word of God; they will never compromise to move closer to the gospel for you. That is not in their nature because they hate God and the things of God and the Word of God (whether or not they realize it). Paul uses the analogy of light and darkness (one used a lot in Scripture since the very beginning) because light and darkness can not comingle or coexist. Light always drives out the darkness. So it is that we are citizens of the "kingdom of light" and the world's citizens are citizens of the "kingdom of darkness." Since we have now received the Light of the World (that is Jesus) we should walk in the Light so that we can see clearly--therefore we should walk in obedience to the Word and will of God. We should not bear the "fruit" of the flesh but the fruit of the Spirit (we studied this in the book of Galatians), which is everything that is good, and right, and true. We should try to discern what pleases the Lord (and what displeases Him) and as His children aim to do what pleases Him and not what displeases and hurts Him (while we can't injure God per se, God is grieved by our sin....we see this in Genesis 6 where God is so grieved by the sin of the world that He is sorry that He ever made man.). We are to be good image-bearers of God and take no part in the deeds of darkness, but instead we should let the Light that lives in and through us expose the darkness. John 3:19-21 English Standard Version19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” 1 John 1:5-10 English Standard Version Walking in the Light 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Therefore we are to cry out to the world “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” So that the light of Christ may reveal everything to them so that they might be called to repentance and be saved. For we should not be happy to allow people to continue to walk in darkness, but as ambassadors of the kingdom of Light, we should also reflect the light of the world into all corners of the earth which, might expose some pretty ugly stuff by the way, with the intent of calling people to be saved from judgment and to be called to let their old man be put to death with Christ on the cross so that they may receive the new life of Christ's glorious resurrection. Therefore we must be wise concerning the days and times that we live in for the days are evil and the time is near. There is much work for us to do as the Church and we cannot afford to be lazy, apathetic, or ignorant. Nor can we afford to adopt the "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" philosophy of the world. We must be sober-minded like a soldier that must always be ready for battle and to be vigilant that the enemy may attack at any time. In this case we need to be ready because the end is near. I do like how Paul tells us to not be drunk with spirits (wine) but to be filled with the Spirit of God (this was an intentional play on words on Paul's part). There is only one Spirit who should control us now and that is the Spirit of God. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, though we know that we do not want to be controlled by our self (our flesh)--we've just spent a lot of time talking about that. Instead we are to be Spirit-controlled so that our "self" is controlled. So instead of these actions which we are not to adopt, what should we be doing instead? Paul lays out things we should be filling our lives with instead. We are to be "...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." If you are filling yourself with the Word of God and with the hymns that are full of the Word of God then God's Word will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path, will show you the way in which you should go and will help keep you from error (see Psalm 119--I know it's long, but it's worth the read every once in a while to remind us to love the Word, especially God's commandments, precents and statutes). The New Life 17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!-- 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. We see Paul return to one of the reoccurring themes in his epistles. While he doesn't use the phrase "born again" like the apostle John does, it's very clear that regeneration and the new creation are on his mind and a central idea in Paul presenting the authentic gospel--the real gospel will change you from the inside out.
We will no longer walk (or talk) like we were when we were lost and in sin (like the pagan Gentiles, and remember that Paul is writing to a group of believers who had previously been Gentiles, but their identity had been changed. They were adopted into the family of God). The Gentiles and others in "the world" live in darkness and have their minds darkened by the power and presence of sin and their sin nature. They are alienated from God because He cannot draw near to them due to their unrepentant sin, for if God drew near to them, His holiness and justice would demand that the sinner who is in rebellion against Him be put to death so that the sin could be removed from His presence. This is the state of man because of their ignorance, but not just any ignorance, but a willful ignorance. Man doesn't know God because they don't want to know Him and choose not to seek after Him, and as a result God gives them over to strong delusions and hardens their hearts so that they don't "accidently" find Him even though the evidence of His existence is all around them (see Romans 1). The worldly person has different "fruits" than the person that has been transformed by the Spirit. They are sensual (giving into their lusts--not just sexual lusts, but other lusts as well), greedy and known by their impure thoughts and actions. As Genesis says of those before the Flood, "5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5). These are not to be the characteristics of those who are "in Christ"! Paul says that assuming that those that are reading this letter have heard the gospel and been taught Word of God, they should know that they are to put off their old self (put the flesh to death) and with it to put off their old way of life and the corruption that was part of it. They are instead to have their bodies, souls and minds renewed as God makes all things new in Christ. (See Romans 12 and 2 Corinthians 5). We are to be made in the likeness of God so that once again we are made "in the image of God" (just like we were meant to be from the beginning) and we will give glory to God by the change that the gospel of Christ has brought about in our lives as God fills us with both His righteousness and holiness. So then, what should someone who is "in Christ" look like? Paul answers that next. We are to put away all falsehood and deceit because God cannot lie and lies are the native language of the devil. We should only ever speak truth to one another because we are all one in Christ. We should not hold grudges against one another and should deal with offenses quickly, letting our love for each other cover a multitude of sins. We are to do this because we are to forgive others in the same way that we want God to forgive us--quickly, completely and unconditionally. Seek restoration because we are one body. We should be honest in our work ethic and should not steal from each other or from our employers. We should be charitable and generous to each other with that which the Lord gives us stewardship over through our wages from our work, and we must do "honest work" that is not opposed to the nature of God, His commandments or the identity that He has called us to have (for instance, I don't think Paul would be okay with Christian being someone who sold illegal drugs). If we are honest, it is usually our tongues that get us in trouble (though really the things that come out of our mouth are in our mind and our heart long before they are ever formed into words). James tells us that if any man can control his tongue, he is a perfect man, but that no spring of water can bring forth both "sweet" water and "bitter" water from the same source. Your heart should not bring forth both blessings and curses. Choose words that edify each other and glorify God. Paul says here to not let any "unwholesome" talk come out of your mouth. This makes me think of these verses: Philippians 4:8 English Standard Version8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. If these are the things in our hearts and minds, then our speech should also reflect these things and should be "wholesome" and above reproach. We are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit who is the one who seals us until the day of redemption. The meaning of this is not totally clear, but we must assume that it has to do with what Paul is saying here--don't cause God to grieve because you continue in sin and attack those He loves with your actions and words. God loves all of His children and He hates to see them fighting with and hurting one another, but He loves to see them working together in peaceful unity to accomplish the work which He has made them for and commissioned and equipped them to do. This is the dream of not just our Heavenly Father, but our earthly fathers as well, so it is not that hard to understand what it means for God the Holy Spirit to be grieved by a dysfunctional family. Last, but not least, Paul reminds the Ephesians to put away (put to death) all the things that are identified with their flesh--bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. Instead we are to be known for our kindness towards each other ("They'll Know We are Christians By Our Love"), forgiving each others they way we have been forgiven. Just to put a finer point on this, forgiveness is not optional for a Christian. Let's go back to the words of Jesus. Matthew 6:5-15 English Standard Version The Lord's Prayer 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 18:21-35 English Standard Version The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” These are heavy-hitting words. We must be people that seek to make peace with our brothers and with our enemies. As much as it is up to us, we should be at peace with all men (without compromising on the nature and character of God or His Word). A bad tree cannot produce good fruit nor can a good tree produce bad fruit. The root will determine the fruit. And by their fruits you will know them. Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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