Author: Nick Booth

Ephesians 5:21-6:9

DAY 1- Equality of submission under Christ – Ephesians 5:21

Possibly the most overlooked sentence in the above passage is the opening sentence. ‘Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.’ ^v5:21 The content of this section on close personal relationships was radical in the extreme at the time of writing and remains challenging today. It covers the intimate family relationships between married couples, parents and children as well as those at work. The cornerstone of all these relationships is the relationship between the Christian and Christ. Paul never intended his words to be removed from the context of Christian discipleship. What he instructs in this passage is only achievable in the context of one’s walk with Christ and the wider context of the passage it is all about the disciple’s walk and relationship with Jesus and should not be lifted out of that context. The notion of each submitting to one another was entirely new, utterly counter cultural and placed women into an entirely new equal and highly valued position. This passage has over generations been distorted and misapplied in the church, as well as being used in wider society, to justify one group not submitting itself to another. The underlying principle is that we are to love Jesus and each other as he loves us, with a sacrificial love. Our reverence for Christ can be measured by how much we love as he loves, seeking the very best for other person as he sought our salvation. Our relationships will increasingly prosper as we become more like Jesus in our hearts, minds and will.

Wake Up Sleeper

How wise are our choices? -Ephesians 5:15

Are our lives distinctively Christ like in what we value, say and do?

Do we recognise the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is the seal of our salvation?

Have we let the values of the wider world compromise the church’s values?

Is Christ’s forgiving love the motivation for the way we live our lives?

Have we risen from slumber determined to make Godly wise choices?

Are we rejoicing in our inheritance in Christ Jesus?

How Great Thou Art / Oh The Glory – Jesus Image Worship

Wake Up Sleeper

Living as children of the light – Ephesians 5:8

Living as children of the light is living as God has now made us in Christ and not as we were prior to faith in him. Jesus made this promise when he spoke to people, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ^{John 8:12} Isaiah called God’s people to walk in the light of the Lord. ‘Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.’ ^{Isaiah 2:5} We should expect Christ’s light to expose those aspects of our life that are the fruit of darkness and we need to accept the truth of what has been exposed. ^v11 Similarly Christ’s light will also show us what is good, righteous and true. ^v9 We should know that we cannot hide things from God, his Spirit within us will convict us of both goodness and sin. We then should set ourselves to shine in Christ’s light.

To do so we need to be wise in our choices. (Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.) ^v18 We should avoid those things that will lead to sin and live our life as worship to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ^vv19-20

Wake Up Sleeper #3

Living in the kingdom – Ephesians 5:5

Paul speaks of idolaters not having any, ‘inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.’ ^v5 Believers receive an inheritance as they receive the Holy Spirit that as previous idolaters they had not received. ‘And you also were included in Christ Jesus when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.’ ^{Ephesians 1:13-14} Living in the kingdom is a positive experience with our minds focused on Christ’s rule. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.’ ^{Colossians 3:1-3} The Holy Spirit, who is the seal of our inheritance is jealous for us and wants us to live in the victory over idolatry which has been granted to us.

Wake up sleeper! #2

Ephesians 5:1-18

What is idolatry in the church? – Ephesians 5:5

When we think of idolatry in the modern western church we can think it is an irrelevant or outdated thing referring to such things as Asherah poles (a tribute to the Caananite goddess) that were repeatedly condemned in the Old Testament or statues of Hindu gods in modern Hindu temples. Paul redefines idolatry in a way that reflects modern western culture. Idolatry is a matter of what we worship or place greater value on, above our love of Jesus. All those things Paul emphatically states we should put to death. ‘Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.’ ^{Colossians 3:5} In Ephesians Paul includes practicing obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking. ^v4 How often do we let such things slide, thinking it was not that bad? A casual attitude towards sin in the church was found in the early church and is still found today. We have a natural tendency to conform to the standards of the world and kingdom we left behind when we became Christians. But sin or idolatry in all its forms is not a small thing to be treated casually. It is because of such things that God’s wrath is coming. ^v6 Paul’s command is not, to not do it most of the time, but to put such things to death in our personal lives. Dead things do not carry on doing what they were doing before. If there are teachers who teach otherwise they are deceivers, ‘Do not partner with them.’ ^v7

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