Author: David McKay

Our new life in Christ is to be lived out in the everyday realities of a fallen world – it is not a passport to an easy and gentle passage through this world.  The Lord warned his people that there would come testing times, but promised grace for whatever his providence brings us.  Two important areas of life which are transformed by grace are family and work.  We consider now Ephesians 6:1-9 Honouring God in family and work.

1. Patterns for family life

            (a).  Children.  Paul gives a simple, direct command – ‘obey your parents’ (v1), and then adds a further explanation – ‘in the Lord’.  Obedience is to be shaped and governed by the will of God revealed in Scripture.  Our motivation flows first from our relationship with the Lord – our desire to serve him is expressed in obedience to parents.  Paul assumes that children will be present in the congregation.  Status as a ‘child’ is probably best taken as the time of dependency on parents.  The time for obeying passes, but the command to ‘honour’ continues.  Paul reinforces his call with reference to the 5^th Commandment (Exodus 20:12).  There is an extra incentive to obey – ‘with a promise’.  Long life is promised ‘as far as it shall serve for God’s glory and their own good’ (Shorter Catechism Q66).  There is one limit – ‘We must obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29), when we are sure that there is a conflict.

            (b).  Parents.  The command is addressed to ‘fathers’ (v4), as those primarily responsible, but mothers too are included.  The call is, ‘do not exasperate your children’ (see also Colossians 3:21).  This can be done in many ways, including undervaluing and belittling children.  Abuse of various kinds is possible even in Christian homes.  There must be a relationship of loving concern – ‘bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord’.  The truth is to be taught and also lived out, as an example to covenant children.

2. Patterns for working life

            (a).  Employees.  The command to ‘slaves’ (v5) can be applied to the modern working situation.  Note ‘obey your earthly masters’ – fulfilling our responsibilities as exemplary workers.  This is not to be done grudgingly – ‘with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart’.  There is godly motivation for Christians – ‘just as you would obey Christ’ (v7).  Work is service for the Lord.  The Lord accords dignity to work for his glory.  Such work is never wasted – ‘the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does’ (v8) – note also ‘not in vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:58).  He will reward in his way, not necessarily materially.

            (b).  Employers.  Responsibilities are again mutual.  ‘And masters, treat your slaves in the same way’ (v9).  Slaves were to be treated well – a radical concept in a world where slaves were property at the master’s disposal.  The Christian ethic is often at odds with the view of the world.  ‘Do not threaten them’ – industrial relations often become a contest of who can produce the most convincing threat.  Christian employers are to be willing to be different, but not easily manipulated.  If tempted to abuse his workers, a Christian employer must remember ‘that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven’.  He has a high motive for showing fairness.  Here are sound principles for healthy working relationships.

The institution of marriage, not for the first time, is under attack.  In the opinion of some it is outdated, irrelevant, even oppressive.  Whatever the Bible teaches, it is regarded as misguided or perhaps dangerous, legitimising domestic abuse.  Others react by asserting a pattern for marriage that appeals to the Bible yet introduces structures that owe more to culture than to the Word of God.  We consider now Ephesians 5:22-33 Reflecting Christ and the church.

1. God’s pattern for Christian wives

The command of v22 is one which gives some women great problems – ‘Wives, submit to your own husbands’.  Note that it is not a command that every woman should submit to every man.  Paul is accused of saying that women are inferior, reflecting the male-dominated culture of his day, an outlook we should have left behind.  However, we cannot take this path if we believe the Bible is ‘God-breathed’ (2 Timothy 3:16).  Note that Paul gives a theological foundation for his command.  Marriage is designed by God to reflect the relationship between Christ and his church (not the other way round).

The key issue is headship – ‘as Christ is head of the church’ (v23).  The term ‘head’ has clear implications of authority – ‘as the church is subject to Christ’ (v24).  There is something in the fallen human heart that resists submission, but in the case of marriage that is often because of a misunderstanding of the concept.  Note regarding Christ ‘he himself is the Saviour of the body’ – a context of love and self-sacrifice.  The church renders loving and willing obedience – preparing her as a bride, ‘holy and blameless’ (v27).  This does not imply inferiority – a wise husband will draw on her gifts and wisdom as much as possible.

2. God’s pattern for Christian husbands

Much more advice is given to husbands – marriage is not to be thought of solely in terms of the wife’s submission.  Paul commands, ‘Husbands, love your wives’ (v25), and gives an awesome explanation – ‘as Christ also loved the church’.  Immediately husbands should recognise their total dependence on grace – no man alone can match this standard.  Again we see the divine pattern, reflecting Christ and the church – ‘gave himself up for her’.  The whole process of salvation in Christ is traced in v26-27, leading to glorification.

Thus the kind of love the Lord requires is sacrificial love, that puts the wife and her welfare first.  Such love prevents headship becoming selfish or tyrannical.  It prevents the husband thinking of marriage primarily in terms of what he can get, rather than what he can give.  His aim will always be to establish a marriage that reflects Christ and the church.  It is indeed ‘a profound mystery’ (v32).  This is a love that is purposeful.  Christ had a definite goal in mind for the church, preparing her as a bride, ‘holy and blameless’ (v27).  A husband’s love is likewise to be purposeful, aiming to her gifts and to help her grow in the likeness of Christ.  The illustration in v28-30 is the husband’s care for his own body – ‘feeds and cares for it’.  Quoting Genesis 2:24 Paul shows the wife is part of the husband’s body, to be lovingly nurtured.  If marriage is in God’s plan, it is a great privilege and a great responsibility.  The fulfilling of one’s responsibilities does not depend on the other fulfilling theirs.

Christians are often confused about the work of the Holy Spirit.  Some think of him only as the giver of miraculous gifts or supernatural experiences.  Some react against this outlook and have little to say about the Spirit’s work.  Neither approach is consistent with the Bible’s teaching about the ongoing work of the Spirit in the lives of God’s people.  We consider now Ephesians 5:15-21 Filled with the Spirit.

1. The wisdom we should exercise

Paul issues a summons in v15 ‘Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise’.  We are not to drift with the world, imbibing the attitudes and values of non-Christians.  We are to live in a way that is ‘wise’.  In the Bible wisdom is not a matter of intellectual ability or education – it is always moral and spiritual in content.  Wisdom is bound up with a right relationship with God.  Note Psalm 14:1 ‘The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”.  We are wise when we ‘understand what the |Lord’s will is’ (v17).  We know the right way to live as a child of God in the world he has made.  If we want to have wisdom, we must ‘ask God’ (James 1:5).  We must cultivate a close relationship with him – ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Psalm 111:10).

2. The diligence we should apply

The Christian life is a serious matter – a race (Hebrews 12:1), a battle (Ephesians 6:10ff).  We have the urgent exhortation in v16 about ‘making the most of every opportunity’.  Time is always limited, and we must make the best use of it.  In context, this refers to occasions to let our light shine and expose the nature of sin.  There is good reason for diligence – ‘because the days are evil.  That is the character of the world into which we are sent ‘like sheep among wolves’ (Matthew 10:16).  That evil will become worse (2 Timothy 3:1ff).

3. The filling we should seek

We can never fulfil the Lord’s demands in our own strength, but he does not make any demands on us for which he does not supply all we need.  Crucial is v18 ‘be filled with the Spirit’.  He empowers us for service, makes us willing to obey the Lord, helps us to understand God’s will and gives us courage to act.  Nothing else is to control us: ‘Do not get drunk with wine’ – it is the way of folly, leading to ‘debauchery’ and all kinds of sins.  Only the Spirit of God should be in control, and we must ‘keep being filled’ – continuously.

4. The results we should expect

            (a).  We will use ‘psalms, hymns and songs’ (v19).  The adjective ‘spiritual’ applies to all three and indicates ‘Spirit-given’.  These are the songs of the Book of Psalms.

            (b).  There will be an attitude of thankfulness (v20).  All good gifts come from the Lord (James 1:17).  We can be thankful in hard experiences for what the Lord is doing in us.

            (c).  Note v21 ‘Submit to one another’.  We are not concerned with our own status and do not insist on our own way.  The motive – ‘out of reverence for Christ.  Life centres on him.

Children can be great mimics.  They see the adults around them and gradually pick up their habits, their quirks of behaviour, even sometimes the way they speak.  It can be amusing to watch – less so if you are the one being imitated.  We might see some things about ourselves that we would prefer not to see.  Since we are all imperfect, we would not want anyone to imitate us too consistently.  It is very different, however, in the Christian life.  We consider now Ephesians 5:1-14 Imitators of God.

1. The motive of love

In v1 we have an amazing command: ‘Be imitators of God’.  A staggering demand is being made of Christians – here in this world we are to show what God is like.  We are to behave like ‘dearly loved children.  The family likeness is to be seen in us.  The likeness of our Father is to be reproduced in us, a process empowered by the Holy Spirit.  The image that was marred by the fall is being restored in the Christian.  We are changed from enemies of God into imitators.  We are called to reproduce the holiness of God in practical everyday living.  Note – ‘live a life of love’ (v2) – that is our motive for imitation.  Love produces the kind of life that meets the standards of God’s law.  Our love for God and for others is fundamentally a response to his love for us.  As a result of his love, we are ‘called children of God’ (1 John 3:1).  In particular, in regard to redemption, Christ in love has given himself up for us (v2), and we are to imitate his self-giving love, seeking what is best for others.

2. The seriousness of sin

There is to be a determined clean sweep of our lives: ‘there must not be even a hint of…’ (v3).  There is no ‘acceptable level’ of sin in a Christian.  We must be ruthless in response to sin.  Purity is required in word and action (v3-4).  Sexual purity is a key area where Christian standards and those of Christians differ radically.  With the Lord’s strength, we must ‘not be conformed to this world’ (Romans 12:2).  We are to live differently and so set an example especially to young believers who may be under great peer pressure to conform to the world.  We dare not dabble in filth – it is ‘improper for God’s holy people’.  No person who lives a life of sin ‘has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God’.  We have a solemn warning regarding the nature of sin (v5-6).  Note ‘such a man is an idolator’ – he makes worldly pleasure his god.  Exclusion from the kingdom entails ‘God’s wrath’ (v6).  As a consequence, we have the warning of v7 ‘do not be partners with them’.

3. The power of light

We have a reminder of the transformation that has taken place: ‘you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord’ (v8).  To live in obedience is ‘to walk as children of light, characterised by ‘all goodness, righteousness and truth’ (v9).  We will progressively ‘find out what pleases the Lord (v10).  There must be separation from ‘the fruitless deeds of darkness’ (v11), and more – ‘rather expose them’.  That requires wisdom and discretion so that we do not publicise sin and give it an air of attractiveness, yet we cannot be silent.  We seek to show people the true nature of sin, so that they may be awakened from sleep by the grace of God.

As we get older, we may find ourselves saying, ‘I’m not what I used to be.’  Usually that is not meant in a positive sense.  We are admitting that our faculties are not as sharp as they once were, we don’t have the energy we once did, and so forth.  Occasionally we may be grateful that we are not as we once were – we have wisdom and experience that we did not have when younger.  Spiritually the Christian should be able to say in a positive sense, ‘I am not what I used to be.’  Consider now Ephesians 4:17-24 A transformed life.

1. Walking in darkness

Paul gives a grim description of life lived apart from God and his Word.  Human nature is corrupt at its root (Psalm 51:5).  Though not as bad as they could be, no-one is as good as he should be.  Note v17 ‘the futility of their thinking’ – the whole way of life of the unbeliever.  ‘Futility’ indicates emptiness and gives God’s view of man’s achievements and philosophies without his revelation.  The reason they are futile is that the Source of meaning – God – is missing.  They are ‘darkened in their understanding’ (v18) – unable to grasp the meaning of life, all their thinking twisted.  Since they are ‘separated from the life of God’ they are dead spiritually.  They are guilty for their ignorance – Paul speaks of ‘the hardening of their hearts’, the same idea as Romans 1:18 ‘who suppress the truth by their wickedness’.  Thus they have ‘lost all sensitivity’ (v19), losing the capacity to be shocked.  It is a matter of choice – ‘have given themselves over’.  Sinners spiral downwards, never finding satisfaction.

2. The turning point.

But ‘You…did not come to know Christ that way’ (v20).  A decisive change has taken place in these people.  They now ‘know Christ’ – describing a relationship of love and commitment (see John 17:3).  It is described further in v21 – in place of darkness and futility they have ‘the truth that is in Jesus’.  The truth has come in a person.  Through God’s revelation, ‘you heard him and were taught in him’, as we too are.  We are united to Christ by God-given faith (2:8-9) and a definitive change has taken place.  Whatever sins a Christian falls into, he is in a fundamentally different position from the unsaved – he is ‘born again’ and given a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19).  We are to live no longer in the old ways (v17).

3. Walking in light

This is the concern of the rest of the chapter and is stated in general terms in v22-24.  There are 2 aspects mentioned:

            (a).  We are to ‘put off your old self’.  There must be a decisive turning away from ‘your former way of life’.  There will still be temptations to wrestle with.  A definitive ‘putting off’ must be worked out in lifelong practice.  This may be painful, yet it must be done since all the old life offers is corruption by ‘deceitful desires’ (v22).

            (b).  We are to ‘put on the new self’.  This is the ‘clothing’ suitable for new creatures in Christ.  Conversion demands a new lifestyle, a changed direction in values, priorities, and plans.  All are to be reshaped by our relationship to Christ.  We are ‘created to be like God’, in particular ‘in true righteousness and holiness.  Salvation requires a transformed life.