Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Ephesians 5-6
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Hey, it's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, and ⁓ we are continuing our journey through Scripture. We're going to finish up ⁓ the letter to the Ephesians ⁓ that Paul wrote in the New Testament. So we're gonna be in Ephesians chapter five and six. So if you want to go read read those two chapters, and then we're gonna ⁓ look at them. ⁓ these have some of the ⁓ the the more familiar passages in the in scripture. ⁓ For example, the the armor of God, and also one of the more controversial, the wives submit to your husbands passage. So ⁓ so let's look at Ephesians chapter five and ⁓ six. So we're ⁓ at the point where ⁓ Paul has talked about how we are ⁓ to be imitators of Christ, we are s to to live differently ⁓ than the culture around us. ⁓ and ⁓ chapter five starts off, ⁓ says, Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us. ⁓ then it kind of starts listing some of the things we need to avoid, verse three, but fornication and all unclean cleanliness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is hitting it is fitting for the saints, neither filthiness nor foolish talking, coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving thanks. So we should be about ⁓ being respectful, understanding the the blessings that have come from God, ⁓ giving thanks rather than complaining and and and ⁓ turning things ⁓ into to to worldly and filthy ⁓ and and coarse subjects. We should we should focus on being thankful for what we have for ⁓ who God is, what he has called us to do. ⁓ chapter five ⁓ verse five. ⁓ for this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. So, in other words, you know, this th this kind of ⁓ behavior will be common ⁓ in the in the world around us, but we choose not to be partakers in it. It doesn't mean that we don't reach out to those who are involved. It doesn't mean that we don't love those who are ⁓ involved, ⁓ but we should not be partakers ⁓ in it. ⁓ verse eight says, For we you were once in darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Now that that's ⁓ interesting that it specifically says that, that we are not supposed to partake, but we are supposed to expose ⁓ and call out that which is ⁓ spiritual darkness. ⁓ verse twelve for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore he says awake you who sleep, ⁓ arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. This is ⁓ important ⁓ we live in a time in history where there's a lot of things ⁓ that are starting to be accepted as good and moral ⁓ that I believe go contrary to ⁓ the teaching in scripture and are things that are spiritually dark. ⁓ And when you call them out, there's a few different reactions. Some is to say, ⁓ why are you being so bigoted ⁓ that you would ⁓ not accept someone's ⁓ actions or their choices? ⁓ the other that I think is more prominent within the church is that, well, why why are why are we engaging in that? We are just called to love ⁓ others. ⁓ we are not not called ⁓ to cause this kind of controversy. Yet if we are called here specifically to expose those things which are dark, ⁓ that that that puts us in a in a difficult position. ⁓ because yes, we are both to love ⁓ those who are ⁓ enslaved to spiritual darkness, but we are also so supposed to call out the spiritual darkness which enslaves them. ⁓ and so it's a it's a tough position to be in. ⁓ and sadly, ⁓ you know, people a lot of times don't like to get uncomfortable, ⁓ but we are called ⁓ to be the light. And then we live in this world too that talks about, well, who are you to say that your belief is right? Well, you know, we we've gone through a lot of the scripture And it's amazing to me how many times the word truth is used. ⁓ and I know we live in a postmodern time that tries to claim that there is no truth. and they clo try to make that claim as if it's true. we we live in weird times. ⁓ something is true. ⁓ and I I understand that there are those who will disagree that this is what is true. but ⁓ if if you ⁓ claim to believe in God, ⁓ the the God presented to us in Scripture, then he is true. He represents what is truth. ⁓ And and we need to live by that truth and expose the darkness in comparison to that truth, ⁓ not the truth that the the world wants us to embrace. ⁓ We continue ⁓ on in chapter five ⁓ talks about walking in wisdom. I think this is extremely important for us today. verse 15, see that you walk and walk circumspectively, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Yes, be careful, be wise, keep your eyes open, recognize what's going on around you. Do not put your head in the sand. Do not just go along as if everything is fine. Recognize the days are evil. We need to be wise in how we handle them because and the reason is is because we will easily start joining in knowingly or unknowingly to very ungodly things if we're not ⁓ walking w in wisdom and seeking God's wisdom ⁓ each and every day. ⁓ verse 17, therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ⁓ and do not be drunk with wine and which is ⁓ in in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. give thanks always for all things to God, the Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Okay. Now that's that's The main point here that of of how we are supposed to be imitators of God, submitting to each other in our relationships, the way that we deal with each other, the way that we deal with the world, right? We expose those things that are dark, we submit to each other who are trying to live together ⁓ under God. ⁓ that's the big point. Then Paul uses some common examples of how to live differently than the culture around you. ⁓ and so I always find it ⁓ incredible how immature and frankly stupid we are as a people. ⁓ you know, that we can't recognize that there are cultural differences and and changes. ⁓ back then y the you're especially you're dealing with a huge Greek influence. ⁓ the average age difference between a man and his wife was close to twelve years. It was a contractual agreement. ⁓ it was a that there were household codes of how the household was going to run. All ⁓ good Greek or Roman households would have these codes, and the the husband was always the head of the household. ⁓ the the wife had very few rights. ⁓ not to say that there weren't marriages that the husband and wife loved each other, ⁓ but there was a kind of a common thought ⁓ among many Greek and ⁓ Roman ⁓ elites that ⁓ the wife was for bearing children and prostitutes were for pleasure ⁓ and that was that that was fairly common and and so that's the culture that that we're in and and I know we we love to be on our high horse high and mighty ⁓ now that we're looking back of two thousand years of Judeo Christian influence. Which moved us away from that hideous practice of household codes. ⁓ and so we think that we would never have done that. You know, we we you know, we are completely blinded to the things that will be written about us in history. that that probably people will look back and say, how in the world could that group of people believe that? ⁓ so d don't don't get too high and mighty on this. I really it it really I I frankly I'm tired of it. ⁓ but ⁓ so we have bec ⁓ gotten to the place where we recoil at the the phrase ⁓ wives submit to your own husbands. Again, remember it right before that it said submitting to one another in the fear of God. Okay. ⁓ then ⁓ Paul uses examples and he uses the household codes as examples. And he says, Wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife. wife as Christ is the head of the church, he is the savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let wives be s ⁓ be to their own husbands in everything. Right? ⁓ it's it's really not not all that complicated of a of an issue. ⁓ it's it's talking about respect. It is talking about that the husband is to take care of the household. 'Cause guess what? In that culture for sure If the husband didn't take care of the household, the household would be destroyed. And guess what? Shocker of all shocks, if there is not a husband who is leading his household today, that household has a lot more difficulties and a lot more challenges and problems. Please do not overcomplicate this. And then I love how so we just read the you know, what our culture consensors is the bigoted and evil view of wives submitting to their husbands. Then verse 25 goes, Husbands, love your wives. Okay. There would not have been another household code that commanded husbands to love their wives. They would have been commanded to take care of them because of course they were there for children. They 'cause they were their property, right? So you would take care of your property, but they would not have commanded the husband to love his wife. ⁓ especially as Christ loved the church and gave his life for the church. So the husband is supposed to love his wife to the point that he is willing to give his life for her. ⁓ this is completely different. And I know that men haven't always done this, and they will claim they will they will focus on the first part of this and they will tell their wives to submit, and then they will not love their ⁓ their wives as Christ loved the church. ⁓ well that's because they're sinful and we live in sinful ⁓ in a fallen world. It doesn't mean that it's that this is wrong, right? If we actually followed this, ⁓ things would be much better. ⁓ and ⁓ it continues on. It says that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present to her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or such things, but that he should be holy and ⁓ without blemish. Again. Paul is talking a lot about the church in Christ ⁓ and using this paradigm of husband and wife. Then verse 28. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no other hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. So the wife submits to the husband, the husband loves the wife. And loves her more than his own body, and cherishes her, and nourishes her, and takes care of her. For no ⁓ for we are all members of his body and his flesh, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, the two shall become one flesh. Verse thirty-three. Nevertheless, this is kind of the sum summary. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular ⁓ so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects. Her husband. Okay. I I I I I'm not gonna go on. If if you have ⁓ if you have an issue with that, ⁓ then maybe ⁓ following the God of ⁓ all creation is not for you. chapter chapter six, it continues on, children obey your parents ⁓ in the Lord, honor your father or mother. and then it says, Fathers do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admin admonition of the Lord. ⁓ it's vital that that happens because if not your the household starts to fall apart ⁓ it is worse off for children ⁓ and now again we live in a fallen world so do we always have good parents that love their children no do we always have good children that love their parents no but this is the ideal this is what we should be striving for then it talks about ⁓ bond servants and masters or slaves ⁓ again we've talked about this before ⁓ this is not exactly slavery like we think of in the South, ⁓ but it is it is it was an evil practice and there is no ⁓ affirming this practice, but this is what the culture was. And so Paul is saying, well, how do we deal with this type of culture? And by doing this is why now we look at slavery with ⁓ as ⁓ a abhorrence. Right. ⁓ it's because we've had two thousand years of a Judeo Christian influence. ⁓ but bond servants be obedient to those who are your masters, ⁓ right? Not not just b because you're doing it to please men, but as as you are ⁓ pleasing Christ, as you are serving ⁓ Christ. And then it says in here, which again this is part of the household codes that were very normal at the time, ⁓ it throws in. Chapter verse nine, and you masters, do the same thing to them. Give up threatening, knowing that your own master also is in heaven and is no partiality with him. So it's saying, as the master, you have no right to treat your slave as subordinate, as inferior. I promise you that wasn't always in the other household codes. ⁓ then we get To the armor of God. Verse 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers, the darkness of this age, against the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all this, to stand. Because we are supposed to stand up. against that which is evil. This is clearly it is a spiritual battle that we are in. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. It's not against ⁓ of one political party or another. It's not against that. However, the spiritual entities that are there ⁓ empower and use institutions and use people to perpetrate ideas and i ideologies that are evil. And so therefore we have to stand up against those ideologies that are evil. And unfortunately, that means we have to stand up against those who are promoting those ideologies. Does that make sense? So it is a spiritual war, yes, but it is one that plays out in a physical reality. And we must be prepared to do that. We must be prepared to battle that. And it goes on to say, put on the whole armor of God. The first thing, what is the first thing? Having girded your waist. with truth. Again, the one of the first tenets of postmodernism is that there is no absolute truth. The first tenant of going to battle again the spiritual realm and living for Christ is that you base your life on truth. Truth that comes from him. Having put on the breastplate of righteousness, right? So you're you strive to live your life in a right way, right living. having ⁓ shod your feet with ⁓ the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, having faith that you are you are following ⁓ the the one who is true and good, even when the the arrows come. ⁓ it says ⁓ and then take the helmet of salvation and that you you know that you are saved no matter what, that you are your hope is found in Christ and in Christ alone, and the sword of the Spirit. That you are taking the truth, the truth of God, that you are using that ⁓ to deal blows against the evil ideologies of the world. ⁓ and ⁓ and then he he closes out ⁓ with you know just kind of some of his ⁓ how things are are going ⁓ and the importance of praying to together and of ⁓ of understanding that ⁓ as the people of God ⁓ we all are called to this battle. ⁓ and to engage ⁓ the spiritual forces that we see around us. Okay, we're gonna stop there. ⁓ we will be in First Timothy. ⁓ probably do about the first three chapters of First Timothy. ⁓ all right, we'll see you then.