v.1-2
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
My first thought when reading these verses was to ask myself - how do I practically love like Jesus did? Even farther than that - how do I love people in opposition to me and my beliefs? That is what Jesus did. "Walk in the way of love" and "gave himself up" - that's radical love, sacrificial love, servant love! The one thing I do know is that I'm totally incapable of giving this kind of love without the one who IS love! I cannot do it apart from Him! I must be spending time with the One who is love, so that I can be love.
v.3-7
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
v.3 - Not a HINT of sexual immorality! This causes me to evaluate if I have a "hint." TV Shows I watch? Movies I allow myself to see? Books & Magazines I read? Do they have a hint? Paul also mentions greed. What is my (your) heart regarding money? Is it an idol in my life? Is it competing with first place in my life with God?
v.4 - Paul covers unwholesome talk. We touched on this last week because he had just dealt with this some in chapter 4.
v.5 - So is this verse saying that if we struggle with these things then we have lost our inheritance - no heaven? I don't believe that's what it is saying. I think someone who has a life saturated with these things - sexual immorality, obscenity, money/greed, etc - is there evidence of Christ in them? Two verses that come to mind with this verse...
Matthew 7:21 - “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:16 - By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:16 - By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
We will recognize them by their fruit. So the fruit that our life produces is evidence of what our life is saturated with (v16) and when someone claims to live a Christian life and then lives in a life of sin, it's easy to doubt the authenticity of that relationship.
v.6 - don't be fooled by the world (we must put on the armor of God - Ephesians 6)
v.7 - We need to guard ourselves against people like this. Yes, we still love them. But we must learn to be in the world and not of it.
v.8-14
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
v.8 - Our lives should be changed once we meet Jesus! We should be noticeably different. It should be a transforming process! We are not in the darkness anymore.
v.10 - How do we find out what pleases the Lord?? We can know by spending time in His Word.
v.11 - Expose fruitless deeds of darkness - we must call sin for what it is - SIN! Exposing it in love in others lives but also in out own life so that God's light can sine in those places.
v.15-20
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v.15 - How can we have wisdom? - By reading God's Word, spending time with a godly mentor, and by asking and praying for it.
v.17 - How do we understand & know the Lord's will? Romans 12:1-2 says "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." We surrender our lives, do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, and renew our minds --> then we will be able to test and approve God's will!
v.18 - Is the Spirit what you go to to be filled - or do you go to worldly things? - alcohol, money, sex, etc??
v.20 - Are we taking time to give thanks? I love the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I would encourage you to read it.
v.21
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Before we really get into the marriage relationship, this verse sets it straight. We must submit to one another! Submission is a two way street.
I think THE biggest problem of households today and is detrimental to Christian homes is that the Biblical line of authority is completely out of order!! It seems that homes either follow one of these orders...
wife
children
husband
God
wife
husband
children
God
children
wife
husband
God
COMPLETELY out of whack!!! If you want to destroy a family and destroy it's ability to be used by the Lord, then follow one of these orders!
Whether women want to admit it or not, we are created to be led! And deep down, I think we all want to be led! With that being said, let's look at the verses that are written for women.
v.22-24
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Submit yourselves to your husband --> doesn't mean you're a doormat. Satan has done a VERY crafty job of making the s-word into a bad word! You are living in disobedience if you are not submitting to your husband. And a woman no submitted to her husband is a woman not submitted to the Lord.
v.24 - mentions submitting to the your husband in everything!
I will just say now this is impossible unless you are depending on the Lord and are filled up in a relationship with Him.
v.25-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Husbands have it a lot harder! I mean, let's just be honest! We can complain about submission - but to love a person (sinner) like Christ loves them (complete sacrificial love) is HARD! The husband is to love her like Christ loves the church, disciple/lead her spiritually, and care for her physically like he would himself.
v.31 - There is a physical, emotional leaving when marriage takes place. They become a unit/family of their own.
v.33 - it is so, so important that we respect our husbands!
One of the best pictures of marriage that my husband and I were ever given before we were married is the image of a triangle. See the picture below. In the triangle, the closer we grow in relationship with God, the closer we grow in relationship with each other.
Ok - thanks for hanging in there with me! There was so much in that chapter! And it was convicting and challenging for me. I hope it was for you too!
Look forward to your comments!
Blessings
v.17 - How do we understand & know the Lord's will? Romans 12:1-2 says "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." We surrender our lives, do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, and renew our minds --> then we will be able to test and approve God's will!
v.18 - Is the Spirit what you go to to be filled - or do you go to worldly things? - alcohol, money, sex, etc??
v.20 - Are we taking time to give thanks? I love the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I would encourage you to read it.
v.21
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Before we really get into the marriage relationship, this verse sets it straight. We must submit to one another! Submission is a two way street.
I think THE biggest problem of households today and is detrimental to Christian homes is that the Biblical line of authority is completely out of order!! It seems that homes either follow one of these orders...
wife
children
husband
God
wife
husband
children
God
children
wife
husband
God
COMPLETELY out of whack!!! If you want to destroy a family and destroy it's ability to be used by the Lord, then follow one of these orders!
Whether women want to admit it or not, we are created to be led! And deep down, I think we all want to be led! With that being said, let's look at the verses that are written for women.
v.22-24
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Submit yourselves to your husband --> doesn't mean you're a doormat. Satan has done a VERY crafty job of making the s-word into a bad word! You are living in disobedience if you are not submitting to your husband. And a woman no submitted to her husband is a woman not submitted to the Lord.
v.24 - mentions submitting to the your husband in everything!
I will just say now this is impossible unless you are depending on the Lord and are filled up in a relationship with Him.
v.25-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Husbands have it a lot harder! I mean, let's just be honest! We can complain about submission - but to love a person (sinner) like Christ loves them (complete sacrificial love) is HARD! The husband is to love her like Christ loves the church, disciple/lead her spiritually, and care for her physically like he would himself.
v.31 - There is a physical, emotional leaving when marriage takes place. They become a unit/family of their own.
v.33 - it is so, so important that we respect our husbands!
One of the best pictures of marriage that my husband and I were ever given before we were married is the image of a triangle. See the picture below. In the triangle, the closer we grow in relationship with God, the closer we grow in relationship with each other.
Ok - thanks for hanging in there with me! There was so much in that chapter! And it was convicting and challenging for me. I hope it was for you too!
Look forward to your comments!
Blessings
I'm with you on this chapter, I could go on and on!! LOVE filling up with God's word :) Here are a few of my thoughts...
ReplyDeleteVs1-2: I love how this is worded in The Message “He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us, Love like that.” I cannot even imagine the difference it would make in our families, churches, schools if we all learned to love like God loves us, an unconditional, everlasting, forgiving love.
Vs3-4: We must always filter the movies we watch, the tv programs we spend our time viewing, the magazines we read, those we spend our time with. What we fill our hearts and minds with, will come out of our mouths.
Vs8: How does my life look differently than the life of a non-believer? Can other’s see Christ’s love thru me?
Vs9: living in “the light” produces moral and ethical character – these are the most important things I want to teach my young boys. I am not as concerned with the career paths they choose, the grades they make in school, most importantly I want them to by Godly men with strong Christian morals and ethics.
Vs15-17: Careful living and use of one’s time – if you do not use your time for good, evil/sin will fill you time.
Vs18: We are to be of sober mind and heart – as with so many things in our world today, we must practice moderation and self control in all things.
Vs20: Give thanks in all circumstances all the time.
Vs23: What an incredible responsibility our husbands have, they need our support and encouragement.
Vs25-28: Again, “a love marked by giving, not getting”. I want to strive from this day forward to make my actions to bring out the best in my husband, what a great way of encouraging your spouse and lifting up your marriage.