Building The Body Study 15 - Growing in the Body
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Ephesians 5:1-20 NIV
[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. [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. [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.” [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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.1-20.NIV)
I well remember the time when I was working in the back office for a large company when auditors were sent in. The fear the managers felt was quite something. It translated very quickly to us ordinary folks on the shop floor. They had nothing to hide. It was widely recognised that our office was well run.
But it didn’t matter. They were terrified of the auditors, and also terrified of what we might tell them when they interviewed us about what we did.
Honestly, I've seen detainees be prepped less for a police interview under caution than we were to talk about our job to those auditors.
Being audited is never fun. It’s absolutely necessary, but not fun. We are always worried about where they will look, what they will see and how they will report it to senior managers.
These commands allow us to take a ‘self-audit'. They allow us to check up on our own spiritual growth, and that of our community.
However, in our culture, where the emphasis is on the individual rather than the community, we may object to being told what to do by a first century Christian leader. We may ask ourselves how relevant what he wrote is to our lives, more than two thousand years later.
But these words are very relevant. Maybe even a little too relevant.
Allow me to explain.
Christian morality and thought is based entirely around two commandments:
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV
[37] Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.22.37-40.NIV)
Paul began his letter with some wonderfully deep theology about Jesus Christ: who He is, what He has done for us and His position in the Body of Christ. We could consider that to be Paul's pleas for us to love Jesus.
And it is well deserved.
Now what we see is Paul taking the principle of loving others as ourselves and applying this to moments in everyday Ephesian life. He is tackling areas in their walk with the Lord where they perhaps have been weak and need encouragement.
He is saying, ‘So, you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Now you need to love your neighbour as yourself. Here's how you do it.’
None of us have any problems with the commandments. Of course not! How could we?
But we may have problems with the areas of our lives where Paul decided to apply the principle of those two commandments. And if we have problems with it, we have to admit that he was dead right.
Let’s look, then, at the first area Paul looks at, which is that of our identity – Who We Are.
Who We Are
Ephesians 5:1-10 NIV
[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. [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. [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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.1-10.NIV)
It genuinely amuses me when you see groups of people wearing exactly the same clothes or t-shirts with travelling. Of course, if it’s a class group on tour, you can understand it. But when you search a large family group and everyone, from the oldest to the youngest, is wearing precisely the same colours, it can be a little... striking.
My daughter has decided to rebel against it. She is not a fan of colour-coding. I understand it.
Wearing uniforms and the same type of clothing as a larger group can actually have an interesting effect on behaviour. If you want to be part of the group and feel privileged and thankful to wear the shirt, you will not act in a way that would bring shame on the others who are also wearing it.
In England, for example, if a football player has had a few bad games, you will often hear fans of his team singing ‘You're not fit to wear the shirt’.
In Scotland we deal with it differently: usually with language too colourful to feature in a Bible study.
Living up to the name and honouring the group of which you are a part are both key motivations for us to become more like Christ: to love as we ought to love.
It’s interesting that Paul uses three aspects of our identity to inspire the Ephesians to live radically different lives to those from the culture in which they lived.
The first of these is that we are Children of God.
Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV
[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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.1-2.NIV)
This is the single greatest privilege we can ever have:
1 John 3:1-3 NIV
[1] See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [3] All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.3.1-3.NIV)
And as John said, it isn’t something we earned, it is a gift of love.
That is truly extraordinary.
But the whole point of our verses in Ephesians is that there are things a child of God just should not do – not just be seen as not doing, but should not do at all.
What are they?
They are things that are not part of the ‘way of love’. They are just not loving. They are instead expressions of selfish exploitation, disdain and disrespect towards other people.
They are occasions when we push them down in order to raise ourselves up.
They are just plain wrong.
Paul applied this principle when he moved on to talk about a second aspect of our identity, that we are God’s Holy People.
Ephesians 5:3-7 NIV
[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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.3-7.NIV)
Now, it’s important to day that we are not holy because of anything we have done, but because of what God has done.
1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV
[9] But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1pe.2.9-10.NIV)
So how can we understand this?
I’d like you to imagine a little kid who is out playing in his back yard, in the mud and the grass, when his mother calls him in to get ready because his family are going to a restaurant for dinner. She is shocked at how dirty he is, makes him take a bath, cleans him up and then gets him all dressed up in nice clothes.
Now she has a problem. That problem is that she somehow has to stop her son from running into the yard in his clean clothes to play in the mud and the grass, because that is where he'd rather be than in a restaurant with a bunch of stuffy, boring adults.
We are often like that boy. Jesus Christ’s death has cleansed us of our sin (1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:14). What we have to deal with now is the constant temptation to rush out there and dirty ourselves all over again.
Look at the deeds Paul said sins: sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking. These are not just things that our culture does not consider to be wrong, but that often elevate us above our peers.
Let me tell you about something I am really not proud of. In a previous role, there was a bit of a rogue who was a member of my team. Some of his banter was, quite frankly, over the line. I got caught up in it and said something I should not have said.
A senior member of my team, who was not a Christian, glared at me and said to me and said, ‘Paul, you’re a Christian. Should you be saying something like that?’
It was a very painful rebuke, but she was right.
These behaviours are just not who we are. They do not fit. They have to go.
This leads us onto the third aspect of our identity, that we are Children of Light.
Ephesians 5:8-14 NIV
[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.”
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.8-14.NIV)
What does this mean?
John explained it:
1 John 1:5-7 NIV
[5] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. [6] If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.1.5-7.NIV)
Light is a synonym for honesty, truthfulness, integrity. Darkness is a metaphor for deceit, surreptitiousness, concealment, corruption. Paul and John both taught that Christians should be people of honesty and integrity. There should be no corruption. There should be no deceit. There should be no hidden agenda.
People should know exactly what they're getting with us. There should be no confusion.
And that is the problem.
Christians should show integrity in everything, including in their business relationships and their relationships with the authorities. There should not be two sets of books. There should not be secret payments. There should not be tax evasion. Illicit behaviour should never be excused with the phrase ‘It’s only business'.
We are required to show integrity in all our dealings with everyone. No exception.
If we call ourselves by the Name of Jesus Christ, this is who we are.
If we say we are followers of Jesus Christ, this is who we are.
So tell me: who are you?
We have seen, then, who we are. Paul also talked about Who We Cannot Be
Who We Cannot Be
Ephesians 5:3-11, 17-18 NIV
[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. [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.
[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,
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.3-18.NIV)
‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’
That’s a question we ask our children from a frighteningly early age. And the answer keeps changing. A child who wants to be a doctor or a nurse today might want to be a pilot or a singer tomorrow.
A better question to ask is: ‘Who do you want to be?’
Character is always way more important than career.
But in this case, we’re looking at who we should not be.
The first of those is Covetous. Everyone of these sins is driven by a desire for things God has placed out of our reach. Covetousness is the gateway sin that led Eve to defy God.
Covetousness tells us that God is somehow not good for not providing us with something we want. It is a blasphemous sin that always has serious consequences.
That's why its outward manifestations – sexual immorality, impurity and greed – are declared as being off-limits for Christians.
After all, the interaction against it is perfectly clear (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21).
Covetousness is an expression of lovelessness towards God and our neighbour, and therefore towards ourselves, as it destroys the very relationships upon which we rely. It is therefore not part of who we are.
We also see that we cannot be Crude. We cannot seek to exalt ourselves by using crude jokes, obscenities or foolish talk, particularly at the expense of other people.
Let’s think about it: would you trust a circus clown to make an emergency announcement, or would you be waiting for the punchline?
There is a time and a place for humour. If our culture dictates that certain aspects of life are not to be joked about, then we don’t joke about them. We certainly should never be flippant about the Lord or our faith.
Look carefully at what James wrote:
James 3:9-10 NIV
[9] With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.3.9-10.NIV)
Our credibility as believers and witnesses to the salvation we have received depends on the mouth that delivers the message and the character that backs it up.
How credible is your witness?
We also see that we must be Controlled.
Ephesians 5:15-20 NIV
[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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.15-20.NIV)
These verses must be understood correctly.
With the permissive culture that we have nowadays, and the drift away from alcohol among our youth, there be a tendency to say, ‘Well, it says I can’t get drunk, but it doesn’t say anything about getting high’.
Actually, it does.
The Greek word used here for ‘drunk' is methysko (recognise it at all?), which means ‘intoxicated’. It referred not just to being drunk, but also to being in an altered state of consciousness or intoxication through other means. The Greeks had a habit of spiking their own wine with various herbs and roots to increase its potency and basically get them high.
Paul ruled that out for believers.
Why?
For a very simple reason. Look at the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/gal.5.22-23.NIV)
If you enter into an altered state of consciousness through imbibing alcohol, drugs or any other mind-altering substance (narcotic or otherwise, hallucinogenic or otherwise) then you are no longer in control. You are not self-controlled.
So no, a Christian should not get drunk. Neither should they smoke weed or any other cannabinoid in any form. Neither should they take ‘magic' mushrooms, Ecstasy, LSD or any form of synthetic hallucinogenics. They should not be our source of joy.
Jesus is.
And let me say something else. If you are self-medicating with alcohol or cannabis or any other legal or illegal non-prescribed medication then you should ask why you need it and deal with the root issue, rather than sink into a stupor to escape it.
These might seem like tough, no-nonsense commands. I'm sure there are many who will dispute them. I'm only writing about what's there, in the pages of Scripture.
We have to remember that underneath these simple, direct commands is a simple, direct principle: love God, love your neighbour, love yourself.
That is why Paul told the Ephesians to not be crude or covetous but to be controlled.
Having seen the negative side to these commands, we will now move to the positive and look at What We Must Do
What We Must Do
Ephesians 5:1-2, 15-16, 18-20 NIV
[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.
[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.
[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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.1-20.NIV)
My family and I absolutely love Singapore, especially as a city in which to transit between flights. It’s safe, clean, ridiculously easy to get around, the food is great, there is a lot to see and do. It ticks all the boxes for us.
But some people have a problem with it. The country is very tightly ruled and governed.
There are fines for a lot of offences, often for things people from Western nations don’t think should be offences. For example, you can get fined for chewing gum or not tidying your tray away at a food court or eating or drinking on the subway.
We often don’t like being told what to do. We think it infringes on our freedom and personal autonomy. But what being in Singapore has taught us is that sometimes it works: sometimes people need to be more tightly regulated if you want to have a really nice, clean place in which to live.
We have seen a lot of ‘don’ts' in these verses. Now we are switching to look at three very important ‘do's'.
The first of these is Be imitators of God.
Now, I grew up watching comedians impersonate people. But this is a very tall order. How can we imitate God?
Paul tells us: love. The Greek words he used literally means to walk in love: to make love the rule and the regulation of our lives. To let it change our attitude and actions.
After all, what did Paul say about Jesus?
Philippians 2:5 NIV
[5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/php.2.5.NIV)
His love took Him to the cross to save us. He accepted a greater humiliation for our sakes than anything anyone could put us through, and He did it knowing that we are ungrateful sinners.
That’s the standard for us.
The second thing we should do is Be careful.
Now, we need to understand this properly. It’s not God’s will for us to be jumping at shadows and terrified of what lies behind every corner. That is not what is meant here.
The word translated as ‘very careful' simply means ‘with sight or perception, with wisdom’. It means that we are not rash. We are not impulsive. We weigh things up. We are deliberate in what we do. We are intentional. We don’t make mistakes without thinking. We filter our thoughts, our attitudes, our words and our actions.
As James wrote:
James 1:19-20 NIV
[19] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, [20] because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.1.19-20.NIV)
There is a whole book full of wisdom on what it means to live intentionally and wisely in the Bible: the book of Proverbs.
Let me give you a sample:
Proverbs 12:18 NIV
[18] The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.12.18.NIV)
Proverbs 14:17 NIV
[17] A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.14.17.NIV)
Proverbs 14:29 NIV
[29] Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.14.29.NIV)
That’s not to say that every minor decision causes us to naval gaze and deliberate, blaming our delaying and procrastination on a search for perfection. There is nothing at all spiritual about holding up a waiter or a drive-thru while you can’t decide if you want fries or rice, or a milkshake or a fizzy drink.
Someone who is truly wise knows when to take their time over a decision, and when they should decide quickly because their decision is of low importance.
But someone who is wise and deliberate in what they say, not at all rash and hot-tempered, will also have the wisdom to make the most of every opportunity, both in business and in witness.
Friends, that is who we are called to be.
Lastly, we are called to Be grateful.
Paul taught this to the Philippians:
Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
[4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/php.4.4-7.NIV)
And the Thessalonians:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1th.5.16-18.NIV)
These verses have three words in common: joy, thankfulness and peace. These words are symbiotic: you experience joy when you are thankful and this leads to peace. If you are not joyful, you are not thankful and you do not enjoy peace.
But Paul’s point in both of these letters, which were written when both he and the church receiving them were being persecuted, is that joy, thankfulness and peace are not necessarily driven by external circumstances. Look what he earlier taught the Philippians:
Philippians 4:12-13 NIV
[12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/php.4.12-13.NIV)
Joy and thankfulness are a choice: we choose to find something in which to find joy; we choose to be thankful. That’s why we see these verses:
Philippians 4:4 NIV
[4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/php.4.4.NIV)
Ephesians 5:20 NIV
[20] always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.20.NIV)
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV
[18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1th.5.18.NIV)
We need to realise that it’s this spirit of gratitude, this spirit of thankfulness, that makes us strong, and a whiney, complaining spirit that makes us weak.
I have encountered people in situations we Westerns would consider to be deeply deprived, and yet they went through life joyfully, with an enormous and genuine smiles upon their faces. I have also met truly privileged people, in situations and places that were truly wonderful, and yet they were complaining – usually over insignificant issues.
The question we have to ask ourselves, again, is who do we want to be? If we want to be mature Christians who have truly grown up in the Lord, then we must be grateful, careful imitators of God.
There simply is no other way.
Conclusion
Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV
[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.
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.1-2.NIV)
I once served in a church in Romania that had seven preachers every Sunday. Three hour service: seven sermons. I was usually number six.
One of these preachers was often the choirmaster. He was an interesting chap. His sermons, however, always followed a similar pattern. He would read the passage, whatever it was, and then go into a long diatribe about what a ‘good’ Christian should and should not do. Even at Christmas or Easter, he would still say things like: ‘A good Christian doesn’t listen to pop music. A good Christian doesn’t go to the cinema. A good Christian doesn’t go to sports events. A good Christian doesn’t go to the disco. A good Christian doesn’t dance.’ He never quoted a single verse to justify his arguments. He just doled out commands.
The irony was that a few months before I arrived, he had gotten into an argument with the rest of the church leadership and had stormed out of the church, taking the choir with him. It took a long time for the problem to be resolved.
A good Christian definitely does not do that!
Maybe after reading these verses, that’s how you feel: buried under a huge list of 'do's and 'don't's. There is a lot to unpack in terms of who we are, who we cannot be and what we must do. It’s difficult not to feel burdened and overwhelmed.
There is a different way to approach these. Jesus only left us two commandments:
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV
[37] Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.22.37-40.NIV)
What Paul did for these Ephesians is contextualise and apply these commands to their situation, and, in turn, to ours.
These are not boxes we must tick if we want to be saved. Far from it! Instead, Paul is saying that our love for God, our neighbours and ourselves should be manifested in these ways.
I’ve never grown tomatoes. I only really like them if they’re in a soup, spaghetti or a sauce bottle. It’s fair to say I'm not a fan.
I understand that tomatoes grow on a vine that, like grapes, requires a trellis to help it grow in the right way.
These commands here in Ephesians should not be seen as a heavy burden we cannot bear.
Instead, they should be seen as a trellis: a trellis on which our love for God, our neighbours and ourselves grows, flourishes and bears fruit.
Because without them, spiritual maturity is impossible.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am deeply challenged by these verses. Help me to rid myself of any sin that stops me from growing more like You. In particular, help me to love more and more. Amen.
Questions for Contemplation
Why did Paul write this long list of dos and don’ts? What did he want to achieve?
Are there any here that are difficult for you to do? Why? What makes them difficult?
What principle is applied to real life through these commands? Why is that important?
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