Read: Ephesians
5
Ephesians 5 picks up where Ephesians 4 left off,
describing what a life filled with the Holy Spirit will look like. The first
sentence sums up Paul’s focus for the entire letter: Because we have such a
great, loving Father, we should try to become like Him. Imitating God is our
purest form of obedience. On the contrary, choosing to live in sin is putting
our own desires and standards above God’s. It is saying we know better and God
is not worthy of our obedient love. It is therefore no surprise that “no
immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ” (v 5).
Just as we must be on guard against sin, we must
also be on guard against deception (v 6-15). One day all things will be exposed
(v 13). On this day our lives will either prove faithful to Christ or
rebellious against Him. We have little time on earth. We live in an evil age,
with an enemy always prowling like a lion looking for someone to devour (1
Peter 5:8). We must be on guard, using our precious time for good, to the
advancement of God’s kingdom, rather than giving our enemy free reign.
From this warning, Paul moves into instruction. He
tells the Ephesians to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v 18). Paul describes
what some practical outworkings of this filling will be: speaking to one
another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (v 19a); singing and making melody
with your heart to the Lord (v 19b); always giving thanks (v 20a); and
submitting to one another (v 21). Translated properly from Greek, the passage
would read, “Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. Wives, to your
husbands... Husbands, to your wives.” God cares deeply about marriages because
they are a picture of Christ and the Church. Husbands and wives are to deny
themselves and put their spouse’s needs first. In the same way “Christ also
loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (v25). The Church’s response is
to serve Christ with everything we have. When husbands and wives love and serve
one another in obedience to God, it declares the work of Jesus to everyone they
encounter.
Prayer and
Journaling
1. Let God speak to you about how you are his
“dearly beloved child” (v 1). Write down what He shows you.
2. Meditate on Ephesians 5:22-33. “This mystery is
great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (v 32). Ask
God to speak to you about how godly marriages bring Him glory.
3. Godly marriages are worth fighting for. Intercede
for marriage in the Church today, knowing that God’s heart breaks over the
condition of many marriages. Pray that He would strengthen marriages. Ask for
the filling of the Holy Spirit in marriages, that husbands and wives would be
empowered to love and submit to one another. Ask God to teach spouses how to
practically serve and respect each other. Pray that Jesus would receive much
glory because of marriages in His Church. Pray that, because of godly
marriages, many people would come to a greater understanding of Christ’s work.
