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Forgiveness, Part III

Going forward, how do we handle offences and conflicts?  Are we doomed to our prior cycles of getting offended, harboring a grudge and then becoming exhausted by it until we finally make it right?  Or, does God have something better in mind?

The answer is yes, he does!  This post will look at how God instructs us to handle offences/conflicts going forward. For many of us, that will be different from how we have handled them in the past.  It is not God's will for us to be trapped by offence; rather it is his will for us to handle the offences that come our way in a manner that brings glory to him and blessing to us. 

Luke 17:1 -Then said he unto the disciples, it is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

To be sure, offences are coming.  So what do you think – are offences a negative thing?  If you could make them disappear, would you?  I think most of us would eliminate them from life entirely, if we could.  Yet, God doesn't do that.  Why does he allow offences to come?

Before we get to that, let me make this significant point:  offences are a temptation for us to sin, and as such, God does not cause them. 

James 1:13-14 - When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

Offences do not come from God; they stem from our own evil desires.  However, God will use them as teaching and growing moments.

God has big plans for the offences/conflicts that come your way.

God uses the pressure of conflict/offence to help you grow and mature spiritually. God's highest purpose for you is not to make you comfortable, wealthy or happy in this life.  If you have put your faith in him, he as something far, far more incredible in mind for you – he is working to conform you to the image and likeness of Christ and offence is one of the tools God will use to accomplish his purpose for you.

If we are aware of that, if we are looking for it, we can quickly begin to manage offences/conflict instead of allowing it to managing us.  When conflict comes, take your eyes off yourself, and look to God.  Figure out what he is trying to change in you, and work with him, not against him!

Conflict/offence provides an opportunity to sin, but it also provides an opportunity to glorify God.  It gives us a chance to bring Him praise and honor by showing who He is, what He is like and what He is doing. We can glorify God in the midst of conflict by drawing attention to him - his undeserved love, mercy, forgiveness, strength and wisdom.  We can be an encouragement to our brothers and sisters, or a witness to the lost if we handle conflict correctly.

II Corinthians 6:19-20- (God) has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

What an honor to be made Christ's ambassador; to represent him in the world!  The lost around us are in desperate need of the true savior, Jesus Christ.  Most likely, you will not get them to listen to a sermon. However, they can't help but pay attention when they see Christ reflected through you – through the way you think, the way you speak, the way you act, and the way you react to others, particularly when handling offences.  Actions speak louder than words. 

In the past, offences have been all about us - how we were wronged, how we suffered, how we were not treated fairly, etc.  All of our focus is directed toward me, me, me.  Here's a radical idea: Can we turn our thinking upside down? Rather than seeing ourselves as a victim in any given offence, let's begin to see ourselves as God's ambassador or God's steward in that offence.

Sometimes the steward manages good things like big harvests or profitable business deals or lavish parties.  But he also manages problems and difficulties like coyotes killing the cattle, or labor strikes, or 'we're out of wing sauce', or whatever the problem may be.

I dare say that if you are like me, there are areas of your life where you are the best steward on the planet.  You do certain things very well, every single time. They may not even be a challenge anymore.

But there are other areas that we are not really managing at all.  Those situations are managing us. For many, forgiveness/handling offence is one of those areas.  What do we need to learn about managing offences?  A good first step is to see if the offence is a door for you to serve and help others.

You can be offended and unforgiving in this situation, if you choose.  You can replay the offence in your mind, dwelling on how unfair it is to you.  You can retaliate or gossip about your neighbor, making a mountain out of the mole hill. Satan would love it if you handled your conflict this way.

Or, you can approach your neighbor and ask about the situation, face to face, neighbor to neighbor, in a nonjudgmental way.  You may be surprised by the situation your neighbor is experiencing.  Maybe a health problem is preventing him from raking the leaves.  Maybe he is emotionally distraught by a family tragedy and he needs a Christian to offer him hope and salvation. 

You see, God may give you an opportunity to carry your opponent's burdens whether spiritual, emotional or material. I understand that is contrary to the world's view of "look out for number one", but God's ways are not our ways.

What if you offer to help rake the leaves and that simple act of loving your neighbor opens the door to share the love of Christ? 

My point is this: God has plans for the offences in our lives. Let's start stewarding/managing those offences in a way that brings glory to God and blessing to us.

You should know that offences fall into one of two categories:

Material – this category involves property, money, rights and responsibilities. (Should we build a new church?  How much money does Lancelot owe me? Did Sally breach the contract?)

Personal – this category relates to what goes on inside or between persons. (You are trying to cheat me. I don't like the way you are criticizing me.  You are unreasonable and stubborn, you're treating me badly because you're jealous.)

It would be nice if these two were always clearly separated, but in many offences or conflicts, they will both be present.

Luke 12:13-15 - And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

In this case, both types of offence or conflict are present.  The material conflict is how the family inheritance should be divided.  The personal conflict is the brother's greed and estrangement over the inheritance.

So, step one is finding the point of personal offence.  The next step is to decide if the offence is a minor one that can be overlooked, or a major one that cannot.

Overlooking minor offences

Proverbs 19:11- A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offence.

Proverbs 12:16 - A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

It's Biblical to overlook or let go of a minor offence. How do we determine if it is minor?

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this really worth fighting for?
2. Is this sin bringing significant dishonor to God?
3. Is it damaging your relationship (does it happen repeatedly,as opposed to a one time/pushed-over-the-edge scenario)?
4. Is it resulting in significant harm to others?
5. Is the sin causing significant harm to the offender?

Based on these criteria, decide if you can overlook the offence or if you need to pursue resolution.

In our biblical example of the two brothers, is the personal offense a minor one?  No, it is not.  The brothers are both greedy and they are fighting over the family money.  Their relationship with each other is broken.  Is that bringing dishonor to God – Yes.  Is it damaging their relationship – yes.  Is their relationship as brothers worth fighting for – yes.  So, they should not let this offence go.  They should work to resolve it and once this offence is ironed out, they can proceed to divide the estate.

In our example of the neighbors, is the personal offence a minor one?  Yes, it is.  One neighbor is allowing his leaves to blow into another neighbor's lawn.  Is this an issue that is really worth fighting for – no.  Is this sin bringing significant dishonor to God – no.  Is it resulting in significant harm to others – no.   It is a minor offence.  The neighbor should let this go, and move on to seeing how he can use this as an opportunity to exemplify the love of Christ.  

If you decide to overlook the offence, do you suppose you can just put it behind you and that will be that? The answer is yes, especially after some practice.  But be aware that you also may find the enemy knocking at the door of your emotions trying to upset you.

And what do you do when Satan comes and tries to trick you into going back to old habits? The solution is pretty much the same thing that we looked at last week for letting go of old offences which was found in Philippians:

Philippians 4:2-3 - I entreat Euodias, and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.  Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel.

These two women are having some kind of offence/conflict which does not appear to be major.  Perhaps they are trying to overlook it, but Satan is hindering them.  What does Paul tell them to do?

Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Tell the Lord that you want to overlook the office, then begin to praise God for the good in your life.  When you begin to praise God, those negative feelings disappear because they can't hang out with thanksgiving. 

Let's suppose that some dead leaves blow into your yard on Monday.  You overlook that and move on.  But by Tuesday morning, there are more.  And there are more on Thursday and Friday.  Each time, it gets harder to put the offence behind you.  You can gain victory by praising God for all the good in your life, like your home, your health, your job, etc.  Once you begin to praise God, the leaves will once again be reduced to the minor offence that they really are and you can put them aside.

So again, if it is a minor offence and you decide to let go, give it to God and then turn to praise.  Any resistance to forgiving will disappear because delving into prayer and praise puts you in God's presence.  Your anger and hurt will soon disappear, and the peace of God will descend on you.

That's how we overlook an offence.  However, there will be cases where you cannot overlook.  Sometimes an offence has to be addressed. If that is the case, how do we biblically handle that?

Pursuing resolution for offences that are not minor.

First of all, pursing resolution is clearly biblical.

Matthew 18:15-16 – If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

When pursing resolution, speak with your adversary first.  In other words, go directly to your brother.  Do not pass 'GO'.  Do not stop at "Gossip Corner" or "Revenge Ave" or "Mocking Lane".

Keep your mouth shut, unless you are speaking directly to the person involved in the matter.  Tell the person that you are offended by something they did.  Try to clear the air with them.  The best case scenario is that the two of you will resolve the situation on your own, just between you.

However, if they are unwilling to resolve the matter, take the next step and bring in an impartial Christian to help facilitate the healing process.  A church pastor or elder is a good choice. The general principle here is to involve as few people as possible for as long as possible.

What is the role of the mediator?  His primary role will be to help you and your opponent make the decisions needed to restore peace. They may simple facilitate communication, they may examine the facts themselves and gather additional information. They may give advice or offer biblically based solutions to the problem. They may encourage repentance and confession on both sides of the dispute.

If the situation is still not resolved, they become witnesses and should report the situation to the church, according to Matthew 18. That does not mean standing up on Sunday morning and airing all your grievances in the Sunday service.  It means telling the leadership of the church about the problem, so they can assist in promoting justice and peace.

Keep this in mind:  According to Matthew, the church's decision is intended to be binding on its members, whether they like it or not, so do all you can not to arrive at this point.

The issue of forgiveness is one that touches us all, and will continue to impact our lives until the day we are called home to be with Christ.  In the past, we may have responded to offences and conflict on an emotional basis, which often results in unforgiveness, gossip, bitterness, broken relationships and loss of peace and material possessions. It will destroy those closest to us and it can even render us unusable by God.

Let me give you some relief:  You no longer have to be burdened or bound by offenses.  Following the principles outlined in the bible, we can be set free from offences and live in peace.

Let me offer you some encouragement:  

You are an over comer! You can manage your offences, instead of your offences and emotions managing you.  What was once a weakness in your life can be turned into a strength.

Let me give you some strength:  

It is time to begin dealing with offence and conflict biblically.  In so doing, our conflicts, those things which used to destroy us, can actually become opportunities to minister to others and to show the world the love of Christ. They can also be used by God to make us mature and aid in the growth of fruit in our lives.  What an amazing turn around that will be!

 

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Forgiveness, Part II

Colossians 3:12-14 – Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

We determined last week that God commands us to forgive others, mainly for our own benefit.  We understand it with our minds, and yet, if we are honest, we will admit that we have trouble doing that.  Often times that is because there is a huge emotional response that goes along with being offended.  We can't forgive because we literally cannot let go or get past our emotions.

But let me give you some good news.  Let me offer you a sure word of hope and victory, from God our Savior:

Isaiah 53:3-5 - He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely, he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Did you see it?  "He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows" and "by his wounds we are healed."  Where did we ever get the ridiculous idea that this healing is only for our physical bodies?  Does God only care about the physical body that you have for maybe 75 years or so?  Does he want you to have a healthy body so you can carry around the sorrow and pain of damaged emotions for your entire lifetime?  No, of course not!  His stripes provide healing for the body, the spirit, the mind and the emotions.  God's healing is for all parts of you.  The price for your emotional healing has already been paid!!  Your savior is waiting to set you free from the captivity of unforgiveness and emotional pain.  

Luke 4:18 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

Do you have a broken heart/broken emotions? Jesus came to heal you.  Are you being held captive in the prison of unforgiveness?  Jesus came to deliver you.  Are your emotions battered and bruised? Jesus has come to set you at liberty.

The question is not "can" we be healed and set free from the cycle of unforgiveness, but rather "how" does it happen? How do we appropriate or apply the healing that Jesus has provided for us? How do we break the cycle of unforgiveness and get rid of all that extra baggage we are carrying around?  How do we take control of our emotions and force them into line with God's will?

Let's begin by examining the way God has created us in a broad sense; this is stuff you probably already know.

God has created us with a mind, a will and emotions.  When used properly (according to the pattern set by God himself), this combination of factors will allow us to experience God's best for us.  Improper use of these factors, or using them in a pattern other than the one God set up, opens us up to the bondage and destruction of Satan.

Here is how it works:

• GOD = MIND...WILL...EMOTIONS
• SATAN = EMOTIONS...WILL...MIND

God's way is the mind/understanding first, the will second in support of the mind/truth, emotions fall into place behind the mind and will.

God wants us to make our decisions and base our actions on truth, not emotion.

Instantly, you know that you will not touch that money, but you will return it to its owner and you decide to walk it down to the police station and turn it in.

What just happened? In the blink of an eye, almost without conscious thought, your mind knew the truth (thou shalt not steal/love your neighbor).

You will was already committed to allowing the mind to dictate your actions. Therefore, you instantly decided to return the money; you never even considered taking it.

What's going on with your emotions as you continue walking down the street to the police station?  You are probably joyful about helping someone in a meaningful way.  You are happy to do the right thing.  Why?  Because a righteous man is joyful when he does the right thing. Doing the right thing results in peace and joy because you are exhibiting the character of his savior.

We just saw that God wants you to operate with the mind/truth first, your will second in support of the truth and the emotions last. 

Satan wants the opposite.  He wants you to react with your emotions, put your will in full support of your feelings and ignore the mind/truth. 

Instantly, you know you are going to keep the money.  You quickly put it in your pocket and head to the police station to turn in the wallet.  You are probably joyful.  Why?  Because you are busy thinking about all the plans you are making for your unexpected wind fall.

What just happened? In the blink of an eye, almost without conscious thought, your emotions took over.  Your emotions became so excited, they just bubbled over.  You think:  Wow! This is my lucky day! My ship has finally come in! This is just what I need.

Your will was already committed to allowing your emotions to dictate your actions.  Therefore, you instantly decided to keep the money.

Catch this:  If your will is supporting your emotions, your mind has no choice but to justify your behavior (This guy won't miss that $1K.  After all, he owes me a reward for returning those credit cards.  Think how bad it would have been to cancel those. I deserve this money.  I need this money more than he does).

Do you see the difference? God wants us to put our will behind his truth, and when we do our emotions will fall into place.  Our emotions will rejoice when we do right.  Satan wants the opposite.  He wants us to put our will behind or emotions, and ignore the truth.  In so doing, we will destroy ourselves because our emotions were never designed to lead the way in our lives.  

Now, apply what we just learned to forgiveness:

Your cousin does you wrong.  You fold your arms over your chest and adamantly declare "I cannot forgive Lancelot! No way - it's not going to happen after the way he hurt me!"  In this instance, whose life pattern are you following?  [HINT: You are putting your will behind your emotions, ignoring the truth.]

That's right - you are following Satan.  And what do you reap? Based on what we learned in the last blog post, you get God's discipline as well as the destruction of your relationships.  You kill the work of the Holy Spirit in your life and you become unusable in God's kingdom.  Eventually you become angry and bitter. Even your physical health is affected.  In short, you reap bondage and destruction.  Sadly, this is the situation some of you find yourself in today.  However, there is hope, if you are willing to change.

First, do you see the truth?  Do you understand that in the past, you placed your will behind your emotions, instead of behind the truth?  Do you want to change?

Are you ready to turn this pattern around and receive/apply the healing that God has for you?

THREE STEPS FOR HEALING YOUR EMOTIONS/FORGIVING YOUR ADVERSARY:

Renew your mind; reject the lie that you cannot forgive, instead come to the realization that you CAN forgive.

Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer 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.

As we begin to meditate on the truth presented in the scriptures, it will transform us. It will allow us to change the pattern we are living by. What truth should we be meditating on?

The truth as found in Luke is this:

Luke 1:37 - For nothing is impossible with God.

Or if you prefer, as Jesus says to the disciples in Matthew 19:26  With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

The truth is that with God's help, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO FORGIVE. It is possible for you to let go of the offence and emotions you are holding onto, and receive freedom from anger and bitterness. 

Hebrews 13:20-21 - May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back to life from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen. 

God doesn't just tell you to forgive and then shut the door in your face and leave you to it.  Rather the Holy Spirit has promised to equip you with whatever you need to get the job done and he further promises to work with you/in you until the work is accomplished.  That's his job – to bring the will of God into fruition in your life.  He will see it done.

Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Not only that, he promises to walk with you through the experience.

Psalms 23:3-4  - He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

Isaiah 43:1-2 - Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you...

Here's the bottom line:  In step one, the renewing of your mind, you start bringing your life into proper order/pattern by meditating on the truth and changing the way you think.  Satan will tell you that you can't change but that is a lie. Search the scriptures, find those that deal with forgiveness, and begin to recite them out loud several times a day. Memorizing them would be great.  Recite them in your car, listen to them on your phone.  

The truth is, forgiveness IS possible, regardless of how long you have been carrying that burden around. God promises to equip you with everything you need for doing what is pleasing to him, including forgiving others. He promises to walk through the process with you. He also promises to continue to work in you until the work is complete. He won't give up on you!  Will you commit your way to him?  

Step Two: Put you will behind the truth; release the person from the debt you think they owe.

Colossians 10:13 - Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

That is pretty straightforward and simple to understand, but what does that look like practically?

Charles Stanley in his book, "The Gift of Forgiveness", makes this suggestion: Make a specific list of wrongs that you recognize.  For instance, Lancelot, cheated me out of 10% of the profits from our widget company. Lancelot lied to me.  Lancelot gossiped about me.  Lancelot ruined my reputation, etc.  Then, take your list into your prayer closet and bring it before the Lord. Humble yourself before him.  Confess that you want to forgive Lancelot specifically, for each and every offence.  Confess any part that you had in the offence. (You might as well admit it.  During this conflict, you probably responded in anger or retaliated for the wrong, or caused an escalation of the situation.  Just confess it.  God knows about it anyway.)  Confess all the anger, bitterness and hate that you are carrying around because of those offences.

It's important for you to speak out loud (more on that in a minute).  When you speak it out loud, in essence you are casting it away from you, and at the same time giving it to God.

Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

What if you don't "feel" like forgiving Lancelot, and what if you don't "feel" delivered at the end of your prayer?

You may not feel like forgiving him at that moment, but you are planting a spiritual seed.  Joyce Meyer, in her book "Do Yourself a Favor – Forgive", instructs us to forgive with clenched teeth if we need to!  

When you do that, when you humble yourself before God and ask him to help you walk the path of righteousness and forgive, you are putting your emotions where they belong – in back of your will.  At first, they won't like it.  They don't want to give up power.  But eventually they will fall into place.  If you feel like you need to cast the offences to God a second time, go ahead. Remember: as you forgive and release your emotions to God, you must ask the Holy Spirit to give you the capacity to truly do it from your heart.  You cannot get through this by sheer willpower, but you can be victorious through the Holy Spirit.   

Zechariah 4:6 - This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.

What was true for Zerubbabel is true for us.  In order to reverse the pattern in your life, you must work with the Holy Spirit to forgive.  Corinthians 10:13 says to "forgive as the Lord forgave you".  If you are having trouble "feeling" like forgiving, remember some of the things you were forgiven for:

How long does the process take? Well, it will be different for each one of us, and different depending on how grievous the offence was.  Maybe the chains will fall off instantaneously, and you will be freed immediately. Other times, it will be a process over time.

How will you know when you have truly forgiven? Several things will occur when the forgiveness process is complete. 

1. You will feel a release of your burden. Once you finally let go of that all consuming unforgiving attitude, God's peace and joy can return to you.
2. Negative feelings about the other person will disappear.  You will not feel that instant anger or fear or bitterness you used to experience when you met them at the gas station or heard their name.
3. You will find it easier to accept people who have hurt you without feeling the need to change them.  You will be willing to take them as they are, faults and all.
4. Concern for the spiritual and physical needs of these people will outweigh your concerns about what they did to you. When you care about them and their needs as opposed to you and your feelings, you have truly forgiven.

Don't be surprised if Satan comes by at some random time and tries to bring that offence back to the forefront of your mind.  He will try his best to ignite those old emotions again.  When he does, reject it.  Cast it out from your mind.  Do not dwell on it.  Turn it back to God. 

II Corinthians 10:5 – We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

When those thoughts try to come back, take them captive, then push them out of your mind. Tell Satan he is not going to bind you again.  Remind yourself that you have already handled that situation, and it is done.  Then, focus your mind on appropriate things, like praise and worship or other good things.

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

When you are thinking of those things, evil thoughts will flee because they can't stay in that environment.

When you truly feel that you have forgiven and you have been delivered from your bondage, you are ready for step three.

Step three: Reconciliation.

Matthew 5:23-24 - Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First, go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Unforgivness is a wall that hinders the relationship between us and someone else.  Many times when that wall has disappeared through forgiveness, we can become reconciled to our estranged friends and family.  Sometimes all it takes is a visit for a face to face talk.  Find your estranged cousin.  Say to him, 'Lancelot, I know we have had issues in our past, but I want to share something with you.  I forgive you for XYZ, and I apologize to you, for any part I had in our estrangement.  Can we be friends going forward?'  Sometimes it's that simple.

Other times, reconciliation is neither possible nor appropriate.  For example, when the actual physical distance between you is too great (perhaps Lancelot move to Italy), or the other person is dead, reconciliation is impossible.  Also, there are situations where the other person is hostile and will probably not receive what you are saying (like divorce.  You can forgive, but you can't control what your ex chooses to do).  There may be other situations when reconciliation is inappropriate, as in some cases of abuse.  

Let's talk about verbally speaking things out loud for a moment.  In step one (renewing your mind), step two (confession) and step three (reconciliation) we mentioned speaking the word out loud and confessing things out loud.  Why would we need to do that?   There is something about your verbal confession that makes a difference.

Mark 11:23 -  Truly, I [Jesus] say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and thrown into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

Is it fair to say that the burden of destructive emotions and unforgiveness that you are carrying around are like a mountain in your life?  Jesus says that part of casting that away from you and into the sea, is to speak out loud to it.

If that seems weird to you, then you must think Jesus is weird, because he did the same thing.

Mark 11:12-14, 20 - The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree "May no one ever eat fruit from you again".  And his disciples heard him say it.  In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.

Spoken words can curse things, but they can also restore life – case in point: Lazarus.

John 11:43-44 - When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice "Lazarus, come out!".  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Proverbs 18:20 - From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

Do you want to eat and be satisfied with forgiveness and reconciliation and healed emotions? Do you want the word of the Lord to renew your life? Then speak out the words.

Joel Osteen, in his book "I Declare", says this: "...the moment you speak to your mountains, something happens. In the unseen realm the forces of heaven go to work. God moves, sending healing, sending breakthrough, sending victory. You may not see what God has done for some time. That mountain may look just as big and permanent and strong as it was before, but one day, all of a sudden, you will see that the mountain has been removed".

So take a deep breath and speak out loud!

Now, this process brings up a further question.  How do I treat the people I have forgiven?  First off, we need to have wisdom in our future dealings. Just because we have forgiven someone, does NOT mean that we have to trust them unconditionally.

Secondly, when you are in a situation where you have been wronged or offended, it is important to remember that forgiveness is for our benefit. The other person's behavior may NEVER change. It is up to God, not us, to change them. Our part is to forgive and trust in God.

So, we need to accept others as they are; recognize that they are essentially tools in our lives God is using to aid us in growth. 

 Joseph is a prime example.  His brothers had certainly wronged him.  He had the opportunity to be angry and bitter, but he did not fall into that trap. Later, when he was reconciled to his brothers, he did not try to change them.  Instead, he loved and accepted them as they were and acknowledged that God was using them to accomplish his purposes in Joseph's life.

Genesis 50: 20- You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

God is not the author or cause of sin or offence.  He does not command or even tempt someone to sin against someone else. Those are the tricks of Satan.  What God will do is use that circumstance to bring you closer to him, to develop your character, and to fulfill his ultimate plan for your life.  God will use the people you have forgiven to shape you into his image.  Satan has plans to destroy you, but God will turn that plan around and use it to bless you.

So, let me give you some encouragement:  

Forgiveness is a process that can be painful and at times seem unending.  But whatever our pain, whatever our situation, we cannot afford to hold onto an unforgiving spirit for even on more minute.  Right now, we must begin to renew our minds with the truth of God, we must set our will to follow God's truth and we must force our emotions to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.  It may be difficult, but it will be worth it.

Let me give you some relief from that burden you are carrying around:  

When we set ourselves to truly forgive as the Lord forgave us, we will experience complete healing/restoration of our emotions.

Let me offer you some strength:  

You can break the cycle of unforgiveness in your life, if you partner with God to get it done.  Start the process today and see where God will take you.  Remember, God specializes in bringing the dead back to life and restoring what has been lost!  

 

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Forgiveness, Part I

Luke 17:1-4 -  Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.  It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.  So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says 'I repent,' forgive him."

I want to acknowledge that forgiveness is a very emotional issue.  Just the mention of it will send some of us into fits of rage/anger, some will experience great sadness or tears, some feel fear or frustration and many will be tempted to run away or avoid this topic for any number of reasons.

Some of you might cross your arms and say, "Sure I'll forgive her... when Gehenna freezes over."  Or, "How dare you tell me to forgive? You have NO IDEA what heinous and evil offences someone else has perpetrated against me or my loved one."

I'm going to answer this:  "You're right.  I don't.  If I did it would probably make me just as angry as you are.  It would probably make me sick to my stomach.  

Hebrews 4:15-16 -  For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.

My next post, 'Forgiveness Part II' will be dealing with all the emotions that go with forgiveness.  We will find out how to rule our emotions instead of them ruling us.  We will see that God has healing for our emotions.

In the meantime, let's begin to draw near to his throne.  Let's receive the grace and mercy we need to guide us through the sometimes difficult mandate of forgiving others.  

 This week, as hard as it may be, I want you to read this post with your intellect, not your emotions.

Let's start with this question:  Is it permissible for me as a Christian not to forgive?  Is that an option? Is there really a choice to forgive or not?

Matthew 6:14-15 -  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.   

If we take Matthew 6:14-15 by itself, it may appear that there is no option. On the surface, it would seem that unforgiveness would send you to hell, but that is not the case.

Correct interpretation of scripture requires that all scriptures be interpreted in the context of the Bible as a whole. So let's look at forgiveness/salvation scriptures in general.

Mark 16:15-16 -  And he said unto them, Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 16:30-31 – [The Phillipian jailer] brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?   And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Romans 10:9 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

So we can see from these three scriptures (and others) that although there are many good reasons for you to forgive, your salvation is not dependent on forgiving others.

 Salvation comes by acknowledging/believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that his blood cleanses us from all sin. Notice the verses below, which remind us that God saved us by his great mercy and the power of Jesus, not by any work which we have done.

2 Timothy 1:8-9  - Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Titus 3:4-6 - But after the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  whom He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Think of it this way - If you had to forgive every single person who ever wronged you, or if you had to let go of every single grudge you ever held in order to be saved, then your salvation would in part be determined by your own works.  And that is not possible, is it?

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.

You may find this shocking, but unforgiveness is not an unpardonable sin that will cast you into hell or cause you to forfeit your salvation. Rather, unforgiveness falls under the category of any other sin we commit, such as adultery, theft, gossip, envy, etc. Like any other sin, it needs to be confessed, dealt with and overcome.

So, you can harbor unforgiveness in your heart and still be saved.  There really is a choice to forgive or not.  BUT (notice the capital letters.  It's a BIG but), just as with any other sin, there will be consequences. There will be a price to pay.  What will unforgiveness cost me? What can I expect if I choose not to forgive?

I want to make you aware of five consequences of unforgiveness:

 

Here's the deal: Jesus commands us to forgive. If we don't, we are disobedient. Disobedience is sin.  Sin is not an action against an impersonal set of rules; it is rebellion against God's personal desires and requirements. Because God loves you, disobedience will always bring correction.

Hebrews 12:5-8 - And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

You consider yourself a child of God, right?  Then at some point you can expect to be disciplined if you do not forgive.  That is not to say that God is up in heaven with a whip giving you 10 seconds to forgive.  The path to forgiveness is sometimes very short and uneventful, but at other times it is a twisting and crooked road that takes a long time to navigate. 

Revelation 3:19 -  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Do you want to dwell under the rod of God's correction? Do you enjoy hardship? Do you want to be permanently grounded? That is where you will live, if you choose not to forgive.

Alternatively, you can choose to walk in God's ways.  You can choose forgive and live under God's blessing.  

Psalms 128:1-2 - Blessed are all who fear the Lord; who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Don't suffer because you won't forgive.  It isn't worth it.  Choose to actively seek and participate in forgiving others.  God will walk with you and bless you for it.

Matthew 5:25-26  - Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be put in prison.  Truly I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Instead of forgiving one another and trying to work it out, they choose to allow prison to severe their relationship. But here's the thing - not all prisons are brick and mortar.

Unforgiveness or unresolved conflict can lead to many types of prisons, and can exact penalties you never imagined in your worst nightmares.

Think about the last time someone offended you for any reason. It's like a wall between you and them, isn't it?  It damages the relationship.  If you are determined not to forgive, you will go to any lengths not to ask him/her for help. You would rather die than do one nice thing for them. You don't want to be generous or share with them. You will do anything possible to avoid that person; possibly you will go out of your way to cause them grief. You'll bad mouth them. You'll stab them in the back. If we are honest, we cannot deny that an unforgiven offence hinders or even kills our relationship with the one we hold a grudge against.

That is no way to live!  Don't let your relationships with friends and family be damaged or severed because of unforgiveness. 

Think about that wall of unforgiveness. What is that wall made of? The number one building block is anger.  If you have been wronged by another person, or even think you have been wronged by them, 99% of the time, you are angry.  It's not the only building block in the wall. Anger is never a lone wolf.  It always hangs out in packs with its friends like gossip, deceit, revenge, resentment, envy, rage, hate, hypocrisy, bitterness, even murder.

Remind yourself of the fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:25 - If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.

Think back to the last time you were wronged by another person. Did you feel like loving that person? Did you have an overwhelming desire to show them kindness or goodness? How was your self-control that day, especially your tongue? Were you experiencing joy and peace? [I doubt it!] 

The truth (which will set you free) is this: unforgiveness prevents you from consistently walking in the Spirit.  Therefore, the only choice open to you is to walk according to the flesh.

Galatians 5:16-17  - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Again, the choice is yours.  You can choose to forgive and walk in the Spirit, or you can choose not to forgive and walk according to the flesh. You can do one or the other, but not both.  If you choose the flesh, be aware that:

Galatians 6:7-8  - Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

Corruption is a departure from what is pure or correct.  It is synonymous with depravity, decay, rot, spoilage.

Does a rotten, depraved, fruitless, frustrating life sound good to you?  Do you want to infect not only your relationships but your own self with decay, depravity and evil?  No problem. Walk according to the flesh. Walk in unforgiveness; it will take you there.

Or, do you desire satisfaction and fruitfulness and fulfillment in all of your life?  If so, it's best to follow Paul's advice in Ephesians:

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.

Here's the kicker:  If you are harboring unforgiveness, it will eat you up on the inside, and will eventually spill out and touch your loved ones. The people you love the most will suffer right along with yourself and your perceived enemy.  Your spouse, your kids, your siblings, your boss, your coworkers, your church family, will all suffer to some degree from the unforgiveness you are harboring towards another.  You can't stop it. You can't control it.

Luke 6:45  - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Charles Stanley in his book "The gift of forgiveness" says this: "The destructive nature of an unforgiving Spirit is such that it is not limited to one relationship. Resentment and other negative feelings spill over into other relationships. Unfortunately, people are rarely aware when hostility from one relationship affects their ability to get along with others. Eventually, they hurt people they love the most."

You may not want to hurt those you love, but that is one of the consequences of unforgiveness.  What will you choose to do?

This should be obvious, based on what we already examined. If you are walking according to the flesh, by default you are not walking with the Spirit. You are out of intimate fellowship with God. You are putting a wall between you and God. You are blocked from his blessing and he is blocked from using you to your fullest extent in his kingdom.

Remember the parable of the sower? Some seed falls on the wayside, some on the rocky soil, some among the thorns, some on good soil. 

Mark 4:7 - And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Jesus interprets the parable this way:

Mark 4:18-19 - Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;  but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

We most often consider the desire for other things to mean material possessions, but that is not its only interpretation.

Your desire to hold on to unforgiveness will choke the word in your life, rendering you unfruitful in the kingdom of Christ.  You can deny it all you want, but God himself says it is so.  I don't care how busy or involved you are in the church. If you are walking the road of unforgiveness, at best you are spinning your wheels. At worst, you are creating strife and division in the church.   

How can we convincingly talk to others about the forgiveness of God when we refuse to forgive those who have wronged us? We can't!

Joyce Meyer in her book "Do yourself a favor – Forgive" concludes this:  Unforgiveness "renders you unusable by God."

Is that a place you want to be? Unusable by God?  Then hold onto unforgiveness.

Or would you prefer to be used of God?

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Want to do those good works?  They are on the path or forgiveness.

Consider the words of Christ:

Matthew 5:23-24 -  Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

• What are gifts? In essence, they are a form of fellowship. 
• Do we give gifts to strangers? No, we give them to friends and family. 
• In what context?  Let's get together for your birthday, or Christmas, or a graduation party. 
• What happens when we get together? We visit and communicate and find out what is going on with each other.  We laugh and eat and make new memories. 
• We give gifts to each other. In short, we fellowship.  

Gifts are also a form of fellowship in our relationship with God (money, worship, praise, time spent in his presence). God desires our fellowship more than we realize. He died in order to attain it.  It is precious to him and important to him.  In fact, it's the culmination of this age.

Revelation 21:2-4  - I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Fellowship with man is one of God's ultimate plans. It was his plan in the garden of Eden. It's his plan at the end of this present age.  And yet, as much as God wants and desires fellowship with us, what did he say back in Matthew 5?  God says: I choose to defer fellowship with you until you are in right standing with other people.  Then and only then, can we have intimacy with him and experience his manifest presence.

When you have been offended or wronged, it hurts you or makes you angry.  God does not always wave his hand and immediately change your painful circumstances. But what he does always do, is sustain us through them. Sometimes you still have to pass through the water or fire, but God promises to be with us.  

Job lost all he had - children, livestock, money, home, health, all of it.  Then his wife encourages him to curse God and die, and his friends accuse him of sin.  But as we know, Job was innocent. If anybody had an opportunity to be offended, it was him. He had an opportunity to be mad at God, mad at his wife and made at his friends. But at the end of Job's trials, he makes a very interesting statement about God.

Job 42:5 - My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.

In other words, before this trial, before these offences and hurts slapped me in the face, I knew about God.  But now that I have walked through this experience, now I truly know you in a more personal intimate kind of way. You will experience the same intimacy with God if you choose to walk the path of forgiveness.

Based on the facts presented here today (not on emotion but on fact), are you ready to choose to forgive those who have wronged you?

Let me give you some encouragement:  

All things are possible with God.  Eventually, with his help, you will be able to forgive and move on in life.  It may be a long road, but God is with you every step of the way.  Who knows more about forgiveness than he does? 

Let me give you some relief: 

Forgiveness is often a process. It takes time to release the feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal you may be feeling.  That's okay.  Lean on God.  Confess to him that you desire or choose to forgive, and the Holy Spirit will guide you.

Let me give you some strength:  

Despite what others have done to you, God has a perfect plan for you.  It is his desire to use forgiveness to set you free. He wants you to have life and have it more abundantly. He wants to give you peace that passes all understanding. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.  Healing, blessing, reward and abundant life are waiting for you on the road of forgiveness.

 

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Ephesians 6:10-11 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

I don’t need to tell you that there is constant warfare in this life.  You know that as well as anybody!  Every day we struggle or battle against the common problems and obstacles of life.  We have business deals that fall apart, vehicles that break down, schedule conflicts, kids that need braces, unexpected bills, and lawns that we can’t mow because it rains five days a week!  Sometimes, it feels like nothing is easy.    

In addition, the Christian is also engaged in spiritual warfare. The powers of darkness are trying to destroy our relationship with God and our testimony amongst men.   

Given our situation, it is fitting that Paul uses the analogy of a soldier to prepare us for what lies ahead.  Notice what our first two preparations are to be – one, we are to be strong in the Lord, operating in his might.  In other words, we are to have spiritual strength and courage.  We need to mature past the point where we are babies in Christ.  We should be engaging in the enemy through prayer, fasting, praise and worship, quoting the word, etc.   Each answered prayer is a victory, and each victory strengthens us in the Lord and gives us courage to battle even bigger foes.  Each victory causes faith to grow.

Why don’t you take a moment right now and reminisce about your last three or four victories?  Share your testimony with someone else.  It will build your faith and make you stronger! 

Our second preparation is to arm ourselves with the armor and weapons God has provided.  God provides them and makes them available to us, but it is our responsibility to pick them up and become skilled at wielding them!  The reason for putting on the armor is that we may be able to stand against the devil.  This involves withstanding temptations, recognizing deceit/lies, avoiding traps and snares, rescuing those still under Satan’s grasp and spreading the gospel message. 

Clearly, it takes both the armor/weapons and spiritual courage in order to be successful soldiers for Christ.

Spiritual warfare also has a very pleasing benefit – it draws you into a more intimate relationship with Jesus.  As you battle the enemy, you will be drawing on the strength and wisdom of God.  You will be pressing into his presence with prayer and praise.  You will find yourself enjoying communion and intimacy with him as he stands with you against the foe.     

Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

“Flesh and blood” is a euphemism for people.  If human strength and cunning were the extent of the opposition we faced, the battle wouldn’t be too overwhelming.  It would be human against human and we would have a chance of victory.  However, that is not the case.  As Christians we need to remember that people are the instruments or tools used in the attack, but the true enemies are evil spiritual powers.  They are far stronger and more cunning than we are; we cannot withstand them in our own power or strength.

What we truly face are “rulers, authorities and cosmic powers” as well as “spiritual forces of evil” in the heavenly realms.  These phrases denote ranks of demonic powers.  They seem to have an organization with differing levels of power, just as an army would.  They are numerous.  They are powerful.  They are experts at temptation, violence and evil of all kinds.  Back in the garden of Eden Satan won the rights to earth from Adam and Eve.  This world has been the seat of his empire since then.  Therefore, this world is considered in present darkness.  Paul tells us this not to overwhelm us with fear, but to stir up diligence within us, so that we can be prepared to fight.       

Ephesians 6:13 – Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

An ‘evil day’ is a time when we face temptations, persecution, trials, etc. Therefore, any day can be an evil day.  Since we don’t know when the next attack may come, we are to take up God’s armor and be ready to fight the enemy at all times. 

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We are instructed to “take up” and to “stand”.  Notice that we are not expected to achieve the victory.  That is because Jesus has already won victory over Satan.  Our job is to enforce that victory.  We must be prepared to stand our ground in faith, rejecting temptation, repelling sickness and disease, warring against injustice, spreading the gospel and in general, fighting Satan’s evil schemes where we find them. James tells us that if we stand firm and resist the devil, he will run away. Obviously, he is not scared of us, but of Christ who lives in us.

Ephesians 6:14 – Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…

Continuing with his military analogy, Paul now takes the time to give us the particulars of our spiritual armor.  We are not going to make an in depth study of the actual pieces of ancient armor, because this is only an analogy; it is intended to focus our minds on what is necessary for the Christian life. 

The belt of truth:  Truth is actually a very broad topic.  There is truth of action, meaning honesty in all our dealings and relationships.  There is truth of the heart, which refers to our intentions.  God is very, very interested in our intentions or motivations. This is clear throughout the Bible.  For example, remember when Samuel was sent to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel?  A number of Jesse’s strong young sons were brought before him, but this is what the Lord said:

1 Samuel 16:7 -  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.  For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart”.

There is also truth of speech, which entails much more than just an absence of lying.  It also includes building up and strengthening others through truthful words.  Perhaps someone told your best friend that she was a failure and she would never amount to anything.  As a Christian, you should use words of truth to encourage her.  You need to tell her that she is a victor in Christ.  Tell her that God has a plan and purpose for her life.  Tell her that God loves her so much, he numbers the hairs of her head and he has her name tattooed on the palm of his hand.  Truth of speech not only builds up others, it protects us as well.  We too, need to know the truth of how God views us.  We need to realize that he is pleased with us, that he loves us, that his love does not depend on performance, etc.  

Just as a belt encompasses our entire body, the spiritual belt of truth surrounds all aspects of what we do in the spiritual realm.

The breastplate of righteousness: This weapon is fairly easy to understand.  It signifies the practice of righteousness or living a holy life.  A soldier’s breastplate protected the vital organs from the chest to the thighs.  These were the most likely areas of enemy attacks, because any injury here would have a good chance of being fatal.  As we live holy lives, we defend and protect our spiritual man from attacks of the enemy that could be very serious indeed. How often have we seen Satan ruin the life or even the ministry of a man/woman of God because of sin?  We should develop a thick breastplate through personal holiness.          

Ephesians 6:15 -  and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Roman soldiers wore heavy sandals studded with hobnails which gave them a secure foothold when fighting.  (The best modern day example we have would be the athlete’s footwear called ‘spikes’.) 

Being properly shod indicates that the Christian soldier is constantly ready to move forward, taking new ground for Christ by sharing the good tidings of peace. The Israelites were commanded to eat the Passover with their feet shod to show that they were ready for their journey. Christ commanded His messengers to be shod with sandals, so they were prepared to proclaim the gospel wherever they were sent.  You and I should be prepared to witness for Christ as the opportunity arises.

I think this is an excellent place to stop for reflection.  If you are experiencing weariness in your Christian life, perhaps you need to re-think your position and check your armor.  Are you trying to do accomplish things for the kingdom using your own power?  You should be getting your strength from the Lord, who has an infinite supply.  Isaiah tells us that those who ‘wait’ on the Christ will run the race of life without being weary. David tells us in Psalms 18 that it is God who gives us strength for the battle.

Psalms 18:39 – For you (God) equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. 

How are you progressing in the area of personal holiness?  All of us fail at times; you should not allow the devil to condemn you for that, but overall is your level of personal holiness greater now than it was six months ago?  A year ago?  If you are not sure, this might be a good time to check your armor.

2 Corinthians 7:1 - … let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.  

How important is truth in your life?  Are you governed by it’s principles?  [FYI, if you base your life on principles of truth, things will go much smoother and more trouble free for you!]

When was the last time you spontaneously prayed for someone or shared the gospel?  If called upon to share it right now, are you able to give a reasonable, clear account of the salvation message? 

I share these thoughts not to make you feel badly about yourself, but just as a check.  A good soldier has routine maintenance performed on his gear and weaponry.  Now is a good time for us to do the same to our spiritual gear!

Ephesians 6:16-17 – In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

Faith is like a sort of universal defense.  Our enemy will try to launch fiery darts of unbelief, worry, unforgiveness, bitterness and hopelessness, etc.  All of these lies can be stopped or blocked with faith. 

For example, you may hear a report from work that says your job is going to be eliminated.  Don’t be surprised if Satan immediately launches a “fiery dart” at you by putting thoughts in your mind.  He may whisper something similar to this: 

“I know I am going to be let go and I will never find another job at my age”

“If I lose this job, I will lose my house”

“If I lose my job, I won’t be able to afford medical insurance”

“If I lose this job, I will need to declare bankruptcy”.

If we were to listen to those thoughts, it would induce a sense of panic, worry and fear into our lives.  We would be tempted to think that God either cannot or will not take care of us.  Our peace would be gone; so would our trust in God.

But it does not have to be that way.  When the enemy whispers those thoughts in our ear, we can fend him off with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   

For example, when those thoughts come to you, you should immediately banish them from your mind.  You can’t necessarily keep them from popping up in your mind, but you do have the power to shut them out without dwelling on them.  Instead, fill your mind with the God’s truth.  Remind yourself of past times when God met your needs.  Remind yourself that the God you serve owns the universe and he loves you!  Remind yourself that he has promised never to forsake you.  Remind yourself that he has promised to meet your needs according to his riches in glory!  Remind yourself that God miraculously fed millions of people every day for over 40 years with manna.  Surely, he can take care of you in your situation!  

The truth is that even if you DO lose your job, God is still going to walk with you and take care of you!

Philippians 4:19 – And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

As you dwell on these truths, your faith will kick in and you will not fall prey to the enemy.  Instead of fear and worry and panic, you will have peace and assurance that God is leading your steps.  That is how the shield of faith works.  Faith is believing what God says rather than what the circumstances look like. If you resist the devil, he has to leave you alone!

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The shield of faith works best in conjunction with the sword of the Spirit, or the word of God.  When the enemy attacks, fight back with the word.  This is exactly what Jesus did when he was tempted by the devil.  If you look at the temptation of Christ in Luke 4, you find that Jesus spoke the word of God in response to every temptation Satan threw at him.  Eventually, Satan gave up and left.  We can do the same thing.

I believe there are two keys to using the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit.  One, you have to get control of your mind and emotions.  You can kick Satan out of your thoughts and dwell on Christ, but it takes discipline.  Replace those thoughts with thoughts of God’s power and love for you.  Praise and praise songs can be a very effective way of reminding yourself how great and power God truly is!  Regardless of how you do it, I would advise you to start stretching your mental muscles today, so you will be ready when the battle comes.

Secondly, you must know and be familiar with the word.  If you never read the Bible, how will you use it when the day of testing comes?  Again, look at Jesus.  When Satan came to tempt him, he didn’t get out a scroll to look up a scripture.  He had them already hidden in his heart, and they came to him as he needed them.  You must do the same.  Prepare now for the day of battle and you will be successful!

Ephesians 6:18- …praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

The first thing to notice is that prayer should be happening at all stages of life.  If you are young, you should pray.  If you are middle aged, you should pray.  If you are old, you should be pray.  If you are lying about your age, you should definitely be praying! 

Prayer should be happening no matter what circumstance you find yourself in.  Whether in adversity, prosperity, temptation, joy, under trial, or having a ‘mountain top’ experience, we need to be praying. 

Our prayers themselves are different and unique.  The prayer we pray for a stranger at Walmart is different from the deep interceding we do in our private prayer closet.  The prayers you pray with your spouse will be different from the group prayers that are prayed at church.  Sometimes our prayer may just be a simple cry for help, or it maybe it takes the form of silently waiting to hear from God.  While there are different kinds of prayer, the key is that in all circumstances, we should pray.

This raises an important question – what should we pray?  Well, first of all, we know we should pray in accordance with the Word of God.  It is good and right to pray for people to be healed of sickness, because the Bible says Jesus has paid the price for our healing; it’s God’s will that we are healthy.  Obviously, we want to avoid prayer that is in direct opposition to God’s word.  For example, we should not pray that we don’t get caught cheating on our taxes! 

Sometimes, it is clear what we should pray for, but other times it is not.  For instance, what is the best way to pray for an unsaved loved one that you don’t see very often?  In this case, we may not know the circumstances well enough to pray for the right thing.  Even if we know the circumstances, we may misinterpret what God is doing.  If our loved one is going through a difficulty, we may pray for her to be delivered, when in fact, the trial is the very thing God is using to draw her to himself. 

Thankfully, according to Ephesians 6:18, the Holy Spirit will assist the believer in prayer.  This is confirmed in Romans 8:26-27:

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words….the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Practically speaking, you can begin by praying with your understanding.  Then, wait on the Holy Spirit to guide you in your prayer.  He is more than willing to lead you in the right direction.

Also, for those who have a spiritual prayer language from the Holy Spirit, you can also use this to pray.  In this instance, the Holy Spirit himself is praying through you, so you can be sure that you are praying the exact will of God.

 Ephesians 6:19-20  …and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

If the apostle Paul felt that he needed prayer support from his church, how much more do we need it as well?  We should be able to ask our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to aid us in our ministries by prayer.  We should be able to boldly ask them to pray for us when we are sick or facing trials and difficulties.  One of the blessings of being part of a church body is the support, love, and prayer we can receive from each other.  If you are not involved in a church, I would encourage you to find one and become an active participant.   

Ephesians 6:21-24 -  So that you may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.  Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Can we read between the lines in Paul’s final words to the Ephesians?  Paul is sending a messenger with this letter to “tell you everything”.  It is his intention that the church at Ephesus may “know how we are” and that it may “encourage your hearts”.  

But what exactly was Paul’s situation?  He was in prison, being accused of a crime he did not commit.  He is not telling the Ephesians that everything is great.  He is not telling them that the Christian life is easy or trouble free.  Rather, he is showing them that in all his tribulations, God is present with him.  In all his trials, God comforts and sustains him.  In all the unfairness of his situation, God is still in control and he will bring about his purposes for the church.  Wow!  This is a lesson we can all learn from!

This letter is also a great reminder that this world is not the end.  There is another eternal, spiritual world that will one day be our home.  I hope this study of Ephesians has stirred up your mind to a greater understanding of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ.  I also hope it has encouraged you to become an active member of the body of Christ! 

May the Lord bless you!

 

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Ephesians 6:1-4 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land”.  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Paul now comes to the second key relationship of his day: children & parents.

Again, in each of these three relationships, the first partner (in this case the child) is responsible to be submissive to the second (in this case the parents).  The second partner is also submissive to a higher authority (God) and they are to relate to the first partner in love. 

In a perfect world, children would have an inward love and respect for their parents.  This would manifest itself in obedience to their instructions, listening to their wisdom and treating them with dignity and respect.  In turn, the parents are to be good examples to their children, loving them, correcting them, providing for them, protecting them, and most of all, introducing them to Christ.

Jesus is the highest and best example we have.  He was in perfect obedience to Mary and Joseph as well as his heavenly father at all times.  There was mutual love and respect between himself and his earthly parents as well as between himself and the father.   

Most unfortunately, the world is marred by sin.  In every other parent-child relationship, mistakes are made on both sides, even in Christian households.  When this happens, all we can do is address the issue, ask for forgiveness and move on in love.  Even if they are not perfect, healthy loving relationships can exhibit the love of Christ to a lost world.

Ephesians 6:5-9 – Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye service, as people pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.  Masters, do the same to them and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.     

Lastly, Paul comes to the relationship of servants & masters. 

In this relationship, the first partner (in this case the servant) is responsible to be submissive to the second (in this case the master).  The second partner is also submissive to a higher authority (God) and they are to relate to the first partner in love. 

The world “bondservant” denotes one who is bound to render service to another, whether that service is for life or for a limited time.  Therefore, it could be used to mean a slave, but in could also reflect an employee-employer relationship.

The employee is to serve his boss faithfully, regardless of whether the boss is watching or not.  What kind of an employee are you? 

A boss is to treat his employees fairly and justly.  What kind of boss are you?

What conclusions can we draw from these passages of scripture?

No one is exempt from being under authority. Of the six roles listed, you will likely find yourself in more than one.  You are already a child, and it is probable that at some point you will either be an employee or a boss.  You may also become a father or mother, a husband or a wife.  Regardless of which roles you fit into, Jesus is the highest and best example to follow.  We know that Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth, yet he submitted to the authority of his earthly parents as well as his Heavenly Father.  When you are in a place of authority, exercise that right carefully; you are responsible for the way you treat those under you.  When you are in a place of submission, do your best to glorify God.   

Christianity is practical.  2 Corinthians 3:2-2 says “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Since you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart”.  In other words, people need to see we belong to Christ by our actions, not just our words.  We can reflect Christ by doing the right thing in our relationships.  Given the fallen state of our world, that can be a very tricky business.  We must depend on God for wisdom and the ability to forgive one another.

We have hope for the future.  All through the ages, marriage has been a picture of the union between Christ and the church.  While that picture has become more clear since the death and resurrection of Jesus, we know it has not yet been completely fulfilled.  We can have hope knowing that someday, Jesus will perfect the church.  She will be “without spot or wrinkle”.  Someday, we will be completely and eternally free from the bondage of sin. 

Don’t EVER give up in your Christian walk! God has ultimate victory for you through Christ.  This message of hope is not just for the church as a whole.  It is for you as an individual.  My guess is that you are somewhat like me – not a perfect child, not a perfect parent, not a perfect employee and not a perfect marriage partner.  At times, Satan would like to whisper in your ear how much you have failed.  He wants you to believe that you should give up, based on your performance so far.  He may also be telling you that you will never make it through the bad situation you are in right now. He may be pointing out what a failure you have been in relationships.  He tells you that you are not qualified to share God’s love with anyone.  When Satan comes against you with these false ideas, just re-read the book of Ephesians.  Here are some things for close consideration:

Satan tries to make you feel guilty based on the past or present, but God has already taken care of that.  He looks at what you will become.  He considers you a saint – Ephesians 1:2.

Even though you are not yet perfect, you are forgiven and God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing possible (seriously, EVERY ONE.  He is not holding anything back from you) – Ephesians 1:3.

God chose YOU to be blameless and holy in his sight, before the world was ever in existence.  He knew you would sin, but he also knew he would rescue you from it, so Satan has no grounds to condemn you -   Ephesians 1:4.

God chose to adopt YOU as his precious child.  He desired you so much, that he paid the ultimate price for you…the blood of Jesus.  He has never regretted that decision.  He is actively working to perfect his relationship with you – Ephesians 1:5-7.

God pours his grace upon us “lavishly”.  Lavish means superabundant or excessive.  It means ‘to expend or bestow profusely’.  God is not stingy with his love, his forgiveness or with any of the gifts he gives us.  He blesses you gladly and freely; He has a plan unite you with himself, despite your short comings – Ephesians 1:8-10.

Even though you are not yet perfect, you are sealed with the precious and all powerful Holy Spirit – Ephesians 1:11-14.

As we close this section on relationships, I want you to keep in mind that all people are imperfect.  Even if they love you, they can still disappoint you or mistreat you or break your heart.  However, God loves you perfectly and completely and eternally.  Don’t judge his love by the love of humans. 

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Ephesians 5:15-16 - Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

The word for ‘carefully’ or ‘circumspectly’ means correctly, accurately or consistently.  The meaning is that we should be aware of God’s boundaries and consistently and perfectly walk in them.  We should live according to God’s precepts in small matters as well as great matters, living the gospel, not just professing it with our mouths. 

The unwise man follows his passions wherever they may lead, eventually ending up in spiritual death.  However, the wise man who has been taught of God literally “buys opportunities” for doing good for as long as they can.  This present season of grace will have an end; then we will have no more opportunities to use our talents for God in this life.  Perhaps in the past we have misspent our time, but now we must be diligent to use it for God’s glory.

If the season of grace were to end today, where do you see yourself?  Are you happy with the way you spent your time and resources?  Or are there things you still want to accomplish for the Kingdom of Heaven? If so, do them now!  Don’t become distracted by the things of the world; keep your focus on the heavenly realm!  

Ephesians 5:17-Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

Paul wants every believer to know God’s purposes for himself and for the world.  When we know his will, we can work with him to bring about his purposes on earth; we will know how to use every opportunity we have for the glory of Jesus.

I sometimes hear people complain that they do not know God’s will for their lives. If that is you, I will encourage you to begin by examining the scriptures.  You’ll find that God has already made his will known.  For example, we have been given a clear mandate to spread the gospel to the world.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Fortunately, God has given us his Holy Spirit to enable us for this task.

Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Also, we have been given a clear mandate to live as righteous people. 

Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

We have also been informed that the greatest commandment or the greatest thing God requires us to do, is to love him.

Luke 10:27 And he answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

So let’s put this all together.  God’s will is not some difficult, unsearchable mystery.  He has clearly revealed his will in his Word.  First and foremost, we are to love Him with all of our hearts and minds.  In addition, we are to love our neighbors and preach the gospel to all who have not heard the good news. 

If you know Jesus, you are qualified to do this. You have access to the Holy Scriptures.  You have access to the Holy Spirit who empowers you.  You have a measure of faith that God gave you.  He has promised to be with you the whole time. 

Romans 12:3 - …God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Hebrews 13:5   …I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

So basically, you need to get started.  Find an area of ministry and get involved.  As you step out in faith, God will open the next door and then the next, or show you the next step to take and the next, but you have to start somewhere. 

As you begin to walk in the revealed will of God, or the part of God’s will that you know, you will be ready to pray that you become filled with spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God’s will for the unique dispensation or circumstance in which you find yourself.  That’s what Paul did for the Colossians.  

Colossians 1:9-10 - For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

If you are truly seeking God’s will, you will find it, but it is imperative that you begin by living in the knowledge that you have.  You are going to need growth and strength for the next level.  That growth and strength are provided by experience in the present.  So, pray for guidance.  Equip yourself with the word.  Then go out and minister to the lost! 

Ephesians 5:18-21 -  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit addressing one another in Psalm and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Paul continues to offer practical life applications by warning the Ephesians against drunkenness.

Drunkenness is a very, very bad thing.  People will do and say things when they are drunk that they would never do while sober.  The worst thing about drunkenness is that it is a gateway for other sins.  Those under its influence are led into sexual sins, rage/anger, abuse of others, theft, destruction, even murder.  How many deaths have resulted from drunk drivers?

However, in this particular passage Paul seems to be referring to the social aspect of drinking, namely, the exhilarating influence of wine (or any alcohol) consumed with company, which gives a temporary rush of joy or cheer.  Back in Paul’s day, the Gentiles worshipped a false idol called Bacchus.  He was considered the god of wine.  They would gather in groups to sing rousting hymns to him and drink until they were drunk. Other sins then followed, but the root cause of it all was that sense of social camaraderie and joy.  [FYI, the same Greek word used here for drunkenness was used in the parable of the prodigal son.  In that passage, it was translated as “riotous living”].

At any rate, Paul instructs the Ephesians that instead of using wine/alcohol to cheer themselves, they should open their hearts to the Holy Spirit.  This is wise instruction for believers today as well.  The Holy Spirit will fill our hearts and give us an eternal joy that is not destructive.  In fact, his joy gives us benefits.  The spirit of joy will lead us into praise and worship of God.  Praise and worship usher us into the Lord’s presence.  In his presence, we find everything we will ever need to live fulfilling lives on earth, plus he gives us eternal life!

Ephesians 5:20-21 – giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Paul closes this section with yet another call to Christian unity, this time centering on how we should properly submit to one another.  It is a topic that is discussed in the remainder of chapter 5, so we will look at it more next time.

For now, I want to encourage you to spend some time this week meditating on walking in love, living within God’s boundaries for us, and walking a wise Christian walk.  Do you know God’s will for your life?  Are you pursuing it with all your energy?

In the last few verses, Paul was admonishing Christians to live Spirit filled lives.  He now discusses how the Spirit filled life manifests itself in three key relationships of his day: Wives & husbands, children & parents and slaves & masters.

Ephesians 5:22-24 – Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

In each of these three relationships, the first partner (in this case the wife) is responsible to be submissive to the second (in this case the husband).  The second partner is also submissive to a higher authority (God) and they are to relate to the first partner in love. 

If we lived in a perfect world, no one would question this submissiveness because it would be wonderful, loving and flawless.  It would be the perfect example of the relationship between the church and Christ.  However, last I looked, the human race was far from perfect.  We have a tendency to abuse power, and to love ourselves more than others.  If you have been in a bad marriage relationship, it may be difficult for you to understand and accept that the marriage institution is to be an example of the relationship between the church and Christ.  For some, the thought of submitting yourself to anyone can bring instant feelings of anger and rebellion.  I think Paul was well aware of our shortcomings when he wrote this, because he includes descriptions of how the perfect wife/husband relationship should look.

 Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

In a Spirit filled relationship, the husband would love the wife so deeply and completely, that he would be willing to do anything for her good. This is how Christ loves the church.  Literally, he gave himself up for us, so that we could be delivered from the chains of sin.     

Ephesians 5:26-27  - …that he [Jesus] might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish. 

Here Paul reveals WHY Jesus gave himself up for the church.  Specifically, Jesus paid the price for sin so that he could sanctify or set apart the church for himself, just as a wife is set apart or reserved only for her husband.    

The ‘word’ refers to the word of God, or the preaching of the gospel.  The ‘washing of water’ refers to baptism, which is the outward symbol of our inward trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.  Both of these speak of the church as being spiritually cleansed and set apart for God.

Ultimately, at some point, Jesus will receive the church to himself as a perfect, fully glorified bride without spot, wrinkle or blemish of sin.  We will be entirely pleasing to him in all respects.    

Ephesians 5:28-30 - In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

The scripture reveals that Christ nourishes and cherishes his body, the church.  The idea of nourishing or nurturing suggests tender loving care.  Jesus has tenderly cared for his church from its weak infancy until now, and he will continue to cherish and watch over it until it reaches full maturity in heaven.  He is well able to meet all the needs of his body; he furnishes whatever is needed for life, health and happiness.

The love of an earthly husband for his wife should reflect the same level of love, caring and provision. 

Ephesians 5:31-33 -   “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”.  This mystery is profound and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The word “mystery” means something which is hidden, concealed or before unknown; it must be taught or explained to someone before they can understand it.

In this case, the mystery which was long unknown, but at least in part understood after the resurrection of Jesus was the union of Christ and the church.  The Son of God uniting himself with mortal man and making them one with himself was a concept that was not imagined prior to this time.  Under the old covenant, God was someone to be respected and sometimes feared.  Even though He loved his people and dwelt among them in the tabernacle, they were never united as one because of sin.  Now, in the new covenant, God joined man to himself; He is the head and the church is the body.

 

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Ephesians 5:1-2 - Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

These first two verses of chapter 5 should have been at the tail end of chapter 4.  In 4:32 the apostle ends by admonishing the Ephesians to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you". 

He then goes on in 5:1-2 to say therefore or because God has been so exceedingly good and merciful in pardoning your sin, you should imitate him and forgive others showing kindness and love at all times.  Christ is to be our example and we are to imitate him, just as any small child will imitate what she sees her earthly father doing. 

Here in Ephesians, Jesus is described as both.  His life was an offering to God because he was in perfect obedience, saying and doing only what the Father directed. He offered his own will and his own desires as an offering to the heavenly father.  As you are already aware, his life was a bloody sacrifice as he died on the cross. 

Jesus' offering and sacrifice were a sweet smelling savor to God.  This phrase is found in the Old Testament and refers to a smell of satisfaction; a gift well pleasing to God not only because of what was given, but also because of the attitude or spirit in which it was offered.

I like that last bit - the offering is pleasing to God because of the attitude or spirit in which it was offered.  In second Corinthians Paul says that God loves a cheerful giver.  If you give something grudgingly, it taints or ruins the gift.  Have you ever given a tainted gift?

What kind of sacrifices have you made to God recently?  Have you considered surrendering your will and your desires to him?

Ephesians 5:3-4 - But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.  Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Have you ever been driving down the road in your car, just enjoying the day, listening to the radio when all of a sudden a horrible smell hits you?  Then you try to decide what they smell is; maybe farm animal excrement or a skunk or a dead deer. You might even check to see if it is the one of the passengers in your car!  You keep driving hoping the awful fumes will soon dissipate!    

Verse four is a warning against unseemly talk.  The Bible has an awful lot to say about our speech.  We could do a whole study on it, but we won't.  James sums it up nicely when he says in 3:10, "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be so".  This is the same point Paul is making.  As saints of God, we are to avoid any manner of speech that is not encouraging, edifying or thankful. 

Ephesians 5:5-6 - For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who is covetous (that is an idolater), has no 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.

In the next few verses the apostle gives us reason and motivation to choose what is holy and reject that which is evil. 

He begins in verse five by warning that idolaters of any kind have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.  An idol is anything that we put in the place of God. In our generation, it could be money, our kids, TV, our job, sports, electronics, the pursuit of a hobby, etc.  Since idolatry can keep us from entering heaven, we must anxiously examine our own lives and make sure we are free of the sin of idolatry.

Others will tell you that idolatry is harmless and God will overlook it. Don't fall into that trap!  God's mercy will allow the sinner multiple opportunities for repentance.  Do not mistake His delay of judgment as an approval of sin, for in due course his wrath will come upon those who are disobedient.  If you find that you have an idol in your life, repent right away.  Then begin to take steps to get rid of it without delay!

Ephesians 5:7-10 - Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

At one time, the Ephesian believers were slaves to sin.  They were ignorant of the ways of God and practiced the abominations that are being discussed here.  But, now that they have been enlightened [redeemed] by Christ and been made aware of the evil of idolatry, evil speaking, etc, they are expected to forsake these practices and live [walk] as true children of God. 

Those who are redeemed have the Holy Spirit living in them.  The working of the Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit in the life of the believer.  This fruit is listed in Galatians:

Galatians 5:22-23 -  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control: against such there is no law.

Every believer, who lives by the gospel and has the indwelling Holy Spirit, should be well able to please the Lord.  This includes you and I.  Each of us should be able to examine ourselves and see if we have the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  We should pray for him to reveal to us areas in which we are prone to idolatry.  The Holy Spirit is our teacher, our comforter and our guide in this life.  Let's willingly partner with him.  

Ephesians 5:11-12 -  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 

The Ephesians were greatly involved in the practices of magic and sorcery which included secret rites and incantations.  The initiates of these rites were obliged to keep the group's secrets, on pain of death (see Acts 19:17-19).  This is probably what Paul is referring to when he speaks of shameful things they do in secret.  Obviously, these works of darkness are unfruitful because they are devoid of any true wisdom or power.  They do not draw men closer to God, but drive them further away.  Paul implies that by concealing or ignoring these practices, we too are sinning. He maintains that it is the duty of the true Christian to expose or testify against these practices and stand for the truth of the gospel. 

How do you feel about that?  Do you think you are sinning if you say nothing in the face of such evil as abortion, gay marriage, and other sins of our society?   

Ephesians 5:13-14 -  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you".

The overall meaning of these verses is that when you shed the light of truth [expose or testify against] on the works of darkness, their true nature is demonstrated or made known.  This is what the gospel does – expose sin for what it really is. 

How do you know if you are a spiritual 'sleeper'? 

• If you engage in things you know to be sin (sexual sins, unforgiveness, fraud, drunkenness, anger, etc) without your conscience bothering you, you are asleep.
• If you never feel any conflict with temptation, you are asleep.
• If you are too busy to pray, you are asleep. 
• If you never feel convicted by reading the word of God, you are asleep.
• If you have no compassion for others, you are asleep.
• If you never hear God speaking to you, you are asleep.
• If your life looks exactly like the life of unbelievers, you are asleep.

If you find yourself in any of these situations, WAKE UP!  Repent and call upon God to enlighten you.  He specializes in bringing the dead to life, and he will restore you spiritually.

 

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Ephesians 4:17-18 – Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

In the prior section, Paul explained the governing and working of the church as a unified body.  He spoke of how pastors, apostles, teachers, etc were to preach/teach the gospel for the edification of the saints and the winning of souls.  Now he discusses general and particular characteristics that should be present in the life of every believer.

To begin with, Paul reminds the saints where they came from and he describes the ways in which sinful people (here referred to as Gentiles) live their lives.  First, they live in the “futility of their minds”.  This means they follow their own thoughts and ideas, living without any revelation or guidance from God.  They do whatever makes them feel good.  

Sinners are “darkened in their understanding”; they are void of any spiritual knowledge.  They prefer to dwell in the darkness of sin rather than the light of God’s holiness.  

They are also “alienated from the life of God”.  There is physical life and spiritual life.  Here the apostle refers to spiritual life.  Sinners are spiritually dead; they have a dislike for holiness, which is the way of life that God requires.  God himself is pure, righteous, holy, good and true, while those alienated from him desire the exact opposite.     

Paul is very specific that the reason they are this way is because of their own hardness of heart. They willfully and persistently shut out the light that would lead them to righteousness in Christ.  God makes himself known to man by his great works, by the gospel and by love, but if a sinner will not acknowledge God, they will remain in darkness.

Ephesians 4:19 - They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

All men are by nature corrupt and inclined to be evil.  Those who are alienated from God will give free reign to self indulgence, ignoring the stings of conscience until the pain of remorse is calloused over.  Once a person is past feeling any guilt or conscience, depravity knows no bounds.  God, for his part, continues to call out to sinners, but because of rebellion, their hearts are hardened rather than being softened.  They have become slaves to sin and to Satan.

Ephesians 4:20-21 - But that is not the way you learned Christ! – assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

But Christians are different because we have “learned Christ”.  We have been taught the real truth by Jesus himself both in the way he lived and what he said.  That truth is also revealed to us as the Holy Spirit quickens are spiritual understanding of the word through pastors and teachers.  That truth has set us free from the bondage of sin, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can live holy lives pleasing to God.

Ephesians 4:22-24 – to put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

These verses describe three things that are to be done:  Be renewed, Put off and Put on. 

Be Renewed:  The only way to break the chains of sin in our lives and have our natures renewed is to accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  He takes our sin upon himself, setting us free.  In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the scripture says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. 

Put Off:  We are to put off the ‘old self’ or the ‘old man’. This is a phrase used by Paul in several places, like Romans 5&6, here in Ephesians and in Colossians 3.  The old man refers to the sinful and corrupt nature that we were all born with.  Because Adam sinned, all people born after him were automatically born into sin.  We have a corrupt nature; it is natural for us to love and indulge in sin.  Here Paul notes that these sinful desires and passions are deceitful.  In other words, they look good; we expect that if we indulge in them we will feel good and they will satisfy the longing of our souls, but they will not.  They will only leave us feeling bitter and empty for sinful desire can never satisfy. 

As I am sure you have already noticed, our tendencies to sin are still present with us even after we are renewed or saved.  God does not make us instantly holy.  It is our job to partner with the Holy Spirit in what is called “progressive sanctification”.  This is an ongoing process in which we choose to pursue the ways of God, thus crucifying our evil desires.  We can take comfort in the fact that the Holy Spirit will carry to perfection the work begun when you became a new creature in Christ. 

Put On:  If you are going to “put off” the old man, you will also need to “put on” something new.  What does the new creature in Christ put on?  He puts on the characteristics that God possesses, such as kindness, patience and forgiveness. He walks in holiness; telling the truth, maintaining Godly relationships, encouraging others, etc.   When we act and think like God, it is an outward manifestation that reflects the change that has taken place in our spiritual man.  When we reflect the love and kindness of God, we are a witness to those who still walk in darkness. 

Colossians 3:12-14, - Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you… and above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.      

Putting off the old and putting on the new are very general concepts.  In the next six verses, Paul discusses specific examples of each.

Ephesians 4:25  – Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another. 

There can be no doubt that God hates lying.  One of the original 10 commands is:  Exodus 20:16 - You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.  However, Paul may have something more specific in mind here.  Unity of the church is the main topic of the 4^th chapter, so he seems to be indicating that unity of the body is based on mutual confidence, which can only work if we always tell the truth to one another. 

Ephesians 4:26-27 - Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil.

“Be angry and sin not” is a quote from Psalms 4:4.  Anger itself is not necessarily a sin;  Jesus displayed righteous anger in Mark 3:5.   Keep in mind that righteous anger is anger directed at the sin, not the sinner.  We need to have pity and compassion for the sinner.  If we are angry at the person as well as the fault, we are sinning.  This is a very difficult thing to manage.  Be careful with anger!  If you find a need to express it, be sure that you reconcile with the person immediately.  Otherwise, Satan has an opportunity to cause division.  Anger must not be allowed to fester into wrath and bitterness.    

Ephesians 4:28  - Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Theft has been a part of society forever and some of the heathen really did not think it was so bad.  Paul explicitly states that theft is evil.  He then goes on give a very good example of putting off the old and putting on the new.  Not only should the Christian stop stealing (put off), but he should do honest work and use some of that money to share with the poor (put on).

Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupt talk  come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

The Greek word for corrupt literally means “rotten” or “putrid”.  While it could mean cursing or foul language, it also means any talk that tears down, humiliates, makes fun of, intimidates, or belittles someone else. Christians should be known for building up and encouraging others, not tearing them down.

Proverbs 12:18 There is one that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise beings health.

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

This sentence is short in length, but long on meaning!  Several things are implied by this verse:

1. The Holy Spirit demonstrates personality; he is the third Person of the Trinity – a person as much as the Father and the Son.
2. The Holy Spirit loves us immeasurably.  You can only grieve those you love or those who love you. 
3. If we persist in offending the Holy Spirit, he will suspend or withdraw his influence in our lives. 
4. The Holy Spirit seals us.  He marks or brands us as a possession of God.  As discussed in chapter one, this is an assurance of our final redemption.

Ephesians 4:31-32 – Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

All the negative emotions and actions listed in these verses are a form of malice.  Malice should not be found in the life of any Christian!  It will not only tear apart the church, it will bring death to the individual believer.  On the other hand, forgiveness will not only enforce and strengthen church unity, it will heal and bring life to the individual believer.  As always, our ultimate example of forgiveness is Christ.   

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Ephesians 4:1-3  - I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,

In the first three chapters of this letter, Paul shared numerous high and lofty truths with the Ephesian church concerning their admission into the body of Christ and the spiritual blessings that God has given them. The remaining three chapters consist of practical applications of these truths.

First of all, they are to live their daily lives (walk) in a manner that reflects the grace of God. They are also to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  While that sounds simple, I doubt it was.  Remember, the Ephesian church was composed of both Gentiles and converted Jews. Based on the history between the two groups, we might expect frequent differences that were more likely to produce argument and division rather than peace and harmony.

Paul wants to stop that from happening, so he admonishes them to "eagerly" work for peace and unity.  The Greek word for 'eager' means intense, diligent or industrious.  The clear indication is that this peace and unity will not happen naturally or magically.  They are going to have to work at it.  It is going to take some effort on their part. So it is for the church of today.  We should allow the Holy Spirit to direct the way we think, speak and act towards our fellow believers.  We would do well to focus on those points on which we agree, not so much on our points of difference.

The bond of peace is an outward manifestation that is visible to the lost world around us.  Why would the world want to be part of an organization that has infighting and quarreling?  They have enough of that already! It is peace and love that will show them we are different.       

 So, practically speaking, how is the church to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?

Paul says it begins with humility or lowliness, which is the opposite of pride and arrogance.  It means to have a modest estimation of our own worth; it means we are willing to waive our rights and take a place or station that might be lower than what we are due.  Jesus gives us an excellent example of humility in the book of John.

John 13:3-5 - Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.  He laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet...

If we are willing to keep an attitude of humility, it will go a long way to creating a bond of peace in the church.  

Gentleness or meekness is also needed in forming the unity of Spirit and bond of peace.  My favorite definition of meekness is "power under control".  It relates to the manner in which we respond when someone else injures or insults or attacks us.  We are to bear that injury patiently, without retaliating or seeking revenge.  Best example?  Jesus on the cross.  He had the power to obliterate those who were crucifying and humiliating him, yet he had perfect control of that power and he did not retaliate.     

Lastly, Paul says we are going to need longsuffering (with patience).  It is defined as 'bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient endurance'.  Example?  You guessed it – God.  God is longsuffering towards sinners.  He patiently waits until we acknowledge him and accept salvation.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Obviously, we cannot control the actions of others (Bummer! That would really come in handy sometimes).  The Christian traits of humility, meekness and long suffering do not mean that we will all become like identical robots with the same sentiments, the same opinions and the same decisions.  Rather, it means that we should strive to interact with others without giving offence or taking offence.  We should avoid contention when we don't get our way.  If we can do this, our different personalities and intellects will bond us together in peace. The world needs to see that peace and unity in the church.

Ephesians 4:4-6  - There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is overall and through all and in all.

I have been accused of beating a dead horse on more than one occasion, but obviously, I am not the only one!  Here Paul stresses the need for unity by pointing out that the church is one body, with one head (Jesus).  We are all quickened by one and the same Holy Spirit.  All of us are called to one hope, which is eternal life in heaven.  We have one faith which is the gospel message.  We have one baptism, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We have one Father who has ultimate dominion over all things.  In light of this, we clearly need to conduct ourselves in unity.  Given this list, there should be more to unite us than to divide us.

Ephesians 4:7 - But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 

No one person has it all, therefore, the members of the church must pool their gifts together so that everyone can have what is sufficient for maintaining their place in the body.  For example, we need worship leaders, but not everyone can lead worship or play an instrument or sing.  We need pastors, but not everyone is called to pastor.  We need teachers, administrators, sound technicians, carpenters and electricians, grass cutters, janitors, ushers, etc.  Notice that regardless of how big or how small a person's gift may be, it is still a gift.  We did not manufacture it on our own, it was gifted to us by God.  In God's infinite wisdom, he made us dependent upon each other, which promotes unity, strength and harmony in the church.

Ephesians 4:8-10 - Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men".  (In saying, "he ascended", what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?  He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things).

In verse 8, Paul is referencing Psalms 68:18.  He is not actually quoting it.  The 68^th Psalm is considered a Psalm of triumph, written by David to celebrate the time when the ark was brought up to Jerusalem.  It also has Messianic overtones which we are not going to examine at length in this study.  For our purposes we only need to know that the bringing of the ark up to Jerusalem was a picture or shadow of the triumph of Christ's victory over Satan in Jerusalem.  

They would chain or bind the most prominent captives from the battle and force them to walk behind the victor's chariot in shame.  Everyone would see and mock the captives.  At the same time, the commander would throw spoils/money/coins out into the crowd of people who came to celebrate his victorious return. 

Colossians 2:14-15 – [Jesus cancelling] the record of the debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This he set aside, mailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him [the cross].

So, what we see in verse 8-10 is Paul comparing Jesus to Psalm 18 and the victorious commander.  Jesus descended first to earth, then to hell, defeated Satan, took the keys of death, hell and the grave, then rose victorious.  He paraded Satan around as a defeated foe and gave gifts to the church. This ties in with the subject in Ephesians, which is the victorious Christ giving gifts to his people the church.  In fact, the victorious Jesus is the fountain of all blessings to the church.  He dispenses his blessings to whom he wills, in the measure he wills, to the different members of his body, both Jews and Gentiles.  The greatest gift of all, obviously, is the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:11-13  - And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.    

Having established that Jesus has given gifts to the church and that the church must function in unity to be fully equipped, Paul goes on to discuss specific offices in the church.   It seems odd that Paul would discuss offices of the church instead of gifts, but the obvious answer is that when God calls you to an office, he equips you with the gifts necessary to fulfill that office.  If you are a true pastor, then God has given you the gifts and abilities necessary for that office.  The same is true of all the offices. 

Scholars agree that the powers exercised by the leaders of the early church were not as well defined and systematically arranged as they are in today's church.  Their duties varied depending on the circumstances and the people who exercised them.  Therefore, rather than dissecting the differences between the offices listed, we are going to focus on the ultimate purpose of these offices in the body of Christ.

We want to begin by noting that HE gave - in other words, the office of true Christian leadership in ministry is based on divine authority.

We further note that the appointment of apostles, pastors, etc, is given for specific purposes.

The first of these purposes is "to equip the saints for the work of ministry" (your translation may say 'for perfecting of the saints').  The word for equip or perfect means to restore to its place/putting in order; making complete or completing what is unfinished.  The meaning is that apostles, pastors, etc have been ordained by Christ to bring individual members of the body to maturity, thus making the whole church complete or perfect.  Maturity includes instruction, purification, holiness, etc.  

The second purpose of church leadership is "for building up the body of Christ" (your translation may say '(for the edifying of the body of Christ).  This phrase refers to the growth or maturity of the church body as a whole, in contrast to the individual members as mentioned above.  We note that the church belongs to Jesus.  He could have edified it any way he wanted; he chose to do it by the outward preaching of the word by people.  When individuals claim that they do not need to attend church or be part of a body, they are saying that they know better than God! 

Jesus has decided to use leaders to help bring the individual members of the body to maturity, but they cannot do this alone.  The believer must desire to come to maturity and work in conjunction with the leadership and the Holy Spirit.  Are you doing your part?  Are you meditating on the word, spending time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the parts of your life that need to be perfected, working towards a more holy life?  Or are you just coming to church every week waiting for the pastor to spoon feed you like a baby?

No person is excluded from this hierarchy.  A person who claims that they do not need to be planted in a body of believers is really in a form of rebellion to Christ.  If any person feels they have arrived at maturity, then they should be an active part of the body by helping those who are still immature believers.  There is plenty of work to be done – who will rise up to mentor or disciple the new believers?

Mistakes will be made.  Despite the calling and gifts they have been given, spiritual leaders are themselves fallen humans who are not perfect.  In addition, as each individual member increases in maturity, they will begin to take a bigger role in the church.  They too, will make mistakes.  If we react with criticism and strife, division will result; this is the opposite of unity.  However, the body should have enough love for one another to work through these difficulties.  The only perfect workers are the ones who do nothing but warm the seats!

Speaking of workers, keep in mind that all the members of the body are essential.  What is your call, your gift, your ministry?  If you don't know, I suggest you start by filling a need you see in the body.  If that is not where you belong, God will move you towards something else.  Just get started!

Ephesians 4:14-15 -  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ...

Paul goes on to illustrate another reason for spiritual leaders. The leaders guard against childish behavior or mistakes in the ignorant and inexperienced of the faith.  Until the believer becomes firmly rooted in truth, they are in danger of being led into false doctrine or beliefs by any crafty or deceitful person who professes to be a Christian teacher.  The spiritual leaders are to oversee the flock as they grow from babes to mature believers. 

Romans 16:17-18 – I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Speaking the truth in love – in this instance, truth is the whole gospel doctrine.  They are to teach and preach the truth as opposed to the false doctrine as noted above. Truth is the element in which the Christian is to live at all times.  But, truth should be inseparable from love.  While God is certainly a just judge, he is not to be portrayed as harsh task master, waiting for his subjects to fail so he can bring punishment.

Ephesians 4:16 – from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Just as the physical human body is formed by a union of all its parts, with the head in charge, so the church is formed by the union of its members with Jesus in charge.  Both the physical body and the spiritual body (the church) arrive at maturity when each individual part begins to function as it should. 

What is your place in the body of Christ?  Are you rooted in a local church? If not, why?  Are you diligently working for unity in the body?  Have you prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to help you mature in Christ?  How much to you think you have grown spiritually in the last three months?  In the last six months?  

 

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Ephesians 3:14 – For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

We now come to the second part of chapter 3, which contains Paul’s prayer to God for the Ephesians.  It is a devout prayer that shows his love for them.

In this prayer, Paul asks for three great gifts for the believers.  They are: The infusion of spiritual strength, The indwelling of Christ and The establishment of their hearts so they can be ‘rooted and grounded’ in the love of God.  Let’s take a look at his prayer.

Obviously, bowing his knees before the Father signifies a traditional position of prayer.  Do you kneel every time you pray?  Most people that I know do not.  The truth is, you can pray standing up, sitting down on your couch, laying flat on the ground, even driving your car, as long as you are reverencing God in your heart.  However, I came across a scholar who had a rather interesting insight.  He said “Posture affects the mind, and is not therefore unimportant”.  In other words, if you believe or feel compelled in your spirit to kneel in prayer, then by all means, do so!  If you feel that at certain times you need to lay face down on the floor and pray, then do so!  If you have an overwhelming unction to stand straight up and raise your hands to heaven as you pray, then do so!  Sometimes, your posture may be important.  Listen to the Holy Spirit and do as he asks you to do.    

The reason for the prayer is found in verse 13, where Paul ends by saying “I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering”.   He is saying that he does not want the Ephesians to faint or lose heart during tribulation, and so for that reason, he prays for them.

What a loving and beautiful picture of intercession.  How often do we intercede for the brothers and sisters of our own fellowship?  When we know they are suffering, do we intercede for them that they do not lose heart?   Let’s take a closer look at the specifics of the prayer that Paul prays for them because it is a prayer that we should be praying for ourselves and others.  

Ephesians 3:15-16 -  …from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  

The above quote is from the English Standard Version, but in this case, I feel the King James Version is little clearer.  It says, “of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named”.   The whole family means all God’s children; it includes Jews and Gentiles from every nation as well as believers on earth and those in heaven.  The Greek word for ‘family’ denotes a clan all descended from a common stock.  So, we are ONE family; we are all children (common stock) of our heavenly Father.   

Paul prays that the Ephesians will be strengthened “according to the riches of his (God’s) glory”.  How much strength is that?

Think of it this way:  Suppose there was a noble person who had performed a great act of courage for his country.  Everyone in the country honors this person by bringing a gift.  First comes a peasant and he brings a very small gift indeed, perhaps a small loaf of bread.  His gift is accepted as proper, because his gift is based on what he posses.  Next in line comes the king of the land.  If he gave the noble person a small loaf of bread, would it be accepted?  No!  There would be outrage!  The gift would be considered an insult, because based on what he possesses, the king is able to give an astronomically bigger gift, right? 

So, here in Ephesians, Paul is praying that they will receive an amount of strength that is equal to the abundance of God’s glory.  Since the amount of God’s glory is inexhaustible, so is the amount of strength that they will receive!  (Throughout his writings, Paul frequently uses the word ‘riches’ to mean abundance.)

What does this mean for you?  It means that God will always be able to supply as much strength as you need.  Are you currently suffering through a loss?  Maybe you feel like you can’t go on?  That is not true – God can and will supply you with all the strength you need to get through that adjustment period.  Are you overburdened right now?  Is your job or your ministry taking all of your strength? Are you facing an overwhelming problem right now?  You can conquer that period in your life, because God has enough strength to get you through.  Maybe all is well with you right now and you are in a period of rest.  Maybe you don’t require a whole lot of strength at this time.  Well, praise God for that!  But when the time comes, you can be confident that God has more than enough strength to carry you through!

Habakkuk 3:19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like deer's feet, and he will make me walk upon my high places. 

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.    

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God is not going to put more on you than you can bear, because he will always be there to strengthen you as much as you need!  Be confident! Be courageous!  You have been made a victor through Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior! Praise him for that strength.

Now, Paul further prays that believers will be strengthened “with power through his Spirit in your inner being”.  Your inner being refers to your heart and mind.  Just as you strengthen your body each day with food, your heart and mind need to be strengthened every day by the Holy Spirit so that you can be victorious in your trials, so you can resist temptation and so you can perform all of the good works that God has planned for you.  You are a very busy and valuable spiritual person – you need to be strengthened each day!

Ephesians 3:17 – So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Rooted in love refers to a mature tree, whose roots extend deep and far into the soil.  Likewise, the love of God should be rooted in our hearts, extending deep and wide into our being.

Grounded in love means essentially the same thing.  Here, reference is made to a tall building which is based on a firm and solid foundation.  Paul wants us to be firm in the love of Christ just as a tall building stands firmly on a solid foundation.

What is the greatest of all things?  It is love!  We must exemplify the love of Christ to our brothers and to the world; in order to exemplify it, we need to have a handle on it ourselves.  

Ephesians 3:18-19 – (that you) may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

So, if "Christ dwells in our hearts by faith," we will be "rooted and grounded in love," and as a consequence, we will be able to comprehend spiritual things. We should be able to understand and appreciate the wonders of redemption. 

The apostle goes on to give us some dimensions.  These dimensions represent the vastness of God’s love. 

 BREADTH: The breadth of His love is seen when Divine Mercy reaches out to sinners who are far off from God. “Breadth” suggests the world wide extent of that love, for God died for ALL people – not one is excluded.  

LENGTH: The length of His love reaches from eternity to eternity. It was not an afterthought or a whim.  It was not a spur of the moment decision to later be regretted. (God did not experience buyer’s remorse after he purchased us).  Rather, it was established before the foundations of the earth were laid. We will never see its beginning or its end.   

DEPTH: The depth of His love is seen in raising sinners from condemnation and hell. Never could we have done this for ourselves! It could only be accomplished by Jesus, the perfect lamb of God who suffered in the lowest regions of Hell in order to save us.  

HEIGHT:  The height of His love consists in making sinners heirs of God and bringing them finally to glory.  Jesus desires that we should be with him in the highest heaven for all of eternity.   

Wow!  That is some kind of love, isn’t it?  The Bible says in Philippians 4:8 that our minds should dwell on “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”.  The breadth, length, depth and height of the love of God qualifies as something we should be thinking about!

We are to comprehend a love that surpasses knowledge.  That may seem a bit contradictory at first glance, but there is a difference between knowledge and comprehension.  We do not want simply to know about the love of Christ in an intellectual manner (we could never understand it anyway), but we want to experience that love, to possess it for our own.  It may be too vast for us to understand with our intellect, but it is not too rich for us to enjoy! 

The purpose or end result of our experience of this love is that we can be filled with all the fullness of God, or rather, it means to have as much of God within us as our vessel can contain. The fullness of God is all the gifts and graces which he has bestowed on man and which he dispenses to the church.  For example, mercy, peace, hope, meekness, joy, justice, holiness, redemption, a knowledge of God’s will, etc. 

When we are filled with the fullness of God, we are manifesting the attributes of the divine nature.

Let’s give this some further consideration.  The more we are filled with the fullness of God, the less room there will be for self.  There will be less room for unforgiveness, less room for bitterness, less room for pride, less room… you get the idea.  Also, if we are filled with the fullness of God, then we can spill that fullness out onto the others we come into contact with.  We can give a word of encouragement, a prayer for healing, a helping hand, an act of comfort, a word of wisdom, etc.

Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen.

Paul closes his prayer with thanksgiving and praise. Remember, praise not only gives God the glory he is due, it affects us as well.  When we praise him, we realize how big and powerful he is and at the same time, our problems become smaller and smaller.

No matter what we can think or imagine, God can and will do much, much more.  His grace and mercy are inexhaustible.  No matter how much we ask for in prayer, we can never drain him dry.  Our needs can never overtake his bounty.

Paul desires that God’s praise may resound in the church ‘throughout all generations, forever and ever’.  That praise has continued on and on from the time of Paul until our present day and it will continue to abound until the end of time.  Then it will ring throughout all eternity, for we can never give him all the glory he is due!

What things is God filling you with?  How have you been able to share these with others?  How has God’s strength allowed you to overcome trials and obstacles?  Please join in the conversation and share with us!