Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  (23)Fornthe husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  (24) Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ,So let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  (28) So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  (29) For  no one ever Hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. (30) For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of  His bones. (31) “For This reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”. (32) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

The letter to the EPHESIANS was written by the Apostle Paul. Today’s verses concern Christian marriage – Paul based the roles of husband and wife on the relationship between Christ and the church He founded.

There is inherent authority in the church AND at home – submission to this authority does not translate into weakness. Jesus, as ever our model, came into this world as a servant – Jesus submitted to the will of the Father, even to the cross. The Bible does not say that husbands are commanded to be the head of the household but instead states this as fact while discussing the role of the wife.  It also does not say that men are to dominate and suppress women.  The head/husband is accountable and responsible for the well being of his charges.

We live in a world where the culture is based on the principle of self.  We are daily bombarded with people and groups demanding their rights.  As Americans we are culturally opposed to the concept of authority – we seem to be wanting an egalitarian society and these feelings have extended into the concept of marriage.  But Christian marriage is modeled on the principle of responsibility to and love for those under authority and most especially the doctrine that  those in authority will be accountable to God.

As I thought about today’s verses I thought  of c.s. Lewis and The Great Divorce.  Lewis frames everything in the prism of our relationship with God. “Human beings can’t make one another really happy for long……….You cannot love a fellow-creature fully till you love God……no natural feelings are high or low, holy or unholy, in themselves.  They are all holy when Gods hand is on the rein. They go bad when they set up on their own and make themselves into false gods.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  (17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  (18) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, (19) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, (20) giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul.  In this letter, Paul has just finished telling the faithful in Ephesus that they are now children of God – children of the light. He continues this thought with the warning that this world is spiritually dark/evil – that the unbeliever has corrupt goals and lives the way of this world with no eternal values. He/she lives for nothing which will last or has meaning – no true satisfaction, no joy, no eternal truth – everything in this world is dying. We are hardwired for Gods presence in our lives and without God our lives are futile.

Some years ago Lynn Redgrave wrote a play about her then deceased grandmother.   Lynn herself was just months from dying as she read the script to an audience – sick enough at the time she had to sit while reading. Lynn’s story tells us of the grandmother as a young girl so eager to be married and out in the world living the mysterious free adult life.  When the girl in the story marries, her dreams are shattered – she has nothing but distaste for her husband, and disinterest in her children – until the birth of her last child, her son. She loves this child obsessively and pours all her energies and love into satisfying his every wish.  She smothers him causing all the children turn from her as they grow older.  Her husband dies and as she never accepted him or knew him, it barely makes a dent in her life. There is no God in her life, only her errant love for her son.  She is only counting time, never thinking of her walk in life, moving day to day with no eternal focus or direction.   At an advanced age grandmother has a heart attack and dies – and her final thoughts were “I thought I had more time”.  I thought – time for what???   This story is a classic example of living a futile and tragic life.

In the verses we study today, Paul is telling us there is no time but now. C.S. Lewis tells us the same thing in his fabulous story, The Great Divorce.   We are told to walk – to live – thoughtfully and carefully,  fully aware that the world we live In Is evil and has an expiration date.  Gods eternal plan has been made known and we are today living in but a shadow of future reality.  Paul, as Gods chosen instrument, tells us how to live with eternal values in the indwelling Spirit – how to live in peace and harmony.  The benchmarks of such living are joy and spiritual growth.  Such eternal blessings are there if we only say yes.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  (31) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  (32) And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Chapter 5: 1. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  (2) And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 

The letter to the EPHESIANS was written by the Apostle Paul. Our verses today begin by telling us we have a personal relationship with God in Christ and as proof of this we have  been sealed by the Holy Spirit for redemption. This tells us that at the moment of faith we enter into a new and eternal relationship with God. We begin becoming who we now are. The notion of a seal in Paul’s world meant that something was certified as genuine; the seal was tamper proof and the owner of the seal was identified.

Pauls words here are a command, not a suggestion. Strife limits our growth spiritually and actually hurts us physically.  We are told what we are to put off in verse 31 and then we are told how to accomplish this as necessary and practical steps for good living. I am always struck at how closely the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous follow biblical teaching. an alcoholic who lives the steps cannot afford anger, bitterness, temper, volatile living.   Most of all, we should forgive others for wrongs done us – or perceived wrongs. Our godly living is always done in relationship to our forgiveness. God forgave man through Christ and that is the standard for our forgiveness of others. This shows us how far we should go with forgiveness and that we are to be all in. We are to choose life over death of the soul. Forgiveness implies no payment for transgression and if we forgive others we have stopped living for ourselves. This is an opportunity that offers us hope that we can and have changed and have become transformed – with the seal of the Holy Spirit

C.S. Lewis pointed out in one of his letters that just like the Our Father prayer says, we are forgiven precisely as we forgive. Think about that.

(17) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,    

(20) But you have not so learned Christ, (21) if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:  (22) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, (23) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul.  In our verses today Paul describes the change in our thinking and behavior from being in Christ – a new relationship to the world. As faithful Christians we are to be holy – apart from this world while living in it. We still have our corrupt nature but are learning a new way to live in truth; the absolute truth that is Christ. We were dead in our sin – lifeless until Christ and not knowing any other way to live. But we have the gospel and in Christ, as His witness, we are to walk in the Spirit.  Our belief should guide our behavior – all our behavior – we cannot separate our relationship with God from our relationship with others.

Our verses today are introduced with a great and solemn reminder – Paul is saying not only  that faith in Christ demands a radical change in the lifestyle of the believer, Paul is saying that these words are also from Jesus.  Coming to Christ is not just the experience of faith, it is learning Jesus.  These words cover truth foundational to Christian thinking and conduct.

Sanctification and salvation are the work of God but they require mans response.