Be brought to completion by the Spirit, part seven

Framework

This week we examine the commands in Ephesians 5:19-6:19. We will see how they contribute to summing up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on earth.

God is summing up the things on earth by building up the church, which is the fullness of Christ.

God  is summing up the things in the heavens by making His wisdom known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

With that framework in mind, let’s walk through the final two major practical sections of Ephesians.  The first section, EPH 5:18-6:9, addresses Christian behavior consistent with summing up the things on earth in Christ.  The second, EPH 6:10-20, addresses Christian behavior that contributes to summing up the things in the heavens.

 

The things on earth

EPH 5:18-6:9
8 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21  and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

22  Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

4  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

5  Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6  not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8  knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

 

Two themes

There are two major themes that are found in every relationship mentioned in this passage.

One is the role of proper authority in each of these relations.

And the other is the centrality of Christ. Every command is made with an appeal to orient ultimately to our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Authority

Let’s begin with proper authority.

 In every case, our Lord  establishes proper authority.

In the congregation, the ultimate authority is the Head of the body, our Lord Jesus Christ. The members are to be  subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

In the marriage, the proper authority is the husband. The wife is to be subject to her husband.

In the family, the proper authority is the parent.  Children are to obey their parents.

In the workplace, the proper authority is the boss. Workers are to be obedient to their bosses.

Yet the call to honor authority cuts both ways.

Our Lord admonishes both parties, the one in authority and the one subject to that authority. BOTH have duties and responsibilities unto the Lord in the relationship.

• Fellow members of the congregation
• Husband and wife
• Parents and children
• Boss and employee

In the marriage, the husband is responsible to take the lead by loving his wife sacrificially. Parents are responsible for bringing up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  And bosses are to serve their employees.   

When both sides live in the calling the Lord has given them, it results in a harmonious relationship. These solid connections serve to build up the body and serve the mission of summing up all things in Christ on the earth.

 

Christ at the center

Now let’s examine the centrality of Christ in these core relationships of life.

Every command is made with an appeal to orient ultimately to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice that in every case, the parties are called to be obedient because of Christ.

Members of the congregation are to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Wives are to be subject to their husbands as to the Lord, recognizing that the wife’s relationship to the husband mirrors the church’s relationship to Christ.

Husbands are to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

Children are to obey their parents in the Lord.

Parents are to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, not provoking them to anger.

Workers are to be obedient to their bosses as to Christ.

Bosses are to render service to their employees, do good for them, and give up threatening, knowing that they have the same master as their workers do - Christ in heaven. 

 

Things in the heavens

Finally, we come to  our practical role as the church when it comes to summing up things in the heavenlies in Christ. God is making His wisdom known through the church to  the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

But how?  Ephesians 6:10-20 shows us how.

EPH 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Now the Head of the body, our Lord Jesus Christ, has already triumphed over the rulers and authorities, according to COL 2:12-15.

The body, the church, becomes God’s instrument to broadcast that victory by picking up and putting on the full armor of God when under attack by the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Now we have seen that the entire letter of Ephesians addresses us as one body.  Ephesians 6:10-20 is no exception.

After all, God is making His wisdom  known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Not individuals, but the church as one body.  In the practical realm, that means the local congregation as one unit.

EPH 3:8-10
8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

The congregation as a whole is called to put on the armor of God.  On the evil day, that armor will project the body as a whole.

 

14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 1

Ephesians 6:10-20 is the culmination of the letter.  It draws from what has already been revealed in the rest of the letter. 

EPH 4:24
24 And that ye put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

We all put on the one new man.  So we have put on the breastplate of righteousness and have girded our loins with truth.

Before the evil day, we are being built up together through the preaching of the word of God. By speaking the truth in love, the body grows into one mature man. (EPH 4:11-16)

 

15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

Chapter 2 of Ephesians presents the gospel of peace.  By grace we have been saved through faith and not of works.

 And Christ is our peace.  He  has made the two groups (Jew and Gentile) into one new man in Himself, thus establishing peace. The gospel means that Christ has reconciled us all in one body to God through the cross.  (EPH 2:11-22)

 

16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

We are all united in one faith (EPH 4:5), and we are all being built up together to attain the unity of the faith.

In the evil day, by working together, we take up that shield of faith and extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  God’s armor wins the day, and this reveals God’s wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

 

17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We all share the same salvation. We have all been raised up together with Christ, and we have all been seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.  We already have the victory over the principalities and powers by means of our salvation.

Then salvation becomes our helmet so we can keep holding fast to the Head as one body on the evil day.

And we are strengthened with power in the inner man through the Spirit, so that we are able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth.  In this way we come to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that we are filled up to all the fullness of God.  (EPH 3:14-21)

 

The Great Campaign

 God the Father is in the midst of His campaign to sum up all things in Christ. (EPH 1:7-10)

In our daily lives now, in our congregations, marriages, families, and workplaces, we are called to adhere to the authority structure that God has set up. When we do, we participate in God’s campaign.

Humpty Dumpty gets put together again.

After the fall of man, the whole universe was in active rebellion against God, our ultimate authority. 

On earth, the human race was at enmity with God. And the heavenly places were filled with the forces of darkness.

Then God sent His one and only Son.

The cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ released the power to begin the great reconciliation. We are now reconciled to God, and we are being reconciled to one another.

The great reconciliation is going on right now in Christian congregations, marriages, families and workplaces.

 

One Day

One day all things will be restored to  perfect order. All things in the heavens and on the earth will be summed up in Christ.

One day, Christ will be the head not only of the church but of all creation.  Every knee will bend, and every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

Then Jesus will honor the authority of His Father and turn the entire reconciled universe over to Him.

1 Cor 15:22-28
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, " All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

 

Until the next time, we’re all ….

In His grip,

Pastor John

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