Feb
19
Ephesians 5:25–30
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that 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. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body. Focused Thinking: (Eph 5:25–27) What is the husband’s responsibility? 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, Love seeks the highest good of another person. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not brag. Love is not arrogant. Love does not act unbecomingly. Love does...
Read More >>Feb
18
Ephesians 5:22–24
22Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For 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. 24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Focused Thinking: (Eph 5:22–23) What is the context for the subject of submission? The subject of submission isn’t just for husbands and wives. The subject of submission is for wives and husbands, children and parents and slaves and masters (Eph 5–6). The wives are to be submissive to the husbands. The husband is to show submissiveness by his care and concern. The children are to be submissive to the parents. The parents are to show submissiveness by their care and concern. The slaves are to be submissive to their masters. The masters are to show submissiveness by their care and concern. All of these relationships are to be submissive as a...
Read More >>Feb
17
Ephesians 5:15–21
15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Focused Thinking: How should followers of Christ walk? First, be careful how you walk. Second, don’t walk as the unwise. Third, walk as the wise. Walk intelligently instead of ignorantly. Walk accurately instead of missing the mark. How do the wise walk? 16making the most of your time, When we walk wisely, we make the most of our time. Lost opportunities may never be...
Read More >>Feb
16
Ephesians 5:7–14
7Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Focused Thinking: (Eph 5:7–12) 7Therefore do not be partakers with them; Why? You were sons of disobedience, but now you are sons of obedience. You were sons of darkness, but now you are sons of light. When you repent of your sin and place your faith in Christ, there must be a past tense. When...
Read More >>Feb
15
Ephesians 5:1–6
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Focused Thinking: (Eph 5:1–2) Why should we be imitators of God? Because we are children of God. As a child imitates his parents, so should a child of God imitate his/her Father. How do we imitate God? 2Walk in love, Who is our example? 2b…just as Christ...
Read More >>Feb
14
Ephesians 4:30–32
30Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Focused Thinking: (Eph 4:30–31) What grieves the Holy Spirit? Speaking lies instead of truth grieves the Holy Spirit. Sinning in your anger grieves the Holy Spirit. Stealing instead of working grieves the Holy Spirit. Greed instead of generosity grieves the Holy Spirit. Ugly words instead of kind words grieves the Holy Spirit. Why do these things grieve the Holy Spirit? These actions aren’t from the Holy Spirit. These actions aren’t consistent with the Holy Spirit. These actions represent the deeds of the flesh instead of the fruits of the Spirit. These actions are the exact opposite of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God...
Read More >>Feb
13
Ephesians 4:25–29
25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26Be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Focused Thinking: (Eph 4:25–29) What must we do to walk the walk? Why? Don’t lie. Speak truth. We are members of one another. Be angry and yet do not sin. How? Keep short accounts. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Why? Don’t give the devil an opportunity to make the problem bigger/worse. The madder you get the dumber you get. Don’t...
Read More >>Feb
12
Ephesians 4:17–24
17So this I say and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Focused Thinking: (Eph 4:17–19) What are Paul’s expectations of our walk? 17…walk...
Read More >>Feb
11
Ephesians 4:12–16
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Focused Thinking: (Eph 4:12) What do the pastor/teachers do? The pastor/teacher equips the saints for service. The saints do the work of the ministry. The church grows...
Read More >>Feb
10
Ephesians 4:11
And He gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, Focused Thinking: What did God give to the church? In this context, Ephesians 4 addresses the gifted people/offices given to the church. Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 address gifts given to believers in the church. Apostles– Apostles were those who carried the gospel message with God’s authority. “Apostles” means one sent as an authoritative delegate. The twelve held the office of apostleship by virtue of being with Christ. (Ac 1:21–22). The apostles were appointed by Christ. Paul is one of the appointed apostles. (1 Co 15:8–9; Gal 1:1; 2:6–9). The term “apostles” was given to others, such as James (1 Co 15:7; Gal 1:19), Barnabas (Ac 14:4, 14; 1 Co 9:6) Andronius and Junia(s) (Ro 16:7) and possibly Silas and Timothy (1 Th 1:1; 2:7) and Apollos (1 Co 4:6, 9). This latter group had the gift of apostleship but not...
Read More >>
