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Ephesians

The theme of the letter to the church at Ephesus is grace: the collection of godly character traits with emphasis on the way those traits are consistent and integrated.  In the first paragraph, one of the three relationships described is how God’s parade of godly character traits (glory) is evident in that He determined before creation that the faithful would be adopted into His eternal family, that He would bestow His gracious nature on the faithful, and that those adopted children would receive the highest praise.  The good news is that God is 100% good.

In the opening paragraph of Ephesians, Paul described how the faithful become recipients of the integrated and consistent character traits of God, by being “in” Christ, inside of His nature, subsumed.  This relationship instigated through His graciousness became possible by the redemption all people received through the sacrifice of Jesus, paying off the right-and-wrong system so that all people could be judged in the faith system.  That sacrifice, as illustrated in the Law of Moses, was a celebration of forgiveness: our untrustworthy history has been pushed aside.

In the opening paragraph of Ephesians, Paul described the response of the faithful resulting from the graciousness of God.  The spirits of the faithful are seated in heavenly places even while their bodies are still breathing on earth (2:6).  While there, God praises their faithfulness rather than remembering their shortcomings.  The impact on the faithful is that they seek holiness and act in love, not as a qualifier but as a consequence.  Their new-found gracious natures manifest in wisdom and understanding.  Such is our relationship to the divine.

The “will” of God is what God desires, not a preprogrammed outcome, as evidenced by 1 Timothy 2:4, “God wills that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.”  Obviously, God does not always get what He wants.  We call it sin.  In Ephesians 1:7 – 12, Paul let us in on the “mystery of His will,” that He would bring together everything, both in heaven and on earth, into one pre-planned, well-timed event: Jesus.  Faithful spiritual beings with physical bodies, and those without physical bodies, have been gathered into the same family.

The promises emanating from God’s gracious nature (Ephesians 1:3 – 19) cause all of heaven and earth to connect: being blessed with every spiritual blessing, redeemed, given understanding of the plan, adopted and accepted and granted an inheritance, and entrusted with a down payment on eternal life, the Holy Spirit of promise.  The elegance of the plan for a redeemer that was put in motion before creation is a further proof that the author was the Creator.  Further, the faithful can make sense of this broken world as they prepare for that inheritance.

The resurrection reminds us that God’s gracious nature also includes great power (Ephesians 1:19 – 23).  The power by which God raised Jesus from the dead is the same power which He now uses to transform the faithful into His character.  The death of Jesus was not the end of His mission, nor was the resurrection.  After that, He was seated at the right hand of God, higher than angels, given the highest honor as conqueror of life, and made head of the church.  The faithful trust this power because of a factual event, not theory or confident assertion.

Keeping the gracious nature of God in the forefront of our thinking significantly enhances our relationship with God.  A place to start is remembering from where we came (Ephesians 2:1 – 3).  Even for those in the relative comfort and security of America, the world is a messed up place.  Nothing works quite right.  The best of intentions fall short.  Then we get blindsided by the latest catastrophe.  The point is not how bad we were; such a viewpoint just focuses on the depressing.  Rather, appreciate that you did not have to stay there.

The longer the faithful are in the kingdom of God, the harder it gets to remember how it all happened.  Remembering how you got to where you are keeps the graciousness of God in focus (Ephesians 2:4 – 9).  Acceptance by God was not achieved through exceeding some arbitrary minimum of faith or behavior.  God’s love and kindness, not His authority or power, made it happen.  Faithful spirits are not at arm’s length until they mature, but are presently seated in heavenly places as their transformation progresses.

The purpose of life on earth for the faithful can get lost in the trappings of religion.  To keep God’s graciousness in focus, the faithful must remember to what they have come, the purpose of being on earth (Ephesians 2:10 – 19).  Bottom line, the job of the faithful is to pick up and act on the opportunities to do good stuff that God arranged beforehand.  The faithful are supposed to be examples of how unity and equality should work.  They demonstrate the end of ethnocentrism and class barriers.  The socially impossible becomes routine.

If the faithful see themselves as temporary exiles in a broken world, they can lose sight of the graciousness of God.  But the important part of the faithful, their spirits, are already “seated in heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6).  To keep that perspective, the faithful should have a mental checklist (2:19 – 22), reminding themselves that they are fellow citizens of an eternal kingdom, adopted into a big and functional family, part of a documented history of ordinary people empowered by God, and building materials for the true Temple in heaven.

God’s gracious nature should cause one to get up and go, not sit down and wait.  How God would take care of the insurmountable debt to justice that had been accumulated by the human race, and how God would merge into one nation the disparate and divided ethnicities, was a mystery not revealed until Jesus (Ephesians 3:1 – 13).  Added into the mix was what to do with the angels, not all of whom stuck with God.  The wisdom and graciousness of God would be presented not only to people, but also to angels, through the connectedness of the faithful.

Paul prayed that the Christians of Ephesus receive (Ephesians 3:14 – 19) strength of character, the ability to love selflessly, and understanding of the nature of God, all to a humanly impossible degree.  Paul’s prayer was that they be like “all the saints.”  To this day, the faithful are eligible to be endowed with the same graciousness through the same indwelling Spirit.  The key is an unwavering trust in the promise.

The faithful may have trouble expressing themselves or knowing what to ask through prayer.  Not only do they have the assurance that the indwelling Spirit will patch up their prayers before sending them on (Romans 8:26 – 27), but also that God’s responses may be “exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 – 21).  So, the faithful should submit their concerns, but stop short of telling God His business. 

Unity is achieved in the church through the character development promised through the indwelling Spirit (Ephesians 4:1 – 3).  Humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, selflessness, and peace are all promised and are essential to success.  Unity is achieved neither by authority nor sameness, but by diversity.  Unity is a natural result of Biblical faith, not a goal of enforcement.  The key is trusting that the promises of God concerning such transformation will actually happen before the group fractures.

Congregations have long had trouble determining which ingredients are essential to unity, and which are open to different understandings.  Jesus wanted one body, one church (Ephesians 4:4).  Such humanly impossible unity would be a proof of His legitimacy (John 17:20 – 21).  The blithe assumption that my group is the church and the rest are counterfeits is simplistic, too easy to be true.  But, accepting contradictory teachings as equally true is illogical.  Only those with the character of Jesus can unravel the answer.

Another facet of the foundation for unity is the Spirit (Ephesians 4:4), who is responsible for our diverse growth through diverse gifts (e.g., Romans 12:3 – 16, 1 Peter 4:7 – 11).  The Spirit would not give gifts in opposition to one another.  The proof of the indwelling Spirit is the growth of superhuman selflessness (1 John 3:18 – 19, 4:12 – 13), not theatrics.  Unity will occur as a result of the character development produced by that Spirit.  Those who stick it out have the faith to produce unity; those who walk away don’t.

Another facet of the foundation for unity is one Lord (Ephesians 4:5).  As expanded in 5:15 – 33, this Lordship is that of a selfless husband who gives up Himself for his bride, not a commander or a slave master.  The nature of leadership in the church is that of a servant, not an authority (John 13:1 – 20).  The goal is building up the faithful, not control of people or assets.  Those with Jesus’ attitude will find unity.

Another facet of the foundation of unity is one faith (Ephesians 4:5), one set of promises upon which we confidently make decisions and plan actions.  Unfortunately, many church-goers do not know what God has promised, so they have unrealistic expectations of things God never promised and fail to use the promised indwelling Spirit for character development.  For example, God promised the ability to be united, yet church-goers give up achieving it and justify disunity.

Another facet of the foundation of unity is one baptism, one level of commitment (Ephesians 4:5).  In baptism, the faithful commit to accepting redemption, being reserved for godly purposes, becoming a living celebration of forgiveness, accepting freedom from slavery to sin, overcoming oneself and being transformed through the indwelling Spirit, and a confident expectation of resurrection to eternal life.  Commitment to all, not just some, of these promises holds the faithful together.

Jesus jump-started the church with miraculously appointed leaders (Ephesians 4:11 – 16) for the purpose of developing those early Christians for service and for becoming those future leaders who build up the church through knowledge about Jesus, becoming consistent between thought and action, and being developed into the character of Jesus through the indwelling Spirit.  The result was to be unity, resistance to off-beat teachings, effective participation by all, and the maturity to continue the leadership process for generations to come.

In the first half of his letter to the Christians of Ephesus, Paul described the gracious nature of God, which is why the message is called Good News.  The graciousness of God necessitated forming relationships (1:3 – 23), not just keeping order for the sake of order.  The style of that relationship was planned before creation.  Many proofs of God’s objectives were revealed along the way.  Many promises, backed by an unblemished track record, were issued for the purpose of generating a big family that would last.

After presenting the relationships of grace in the letter to the faithful of Ephesus, Paul reminded the faithful of how to keep that gracious nature in perspective (2:1 – 22).  The faithful are to remember where they came from, how they got to where they are, why they were on that path, how far they have come, to what they were coming, and to where they were coming.  The motivation for the faithful was to be wrapped up in their memories of encountering the graciousness of God, rather than originating from keeping the rules for personal gain.

After presenting the relationships and memories of grace in the letter to the faithful of Ephesus, Paul recounted the qualities of the gracious nature of God (3:1 – 21).  Coming in contact with such a gracious being is obligating; some sort of response is necessary.  God’s graciousness was revealed with no remaining mysteries.  That graciousness becomes a positive motivator in life.  And the way in which that graciousness was displayed, particularly through Jesus and through God’s patience and kindness, is humbling.

The results that should appear after exposure to the graciousness of God are, first, unity among the faithful (4:1 – 16).  The second result of the combination of the graciousness of God and the growing graciousness of the faithful is morality.  The first question Paul addressed was, “Why do people go the wrong way?” (4:17 – 22)  Often, people do not know the purpose of creation, or they have a negative outlook on life, or they feel disconnected and alone, or develop desires for all the wrong stuff, or have given up on relationships.  Grace provides the escape.

The graciousness of God and the growing graciousness of the faithful motivate morality, allowing escape from all the typical bad choices of the world (Ephesians 4:20 – 32).  The faithful are drawn to the kindness, virtue, and character of Jesus.  The indwelling Spirit begins rebuilding and reconnecting their characters to better control their minds and bodies.  The new-found outward focus converts obtaining into sharing.  Relationships are restored by a forgiving attitude.  And, as with any good family, the faithful don’t want to disappoint.

Morality is widely pursued, but achievement has been elusive.  Paul listed essential attitudes for success (Ephesians 5:1 – 14).  The prescription to be imitators of God implies that the faithful, with the help of the indwelling Spirit, can.  “Walk in love” means to love people the way Jesus did as described in the gospels.  Being a sacrifice is to be a walking celebration of forgiveness.  Being thankful is much more attractive than being cynical.  Be the flashlight that illuminates the pitfalls before people fall in, not after.

Paul described the wisdom that is the result of being transformed into the gracious nature of Jesus (Ephesians 5:15 – 21).  Letting time control us always spirals downhill.  Instead, redeem the time for godly things.  You can’t make it worse by trying.  Learn what makes God happy.  Be as filled with the Spirit as a drunk is with wine.  Communicate simply.  Build on a foundation of thankfulness.  Support the ideas of others; I don’t need to be in charge all the time.  Being pro-active, committed, uncomplicated, thankful and supportive builds a gracious wisdom.

Submission has become an unattractive concept, largely due to a weakness in the English language that makes translation difficult.  In the New Testament, every injunction recommending subjection of one human to another is in a verb tense that specifically implies that the action is voluntary; it is my choice, not my status.  The faithful are to let others lead rather than wanting to be in control all the time.  Christian wives allow (sometimes force) their husbands to lead.  A gracious nature develops others (Ephesians 5:21 – 33).

God does not relate to people through authority, but through kindness and love.  Those who try to take advantage of God’s grace cannot fool God into accepting them.  These are the same people who would react negatively to authority anyway.  Plus, God’s model of leadership works in human life.  Adult children give thoughtful consideration to the recommendations of parents.  Child-rearing works best using God’s model.  Servants who follow directions without an attitude get noticed.  And gracious masters enjoy better results.  (Ephesians 6:1 – 9)

The grace of God provides strength to the faithful as they develop their own gracious natures (Ephesians 6:10 – 13).  Physical strength is insufficient.  Those who lack an understanding of grace equate strength with unwavering positions and “contending earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3).  Instead, the strength of the faithful is in their consistent characters and integrated personalities, their low stress levels and peaceful natures.  This transformation is the result of the work of the indwelling Spirit that is deposited in all the faithful.

The grace of God provides the environment in which the faithful are able to face reality (Ephesians 6:14).  The concept of truth is the foundation for Biblical love, acting in the best interest of others without regard for the effect on me.  Jesus demonstrated how this realistic outlook played out in a broken world.  The indwelling Spirit works to develop this dependence on truth in the faithful.  Having a firm grasp on reality enables the faithful to discern deceit.

Being declared acceptable (right) allows the faithful to deflect the Law mentality that constantly tries to convince them that they do not measure up (Ephesians 6:14).  Biblical faith is based on facing reality and trusting God to make a path through it.  God declares those who have that trust to be acceptable (righteous – Romans 4:3 – 12).  To the faithful, God gives the indwelling Spirit that, among other things, pours God’s version of love into their hearts (Romans 5:5).  Those who trust God and love people are those whom God accepts into His family.

The fourth result of the grace of God, which also is being developed in the faithful, after unity, morality, and subjection, is strength (Ephesians 6:10 – 20).  Those who desire to do the right thing are deceived frequently.  The first of several cures is an accurate view of reality.  Unfortunately, many competing views exist, only one of which can be entirely true.  That truth can be defined and delivered only by God.  The catch is being able to understand it.  Rather than requiring superior intellect, this understanding is a product of a gracious nature.

Doing the right thing makes future decisions easier.  The faulty logic that has led to bad choices in the past can cloud decision-making in the future.  Paul likened the good choices of the past to a breastplate, a piece of armor (Ephesians 6:14).  The graciousness of God being developed in the faithful by the indwelling Spirit provides the mental clarity and confidence necessary for maintaining this defense against deception, either external or internal.

Spreading the gospel is a fundamental responsibility for all the faithful, not just specialists.  Preparation for this task develops the ability to defend oneself against deception (Ephesians 6:15).  This Good News is characterized as being “of peace,” not of fear or authority.  Before the faithful can explain God’s objective of peace, they must understand it themselves, which gives them the confidence to succeed in a broken world.  Their obvious lower stress levels demonstrates the validity of the method and attracts outsiders to something they already want.

If faith is defined as a set of facts and doctrines, that faith has no ability to protect against clever or confusing deceit.  Paul characterizes faith as something that shields the mind from such attacks (Ephesians 6:16).  The Biblical nature of faith includes trusting straightforward and simple promises from God.  The ability of this trust to deflect appealing but fundamentally flawed teaching is found in trusting the One who never lies and always comes through.  The one essential skill is ordinary reading (or listening) comprehension and ordinary common sense.

Paul likened a helmet to salvation (Ephesians 6:17), that which protects the thinking of the faithful.  As previously expressed in this same letter, that rescue was the result of the graciousness of God, not achievement by the individual.  Disposing of those nagging doubts about self-worth allows the faithful to think clearly about reality.  Having the debt to justice paid, once for all, clears the way for access to the family by those who trust God and are selflessly concerned about others. 

The Word is God (John 1:1), not a printed book but the philosophy and reasoning and purposes of God.  Paul likened it to a sword (Ephesians 6:17), illustrating its ability to reveal true intentions to oneself by carving away self-deception (Hebrews 4:12).  The point was not to dissect the Scriptures, the New Testament not yet having been assembled.  Neither was it to kill or maim an opponent’s ideas; “the Word became flesh and walked among us” (John 1:14), and it was not in Jesus’ nature to do harm.  But, in the context, this sword protects good thinking.

Paul and Jude both wrote to pray “in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:20, Jude 20).  This figure of speech was used several times to contrast inward things with outward things: things of the heart, not of the flesh (Romans 2:29, 8:9, Galatians 3:3, 5:16).  The lives we choose on earth, the ways we worship God, the way we care about others are all said to be “in the Spirit.”  The faithful derive strength from prayer, especially when it comes from the inside, concerning the heart, rather than physical stuff.  God listens to prayers; heart-based ones have a better yield.

Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  One of the reasons God came to earth was to redeem, pay off the debts to justice of all people.  However, paying off those debts does not require that God trust the bankrupt who needed that bail-out.  But, because the nature of God is that He is the collection of all the positive character traits, fully integrated and consistent (grace), He both paid off justice and promised to trust the faithful again.

Ephesians 1:13 – 14, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”  When God sees His type of faith in an individual, He installs the indwelling Spirit as a down payment (who then begins repairs on the character to be like that of Jesus) as a down-payment on the future purchase of our faith, the most valuable commodity.

Ephesians 1:17 – 18, “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your hearts being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…”  One of the tasks of the indwelling Spirit, who is given to all the faithful, is to develop wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, which builds a confident expectation of being included in the eternal family.

Ephesians 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy [who has a compelling desire to fix what ails us], because of His great love with which He loved us [doing what is best for the other person without regard to the effect on me], even when we were dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ…”  God’s integrated and consistent character (grace) set in motion the plan that raises the faithful from merely existing to really living.

Ephesians 2:6, “…and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.”  In 1:20, Jesus was described as seated at the right hand of God “in the heavenlies.”  Paul wrote to the faithful of Ephesus, who certainly were physically alive, that their spirits were already seated in the same place as Jesus.  Yet, in Philippians 1:23, Paul expressed the desire to “depart and be with Christ.”  So, the spirits of the physically living faithful are seated with Jesus, but being free of the demands of that physical connection is to be desired.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; that salvation is the gift of God.”  As a natural outgrowth of God’s integrated and consistent character, the rescue of people who run afoul of justice was planned before creation (1:4).  The only qualifier for being among the rescued is to have Biblical faith with its seven characteristics.  This faith necessarily results in “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (2:10).

Ephesians 3:10, “…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenlies…”  One of the purposes of the earthly church is to teach faith to angels (as the section began with “For by grace you have been saved by faith”).  Humans relate to God through trust based on evidence that the promises came from God.  Angels have only “sight,” since they have free access to the throne room.  Angels learn faith by watching the earth-bound faithful.  Every moment is important.

Ephesians 3:12, “…in whom [Jesus] we have boldness and access with confidence through the faith of Him.”  The faithful do not approach God timidly or fearfully, but with boldness and confidence, not as a result of their own faith, which may have its flaws, but through Jesus’ faith.  The key is the tiny preposition, “in.”  The faithful have that boldness and confidence because they are “in” Jesus, as opposed to following Jesus.  We follow those who get us where we want to go, but we are “in” those with whom we are merged, as one.

Ephesians 3:16, “…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…”  The faithful are promised a superhuman inner strength.  Unfortunately, many fail to take advantage of the promise because they are afraid to try again to withstand the temptations of life on a broken planet, having failed so often before.  Their history controls them, rather than the Spirit.  The courage to overcome myself awaits.

Ephesians 3:19, “…to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled into all the fullness of God.”  Paul used two word-plays in one sentence.  To know that which surpasses knowing comes about when the indwelling Spirit deposits God’s version of love in the faithful (Romans 5:5).  Being filled “into” the fullness of God happens when that same indwelling Spirit transforms the characters of the faithful into that of Jesus, being more filled out with integrated and consistent character that any ordinary human.

Ephesians 3:20 – 21, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church…”  Paul is praying that a parade of God’s character traits (glory) be exhibited in the church as a result of the power that has been deposited in each faithful person (the indwelling Spirit).  Perhaps the reason this happens so rarely is because the faithful limit themselves to what they conceive in their own minds, instead of leaving space for the humanly impossible.

Ephesians 4:1 – 3, “…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Despite abundant teachings about unity, Christianity is fractured.  The “other side” is always the problem.  Unity does not mean uniformity or even unanimity.  Neither does the preservation of unity require letting the squeaky wheel have its way.  Rather, be gracious and keep exchanging ideas.  Unity will happen.

Ephesians 4:4 begins, “One body.”  The church, the body of Christ, is one, despite the competing claims by a plethora of groups who claim to be that one.  Each of them rationalizes the ridiculousness of their claims be the simple declaration that all the others are fakes.  First, a faithful person can be “one” only with those whom he or she knows.  Including or excluding strangers is irrational.  Second, separating from those whom they know should be inconceivable.  Third, divisions are maintained by self-appointed leaders, not God.

Ephesians 4:4 asserts that there is “one Spirit,” which is the same Spirit that is given to each faithful person (Romans 8:9 – 13).  That one Spirit cannot contradict itself.  When faithful people are at odds with one another, the problem is that one or, more likely, both have allowed their traditions and culture spoil their understanding.  The cure is to have more trust in God than in my own perception.

Ephesians 4:4 asserts that the faithful “were called in one hope of your calling.”  A Christian’s hope is based on the promises of God, so knowing those hundreds of promises is essential.  Everyone is called by understanding the kindness of God (Romans 2:4) and the character and mastery of life on a broken planet demonstrated by Jesus (2 Peter 1:3).  In this passage, the hope of the faithful is based on being transformed into that same divine nature and grasping how a life worth living may be experienced.

Ephesians 4:5 asserts that there is “one Lord,” Jesus.  Due to the fact of His eternal life, He continues to be capable, as long as the earth remains, to be that source of direction, confidence, and peace without the need for intermediaries.  He does not lead by authority but by service.  The trick is learning how to connect with this perfect leader.  A good start is the gospels, which illustrate how godly character works in this broken world.  Next, we learn from the letters, how dragging our habits, excuses, and cultural norms along with us clouds the picture.

Ephesians 4:5 asserts that there is “one faith,” one set of promises from God upon which the faithful all act as a sure thing.  Those promises are plainly stated in the New Testament.  Unfortunately, many ill-informed and even some con men manufacture false hope based on confident assertions and failure to read the context.  The real promises have to do with character development, hope, peace, joy, and mastery of life, but not health, wealth, or ease.

Ephesians 4:5 asserts that there is “one baptism,” one commitment to God as illustrated in immersion.  Baptism is not a magic charm.  Neither does it obligate God to accept the one who got wet.  Rather, it is the declaration of an individual to God that the dozen different symbols within the action will become the foundations for life.  All the faithful are to make the same commitments, thereby becoming one, big, selfless, and trusting family.

Ephesians 4:6, “…one God and Father of all, who is upon all and through all and in all.”  Unity in the church is founded on monotheism, which may seem obvious to many church-goers but in reality is a difficult decision for a significant percentage.  Hinduism, animism, and atheism permeate many societies, being the majority in several.  Rejecting the beliefs of one’s ancestors while still living among one’s extended family disrupts the foundations of daily life.  Drifting between belief systems is much easier, but clearly is not what the one God expects.

Ephesians 4:7, “To each one of us [the faithful] grace has been given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”  In this context, those gifts were leadership in the fledgling church, which were designed to pass away when the church became able to edify itself (4:16).  In other contexts, the list of potential gifts includes different service roles such as hospitality, generosity, and mercy.  The point was and remains that the faithful are not the same, but are equally necessary for the health of the body, the church.

In Ephesians 4:17 – 19, Paul described the undesirable behaviors of outsiders as futile, without understanding, dark, ignorant, blind-hearted, and unfeeling.  Certainly, God dislikes such poor behaviors, but God’s reasoning is not simply that He wants well-behaved people.  Rather, He wants people to act productively and meaningfully as an outgrowth of selflessness rather than self-centeredness or thoughtlessness.  Life on earth was designed to bring people together, not drive them apart.

In Ephesians 4:20 – 29, Paul gave several examples of the rationale through which the faithful behave well.  For example, one of the motivations is to be like Jesus, because His behavior was a demonstration of truth.  The faithful do not lie to one another because that would be like lying to oneself.  The faithful do not steal but rather work at honorable labor for the purpose of sharing with others.  Deceitful words are inappropriate when the goal is building up others and demonstrating what a gracious nature is.

The indwelling Spirit is given to all faithful people as a down-payment (2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, Ephesians 1:13 – 14) on the future purchase of their faith (the most valuable commodity).  Therefore, Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  The faithful have a close family relationship with all faithful spirits, which includes God.  They behave well not as a response to authority, but because of that family dynamic.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kindhearted to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  The Christian world has fragmented because various people believe differently and will not invest the time to work out the differences with others who also make a claim to faith.  Paul gave three keys: kindness, tenderness, and patience – at least as much patience as God showed me in getting to where I am in my understanding.

Ephesians 5:2, “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.”  In God’s system, a sacrifice is a celebration of forgiveness with family and friends in the presence of God.  The focus is not on the death, but on the “sweet-smelling aroma” of faith.  Jesus’ sacrifice is to be a reminder of love as the faithful, with the assistance of the indwelling Spirit, endeavor to walk as Jesus walked.

Ephesians 5:8 – 10, “For you were once darkness but now light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is well-pleasing to the Lord.”  The faithful live in a broken world, having emerged from cultures with various concepts of right and wrong.  Determining the reality of what is good and true can be challenging.  The faithful accept this challenge and figure out what is right (with the help of the indwelling Spirit) not to earn anything, but to please the God who rescued them.

Ephesians 5:15 – 16, “See then that you walk circumspectly [inspect from all around the circumference], not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  Many church-goers are afraid to expose others to the good news and the promises of God, to help others out of the messes their lives have become.  Honestly, the faithful cannot make things Ephesians 6:worse by trying.  The world is already broken.  Of course, get the facts.  Be wise, a quality offered by God to the faithful.  Then, step out in faith that things can only get better.

Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”  Those who infected the church with doctrines about male dominance obviously never considered Ephesians 5:25 – 29.  Truly faithful husbands do what is best for their wives without regard to the effect on themselves.  Christian husbands and wives are to model the relationship between Christ and His church.  Jesus’ leadership style is based on service, not authority.  Christian wives eagerly follow husbands who have the character of Jesus.

Ephesians 6:1 – 2, “Children, hearken to your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother.”  Paul was writing to faithful adults, not those who had not yet developed the ability to think abstractly.  They were to readily attend to the advice of their parents, although they were still responsible for making their own decisions.  They were to count their parents’ ideas worthy of respect, desiring that special, trusting relationship.

Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”  Jesus’ teaching style was patient and gentle, but He did not mince words.  He spoke clearly but not harshly, never compromising what was right.  Faithful fathers in every age are challenged with rising to Jesus’ level of leadership, not as an authoritarian but as obviously right and clearly in control of life.

Ephesians 6:5 – 7, “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ.”  In the New Testament, fear, when used with reference to a faithful person, always describes fear for the destination of the outsiders, not fear for oneself.  The faithful obey earthly authorities as though they were serving Jesus, sincerely, with the motivation that this uncommon mode of service may cause the boss to be receptive to the gospel.

Paul’s illustration of “the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:13 – 16 describes several components to this system.  “Having girded your waist with truth” referenced the wide belt which anchored the various pieces of armor of that time and from which hung various weapons.  Paul’s point was that truth anchors the decision-making of the faithful.  Outsiders tend to debate within themselves at every turn, whether to attack their goals or defend their positions with deceit or imagination or reality.  The faithful go all-in on reality.

Paul’s illustration of “the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:13 – 16 describes several components to this system.  “Put on the breastplate of righteousness” referenced the confidence one gains from doing the right thing.  Even when things do not work out well, having done what is right makes it bearable.  Deceitful or illogical attacks bounce off those who refuse to cut corners or compromise with evil.  Being dedicated to choosing what God calls right makes life much simpler, narrowing down life’s options significantly.

Paul’s illustration of “the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:13 – 16 describes several components to this system.  “Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” emphasizes the training in which the faithful must participate to be ready to make a defense of their beliefs and to present the gospel in a reasonable, realistic manner.  All faithful people have as their marching orders the spreading of the gospel, so all need the appropriate footwear: a well-thought-out but simple appeal to outsiders to consider the meaning of life.

Paul’s illustration of “the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:13 – 16 describes several components to this system.  “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  This refers to godly faith, the type that is founded on evidence.  Paganism has belief in belief.  Christianity has faith in historical facts.  When one is rooted in reality, the temptations of evil lose their effectiveness, being reduced to no more than obviously dumb choices.

Paul’s illustration of “the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:13 – 16 describes several components to this system.  “Take the helmet of salvation.”  Being secure in the knowledge that Jesus paid everyone’s debts to justice stabilizes the thought processes of the faithful.  They no longer need to carry around guilt for the past, or try to excuse the past, justify the past, or hide the past.  Instead, the faithful learn from the past and plan a better future.

Paul’s illustration of “the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:13 – 16 describes several components to this system.  “Taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  The Word is the logic or the philosophy of God, which is written in the Scriptures, but is bigger than just the Bible.  God expects the faithful to be logical and reasonable, and to use the communications from God in that way.  The Word is a sword in that it cuts apart the irrational assumptions and speculations of this world because the Word is based on evidence, not theory.

Ephesians 6:18 – 20, “Praying always…for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.”  Even the great apostle, Paul, asked for prayers that he might be bold in his speaking.  He had times when he was fearful for his own safety.  Sometimes he was anxious about his ability to be clear.  He overcame not by superior self-control and excellent training, but through faith, both his own faith and the faith of those who prayed for him.