Walking In Love Like God God extended his forgiveness to all men through the loving gift of his Son on Calvary. Paul's reference in 4:32 to Christians forgiving as God forgives led him to encourage them to imitate, or mimic, God in all they did. Just as children like to do what mom and dad do, Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
Things Love Will Not Let One Do Those whose lives are directed by love will not indulge in any uncontrolled lusts, whether sexual or monetary in nature. Paul says even talking about such thoughts tends to stimulate actions (5:3; Proverbs 23:7). Immoral actions and words have no place in a Christian... [ Continue Reading ]
Walking As Children of Light The Ephesian brethren had been involved in the wicked ways of darkness before they obeyed the truth. In Christ, they were light because sin had been put away. So, Paul admonished them to live like the children of light they had become (5:8; Matthew 5:14-16; 2 Corinthian... [ Continue Reading ]
Attitudes of Those In the Light In the worship of pagan gods, there were many immoral acts committed in secret places under the cover of darkness. God's children would blush even to talk about them (5:12). When the light of the gospel falls on things in darkness, they become enlightened. This had a... [ Continue Reading ]
Walking In Wisdom Fools hear the sound of Jesus' voice but do not do the things he says (Matthew 7:24-27). Even Christians must live carefully, or accurately, so as to obey the Lord's commandments and be considered wise (5:15). Therefore, Paul urged members of the church to make the most of the tim... [ Continue Reading ]
Teaching One Another In Song Paul directed individual Christians to teach each other through spiritual, vocal music (Matthew 26:30; Acts 16:25). Hendren says, "The participle 'speaking' is plural, suggesting all sing." The word for "making melody" is psallo. It describes a plucking like one might do... [ Continue Reading ]
Submitting To One Another Each follower of Christ is to place himself under the control of fellow followers. This service is to be performed for others out of reverent respect for God who caused his Son to submit to death in our behalf (5:21). In yielding to her Lord, a Christian wife will place he... [ Continue Reading ]
The Love of Husbands for Their Wives If the husband exhibits the love talked about in 5:25, most wives would readily submit to him. The love a husband is to have is not erotic or passionate, but intellectual commitment to the best interests of his wife. Christ is the perfect example of such love in... [ Continue Reading ]
Reasons a Man Should Love His Wife Christ actually put the love of the church above the love of his own body when he died on Calvary. In marriage, man and woman become one, thus when the husband loves his wife, he loves himself (Ephesians 2:28; Genesis 2:24). Men generally try to take the best poss... [ Continue Reading ]