Ephesians 6:1-15

Ephesians 6:1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Fitting by nature, and pleasing in the sight of God.

Ephesians 6:2. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise: That it may be, well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of tire Lord.

For the duties are like birds with two wings, or like a pair of scales, balance for each side. There is the child's duty, but there is the parent's duty too.

Ephesians 6:5. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the saint shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, Mind that. We may hear a good deal about the dairies of servants. Let us hear something about are duties of masters and mistresses. «Ye masters, do the same things unto them.»

Ephesians 6:9. Forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

Very beautifully balanced is the whole system of gospel morals. There is no undue advantage given by the fact of our being rendered equal in Christ, so that the servant is to be less obedient to the master, or the child to the parent; neither is there any undue power given to those who are in authority; but the grace of God teaches all to do unto all as we would that they should do unto us.

Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,

You cannot do right if you are not strong. Unless you have the backbone of principle unless you have spiritual muscle and sinew by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in you, you cannot continue to do that which is right. «Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord.»

Ephesians 6:10. And in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God,

First, be strong, and then put on armor. It is no use putting armor on a weak man, or else it will be what James said it was a capital invention, He said, because he who wore it would come to no harm, and certainly do no harm, for he could not stir in it. Now you must be strong first, but then not trust in your strength, but put on the armor which is here described. And yet it would be useless to have the armor unless you are first strong. «Put on the whole armor of God.»

Ephesians 6:11 ; Ephesians 6:13. That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

To keep your ground, not to give way in any respect, and blessed is that man whose name is Stand-fast, and whose practice is to hold fast «having done all to stand.»

Ephesians 6:14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,

Nothing will so tighten up your garments and keep them right as a girdle of sincerity and truthfulness. If we are not true, whatever else we are, we are but loosely arrayed. We shall come to mischief. «Having your loins girt about with truth.»

Ephesians 6:14. And having on the breastplate of righteousness;

A grand protection when God has given you to be holy, and when the principle which covers your heart and shields your members is righteousness.

Ephesians 6:15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Peace in year own heart, peace with God, peace with man. Peacefulness and peace. No shoes like these. A man that has a merry heart makes many a mile fly beneath him, but a heavy heart is a slow traveler. «Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.»

This exposition consisted of readings from Ephesians 4:1. and Ephesians 6:1.