Jude 8-10
(8) Yet in the same way
These false teachers who have sneaked into the church are just like the angels who did not keep their own domain that we saw yesterday, that were imprisoned in eternal bonds for their gross immorality.
these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh,
The KJV calls them "filthy dreamers" indicating that they have dirty dreams that they act out, by using their bodies in grossly immoral ways.
and reject authority,
It seems that almost everyone who is worldly thinks that they are their own authority, that they don't have to listen to anyone else, they're smart and can decide for themselves. This attitude is pervasive in every human society. Thinking this way makes us our own gods.
and revile angelic majesties.
This refers to a command given by Moses in a list of commands concerning the laws of human relations. Exodus 22: 28 says,
"You shall not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people" KJV.
The "gods" mentioned here is the same word that is used to refer to all the pagan idols that surrounded the Israelites in the land. So it is telling the people to have respect for all authority, whether it is their local governor or the spiritual power behind the pagan god.
(9) But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
Michael the archangel is a member of the angelic hierarchy, and is called "the first of the chief princes," and "your prince," in the book of Daniel 10: 13, 21.
This is another glimpse into the spiritual activity that is going on around us all the time. Michael is the "prince" over the nation of Israel, and as such, we are told here, that he argued with the devil over Moses' body when he died. Deuteronomy tells us that the Lord buried him, and that no one knows where the grave is (Deuteronomy 34: 6).
It is commonly believed among theologians that if the people knew where Moses was buried, that they would have worshiped him. So the devil wanted the people to be drawn away from God, as he always does, and Michael argued with him about it.
But Michael had respect for even the devil's authority, and didn't accuse him, but just left him to the Lord to deal with.
(10) But these men revile the things which they do not understand;
These false teachers have no idea of the authority and power these spiritual beings in the hierarchy of the angelic principalities have. They have no respect, and they endanger themselves in their treatment of them.
and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
Animals have only their physical life, so these men are only looking at the physical, and by using their bodies in grossly immoral ways, they are contracting and spreading serious diseases and disorders, destroying themselves physically as well as spiritually.
God is the Designer and Maker of this universe, and the Earth we live on, and He fashioned it all to run according to His rules, the Natural Laws. And He set in order the moral laws, also, to guide our decisions. Everything in order.
When we take something and use it for what it's not made for, to misuse it, that will damage or destroy it, like using a screwdriver to pound a nail.
We need to see these people for who they are, and not listen to them, or even allow them to remain in our congregations; a little leaven (sin) leavens the whole lump (church) (see I Corinthians 5: 5-6). We have whole denominations today that have been taken over by unrighteous, evil people, who have spread their sinful thinking processes to their whole church.
People of God need to be strong in the Lord and reject these ideas and reasoning. We need to leave these congregations that have fallen.
Come out of her, My people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues. Revelation 18: 4
We are in the last days, people! My dear brothers and sisters, we must be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, wearing the whole armor of God! (Ephesians 6: 10-17.) We must be bold to speak out against these damaging and diseased attitudes and ideas.
We walk the line here, beloved. We respect all authority, both good and evil, and we fight the good fight, knowing that our Lord has already won the war!
O my Father, we need Your wisdom in discerning what words we are to say! We need Your strength for the boldness to speak out! We need Your protection in storming the very gates of Hell!
Father, please help us! Strengthen us in our weaknesses, give us success in our failings, grant us Your victories in our losses! Give us Your eyes to see Your spiritual reality in our physical world.
And use us, that our lives of peace and wisdom and gentleness will show Your Love to those in the world around us, to draw them to You, Father, in our Lord Jesus Christ, through His precious blood shed for our cleansing.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is our Christ Messiah, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Jude 5-7
Now Jude is going to compare these false teachers to others in the past who also followed wrong paths and faulty thinking processes, and their end.
(5) Now I desire to remind you, though you once knew all this, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.
First he mentions the children of Israel that God performed many great miracles for, in delivering them out of slavery and providing for all their needs in the desert; how they refused to trust Him and follow Him, and all died in the desert, never seeing the land that was promised to them.
(6) And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great Day,
We don't know a lot about these angels, but some scholars have linked this passage with Genesis 6 that tells of "sons of God" who "saw the daughters of men" and produced children who were "men of renown," and "giants" (Genesis 6: 1-4). So these could have been angelic beings who left their heavenly domain to come to the Earth instead, and diluted the human DNA, to change the purity of what God designed.
Then God called out Noah, because he was "a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6: 9). So Noah worshipped God, and his lineage was not polluted with the mixture that was spreading.
And these angels are imprisoned in darkness, held by eternal chains. They are not the demons who follow our adversary, who roams the Earth "seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5: 8).
(7) just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
This story is in Genesis 19: 18-29. Jude says that these false teachers that have wormed their way into the church are just like those men of Sodom and Gomorrah who indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh.
The gross immorality was their lifestyle of sensuality, seeking physical relationships with anything other than God's design, including everything imaginable. And when the angels came, they wanted this new experience, too. So they went after strange flesh.
This is so twisted that it turns God's stomach, and He destroyed that whole plain so that these evil ideas would not spread. They are given to us as an example of the righteousness of God in justly dealing with all evil.
Jude is very serious with his readers, that they understand that the false teachers that are sneaking into the congregations of the church need to be recognized for what they are doing, and dealt with, to not pollute the purity of the gospel of Christ.
God is very serious about His message, and He will not fail to punish everyone who rejects Him and lives ungodly lives, teaching others to do the same evil that they indulge in.
We also need to be serious about examining our leaders and teachers, to make sure that they don't deviate from God's Truth. To be able to do that, we need to know God's Truth. Then we will recognize whatever doesn't conform to it as counterfeit.
We can't just listen to a sermon and assume it's all right. We as members of the congregation must look at the Scriptures, and see that our pastors and teachers are not taking them out of context.
We need to do our own studies, also, so we will be able to see what conforms and what does not conform to the whole story God gives us there. This is our personal responsibility as children of God.
God loves us, and wants us to know Him. Our enemy doesn't want us to know God, so he sends in his lackeys to disguise themselves as "ministers of righteousness" to draw people away from God (see II Corinthians 11: 14-15).
O my Father, You are so good to give us Your written Word to study and research and understand and know; and to know that we can trust You for what we don't understand.
Teach us, Father; lead us into Your Truth, guide us all into a more complete understanding of what You want us to know. We want to know You, Father, and to know Your ways.
We want to follow Your ways, and to not be turned away to the right or to the left, to not wander away or fall into a ditch, to not run ahead of You or lag behind. Keep our hand in Yours to follow in Your footsteps, until we reach the end of the road, into Your eternal Day!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King of all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Jude 4
For certain persons
These are specific people.
have crept in unnoticed,
These specific people have quietly infiltrated the congregation and insinuated their ideas subtly into the life of the church.
those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation,
These are people who it has been written out before ages past that they would be judged and condemned for their crimes.
ungodly persons
They are impious, the word is often used for notorious sinners.
who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness
They demean the graciousness of God into a loose morality that makes light of moral depravity.
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Their attitudes and lifestyles run counter to the commands of Christ, denying His sovereignty and lordship over them.
This is very strong language against these interlopers, which explains Jude's urgency to write about them.
Even today there are still people who go to churches in order to disrupt the congregation, to slip errors into the doctrines of the church, and promote acceptance of ungodly lifestyles.
There are whole denominations that have "gone off the rails" in their teachings.
This is one of the signs of the last days, and it has been going on now for centuries.
O my Father, thank You for Your Word, telling us all that we are to look out for, and what to expect as the days and years and centuries pass. Each moment brings closer the time of the Lord's return.
Please open our eyes to see what is going on around us, to recognize the signs of the last days, and the imminent return of our sovereign King. Help us to number our days, so that we might apply our hearts to Your wisdom, Father, in dealing with the times we face. We need to discern how to use our days, that our work will promote Your Kingdom and not let any moments slip away useless.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Jude 1-3
(1) Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
Jude calls himself a slave of Jesus, and a brother of James. This James must be a very well-known person among the Christians to just be named without any qualifiers. The most well-known was James the brother of the Lord who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. Jesus' brothers (named in Mark 6:3) didn't believe in Him until after His resurrection, but were with the apostles in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 13-14). So this Jude is also the brother of the Lord.
to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
This letter is to Christians, generally. Not to any specific area, but for all Christians, and us, too.
(2) May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
This is typical of the greeting that was customary in ancient letters. Mercy is God's compassion in refraining from pouring His justly deserved wrath upon us, peace is His gift of quiet confidence in the work of Jesus, and His Love gives us His generosity in granting us His favors and meeting our needs.
(3) Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude says that he wanted to write about all the good and wonderful things God has done for us, but because of circumstances, he was compelled by an urgency to warn them (and us) to be ready to fight the battle to preserve the true faith.
This is a short, one-chapter letter, but it contains very serious warnings that we need to pay attention to.
O my Father, thank You for sending Your own Son to be our Lord and Savior. Thank You for placing Him in a family with brothers and sisters, and for using the members of His family in the writing of Your Word.
Father, help us to pay attention to Jude's warnings, and to recognize the people in our world today who we need to avoid.
Teach us to contend for the Truth that we are to believe and trust, and not allow any deceptions to dilute the power of Your Word.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King of all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 6: 18-24
Now that we are wearing our armor, it's time to go to war.
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 the saints,
We are to go to battle in calling on God to help and strengthen and teach and provide and do all the things He promised to do for us, not allowing ourselves to be distracted or diverted from surrounding the saints with God's protection and healing.
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,
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Even Paul needs prayer! He's in prison, or at least, house arrest, constantly chained to guards. But he is able to write, and have people minister to his needs. I find it interesting that he is requesting prayer for boldness to open his mouth with the Gospel! Isn't that what he's been doing constantly in his travels? I wonder what is intimidating him? No matter who we are or what we've done, our enemy is still nipping at our heels!
But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
He doesn't want them to worry about him, so he's having Tychicus bring this letter to them, then he'll be there to tell them all the details of Paul's circumstances and how God is carrying him through.
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a common blessing often given in various figurations. But then he ends with something interesting.
Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
The last word Paul uses in this epistle is en aphtharsia, which means "in incorruptness," and the noun denotes a quality of the future life. The adjective means "imperishable" or "unfading." To pair this idea with "love" may be related to the phrase, all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, and suggests that we are even now living the eternal life that will never fade, because we are sealed with the Holy Spirit for the Day of Redemption (1: 13-14; 4: 30).
Paul ends this letter with the same idea he started it with. He began with us "in the heavenly realms" (1:3), and now he finishes it with us there.
God sees the end from the beginning, and He finishes what He started. So Paul has written to the Ephesians to encourage them (and us) to live now in this world as citizens of the next, availing ourselves of all the advantages and accoutrements we need to grow into the adult sons and daughters of the King.
Spiritually we are already in the heavenly realms, even though physically we're still here on the Earth. We need to renew our minds to think as heavenly citizens who are on assignment in this foreign country as ambassadors of our King.
O my Father, please help us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which You have called us (4:1), to walk as children of light (5: 8), making the most of of our time (5: 16). Father, grow each of us up in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18), and bind us together in the bond of Your Spirit of Peace into Christ's one body.
Then together we will attain to the unity of the faith, and grow up into the stature of the mature man which will be to the full measure of the fullness of Christ (4: 13).
O Father, fill up Your house with Your uncountable children! Fill every place at Your great Banquet Table, and we will enjoy sweet fellowship forever with You and one another, without end!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Christ Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King of the Universe; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 6: 10-17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
We need to be spiritually strong to stand against our enemy, the world around us, and our own flesh.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
We need every piece, in order to stand firm, with no cracks or vulnerabilities.
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.
This suggests a whole hierarchy of supernatural evil beings, all arrayed against us.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God,
We need the full suit, every part, no piece can be left out, it must be complete.
so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
To be able to stand our ground when the onslaught of evil pours down on us, and having overcome, to remain standing in victory.
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with Truth,
Your loins refers to
your waist-to-knees portion of your body, to protect your most private
and vulnerable parts; safeguarding your chastity and purity. The first
step in putting on this armor. And the belt is the holster for all the tools of battle to hang from as well. It is the foundation of the whole suit of armor. Truth is that important. Whatever does not conform to Truth is deceptive.
and having put on the breastplate of Righteousness (Isaiah 59: 17),
This covers your full chest area, to ensure that your heart is filled with right attitudes in order to protect your feelings and emotions.
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace (Isaiah 52: 7);
We must prepare ourselves to run with the Good News that brings peace.
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.
The Roman shield was made in layers that would catch, secure, and extinguish flaming arrows before they could do any harm. Our shield will catch
and put out the flames of the logical and believable lies our enemy
throws at us. Believing God shows us the deception of whatever is not true.
And take the helmet of Salvation (Isaiah 59: 17),
Our brain is our base of
operations of our whole body, which must be surrounded by the
protection of God's deliverance from all that falls short of His perfect
ways.
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
This is our only
offensive weapon, all the rest are defensive. Our sword is double-edged
and razor-sharp, a very dangerous tool. We need to wield it very
carefully, skillfully, and wisely. We need to train in it, regularly, to
attain the precision of a brain-surgeon.
Jesus used the Word in
response to the tempter, and the tempter also quoted Scripture. So we
need the Holy Spirit's direction to out-wit our enemy as Jesus did.
This armor God provides for me is very
strong and impenetrable, yet light of weight and resilient of movement;
it fits me perfectly and comfortably, as it was custom-made by my Father for
me. As yours is for you.
O my Father, thank You for providing armor to wear in the war against evil. Please help us put on Your armor every day as Your soldiers. We need You to strengthen us, and to teach us how to use each piece with skill and precision. To win the battles and gain the victories.
Every eye shall see, every knee shall bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 6: 5-9
Now Paul goes on to the final personal relationship people have. We don't condone slavery today, the owning of persons as property to do the work, we hire employees. So we can apply these principles to our relationships in the work world.
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh,
Today we would say, Employees, do what makes your boss look good at work.
with fear and trembling,
Respecting them, giving them the credit for what is accomplished.
in the sincerity of
your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but
as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
Honestly, not a put-on,
but sincerely wanting to do what will benefit the whole company,
regardless of who gets the credit, just as you would if your boss was
Jesus, because He is.
With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
Do your job to the best
of your ability, as though you're working for Christ and His Kingdom,
not just the company you work for.
knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
Because we know that
whatever we do for the Kingdom, we're sending on ahead, and we will reap
the benefits there. And it doesn't make any difference whether we are
the boss or the worker, we're all working for Christ.
And masters, do the same things to them,
Have the same attitude
that you are administering the Lord's business, and He has given you
your employees to walk with you in your service to the Lord.
and give up threatening,
Don't be hard on them,
treat them as valuable assets, brothers and sisters in the Lord, encouraging them to do their tasks,
showing them the benefits of doing right.
knowing that both their Master and yours is in Heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Keep in mind that God
set up the order of authority, and no matter where He put you on the
ladder, there are those both above and below you, but you are all
valuable, all on the same ladder, all walking the same path of
Righteousness, and all precious in His sight.
I have been both the
boss and the employee at different times, but I am the same person, at
different stages of development. And those both above me and below me in
responsibility, I must see as just as precious to the Lord as I am, and
I am to serve them and lead them to the best of the ability I have been
able to attain so far in my walk.
The family and work
responsibilities we have been given sometimes seem to require more of us
than we think we have to give, and they are. God does not expect us to
fulfill His will in our own strength, because He knows we are but flesh.
That's why He gave us
His Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God in us teaches us, informs us, molds
us, strengthens us, and enables us to supernaturally live our lives each
day, obeying those who are above us, and humbly leading those who are
following us.
O my Father, thank You
for Your Spirit to live in us. Thank You for telling us and showing us
the right ways to think about life and our relationships, to see things
and people the way You see them, according to the order of authority You established, and to help one another in our journeys
along the path of life.
Father, continue to
teach me how to be the daughter of the King You designed me to be. Continue
to help me learn and practice the good and proper things to do and
accomplish each day to obey You according to Your will for me.
Help me to redeem the time, and to use every resource You have given me to further Your Kingdom, as Your worker, Lord.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 6: 1-5
Now Paul goes on the the other family relationship, with the children.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the Earth.
The only commandment God gives to children is to learn to obey their parents. And He even gives them a promise with it, to encourage them.
When children learn at a young age to do what they are told by their parents, immediately, without complaint; this is the foundation that will ground their whole lives. They will be ready to also obey their teachers, their bosses at work, the police officers directing traffic, the laws of the land. They will not get into trouble, and they will be able to get along with others. So their life will go well, and they can live a long life.
And they will also be able to obey God who they can't see. This is the most important.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Fathers, and by extension, mothers, are the first teachers children have in life, and they are not to be harsh or aggravating to their children, but gentle and considerate, and firm and consistent. They know their children better than anyone else (except God, of course), and can temper their teachings to each child's temperament.
The father and the mother each have things to teach their children, as well as demonstrating a godly relationship for them. A spiritually healthy home will produce spiritually healthy children. This is God's plan for the family.
The family is the first target of our enemy, because it is the foundation of our very society, our civilization itself. Because he hates us, and only wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10: 10). So he attacks the foundation so that the whole structure will fall.
But as Christians, we must raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
O my Father, please be with us as parents, to be Christ to our own children. Show us how to teach each child according to his or her temperament, and to draw them gently into godliness and good citizenship in the society in which we live.
Help us to grow them into good witnesses for You, and send us all out into the world to let every living being hear of Your wonderful Love, and how You have already met all of our needs.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Christ Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 5: 22-33
Paul just said that we all are to be in subjection to one another in Christ. Now he's giving us God's order in the family.
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
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.
But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
Just as Christ is head of the church, so the husband is the head of his wife. As we are all to submit to Christ, so the wife is to submit to her husband's leadership in the family.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
A husband is to love his wife sacrificially, just as Christ loved the church. Jesus went to the cross to be executed for His church; this is the kind of love a husband is to love his wife with: this passionate, this selfless, this freely. Only in Christ can he hope to be able to do this.
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,
Jesus' blood washed us permanently clean, but we still walk in the world, so we need to wash our "feet" regularly of the dust and grime with the water of the Word.
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.
Christ did this for us, so that we could be perfect, pristine, crystal clean in every way.
So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
because we are members of His body.
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 (Genesis 2: 24).
This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
Because Jesus Christ cares so carefully
for His church, because we are His body; so a husband is to also care
for his own wife as carefully as he takes care of his own needs. Because
their two bodies become "one flesh" in marriage.
That Christ is the head of His church, which is His body, is a great mystery, in that we cannot understand how we can be one body as well as individual people in different places. Marriage is one flesh, our marriage with Christ is one Spirit.
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.
We see that the order of authority
comes down from God the Father, to God the Son, to the pastor or
husband, to the congregation or the wife, and the wife has her husband's
authority over the children.
Everything in order, not chaos or confusion.
O my Father, Your order allows for peace to prevail in Your creation. The universe dances across the sky with perfect precision, and the Earth travels the path You set for it around our Sun. Your Love and peace provide the order we need for our whole universe to function without everything crashing into everything else. But everything is still wearing out and winding down, because of the curse You put on it as a result of Adam's sin.
Help us, Father, to realize Your order in our families; teach the husbands how to love their wives, and enable the wives to honor and respect their husbands in submitting to their authority. And may all Your children live out the structure of authority that You designed our world to have, to show the world Your love as we submit to one another in love.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 5: 6-21
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not be partakers with them;
How many college professors are teaching subjects they have no experience in, only theory? How many teachers are promoting ideas that have never been proven to work in real life? These are empty words. They sound nice, but they have no substance. They are deceptive, and the world falls into these lies.
We are not to even listen to them, for we are vulnerable to their deceptions and susceptible to their offers. Don't fall into it. Check them out.
for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Because we used to live in the darkness of the world, we can be comfortable in the ways we're familiar with; but now we're not to live like the world any more. All the concepts and ideas that used to inform us must be re-evaluated to see if they are good and right and according to the truth of Scripture.
We need to re-learn how to "do life" as God's children, taken out of the darkness and brought into the light. Open our eyes to see the reality before us. Use the things of the world for the glory of God, rather than just our own profit.
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
Don't fall for their "great offers" to get into these questionable activities that they say are so profitable. If you're attracted to it, consider what they say in light of righteousness, and investigate who these people are. And call them out if they're promoting deceptive or corrupt ideas. But don't gossip about them.
But all things become visible when they are exposed to the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
When you shine the light on them, consider what you see, and look for what is there. Then you will be able to judge whether it is righteous or not.
For this reason it says,
Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Isaiah 60: 1).
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
Wake up from all the worldly projects and endeavors and programs that you used to participate in, and go forth into a new path, learn new ways, and join or start new programs. Carefully consider this new path, that you are obeying all the requirements of loving one another, and doing nothing that would harm or detract from them.
making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
He says that the days are evil. The world around us is evil, and every day we live in it we are exposed to that evil. So we need to pay attention to use the limited time we have each day to not waste it, but to use every moment in the wisdom of the Lord.
So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
We are to be able to discern what God would want us to do in every situation, not making foolish decisions, or refraining from making a decision, which is also foolish.
And do not get drunk on wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
We are not to be controlled by worldly substances that alter our sensibilities, but we are to be controlled by God's Holy Spirit who lives in us, and think and live as He directs us.
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
always giving thanks for all things in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
When we do this, we will find that we have a song in our heart, some tune playing in our head, usually something we heard recently. Do you listen to Christian radio? This is a good way to put positive music into your head, and on your mind. This makes a good reminder to be thankful to God for all the blessings He showers on us every day.
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
And this will also move us toward serving one another, as Christ came to serve us, walking in His steps; loving our neighbor as Christ has loved us.
O my Father, You have loved us so much, and it is your love that runs the Universe You made. And it is Your love that energizes all life. Life itself is spiritual, even normal human life is spirit, and when our spirit of life leaves, our bodies are dead. And Your Spirit in us gives us Your own eternal life.
So we need to cooperate with how You designed this Earth for us to build our world upon it, for You made it to run on love, too. And Your Spirit is the oil that helps it to run smoothly. When we let Your Spirit control our thoughts and attitudes and words and actions, then we will love You back, and we will love those You love, Your children, and all You have created.
When we get caught up in the world's ways, we do damage to ourselves, one another, and this very Earth You made for us. The worlds ways lie to us, to make us believe that selfishness is how to get ahead, or that we are humanly able to change what You have determined. But these worldly ideas are not Your thoughts for us, and lead us away from Your best for us all.
As Your children, Father, teach us how to learn Your ways, how to listen to Your Spirit when He whispers into our spirit, saying, "This is the way, walk here." Show us how Your ways are so much better than anything the world can dream up, and how Your ways work when the world's ways fail.
Don't let us fall back into the world's ideas, where we used to be. Keep us walking each step on Your narrow path that leads to Light.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 5: 1-5
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
"I want to be just like you, Dad!" should be our quest.
and 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.
The way to be like our Father is to love. God is Love, and Christ Jesus loved us so much that He gave up His life as our Sacrifice. His offering to the Father is a fragrant aroma, just as the offering of our prayers also rise like fragrant incense smoke (Revelation 8: 3-4).
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
We should not even joke about what is not moral or pure or honest. Don't mention any of these at all. Don't pollute your conversation. Keep your communications totally above-board, sharing the blessings with thanksgiving.
For 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.
If someone lives a lifestyle that is not moral or pure, and desires to possess what other people own, this is an indication that they do not have God's Spirit living in them to strengthen them to do right. So they would have nothing in God's Kingdom if they're not going there.
O my Father, You are so good! Please help all of your children to think Your thoughts, and as Your Son's hands and feet, help us go into the world to show them Your love in us for one another.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, Lord God Almighty, sovereign King of the Universe; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 4: 25-32
As we put on the new man, as we read yesterday, this is how our behavior will change:
Therefore, laying aside falsehood,
Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor (Zechariah 8: 16),
for we are members of one another.
We are not to be deceitful with one another, any more than you would lie to your own hand! We are all body-parts in the body of Christ. Honest truthfulness is how we will live together now.
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and do not give the devil an opportunity.
When our rough edges rub on one another, this can cause disagreements. And we still may offend one another. But if we get angry with one another, then we are to resolve whatever issues have caused the anger, so that we can have peace together.
Otherwise, if we let it fester, then that opens the door of vulnerability and the devil will take advantage of us. This is serious. Let's talk out our differences as adults, without getting personal.
He 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.
Here's another weakness some of us have, even as Christians. We are to respect one another, not eyeing their belongings or taking advantage of them. We are to use our talents and abilities to provide something of value that others are willing to pay for, even if it's getting a job working for a paycheck. We need to be responsible for pulling our share of the load, and taking care of our own needs, as much as possible.
Then when we're honestly receiving our own income, then we can manage our finances in such a way as to be able to also share with others who do not have the ability to meet all of their own needs, or when someone has a special need.
Let 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.
This concerns our talk. We need to be aware of the words we are using. My late husband became a Christian as an adult, and he had formed a bad habit of using bad language. When he was saved, this was the first indication to me that his salvation was real. But even though he learned to use other adjectives and adverbs instead of swear words, it seemed that when he was angry, or was just not paying attention to what he was saying, those coarse words still snuck out.
He wasn't alone in this snare. Many of us may not use those particular coarse words, but we may still be thinking unkind thoughts about someone else, and some derogatory language may slip out of our lips. Even if we're just "thinking out loud." So we all need to pay attention to how we see one another, and choose our words well, before we open our mouths. And we need to find something positive to say, that will encourage one another, to build up their confidence in the Lord. This will give grace to those who hear.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the Day of Redemption.
We cannot chase Him away, but all these things will grieve God's Spirit in us. We certainly don't want Him to be sorry for saving us, so we would do well to remember He is right here with us, listening to everything we say, hearing our thoughts, and reading our hearts.
This verse reinforces the permanence of our position in God's family. He has sealed us up, and no created thing can break Almighty God's hold on us. We are His, and we will remain His, all the way to that Day of Redemption, the Day of the Lord, when King Jesus returns to rule this Earth as our sovereign Lord over all lords and King over all kings.
That's when our Redemption is complete, when our mortal bodies are swallowed up by our spirit bodies, and the Father declares that we are His adult children and gives us the authority under the Son to assist Him in His government.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Let's look at these words: bitterness is pikria, "acidity, poison."
Wrath is thumos, "passion (as if breathing hard), fierceness, indignation."
Anger is orge, "violent passion, vengeance." This is a word that conveys even stronger emotion.
Clamor is krauge, "an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief)," crying out loudly, making a scene.
And slander (evil speaking in the KJV) is blasphemia, "vilification, railing, blasphemy."
We need to be laying aside all these negative attitudes toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, along with all malice, kakia, "badness, depravity, malignity, trouble," which covers all these, along with every other piece of "caca" that might slip out of our hearts through our mouth.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
When we put away all these negative attitudes and ways of thinking, then we will be able to let God's Love into our hearts, to be able to share it with everyone else in our lives, whether we like them or not. Other believers we find difficult to get along with, we need to pray for, that God's goodness would be upon them, and for God to show us something in him or her that we can like and honestly compliment them on it. To be able to see them with our Father's eyes, giving them the benefit of the doubt, and accepting them as they are.
As we live in this world, our feet are walking through the dust and dirt of the world, but when we wash in the water of the Word regularly, then we will be clean. And when we pray for one another, we will find them easier to get along with without the former strife.
This is something we all are in need of paying attention to. All of us are human, and we all have different personalities. Not every person is naturally attracted to every other person, and sometimes we are actually repelled. But when we're brothers and sisters, God makes a way for us to all get along. We just need to follow His ways, regardless of how we feel.
I've found that I cannot feel myself into new actions, but I have acted my way into new feelings. That's why we are to obey. Even if we don't feel like it, our feelings may be lying to us. But when we do what we know is right, then our feelings will catch up.
God loves us all, with all of our different personalities and faults and weaknesses. And He even likes us when we were His enemies, to call us to Himself and want us to be with Him. He has forgiven us of so much, we ought to forgive one another freely, also.
Even when we need to forgive frequently, over and over, for the same offense. In our humanity we need to teach our feelings to catch up with our wills. Sometimes this takes time and repetition. But when we persist, it will come to pass.
O my Father, You have forgiven me so much, and You continue to forgive me every day as I mess up in something every day. You are so gracious to me, teach me to be persistent with others as You are with me. Father, I want to be like Jesus; continue to show me His character in the details I need to change to be like Him. I know You are remolding me into His character, little by little, step by step. Keep me faithful to You in everything I do.
Use me, Father, to influence many others to follow You, to love You as You love them, and to grow up through the childhood and schooling of this world, into the maturity of adulthood in Your family.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Son of the Father, the Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 4: 17-24
We saw last time that the body of Christ is to grow up into the full stature of a mature man. We are all members of that body, we're the body parts. So each of us needs to pay attention to how we're cooperating with God to function in the body in a healthy way.
So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk,
So we are not to live like we used to, like the rest of the Gentiles still do.
in the futility of their mind,
being darkened in their understanding,
Thoughts of the mind are always the root of our attitudes, which produces our life. And their thoughts were useless, because they were in the dark and don't understand.
excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
and they, having become callous,
They have ignored God, so they have excluded themselves from Him who is life, because of their hard hearts; and the hardness has produced callouses from the constant rubbing of pushing God away.
have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
They are trying to fill the hole with sensual experiences, greedily pursuing more and more forbidden pleasures. But it's never enough.
But you did not learn Christ in this way,
We learned that Christ does satisfy, He fills that hole that worldly pleasures never can.
if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
If you heard God's call to come to Christ, and received the teaching of His truth, then you found that He did fill that emptiness.
that, 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,
When you were saved from sin, then you didn't need that old lifestyle any more, and threw it off like a tattered garment. That outfit was wearing out, being used up by all the lies we were deceived by.
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
The thoughts of our mind are to be new ideas to replace those old ones.
and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
We have new clothes to put on, beautiful, well-fitting, dressy, suitable for God's royal children, made with the cloth of righteousness and holiness and truth.
We're not in the dark any more, we've been rescued from the gutter of the world, we've been cleaned up and given new clothes to wear that are just like our Father's, and are now in school learning how to be His royal children.
And it all starts in our mind. We need to change how we think, to see things clearly, so we can educate our thinking processes to know and practice the truth.
We are to wash out all the deceptions that we used to believe, by overflowing them with God's Word: His Son and His scriptures.
How are we to do this? Tomorrow we will see.
O my Father, You have provided the redemption we need to survive. We were slaves to our own fleshly desires, killing ourselves in living our lives in rebellion against all that is good and healthy.
You saw us and had compassion on us, lifting us up out of the dirt and grime and washing us in the blood of Christ, pristine clean. Then You forgave us of all the rebellion and defectiveness in our DNA, and put Your own Spirit of Life in our spirit, clothing us in new garments of light and truth as Your own children.
Now You are teaching us and training us up to learn how to live our lives according to Your goodness and righteousness; Your truth.
Father, help us to wash out all the wrong ideas that have led us astray in the past. Let them flow away in the dirty "bath water" that is thrown out, and let us think Your thoughts, according to Your ways. Teach us how to do all the things You planned for us to accomplish as Your hands and feet, to grow Your family, and to grow up Your children to maturity.
We need You, Father! We cannot do any of this without You! Keep us in Your hand, keep our feet walking straight on Your narrow path that leads to Light. Continually lead us, not letting us stray to the right or to the left, or wander away, or slip into a ditch, or run ahead of You, or lag behind. Keep our feet stepping in Your steps, until we reach that eternal Day!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 4: 11-16
We saw yesterday that Christ's descending into Sheol to bring Paradise to Heaven was connected to the giving of gifts. Today we will see some of the gifts He has given the church.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
These are the primary gifts that Christ gave the church to build this living building, and to grow this body of Christ.
The apostles were the ones to lay the foundation to this building, for the rest of the builders to lay the living stones upon, to use this picture.
The prophets received the information directly from God to form the doctrines of Truth, and to receive the understanding of what God had already told His people.
The evangelists are the ones who evangelize the people, who tell others the good news of the Gospel that Christ fulfilled the Law and the Old Testament prophets to save us from sin and redeem us into His Kingdom. We are still doing this work, and we will until He returns.
The pastors and teachers are those who also are still working to shepherd God's flock and to educate the believers.
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Those with these gifts we just described are to do their work in order to prepare the people to do the ministry of the church. The evangelists bring the people to faith into the church, and the pastors and teachers help them to grow so they can minister to one another. The people are the ministers. The members of the church are the ones who help the body to grow up.
until 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.
The body of Christ is to grow up into the full stature of a mature man by each member growing up in the Lord, being nourished on the Word of God, and being helped through all the lessons and tests of this world by ministering to one another.
As 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;
Therefore, we must not be childish in our attitudes, being influenced by all the worldliness that surrounds us.
but speaking the truth in love,
This is key, right here. What we say and how we say it. We must know the truth in order to talk about it, and we must love one another to converse in a compassionate way. Bare truth is harsh, and compassion without truth is deceitful and confirming of evil. We must have both together to succeed.
we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ,
Only this will promote the healthy growth of each one of us as individual members, body parts, so we can all work together as one body into Christ.
from 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.
The Head, Christ, fits us all together so that each of our contributions to the health of the body will cause it to grow up into that measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This will be accomplished in our loving one another as Christ has Loved us. Love is the foundation of all Truth and the Law, because it is the energy of the life of creation. God's Love puts order into the chaos.
The apostles and prophets gave us the body of Truth to form the doctrine we are to believe (as opposed to dogma, what we're told to believe because they say so, without substance). So we have the Truth to believe and teach others, because we love them. This Truth and love must go together--it is not loving to deceive, even if it seems compassionate.
O my Father, Your Word tells us that You are Love! Love is the very essence of Your being. That's why we can trust You and depend on You to always do what is right and good.
Teach us how to marry Truth and Love in our thinking processes, so that we can think Your thoughts, not our own.
Father, sometimes we cannot see far enough ahead to understand what You have allowed in our lives is for our good, because it just seems painful right now. But we know that You see the end from the beginning, and we need to comfort and encourage one another compassionately in Your truth. That will enable us to help one another to grow up in our faith and knowledge of You, and to trust You more in every circumstance. When we can't see the future, we can trust the One we know who holds the future in Your hand.
You have told us that You are working out everything, both good and bad, in our lives, to turn out good for us, for our benefit. We can trust You to do this. Because in Your generosity, You want us to enjoy all the benefits of Your goodness, for all time and eternity.
We will not see the bulk of all the goodness You are planning for us until we are with You for all eternity. But You do let us experience some of it, more or less, in this time while we're still here in the world. And what we do with what You give us here will determine what we will be able to enjoy then. So teach us to use the things of this Earth and the events that happen to us here to build up Your body, Your temple, and to grow up to adulthood in Your family.
Father, help us each to work on ourselves, and to minister to one another, so we can all grow up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Your Son. When His body has gathered all its parts, and we have all grown up through the schooling we are subjected to in this time-line; then He will return, we will graduate, and this era will end, ushering in the manifest Rule of our King on His throne, governing with Him under His direction, to manage the world on this Earth in the manner in which it was designed! Our Golden Age!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, Son of the Father, Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
