Letter to the Ephesians -- Chapter 5

Having urged us to resist and avoid the temptations and sin of the devil Paul continues on to reiterate our call to love: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2). Following the example of Jesus Christ we are called to love in the same way that Christ Himself loved us. Christ died for us not to validate our sinful lives but to free us to live in the example God has given us. Therefore Paul urges us to free ourselves from the sins of our immoral past and present: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:3-4). Without any ambiguity Paul tells us that there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality among us or any kind of impurity. These strong words are meant to combat our conniving sinful minds that look to validate certain impurities and fleshly desires, which give our sinful nature a foothold in our life. “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). If we allow even a small amount of yeast (sin) into our lives it will soon spread itself through the entire loaf. To say “I will be just a little sexually immoral” is to allow Satan into our lives, giving him a foothold from which he will tear us apart within our blindness. Therefore we must avoid willingly submitting to even the most subtle and seemingly “harmless” amount of sin and immorality. We are to crucify our sinful flesh, not keep it on life-support by feeding it with only “small” amounts of sin. If we allow our flesh to live satisfied for even just a little bit it will eventually get the best of us and cause us to despise and reject the grace of our merciful God.

In light of this Paul continues on to remind us of the stark realities of God’s Word: “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). Those who continue to live in their sin simply have no place in the kingdom of Jesus Christ; this is the immutable and unchanging truth of the Scriptures. The willing continuance in sin is nothing more than a symptom of the idolatry that lies within, and therefore is only a symptom of our lack of repentance and rejection of God’s grace. When we reject God’s grace in Jesus Christ we will continue in our idolatry for we will have rejected God our Father in Jesus Christ. In his letter to the church at Thessalonica Paul echoes this warning: “The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 4:6-8). If we reject this call and teaching to turn away from our sin and towards the work and salvation of Jesus Christ then we reject God Himself and still stand under His wrath and judgment. We have been called to be pure in Christ Jesus, we have not been called to remain in our impurity. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:6). Indeed many false teachers will come along (inside and outside the Church) that will allow men to remain secure and lost in their sinfulness. We however must steer clear of these teachings and recognize that under the grace of God we have been called out of our sin. However this does not mean that we ourselves are to be the source of goodness, obedience, or righteousness. We instead are called to rely on Jesus Christ and what He has done, thereby being transformed in Him to daily struggle and fight against our sin. “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me” (Psalm 119:133).

Consequently Paul wants us to avoid partnering and yoking ourselves with sin and the false teachers who lead us into these lies: “Therefore do not be partners with them” (Ephesians 5:7). We must never partner and yoke ourselves with those who teach contrary to the Scriptures and to the Word of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. If we do so we will put ourselves in the position to fall away, being enticed by their corrupt teachings which appeal to our sinful flesh and nature. “These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Peter 2:17-19). These false prophets promise men freedom by appealing to the sinful will of man, urging us to live entrenched in our own empty abilities and powers. They believe freedom is in some power to choose and reform ourselves when in reality they are enslaved very deeply in their reliance on “self” and live fully ingrained in the dark recesses of the sinful heart. We however (being men who are helpless in our flesh) must rely on Jesus Christ and how He has already pulled us into His light. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10). Paul urges us to live in the true fruit of the light that has been given to us freely in Jesus Christ. This truth looks no longer to our own “self” but solely to God’s work and His will and desires for our life. Instead of hiding in the darkness of our utterly depraved flesh we now willingly expose our sin and darkness, looking to the healing power of the Cross. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). In Christ it is our constant desire to expose the darkness of our sinful nature and continue in the cleansing of God’s grace. It is thru daily repentance, which exposes the sinner inside, that we turn away from the darkness which once enslaved us. Those who are lost in their sin will want to remain hidden in the darkness, but those who have been awakened in Christ will desire everything to come to light. “For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’” (Ephesians 5:12-14). The light of God’s Law and Gospel has come into the world in order to light and expose what was hidden before. Under God’s Law our depraved hearts and motives are revealed, showing us that even our “righteousness” and “works” are nothing but empty evil. “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5). “Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered” (Isaiah 47:3). “I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you” (Isaiah 57:12). Thru Christ this Law meets the Gospel and we see the complete truth: we are nothing but helpless sinners who have nothing good inside of us, but God’s grace in Jesus Christ crucified has undeservedly become our complete and total salvation from ourselves. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:19-21).

Having shown us the danger of living in sin Paul summarizes his point: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Because we live in a completely fallen world we need to be wise and wary how we live. We are not to be “paranoid” about sinning (since we have the grace of Christ to cover us) but we should be careful to avoid falling into the willing sinful lusts, desires, and urges of the flesh. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). Therefore Paul’s warnings are not meant to make us question the grace of God, but to remind us that we are called out of the willful sins of the flesh, called to live for the Lord’s will. “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:17). It is foolish if we use the grace of God as an excuse for our sin, since this would be a blatant rejection of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. If we have come to be touched by the undeserved and unmerited life we have in Jesus Christ then our new will and heart will be focused no longer on what we want but on what God wants for our lives. Paul summarizes this will of God very briefly: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery” (Ephesians 5:18). As Christians we should target the root problem of falling into debauchery. Therefore we should avoid drunkenness “like the plague.” When men drink heavily their inhibitions are lowered and the sinful nature is allowed to come forth. Thru this, men are led into all sorts of debauchery and sins which tear them away from God’s will. “Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20). Instead of living for the flesh we should live for and by the Spirit. Abiding in God’s Word daily should be our first focus. By remaining steadfast in the psalms, hymns, and Scriptures of the Church we will keep ourselves connected to the Vine of Jesus Christ. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). Our lives should not be stoic and depressed but should be filled with life, music, and thanksgiving for what God has done for us in Jesus Christ crucified. Let us pray that by God’s grace we remain unwavering in God’s Word, giving our entire lives over to Jesus Christ who has called us, forgiven us, and saved us thru His miraculous work of redemption. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

Having urged the Ephesians to live as children of the light Paul continues on to teach them how to live in their Christ-based and Christ-mediated relationships: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). The relationship founded on and mediated by Jesus Christ will be one of submission. But what do we mean by submission and submit? To yield, obey, and subject oneself to another. That means: “in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Out of reverence to Christ who, “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7), and the example of humility He set for us we too ought to submit to our fellow man. This does not mean we are to “roll over” and be a “doormat” but it means that we are to look out for our fellow man and his best interests before our own, even giving up our own life for his sake. In other words, we are to love like Christ loved us. “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13). Thomas Kempis made a bold statement about this genuine Christian humility and submission, “This is the highest and most profitable lesson, truly to know and to despise ourselves. To have no opinion of ourselves, and to think always well and highly of others, is great wisdom and perfection.” We are called by Christ to lower and humble ourselves in service to all of our fellow men (neighbors and enemies alike). “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Therefore in all our relationships (even when we are in the “master” or “head” role) we are called to have the attitude and humility of a servant.

As he continues Paul addresses the three fundamental and paradigm relationships between human beings: husband-wife, parent-child, and master-servant relationships. Paul looks at how we are called to submit and be respectful within each one of these relationships as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ.

Paul begins with the marriage relationship: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). Paul here calls wives to submit to their husbands as they would to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The wife is specifically targeted because the husband has been called by the order of God’s creation to be the head of the wife: “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior” (Ephesians 5:23). Using Christ’s relationship with the Church as his basis Paul looks to illustrate the nature of this submission. “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:24). Therefore the call of Christ is that wives shall be submissive to their husbands in the same way that the entire Church is called to submit to the headship of Christ. Does this mean that husbands are not to submit or have a servant-attitude towards their wives? Absolutely not. Christ is our Head, but He willingly submitted Himself as a servant for us: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Therefore husbands are called to treat their wives like Christ treats the Church: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27). Paul here describes how we are united with Christ by grace thru faith using human marriage and the relationship between husband and wife as the type. We, the Church of Jesus Christ, are made to be one flesh with Christ as we are joined to the Body of Christ by means of faith combined with the promise of washing with water thru the Word (Baptism), “We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), and the Lord’s Supper, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Thru Jesus Christ’s incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection He has joined Himself to the Church in a spiritual marriage. This amazing love of Christ is therefore the example that is set forth for all husbands. “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. ’For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’” (Ephesians 5:28-31). Because we are joined as “one flesh” in marriage our spouse is simply an offshoot of our own self and body. This means that those who are in marriages are called to love their spouse as their own body, because that is what they are.

As he continues we see that Paul has used this marriage relationship in order to make a deeper and more profound point: “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32). Our initial tendency is to believe that Paul is primarily instructing us about the interactions between husbands and wives in this text, however, as he states clearly at the end, he is really talking about the mystery of Christ and the Church. Paul is using the human form of marriage and the duties (submission, respect, and love) that God has called man and woman to in marriage, in order to instruct us about how Christ has taken the Church as His bride. As a man and woman are joined as one flesh in marriage, so also we the Church are joined to Jesus Christ as one flesh thru His sacrifice on the Cross for us. This uniting of Christ with His Church as one flesh is profoundly important, for by this “exchange” we are guaranteed to share in all of Christ’s righteousness, merit, and grace: what belongs to the husband belongs also to the wife, so also we as the Church share in all the blessings of Christ’s work. The husband and wife take on all burdens and blessings of each other thru marriage; therefore Christ takes on all of our sin, death, and damnation, and we take on all of Christ’s righteousness and life. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If a king chose to marry a peasant he would take upon himself all of her poverty, disgrace, and dishonor, subsequently bestowing onto her all of his wealth, power, and honor. We ourselves are nothing but a faithless wife who has rejected God, “Like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me” (Jeremiah 3:20), but despite this, Christ, in a vicarious act of undeserved love, takes us, the rejected, destitute, and widowed wife, to Himself and bestows onto us all of His glory, righteousness, and grace. “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected” (Isaiah 54:4-6). Paul goes on to state that even though his main purpose was to point us to our relationship with Christ that he was still indeed giving us instruction about how to love, respect, submit to, and care for our spouse: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (Ephesians 5:33).