Ephesians 5-6: What we do

We finish Ephesians by listening for what “jumps out” when God’s Word is read aloud, then we ask what obedience looks like right now. We move from Paul’s repeated therefore into a clear picture of living in love, walking in wisdom, and standing firm with the Armor of God. 
• hearing Scripture spoken as a way to notice conviction and encouragement 
• imitating God as dearly loved children and living in love 
• rejecting impurity greed and corrupt speech in favor of thanksgiving 
• living as children of light and learning what pleases the Lord 
• walking wisely by making the most of opportunities and seeking God’s will 
• being filled by the Spirit through worship gratitude and mutual submission 
• marriage shaped by sacrificial love and respect in light of Christ and the church 
• parenting marked by honor without provoking anger and training in the Lord 
• work marked by sincerity integrity and leadership without threats 
• spiritual warfare framed as standing firm with truth faith salvation Scripture and prayer 

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Transcript

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Why Hearing Scripture Hits Different

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Hey, welcome back to the Out Loud Bible Podcast. Or if it's your first time, welcome. I'm so glad you're here. This is uh just a fantastic opportunity to get into the Word of God, to experience it a little bit of a different way. We we're we're going through the Bible conversationally, reading it from the New English translation out loud and just letting it hit us different. You know, that's one thing to read it, and you should totally read it and get into it. And I hope this is not the only experience with the Bible that you have. But uh, when we hear it spoken, we can kind of in a in a fresh way just let it kind of wait prick us a little bit and just think, wait, I haven't heard of, I haven't thought of it that way, haven't really heard it like that before. Oh, that kind of jumped out at me. That's kind of what we're always looking for here as we engage with the Bible is what are those things that kind of jump out? Because look, you can read a whole chapter and you could have dozens of things jump out at various times. But when you sit down now and read something or hear something, there may just be one thing that's like, oh, you know what, that kind of hit me today. That very well could be the Holy Spirit kind of tapping you on the shoulder and saying, hey, what about this? It might be an encouragement, might be a correction, might be just something to pray more about, might there might be something you have to do in light of this. But this is how God speaks to us through his word when we get into it and we just hear that little voice of like, hey, hey. Maybe it feels like like something just kind of strikes you. Maybe you have a thought, maybe you kind of get fixed on something and and uh the rest of it, maybe as I'm reading it, you don't hear it. He was like, I honestly I didn't even hear what he was saying because I was thinking about this other thing he said a minute ago. That's great. That that's great. I would rather you listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you uh than as we continue going in in the reading. You can always go get back to it at another point. But uh just sometimes the Holy Spirit just presses pause and is like, hey, that thing that was just said, that thing you just read, why don't you uh sit on that a little bit? I hope you have that experience today, uh, and and multiple days as we go through the Bible together.

Ephesians Recap And The Big Therefore

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Today we're concluding the book of Ephesians. We say a book, it's really a letter, a letter from Paul to the church in Ephesus. And uh we've we've identified two halves of the book, first half being what God has done, second half being what we should do in light of it. But we have actually kind of taken it up into thirds this season of the podcast, where last episode we took a look at that transition, the little bit of before and after what God has done, and therefore what should we do. And now today we get to conclude Paul's section of what is our response to what God has done? By way of review, what has God done? Well, he has made it possible for us to live at peace with him. He has brought about the church as Christ's body and called us to unity. He has given us everything that we need to live a life of righteousness and holiness, righteousness that he allows and that he imparts, but we have a role to kind of submit to the process of becoming more and more like Christ through this whole process that we call life. Now, today's reading, starting in chapter five, is going to start with the word therefore. Paul uses that a lot in this letter. And uh again, remember, he didn't write chapter breaks. So the fact that we have a big number five here and the start of a new chapter doesn't mean that you know Paul was intending this to be a whole separate section, right? Uh this is just a therefore, continuing what he said. And so whenever we pick it up and see the word therefore, if we didn't, if we haven't read what came before, just now we got to go back and look at what is it there for? And here's what we read last time, and we'll launch into it from there. What Paul just got finished saying was be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. And

Imitate God And Live In Love

SPEAKER_00 4:12

here we go, chapter five, in the New English Translation. Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting, all of which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing, that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy, such a person is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God's wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore don't be sharers with them, for you were at one time 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, trying to learn what's pleasing to the Lord. Don't participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention, but all things being exposed by the light are made visible, for everything made visible is light. And for this reason it says, Awake, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Therefore consider carefully how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity because the days are evil. For this reason, don't be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord's will is. And don't get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. The

Marriage As Christlike Love

SPEAKER_00 6:53

wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church, he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Now, husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious, not having a stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one's ever hated his own body, but he feeds it and takes care of it just as Christ also does the church, because we're members of his body. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great. But I'm actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Children,

Parenting And Work With Integrity

SPEAKER_00 8:31

obey your parents in the Lord. This is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, that it'll go well with you, and that you will live a long time on the earth. Fathers, don't provoke your children to anger, but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, not like those who do their work only when someone's watching, as people pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord and not people, because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord. And masters, treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats, because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven and there is no favoritism with him.

The Full Armor Of God

SPEAKER_00 9:40

And finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with a full armor of God, so that you'll be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens, and for this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything to stand. Stand firm, therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace. And in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, with every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints. Pray

Prayer For Boldness And Faithfulness

SPEAKER_00 11:14

for me also, that I may be given the right words when I begin to speak, that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel for which I'm an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak. Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you so that you too may know about my circumstances how I'm doing. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

What Jumped Out And What Now

SPEAKER_00 12:06

And that concludes the book of Ephesians. So, what jumped out at you today? Anytime the spirit was kind of tapping you on the shoulder, say, hey, pay attention there. Check that out. Anything jump out at you? Maybe it's something you've heard before, but you just kind of heard it fresh today. Maybe something you're like, I didn't even know that was in there. I never really heard that before. What jumped out at you? And then what are you going to do about it? That's what this whole section of the letter is about. How do we live as children of light? We are light in the world. What does that look like for you today to shine with the light of Christ? That's the thinking out loud thought for the day. And that's the book of Ephesians. Thanks for joining me here as you read this beautiful book. Hope you enjoyed it. Go back and listen to it again sometime this week, and maybe you can pick up something that you didn't hear the first time. And let me know. I would love to know what you found as you read the word on your own time and engage with whatever God is speaking with you. I'd love to hear and celebrate and support and encourage you in that way. Thanks for being here today. We'll see you next time on the Out Loud Bible Podcast.