The Christian's Lifestyle: Our Gifts
April 8, 2013

"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Ephesians 4:7).

The grace that is given (Greek charis) is a distribution by the Holy Spirit of gifts (same Greek word) to every believer (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Seventeen different gifts are listed in three New Testament passages (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10; Ephesians 4:11), all of them intended by the Holy Spirit to minister to the church and to enhance her unity (Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:12).

Three reasons are cited for these gifts (Ephesians 4:12). "The perfecting of the saints" is a process that describes making something useful or suitable that is not yet adequate. James and John "mended" their nets (Matthew 4:21). And Paul prayed that he might supply that which was "lacking" (1 Thessalonians 3:10). So, the gifts of the Holy Spirit mend that which is lacking in the saints. The work of the ministry is a joint effort of service (2 Corinthians 6:1) that recognizes the public visibility of that service (2 Corinthians 4:1-2) and steadfastly displays those gifts so that the "ministry be not blamed" (2 Corinthians 6:3). The edifying of the body of Christ focuses the use of the gifts on the enrichment and betterment of the local assembly of believers (1 Corinthians 14:5, 12, 26).

The goal is to bring all (the saints) to a state of doctrinal unity (the faith) so that our maturity can be compared to the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13), eliminating susceptibility to "every wind of doctrine," growing up into Him in all things, and building the "body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:14-16). HMM III

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The Christian's Lifestyle: Our Behaviour
April 15, 2013

"This I say . . . that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk" (Ephesians 4:17).

This succinct command quickly is followed by a sweeping description of the impotent mind of the Gentiles of that day in contrast to the utterly changed condition of the believer (whether Jew or Gentile). The non-Christian Gentiles had a darkened perceptive ability, rendering them alienated because of the ignorance that was in them, and an overall blindness of their heart which was the root cause of their inability to function, even to feel, in the same way as the children of God (Ephesians 4:18-19; compare Romans 1:21-32; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

The saint of God, however, is told to discard the old man and to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:20-24), as though that simple picture of a powerful reality is adequate instruction to fulfill the earlier command. No longer is the child of God to be corrupt by the deceitful lusts of his or her old condition, but having learned Christ and been taught by Him, is to be renewed in the spirit of (their) mind. A transformation is now possible through the new mental (intellectual, spiritual) abilities given to us by Christ (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:16).

The new man, which we are responsible to wear like a body-enveloping cloak, is created for us by the omniscient Creator in righteousness and true holiness. We have been given a specially created new man to wear (externally visible), which will show (exhibit, demonstrate, make clear) the spiritual difference between the Gentiles and the saints of God.

The seventeen commands which follow (Ephesians 4:24-5:7) address every aspect of the Christian walk, all relating to a lifestyle of truth, giving specific contrast between the unbelieving Gentile and the saint. HMM III

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The Christian's Lifestyle: Our Wisdom
April 22, 2013

"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17).

The "wherefore" is preceded by the command "Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8.) This title, children of light, is used only three other times in the New Testament: once by the Lord Jesus to contrast worldly wisdom with the ineffectual use of godly wisdom in the least things Luke 16:8; once again to direct us to believe in the light (John 12:36); and finally by Paul to encourage us to watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6).

A light-like life, which is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, is expressed in the character of goodness (Romans 15:14), righteousness (Romans 14:17-18), and truth (Ephesians 5:9; compare Galatians 5:22). In fact, the transformation of our character by our conscious choice to "present |our| bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," enables us to "prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2; see also Ephesians 5:10). An equation is clearly drawn between godly behaviour and godly wisdom.

It therefore follows that children of light "should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness" (Ephesians 5:11), taking the responsibility to reprove them and recognizing the "shame even to speak of those things" (Ephesians 5:12).

The light things make manifest (present, display) that which is reproved, enabling us to "walk circumspectly |accurately, carefully|, not as fools but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15). That wisdom is not the foolish wisdom of this world (1 Corinthians 1:20), but the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 2:7) "that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God" (1 Corinthians 2:12), understanding what the will of the Lord is. HMM III

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The Christian's Lifestyle: Our Control
April 29, 2013

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).

Two factors need to be identified with this verse: First, the immediately preceding context confines the primary application to behaviour, just as the immediately following context relates the "filled" behaviour to the fellowship of believers. Secondly, the imagery stresses control of the behaviour by the Holy Spirit (contrasting filled with drunken behaviour).

The filling is not synonymous with the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-14), since all are so baptized but not all are filled. Nor is it equal with or subsequent to speaking in tongues, since some specifically identified as being filled with the Holy Spirit (John the Baptist, Elizabeth, Jesus) never spoke in tongues. Some individuals (Paul, Peter, Stephen) were filled on different occasions. Apparently, the filling produces a temporary effect like alcohol does. The effect of the filling of the Holy Spirit enhances or encourages a God-like behavior in contrast to the Satan-like behavior stimulated by alcohol.

Some passages equate power with this filling (Acts 1:8; Romans 15:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:5), and others equate it to wisdom (Colossians 1:9-11; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 3:15- 17). The immediate context, however, lists four evidences of the Holy Spirit's control (Ephesians 5:19-21): songs of praise together; personal singing and private melody to God in our hearts; thanksgiving; and voluntary submission to one another in the Lord. Since the Holy Spirit distributes gifts to the saints (Ephesians 4:7-11) for the purpose of building the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-16), it stands to basic reason that the Holy Spirit's control is designed to enhance and stimulate the ministry of believers to each other and the personal joy and awareness of the goodness of God. HMM III

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The Christian's Lifestyle: Our Relationships
May. 6, 2013

"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:21).

Our calling is to walk worthy.
Our gifts are perfect and complete.
Our behaviour is changed by the new man.
Our wisdom is to understand the will of the Lord.
Our control is being filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:22 through 6:9 presents a basic primer on human relationships in dynamics that impact most of our lives, our families, and our places of employment. Our relationships are to be carried out by submitting (ourselves) to one another in the fear of God. That key word hupotasso is itself instructive. It is a compound of the preposition "under" and a word that means to arrange in order. Thus, to arrange under, in order.

In the home, the submission (order, arrangement) is compared to the Lord's house, the church. Wives are to be arranged under the husband (emphasis on authority) just as the church is under the authority of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24). Husbands are to be under the responsibility of love (emphasis on sacrifice) just as Christ gave His life on behalf of and for the benefit of the church (Ephesians 5:25-33).

Children are to be under the arranged order of correct behaviour (emphasis on obedience) just as the fifth commandment so requires for the protection and promotion of well-being and longevity (Ephesians 6:1-4).

In the workplace, those who serve are to serve as though they were serving the Lord, not men (Ephesians 6:5-. Those who lead and own are to relate to their servants as though they were serving the servants, recognizing that one Master is over all (Ephesians 6:9). These instructions are really quite simple. We do not need to complicate them. HMM III

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