Ephesians 5:15–21

Ephesians 5:15-21 

English Standard Version 

  It's hard to be good stewards of our time.  There are so, so many opportunities for distraction.  If we're not careful, we can let our lives slip away, one distracted moment after the next.  Paul is urging us to be wise about how we use our time and our attention.  Be grateful, Paul says, for what God has done, and let that guide your interactions with one another.  In doing so, we learn to worship in every moment, and we don't let distractions lead us far from Christ and one another.  In a world where we so easily put our heads in our devices and watch hours slip away, may we be the ones engaging in love and grace with the people around us, worshiping God through our interactions.

Ephesians 5:11–14

Ephesians 5:11-14

English Standard Version 

  Shame is a hard thing for people to deal with.  Our natural thought is to hide it and hope no one else knows, but it eats away at us, eroding our spirits from the inside.  Here, Paul encourages us to throw our shame into the light, for it is the best disinfectant.  The light of Christ can redeem us, can redeem our past, can redeem us for the future.  We cower in shame and listen to the lies of the enemy that tells us that our shame defines us, but when we expose them, we allow the grace of Christ to redefine us, to remind us of God's love for us, that we are made in the image of God and claimed in the waters of baptism.  

Ephesians 5:6–10

Ephesians 5:6-10 

English Standard Version 

  When I get up in the middle of the night, I walk very gingerly around the room, never quite certain if I've left something in the middle of the floor that wasn't a problem when the lights were on.  In the dark, it's far more treacherous.  Turn on the lights, and after the adjustment, I can walk very, very differently.

  The same is true of our walk with Christ.  We walk carefully in the dark, for danger lurks with every step.  However, when we're covered in grace and mercy, we can be confident, because we don't have to be afraid.  We discern the best next step, but rather than live in anxiety, we can trust in the love and perfection of Christ that has claimed us.  We no longer belong to fear.  We are Christ's, and in Him we are safe.

Ephesians 5:3–5

Ephesians 5:3-5 

English Standard Version 

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  There's been any number of debates about sex in the church over the last few centuries.  And they're worth having -- when we submit all of life to God, that includes our physical lives.

  But while we have untold hours of debate about sex, do we also have debate about greed and covetousness?  In the church, we often get so focused on sexual sins that we forget there are other sins.  Here in Ephesians 5, Paul is putting greed on the same level as sexual immorality.  We tend to think one is more serious than the other, but the Bible teaches us that all sin separates us from God and corrupts our relationships with one another.  We can do greed in private, and no one else will know about it... but it still rots us, hollowing us out, and we need Christ to redeem that part of our lives as well.  

  So let us lay everything before Christ.  When we confess our sins, we should include everything.  Christ has come to heal and restore, thanks be to God!