And wives, respect, submit, listen to honor and reverence your husbands, even as the church, as the bride does Christ. And then Ephesians 521 puts that into this context, submitting one to another, and the fear of the Lord and Jesus teaching true love is not being the boss and having somebody do what you want. But the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is what the servant of all.

And there's Jesus alive, with the nail prints in his hands. And and yet he is resurrected and he doesn't understand, and he's trying to apologize. And Jesus says, Peter, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Oh, okay, then feed my sheep. Then he asks him again the second time. Peter, do you love me?

So when we come now to Ephesians chapter six, beginning in verse five, we come to an interesting passage beginning in verse five. Paul says, now bond servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling and sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will, doing service as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

How would you prepare a meal and serve the meal? If Jesus were going to eat it? You know, as a pastor now, there it is. And you like it. I don't know, you know.

Ephesians 6

Jesus says. Yeah, just like that. Only just the opposite. Today, from the writings of a bond servant in Ephesians. Pastor Ray brings us a good look at humility and servanthood. Let's open our Bibles to Ephesians chapter six. Okay, Paul, we've been in a section where the rubber meets the road. It's a very practical section. After beginning with all these beautiful truths of who we are and our identity in Christ and our eternal future as being accepted in the beloved.

The Bible does not condone slavery. It acknowledges slavery that it was there and part of the world then. And unfortunately, even this so modern 21st century in parts of the world, it is still with us today. So what? What about the gospel? What about Christianity? What about slavery? And what do we do with this passage where Paul says, bond servants be obedient to those who are your masters?

Ephesians 6

Now, there are two reasons for this call to honor and obey our parents. The first is there is a natural law of children obeying their parents, that God is just kind of written into the genetic code of of human existence. Or as Paul puts it, for this is right. And I think that we would generally agree. And it's interesting that essentially every culture and every society is built on the premise that children ought to obey their parents.

Ephesians 6

Paul writes, children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. Which is the first commandment, with a promise that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth. And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 5:22-33

Okay, I married, I made this commitment, but I don't even know really what it means or how to keep it. I have my own needs and maybe even look at a spouse says, you're going to meet my needs and it fails. So what about a Christian man? A Christian man is a man who he doesn't just sacrifice his life out of nothing.

Ephesians 5:22-33

By the way, marriage is a religious thing. It is a spiritual thing. God is the originator of it. The world is not always gone along with it. In fact, when Paul was writing, to the church of Ephesus 2000 years ago, marriage was a lot different than it is today. Now, as it is today. At least until recently, the idea has predominantly, been captured of the idea of a Christian marriage

Ephesians 5:18

This is one of the most fascinating verses to me in the in the New Testament. Paul says, and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation or excess, but be filled with the spirit. Now that is that's amazing to me. Why is Paul comparing a man who gets drunk with wine and alcohol, with a man or a woman that is filled with his spirit?

Paul says, once you have been bathed, then saturated in the love and the grace of God. Now we are free to begin exploring. What does it really mean to walk with God? What does it mean to have my heart transform my desires, my interests, my thinking, my emotions? everything about me. What does it mean to walk with God?

Now I am learning how to love others. And that I've been brought into this marvelous and wonderful family. Then, beginning in verses eight through 14, Paul says, to walk with God also means to walk in the light. In verse eight he says, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light.