Wesley Chapel Podcast

Marriage is a controversial topic in our society today. The Christian life is a life of submission. Wives are to submit willingly to their husbands, but husbands are not to demand submission. Submission to husbands is obedience to the Lord. There are different roles in marriage, but the worth of the wife and the husband is equal in the Lord. We need the grace of God to live out these callings. Husbands are to have the love for their wives like Christ does for the church and died on the cross for her. He is to play a role in the sanctification of his wife. Seek the Lord for the strengthening and healing of your marriage and the marriages around you.

We are formed through imitating others, as well as God. We are impacted and influenced by those around us. Who or what we imitate can benefit us or hurt us. Look at God as the basis for your behavior. Walking in love is a clear example of imitating God. Three areas Paul addresses to the Ephesians is sexual immorality, crude talking, and covetousness. These will prevent you receiving your inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Paul encourages us to be willing to let the Word of God expose any darkness in our lives as well as expose darkness in others. Engage in the process of learning to discern God’s will. Be filled with the Spirit of God.

Paul describes how our renewed lives react to life in our communities. He describes an ideal life in Christ and what we aim for. We must speak truth and be honest in our relationships. If we are free in Christ, then we are free to be open with others and freely known. Guard your heart and beware of anger deep in your heart. Don’t harbor thoughts of anger and hate. We need the grace of God to do this. Invest your life in what will allow you to give to those around you. Do your words give grace to others and to yourself? Paul tells us to use our words to build up. Christian kindness comes from an internal change of heart, not just an external change of behaviors. We can forgive others and forget what they did to us because God has forgiven us and forgotten our sins against Him. Don’t lose heart or fall into despair with this ideal life Paul describes. Trust in the grace of God to make us righteous.

Paul compares those who are outside the church with those who are inside the church. Outside the church we are not being built up, and we are tossed to and fro. We have little ability against the wind and the waves when we are not being discipled or have people to pray with. When we open our lives up to others and join with the church, we become mature and the body is built up. Paul then contrasts those outside of Christ with those who are in Christ. It’s only through Christ that our hearts can be softened. Outside of Christ we are on a downward spiral; but in Christ we can be saved through His grace. Will you receive the grace of God, or will you continue on this downward spiral? If you want to live in Christ, we must daily put off the old self. We must be renewed in our minds through reading the Word of God and prayer. Christ does the work of renewing, but we must submit to this work and be willing to let Him do it. What areas of your life need to be put off? Once you do, the Holy Spirit will fill you with Himself—with love, joy and peace.

In prayer we confess our needs and burdens to God. We know that God, our Father, is loving and caring so we can come to Him with our prayers. Paul prays that the inner man would be full of Christ. The reality of our eternal souls causes us to prioritize Christ first so that He is not just something added onto your life. May we have possession and come to know the love of God. Do you know Christ in this way? Or do you only have a 2 dimensional knowledge of the love of God? Is God’s love changing you and the way you life and think? Put to death the sin and hindrances that keep us from knowing God’s love. Having received the power and knowledge of the love of God, Paul now prays that we would be full of God and His love, grace and presence. God will give above and beyond what we ask or think. Are you asking? What’s your desire? If you don’t have this passion for God and His fullness, ask Him. If your passion is for other things, ask God to redirect your heart. Only Christ will satisfy your heart. He will not leave you empty if you come to Him with desire and passion to be filled.

Our culture tells us that we can make it on our own. But we can’t fulfill God's call on our lives on our own. We’re not created to be independent from God. God uses our inefficiencies to make known the Gospel. God in His grace will exchange our weaknesses for strength. Obedience to God’s call will lead to suffering in some way. Reflect on where God has you. Acknowledge that all you have is a gift of God. Spiritual gifts are given for the common good—for the benefit of others. It’s only through God’s grace that we can be made into effective ministers. It’s the working of God’s power in you that God uses on the earth.