Ephesians 5- Andy's thoughts

Sex and Money
This chapter also begins with “therefore.” The flow of thought is that just as God in Christ has forgiven us, we also ought to forgive one another. Therefore, we should imitate God in everything we do. I think the implication is that we should not make separate parts of ourselves- our Christian self and our other self.

We are called to imitate God in our actions, our words, our thoughts, and our relationships. While we may be familiar with Christian discussions about avoiding sexual immorality, this passage also equally condemns greed. I think that God desires us to have a right relationship toward our bodies, our minds, our words, and our money.

A few years ago I read a book about sex and the Bible and there was a great quote. The author said that growing up in the church, the 2 things that she heard about sex were- first, that sex is dirty and nasty, and second, that you should save it for the one you love. What a confusing message. God created us with physical bodies and gave us physical desires. To repress all sexuality would be to deny the work of God in us.

Sex is a good thing according to the Bible- when it is in its proper context. In the wrong context it is consuming and destructive. What we are called to do is have a right attitude toward sexuality. I couldn’t fully elaborate a doctrine of Christian sexuality here. I will say a few simple guidelines.

Our sexual ethics should not be primarily defined by the shifting whims of our culture though our understanding of sexuality should be properly informed by current medical knowledge. Our sexual ethics should not be primarily defined by a vague attachment to Victorian English values (as if the pinnacle of God’s work could only be achieved 1800 years after Christ by a White imperialist nation). Lastly, our sexual ethics-like all of our ethics- should be primarily defined by Biblical truths as a means of honoring God.

I think that Paul’s words of warning about not only sexual immorality but also greed is just as relevant to us today as it was to his people then. Wouldn’t it be great if one of the first associations that non-Christians had about Christians is that we were noticeably not greedy? People often misquote the Bible when they say that money is the root of all evil. What the Bible actually says is that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Money is not inherently good or bad. Money is simply a medium of exchange. It is a useful tool that increases the efficiency of a culture’s ability to exchange goods and services. It is only the love of money that brings evil. When we choose to love money, we choose not to focus on loving God or others. We quickly obsess over not losing the money we have and how to gain even more. This prevents us from having a right attitude toward money. The right attitude toward money should be to see it as a one of many means to do the good work to which God has called us.

“Making the most of the time…”
I think that there is urgency in this exhortation. Paul tells us to live in wisdom regarding our current situation. It is so easy to procrastinate small steps of obedience. The life of faith to which we are called should include a recognition to act now. We are told to not get drunk with wine but instead to be filled with the Spirit.

I think that the idea of getting drunk with wine is one of the reflections of how we numb ourselves to the urgency of obedience. However, alcohol is just one of the numbing agents we employ. We may grow more callous toward God and his mission by playing video games, watching TV, becoming workaholics, just to name a few. It is good to be a little raw and sensitive to the injustices in our world so that we can be moved by a holy discontent. I pray that we make the most of the time.

One of the things that Paul mentions that we should be doing to make the most of the time is to meet together and read and sing psalms together. We should give thanks together. It is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s filling that Christians don’t live in isolation from each other but are instead united together.

Healthy Relationships
This last part of the chapter is often quoted at weddings and has caused some degree of consternation to lots of people. I think a diligent reflection of the actual content should lead to a deeper appreciation for what it means to know and follow Jesus.

The main idea of this section is that to be a follower of Jesus means that we live in the daily acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord and we are not. This acknowledgement should then lead to our consistent humble obedience to Jesus as our Lord. This act of submission to him applies to both men and women.

The start of this section (verse 21) says that we all ought to submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. I believe that the act of submitting to other people whom we can see, helps us to submit to God whom we cannot see. The remainder of this chapter and the beginning of the next will elaborate on some specific ways that submission should happen.

Application:
How are we using our time? If you don’t already have a fairly detailed schedule, try making one for the week- being sure to include designated times to meet with other Christians to pray and sing and be thankful together. For bonus points- make sure that this time is not just on Sunday morning.