What it Looks like (Eph 6:1-9)

We’ve been looking at “walking out” the christian life.

what it looks like.

chapters 1-3 were all about outlining the blessings and empowerments we’ve been given from the king to:

be members of His kingdom

participate in His kingdom

represent His kingdom

and we’ve discovered that His kingdom is all about relationships

first and foremost, we need a relationship with Him (and He with us)

second, that relationship expresses itself into all other relationships 

we looked at how this relationship changes the individual 

which changes how that individual relates to everyone else

we’ve seen some fruit expected in general relationships within the body

we’ve seen how the spiritual gifts of church leadership are all serving based

which is relationship context.

We then dove into some various specific relationships

as Paul begins to fill in the details of how our relationship with God

would express itself in some examples of relationships

we are to love, to serve the other in that relationship

according to the God defined rules of that relationship

but what does it mean to love ?

are there limits, boundaries to agape love ?

YES

love is seeking, desiring for what is best for that person

what is best for that person ?

whatever they want ?

or is it what they need to be closer to trusting God ?

Since each person’s best interest is always God, then helping them closer to God

is always in their best interests and the most loving thing one can do.

it’s also worth reminding ourselves that we cannot do any of this without complete reliance upon Christ Himself  (John 15)

We must be in Him to bear His fruit.

We must be abiding in Him before we can help another to abide in Him.

We must understand and be receiving unconditional love before we can give it.

Our best chance to understand unconditional love (and everything else about God’s truth)

is by reading His Word to us   the Bible

How many of you have read their bible this week (let alone every day) ?

is that how you eat ? (do you eat one good meal all week and junk for the rest of the week) ?

Does that seem reasonable ?

Cannot feed another person with the love of God if we are despising God

you may ask “how am I despising Him, I am a christian ?”

let me illustrate:

• You ask someone to listen to your advice 
• they tell you “no”.
• (that was certainly not a kind thing that they did but they did at least acknowledge you)

You ask someone to listen to your advice

• they ignore you
• walk away from you without even replying to you
• do you see how ignoring someone is worse than saying “no” ?

Do we do that to God ?

• refusing to read His Word
• refusing to acknowledge it
• saying no “when we know what He said

are all forms of despising Him, hating Him

since loving Him would be to give Him what he deserves 

… our worship

our willing sacrifice of ourselves

we must first be on the walking path of unconditional love

love from Him

love back to Him

before we can welcome another onto the same path

but unconditional love is not a blank check

(one must use discernment to first determine what is best for that other person)

let me ask: 

“what is the role of the new nature in the following relationship in expressing love ?”

Our new nature to god

our new nature to our old nature

our new nature to someone else’s new nature

our new nature to someone else’s old nature

wives to husbands

husbands to wives

There is no relationship that provides an authority greater than that of God

lets now look at some other relational examples of “walking it out”

Children

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Eph 6:2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),

Eph 6:3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

Col. 3:20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

no one has to teach a child how to disobey. (it’s quite natural, it’s in the adamic DNA)

but obedience is a learned skill, the proper motivation must be included

quoting Deut 5: 16

in obeying your parents, you are honoring them  and honoring God

(honoring God is the ultimate goal in all these relationships of love)

length of day is connected to obedience which is connected to living in the land provided

(physical land, physical promise)

our promises (the blessings) are spiritual, our promised dwelling place is spiritual 

so why does Paul even use the quote

to show how important obedience to parents was to God (that he attached a promise to it)

 2 Tim 3:1-2

scripture always balances relationships

God tells the kids to honor their parents

now He tells the Father how to be the balancing love

Fathers

Eph 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Col. 3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

emotional, verbal, and physical abuse

unreasonable demands or expectations (putting the bar too high)

(this is not a common problem, the opposite is usually the case)

being critical and not offering praise

dismissing their feelings as inconsequential

failing to admit error, or saying “sorry”

Here is a category that really doesn’t exist in our culture

but we do have employers and employees

Slaves

Eph 6:5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;

Eph 6:6 not by way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Col. 3:22 ¶ Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

masters

Eph 6:9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Col 4:1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

the motivation

Eph 6:7 With good will, render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Eph 6:8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

Col. 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

Col. 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

1Pet. 3:8 ¶ To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

1Pet. 3:9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

This statement, “as to the lord and not to men”

removes the dividing wall we like to put up between two worlds

ministry

work

i.e.

within church activity

everything else

there is no wall !

Col 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work 1heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

Prov. 3:6   In all your ways acknowledge Him,   And He will make your paths straight.

Rom. 14:6-8 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lords

1Cor. 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 15:12 ¶ “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:17 “This I command you, that you love one another.

Rom. 13:8 ¶ Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

1Th. 4:9 ¶ Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

1Pet. 1:22 ¶ Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

1John 3:11 ¶ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

1John 3:23 ¶ This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

1John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

2John 5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

Matt. 5:43 ¶ “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’

Matt. 5:44 “But I say to you, Matt. 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, and pray for those who persecute you,

Matt. 19:19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Matt. 22:39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

Mark 12:31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Rom. 13:9 For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Gal. 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

James 2:8 ¶ If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.

every situation, every relationship may come with it’s required context of what love can look like

But There is Always a Way to love, to submit to the need of another.

God both empowers us to and then commands us to do so.

(He would not tell us to do something that cannot be done)

Col 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work 1heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

Prov. 3:6   In all your ways acknowledge Him,   And He will make your paths straight.

Rom. 14:6-8 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lords

1Cor. 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God