Some years ago, my wife and I went to visit a friend whose husband had left her for another woman. The details were extremely sordid, and as we spoke to her it was clear that she had every biblical ground for divorce. She told us that people kept advising her to divorce him, but she felt no peace about making that decision. Ultimately, she decided against pursuing … [Read more...]
Marriage, God’s Way (Ephesians 5:18–33)
A study of Ephesians 5:18–5:33 might be called “The Gospel of Marriage,” or “The Good News about Marriage.” Biblical marriage is good news because it is grounded in the gospel. Unfortunately, many do not see this. That is why, far too often, emcees and other speech-givers at wedding ceremonies make crass, critical, or demeaning comments about marriage. Shortly after my wife and … [Read more...]
Fearing Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:21)
By the time you read this, you may already have seen “the handshake”—the one between President Donald Trump and the newly elected President of France, Emmanuel Macron. If it was not so pathetic, it would be funny. Two world leaders behaved like big time wrestlers. Knuckles turned white, lips were tightly pursed, and poorly-veiled grimaces were displayed as they tried to … [Read more...]
Worshipping Together (Ephesians 5:19–21)
At a recent conference in which I was involved, a black Namibian brother told me of a prayer meeting he had tried to arrange in his church. He told me that several of the white farmers, rather than joining that prayer meeting, had decided to hold their own prayer meeting, and so there was a prayer meeting for the black members and another for the white members. Without saying … [Read more...]
Don’t Waste Your Life (Ephesians 5:18)
In our previous study of Ephesians, we examined quite deliberately the opening half of this verse. Though not being drunk with wine is not the main point of the passage, nevertheless, understanding this exhortation is paramount if we will understand the importance of the second half of the verse and all that follows. In essence, what Paul is saying is that, now that we are … [Read more...]