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A Study of Ephesians
Daily Devotionals for February 14-18
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NOTE: This week we pick up our studies in the New Testament book of Ephesians, continuing our weekday preparation for the upcoming Sunday's sermon by Pastor Rob. As you read and meditate on the verses we'll study this week, invite God to speak through this text, praying as Paul did for the Ephesians, that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18).
We thank Kellie Kammes, WBC's Director of Women's Ministry, and Wendy Larson, Director of Community Groups, for preparing this week's devotionals.
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 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14
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| | This week we are focusing on Ephesians 5:21-24, the text of Pastor Rob's sermon next Sunday. Today we'll read those verses in the context of the preceding verses in chapter 5:
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person -- such a man is an idolater -- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them. 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 15Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
In this week's text, Paul transitions from general teaching on doctrine to detailed application of that doctrine in our lives -- specifically how we relate to and treat each other. If we live a Spirit-filled life, as we are instructed in verse 18, we will submit or "voluntarily yield in love," first to the Holy Spirit, and then to others because of our relationship with Christ.
We naturally look out for ourselves and our own interests. However, just as a traffic yield sign alerts drivers that other cars may be present, making it wise to slow down, stop, or allow another vehicle to proceed, so the Holy Spirit causes us to acknowledge that we are living in the presence of other people. He is our "yield sign," alerting us to times when we might need to slow, stop, or allow another person to go ahead, prioritizing their interests, needs, and desires as just as important as our own.
It's no wonder Paul urges us to submit "out of reverence for Christ." Christ is our example, voluntarily yielding His whole life in love for our benefit and to glorify His Father. These two thoughts are not intended to be separated: our submission to others and Christ's submission on our behalf. This will keep our hearts pure and our minds clear as we apply this teaching to our lives.
Are we truly yielded to Christ or are we plowing through a yield sign when we should be stopping? Do we voluntarily yield to our Christian brothers and sisters or do we push through our own agenda with little thought of others? It can be difficult to yield our heart, our desires, our will to the heart, the desires, and the will of others, but as we do this, our relationships will benefit and the Father will be glorified.
You may also want to read these other texts related to today's thought: Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10.
Father,
Thank You for the gift of your Holy Spirit. I will choose to yield myself to Him this week so that He will teach me how to yield to my brothers and sisters in Christ and bring honor to You in so doing.
Amen
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| TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
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| This week we are focusing on Ephesians 5:21-24, the text Pastor Rob will teach from on Sunday, February 19. Today we are reading from the New Living Translation, beginning with verse 15:
15So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
As we learned yesterday, verse 21 is a transitional verse talking about how Christians are to treat one another. It is a general directive. Paul then moves into specific directives for wives and husbands.
The best marriages are built on trust and respect. As with our love and trust in Jesus, Paul says, wives are to love and trust their husbands. In fact, the word submit in verse 22 is the same in Greek (hupatasso) as in verse 21, with the accompanying definition: "voluntary yielding in love." "To yield -- to put the other before yourself (Philippians 2:3-4)" -- is a common theme in Paul's writing. And while the yielding of a wife to her own husband is different from other relationships and the particulars of that yielding are specific to that union, the husband-wife relationship offers an opportunity to examine what yielding/submitting looks like and how it might work in real life.
It definitely raises questions. Take a few moments now or later today to respond to these. For a wife, does yielding mean to trust her husband more? Does it mean to encourage him more? Does it mean to have more open communication about things pertinent to each other's lives together rather than each one doing his or her own thing? Does it mean loving him the way he needs to be loved rather than the way you want to love him? Does it mean letting go of your will?
Wives are instructed to yield to their husbands as the church yields to the Lord -- yielding to the one who loves us and has our best in mind and at heart.
Father,
Thank You for Your Word that is a light for my path and reveals to me how You would have me live. Please open my eyes to the reality of my relationships -- with other people and with You. Show me how I can honor You in my choices as I seek to obey Your Word today.
Amen
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| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
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| | This week we are focusing on Ephesians 5:21-24, the text Pastor Rob will teach from on Sunday, February 19. Today we're reading from The Message paraphrase:
21Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. 22-24Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
In verse 22, Paul calls wives to yield or submit to their own husbands. Notice that Paul is not asking all women to submit to every man, but the yielding is specific to the marriage relationship. We'll look further at what Ephesians 5 says to men next week, but in light of this week's text, a good question for a husband to ask is: if your wife is yielding to you, how do you receive that? There is responsibility in holding your wife's heart, directing your lives together, and providing for your family. It is not to be taken lightly. It is not to be used against her.
Paul reminds us that authority is not something to be lorded over another or used abusively. In the case of a wife yielding to a husband, the husband builds on that trust and encourages his wife and loves her. He does not command her, he does not manipulate her, he does not force her. Submission is voluntary yielding in love. She will yield to the one she trusts.
If you are married, think about how this balance of yielding, loving, and respecting is working in your marriage? How can it grow? What can you do to build the trust in your relationship so that the balance of yielding and leading continues to honor the Lord.
If you are not married, consider how you treat those under your authority -- coworkers, children, students, and others. How yielded to the Lord are you? In what ways has your heart turned tender toward God? How has He shown Himself trustworthy, faithful, loving and worthy of your whole being?
Father,
Today I turn my whole heart to You and hold nothing back from You. You are trustworthy and I thank You for showing me Your love in so many ways (name them).
Amen |
| THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17
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| | This week we are focusing on Ephesians 5:21-24, the text Pastor Rob will teach from on Sunday, February 19.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
This passage contains several subjects that are linked and should not be separated: husbands/wives, love/submit, head/body, Church/Christ.
To better understand the head/body, husband/wife relationship we need to look at Genesis 2:24, "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." It describes what happens when a marriage takes place. Two people who previously had not been related are made into the closest of kin. We refer to close family relations -- children, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles -- as "flesh and blood" because we are so close and we have the same bloodline.
In that light, what God creates in a marriage is nothing short of miraculous. He takes two people who were unrelated and joins them so that they are one unit, one flesh.
"Wives submit to your own husbands" can seem like a scary thought for many women, but when a husband really treats her like part of himself, there is no fear. This is a step deeper than mutual submission. When we submit, we yield to another, but when we are one unit we are literally submitting to ourselves.
As physical bodies become one unit in marriage, that means the head doesn't rule over the body as if it were unattached. Also, the body doesn't operate without the head as if it didn't have a purpose. The one flesh of the marriage protects each of the individuals because they are one. Neither will act in a way that harms the other because that would be harming themselves.
If this understanding of husband/wife, head/body, love/submit, is new to you, how does it impact your understanding of marriage? How does it affect the way a future marriage should be approached? How does a clearer understanding of the meaning of one flesh differ from our culture's understanding of marriage?
How would a husband's love for his wife change if he truly understood that she was a part of him? How is the meaning of a wife's submission to her husband transformed by the understanding that he is a part of her? How could a deep understanding and application of this truth change the hearts of one spouse toward another? What does the concept of "one flesh" say about why is it so important to be equally yoked in marriage?
All of us are in marriages, touched by the marriages of others, or care about those who are married or someday will be. Let God use the truth of His Word to grow our understanding of His plan for the institution of marriage as He designed it. Let that same truth create a vision of how we as the church are to submit to Christ, our Head.
Father,
Give me eyes to see Your truth about "one flesh" and to apply this truth as You speak to my heart. Help me to be willing to make the changes I need to make in my own heart and in my relationships.
Amen
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| FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18
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| | This week we are focusing on Ephesians 5:21-24, the text Pastor Rob will teach from on Sunday, February 19.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
The word "submit" has practically become a taboo word in many circles today. When mentioned it conjures up pictures of domination, inferiority, and more. But that is not the picture that Scripture paints of "submit."
According to Scripture, submitting is safe and loving and has its place in all Christian relationships. Submission in marriage is less about decision making and more about attitude. When a woman submits herself -- voluntarily yields in love -- to her husband, she is placing herself in a position to receive his care, protection and love just as the Church receives Christ's care, protection and love.
Submitting does not mean that a wife stifles her thoughts or actions. On the contrary, to truly love her husband she will share her insights, her experience, and her thoughts. Perhaps the defining characteristic of submission is that of humility because she will not demand her own way.
There is no doubt that it is easier to submit to a husband who is truly loving toward his wife -- as Christ loves the Church -- and does not distort or abuse the authority God has given him. It is not right for husbands to rule over their wives insensitively, but it is also not okay for wives to disregard or disrespect their husband's role.
Jesus Himself tells us (Matthew 20:25, NLT) that we are not to exercise authority like "the rulers in this world" who "lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them." He continues in verses 26-28, "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Oh, how God loves and cares for the church. And just as His authority over the church is characterized by His love and care for it, a husband's authority over his wife is to be characterized by the same kind of love and care. Then his wife will voluntarily yield, submit, to that authority.
As you prepare to receive God's Word on Sunday, pray that the Lord will show you His will for you regarding this passage. Do you have an attitude of submission, first to Christ, toward others, (and, if you are a wife, to your husband)? What conversations need to take place or what changes need to happen as you let God speak to you through these verses?
Father,
Please soften my heart and prepare me to receive what You will reveal to me in worship this Sunday. Thank You for the opportunity to gather together to honor You and to receive wisdom, strength and guidance for the coming week.
Amen
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