OUR FATHER TO WHOM WE SHOULD ALWAYS GIVE THANKS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS

Chapter 5 of the Apostle Paul´s letter to the Ephesians from verses 17 - 21, in light of the  fact that they had been extricated from the kingdom of darkness at such a dear cost, Paul charges the Ephesians to be watchful as they walked out their Christian lives and he advised them to leverage wisdom to recovery lost time in the evil world within which they lived that aimed to steer as many as possible towards futility where the clock was run out and everyone suffered loss. 

Paul's prescription for this strategy of the kingdom of darkness was to seek to understand what the will of the Lord was for their lives and to replace regular social gatherings with spiritual social gatherings where the Spirit of God was present and all conversations were seasoned with scriptures, spiritual songs and singing and each person sustained an active altar of gratititude and worship in their hearts.

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHOSE SON GIVES US LIGHT

In chapter 5 of his letter to the Ephesians from verses 8 - 14, the Apostle Paul guides them to walk as children of light having been changed from darkness to light in the Lord Jesus.

 He tells them to find out what is acceptable to the Lord but in general, they should practice goodness, righteousness and truth which are the hallmarks of all the fruit of the Spirit of God.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

Paul continues to urge the Ephesians to eschew any shameful works of darkness and in fact to expose them to light so that they may be made manifest. Here Paul reveals an axiom where he says "whatever makes manifest is light" which asserts that anything that uncovers or forces anything out of hiding is light.  

Paul quotes a song ( implied ) that calls on the believers who slumber to fully arise from the dead and receive the light that Christ gives.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER TO WHOM WE ARE PRECIOUS CHILDREN

The book of Ephesians chapter 5 from verse 1 - 5 says this:

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

The apostle Paul tells his readers to be imitators of God as dear children where they would see how precious they were to God and replicate His attitude to one another and as well, replicate Christ's sacrificial life which rose to God as a sweet fragrance.

Paul also intructs them to extricate themselves from the conduct of sins for which the wrath of God was incurred by those who disobeyed the gospel.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO FORGAVE US IN CHRIST

Ephesians chapter 4 verses 25 - 32 says this:

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US A NEW SPIRIT WHEN WE BELIEVED IN JESUS

The book of Ephesians chapter 4 verses 17  -  24 says this:

 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

The Apostle Paul, instructs the Ephesians to cease walking in a state where, in their unenlightened minds and blinded hearts, pursued pointless endeavours of lewdness uncleaness and greed.

He tells them to put off their former conduct which is the product of the old man acting out his corruption of deceitful lusts. Paul informs them that they ca be renewed in the spirit of their minds and that they can inhabit the identity of the new man which was born in them when they were born again. This is what Paul means when he says "Put on the new man which was created accord to God.". 

Whereas the corrupt nature of the flesh influences the mind towards evil thoughts and deeds, the new spirit, who was created afresh by God,  is able to influence our minds towards righteousnes and so we should cultivate our identity in him.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON ASCENDED AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN

In the the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verses 7 - 16, after speaking of the unity of believers in the Spirit of God, begins to explain the gifts of the Spirit.

First he speaks of the scriptural foundation for the dispersion of gift found in Psalm 68 verse 13 which foretells the ascension of Christ from hades into heaven leading many sons to glory giving gifts for men.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

The Apostle Paul then enumerates the five gifts of men that were dispersed among those who believed in Jesus.  

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The gifts of men were apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and these gifts of men are given to the body to enhance and regulate the exercise of those functions among the people.  As the local body is imbued with the gifting being dispensed in their midst, they are equiped and edified so that they can healthily grow in :

• Unity
• The knowledge of the son of God
• In Stature of the fullness of Christ
• Maturity 
• Immunity to the buffeting of every wind of doctrine
• Immunity to trickery, cunning and deceitful plotting of men
• The ability to speaking truth in love

Such a healthy local body is able to be joined and knitted  closely with one another where each member is supplying what was entrusted to them which results in the local body growing so that it edifies itself in love.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS ABOVE ALL

In Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 - 5, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that he is bound to the Lord and it is in capacity that he urges the Ephesians of the calling to which their life of faith called them and he instructs them to walk in manner worthy of the high calling with humility and longsuffering love for each other where unity of Spirit is maintained in peace between them all. 

Paul explains that their unity must reflect the unity that exists in the one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of us all. And our Father is above all,  permeates all and iin all who are in the family of God by faith.

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Amen.

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OUR  FATHER WHO IS GLORIFIED BY THE CHURCH REDEEMED THROUGH THE LORD JESUS

The book of Ephesians chapter 3 verses 14 - 21 says this;

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The Apostle Paul, having previously explained how an intricate work for the salvation of all men was planned from before the beginning of the world, expresses how he is humbled and in awe of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from where all families on earth are derived. Paul implores the Father to strengthen the innner men (the regenerated spirit) of the believers at Ephesus so that by their faith, it was condusive (because they were securely stable in love)  for Christ to dwell in them. 

In this condition, the believers in Ephesus would be in a position to grasp (along with all the saints)  the width, length, depth and height  of the love of Christ which exceeds what knowledge is able to encompass. By, continuing to be ensconced in the love of God, believers grow in their knowledge of God and they are increasingly filled until the fulness of God is in them.

Paul then effusively glorifies God declaring that He, in His power, is able to exceed our requests and thoughts such that He is eternal gloried by all generations of the Church set up by Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

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