TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:1-3
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. - Ephesians 4:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Young children love to imagine what they'll be when they grow up. One second-grader confidently announced that she would be a nurse, astronaut, mother, veterinarian, and teacher—all in the interest of curing cancer. She certainly couldn't be faulted for her ambition to do good!

We saw at the very beginning of this letter two key themes that we noted would form the central points around which Paul develops his epistle—God's call and our responsibility (see 1:4). Paul has just spent the better part of two chapters explaining that the call of God in Christ is not limited by the regulations of the Law. The great mystery of redemption has been revealed. Now even Gentiles are seen among God's chosen people! Now Paul will turn to focus on that second theme—our responsibility to live a life worthy of this call.

Put differently, we have seen how Paul revels in the grace that God has shown to him as the one chosen or called to proclaim the mystery of salvation to the Gentiles (see 3:1, 7-9, 14-21). That is, in light of God's call, Paul is compelled to respond with obedience—even when it means imprisonment—and almost unspeakable praise. Now that Paul has explained to us that in Christ Jesus God's call goes to both Jews (those who are near, 1:17-18) and Gentiles (those who were far, 1:17-18), he will now spend the rest of the letter explaining to us how it is that we ought to respond to God's grace. We too are called to obedience, called to live holy and blameless lives (see 1:4).

In shifting the focus to our response, Paul begins by calling for unity and peace in the church. Gentleness, humility, patience, and a willingness to bear with one another in love ought to characterize relationships within the body of Christ (4:2-3). When these virtues are present the peace of Jesus will reign. As the manifestation of His presence on earth, the church ought to be the primary place where this peace is evident. These are those works God prepared in advance for us to do (2:10).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Good works aren't limited to finding a cure for cancer or donating millions of dollars to good causes. Each of us is called and able to pursue the good works that God has ordained. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are to be gentle, humble, and patient (see Gal. 5:22-23). These things may not seem glamorous, but they are the true demonstration of God's saving and sanctifying work in us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:4-6; Psalm 133
There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one hope when you were called. - Ephesians 4:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
For decades, scientists and government officials have worried about the city of Venice. The city is sinking—and the water is rising—an estimated 0.5 to 2 millimeters per year. Already the Piazza San Marco, one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world, is frequently covered with water during high tide. One reason that Venice is sinking is due to its foundation. Built on reclaimed marshland, the city's foundation depends on millions of wooden piles that have been pounded into the marshy ground.

In case we have not quite grasped the importance of peace and unity in the church, our reading today stresses the foundation on which that unity is based. There is only one body. This, in fact, is one of the critical results of Jesus' redeeming work. Earlier in Ephesians 2:15-16, Paul wrote that one of the reasons that Jesus died was to create a new humanity in His one body. By abolishing the Law's regulations and the division between Jew and Gentile, Jesus has formed a new humanity in which the old distinction between Jew and Gentile no longer exists. Since there is now only one body, there can be peace between all people. Yet Paul does not stop here.

Another reason that this one body has to have peace and unity is that it shares one Spirit. The same Spirit of God indwells all those who have been included in Christ. Since we all share and partake of this one Spirit, we ought all to live at peace with one another. In fact, this “oneness” defines us as God's church. We share one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God, the Father of all of us. As His family, each of us shares these things (see 3:15). As brothers and sisters, recipients of God's redemptive call and thus members together of His chosen people, Paul urges us to live in the peace and unity that ought to characterize a people who are the children of one Father and who are joined in one body by one Spirit. Anything less is a failure to live in way worthy of our calling.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Clearly we will not always agree with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And we may find some of them rather hard to get along with, too! But the peace and unity that Paul describes isn't based on having the same opinions or compatible personalities.

If you find yourself at odds with another believer, take some extra time today to pray about the situation, and ask the Holy Spirit to restore biblical unity in your relationship.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:7-13
To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. - Ephesians 4:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
The science fiction series Star Trek has invented dozens of unusual species. One of these, the villainous Borg Collective, was notorious for the desire to conquer, assimilate, and destroy other civilizations. After such a victory, each living being would be converted into a drone, a cog in the Borg machine. Interestingly, the motivation of the Borg was to achieve “perfection.”

Given Paul's emphasis on unity in Ephesians, we might be tempted to think that as brothers and sisters in Christ we all ought to be exactly the same. After all, if we share one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God and Father, should we not also share exactly the same gifts, desires, and personalities?

Paul seems to anticipate this question and explains in our reading today that this is not how the body of Christ works. We all share in God's grace, but Christ has not given us all the same gifts. We are the one body of Christ and we all partake of the one Holy Spirit, but that one body has many members each of which contributes to the body's health and welfare. Imagine a body that was only a hand! Without a mouth or a stomach that hand would soon die from lack of nourishment. In a similar way, the many individuals in a church all have gifts of ministry that contribute to the proper functioning and growth of that church (v. 12).

The goal of the church is to manifest the fullness of Christ on earth. This happens as the various members work together, each contributing their spiritual gift for the common good. The goal is that the body of Christ might be built up, that the many members would all be growing together toward maturity in Christ Jesus (v. 13). When the unity and peace of the Spirit are present in a church, the body will grow together toward maturity and God's presence will fill it in a powerful way. Genuine church growth is primarily about the body's members practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance in love in order that the church might display the unity and peace for which Christ died.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The church of Jesus Christ is not like the Borg Collective! We should never confuse our pursuit of holiness with imposing our notion of perfection on others.

Nor should we assume that all of our brothers and sisters in Christ will look exactly like us. We should instead seek to serve one another through our spiritual gifts, thanking God that He unites our different personalities and talents and gifts into His body.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:14-16
From him the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. - Ephesians 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
A frequent ritual for new babies involves trips to the doctor for height and weight measurements. Eager grandparents and friends then inquire about how much baby has grown, and inches and pounds are plotted on growth charts. These check-ups are more than parental bragging, though, because the baby's growth provides a major indicator of health.

For the past few days Paul has been describing for us what an appropriate response to God's redemptive call should look like. We have seen that the body of Christ ought to be characterized by unity and peace in the Spirit. One way that this comes about is by every member of the body putting his or her spiritual gift to work in the church. In fact, doing such work represents nothing less than doing the works that God has prepared in advance for those He has called to do.

Given that God's mysterious intent was to allow all people to have access to Him by bringing peace in Jesus Christ, it makes sense that He would want His chosen people to reflect the peace He has made possible. That is, since in His eternal plan He intended to unify Jews and Gentiles in Jesus and to bring things both heavenly and earthly under Jesus' authority, it follows that the works that He has prepared for His children to do, the holy and blameless lives He has called them to live, are characterized as works that contribute to unity and peace. In verses 15-16 we find Paul saying just that.

Each member has been called and has been joined to the head of the body—Christ Himself. Christ has supplied each member with a gift. That person is thus enabled to do the work for which he or she was called. That is, each member is expected to do its work and thereby to contribute to the health of the body. When members do, the entire body grows and builds itself up in love (4:16). Why have we been called into God's family? So that we might do those works God ordained in advance for us to do—to contribute to the growth of the body of Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Are you and your church growing and healthy? In recent decades much emphasis has been placed on “church growth,” but unfortunately in some cases this has focused simply on numerical growth. As we see today, God is concerned about our growth in love—and this growth will indicate whether our church is healthy. Prayerfully consider how you can practice love in your church in the coming weeks. By doing so, you will be fulfilling your call to contribute to the growth and health of your church.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:17-19; Romans 8:5-8
You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. - Ephesians 4:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
People born in the United States often take their citizenship for granted. A conversation with an immigrant can illumine the challenges that must be overcome to gain citizenship, including long lines at immigration offices, paperwork, and exams. The official process of citizenship is just one hurdle—many people must also learn a new language or work skills in order to become established in their new country.

Since those of us who were excluded from citizenship with God's people have now been brought near to God when we were included in Christ, it is not surprising to find Paul telling us that we must no longer live as the Gentiles live. This is simply another way of restating what Paul has been telling us all along. We are now members of God's chosen people and we have an obligation to live lives worthy of this calling.

Paul describes “Gentile living” as living that follows from a darkened understanding, separated from God and constantly driven to satisfy one's own selfish desires (4:18-19). Before we were included in Christ, we were ignorant. This ignorance has little to do with our intelligence. Rather, Paul is talking about our ignorance with respect to God. We used to orient our lives around the goals and prizes that we thought were important. Our sense of what was valuable was driven primarily by our own selfish desire. Based on our darkened understanding, we thought that gaining money, fame, power, or any of the other things we strove after were the most significant goals we could achieve.

God's call changed all of that. Now that we belong to Christ, we know that our lives ought to be oriented not around our selfish desires, but around the good works that God has prepared for us to do. Yesterday we saw that these good works concern using the gifts Christ has given us for the good of the church. Since we have a new identity, we must no longer live as if we are still Gentiles. God has reoriented our lives toward service within His family.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In the middle of a hectic work week, it can be difficult to imagine taking the time to think through your life goals! If we don't plan some time for reflection, however, it usually never happens. Make plans now for some extended time of prayer and evaluation of what goals are driving your life. If you need to reorient your priorities to reflect the reality of your spiritual citizenship, pray for the boldness to forsake your selfish desires in exchange for fulfilling service for God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:20-24; Romans 8:9-17
You were taught . . . to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:22–24
TODAY IN THE WORD
Last November, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic gained approval to proceed with the world's first face transplant. While they project that it may take as long as two years to find a suitable donor, many victims of severe burns, tumors, and gunshot wounds have hope that perhaps their scarring could someday be replaced by surgery to put on a new face that could give them a new freedom.

Earlier in this letter Paul showed that Jesus' death resulted in Jews and Gentiles being brought together and one new person being created (2:15). In our reading for today Paul exhorts us to put on this new self, which is far more transformative than just a new face. Living in God's gracious call means living out the reality of our new identity in Christ Jesus. Just as we have seen in 1:4 and 4:1, Paul tells us plainly in 4:24 that God called us to live holy lives. That is, the reason that God saw fit to create this new self was so that we would be like Him in true righteousness and holiness. How can we possibly do this? Paul has already made it clear in this letter that when God calls us He also equips us. Our sins have been forgiven (1:7), the Spirit dwells within us (1:13-14), and the resurrection power of God is at work for us (1:18-19). Nonetheless, it may be helpful to reflect for a few minutes on another passage in which Paul speaks about our obligation to live holy lives.

In Romans 8:9-17 Paul tells us clearly that the Spirit's presence within us is the power that enables us to live holy and blameless lives. If we belong to Christ, then the Spirit of God controls us (v. 9). The Spirit that brought Jesus back from the dead gives new life to our bodies (v. 11). The complete fulfillment of this promise will occur when we are resurrected bodily, but even now the transforming power of that Spirit is at work within us enabling us to resist our sinful desires and do the work God has called us to do. We have become children of God. Our lives ought to bear His family's resemblance.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In our battle against sin, we can easily become discouraged at what feels like our constant failure. Keeping God's Word close at hand is one way that we can be reminded that the battle belongs to the Lord! On notecards or post-it notes, write down the list of promises that we have as children of God. For instance, as we saw above, the Spirit of God controls us and gives life to our bodies. Keep this list with you and refer to it when you find yourself in the middle of temptation so that you can live in the victory of truth.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:25-28
Each of you must . . . speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. - Ephesians 4:25
TODAY IN THE WORD
That staple of television crime dramas—the lie detector test—has been under assault as an unreliable method of determining someone's veracity. An American Medical Association expert testified before Congress that the lie detector (or polygraph) “cannot detect lies much better than a coin toss.” The main problem is not whether someone is a good liar, but whether the person evaluating the polygraph suspects the test-taker of being guilty.

Telling the truth isn't always easy, as Paul no doubt understood. In today's passage he is about to discuss extensively some specific behaviors that have no place in the body of Christ. We would probably all be a lot more comfortable if he had not bothered to give such clear examples of how we ought not to live. It is much easier to think about general goodness and general badness. We can all affirm it is better to be good than bad and still feel comfortable with ourselves. Paul, though, is modeling truth-telling for us, and as a truth teller he will not let us get away with agreeing with him in principle, but not changing in practice.

So, what does it mean to live as one of God's people? We must not lie, especially given our oneness in the body (v. 25). We need to speak the truth in love (see 4:15), but we must speak the truth. We must not remain angry at one another (vv. 26-27). Paul is not suggesting that we will never get angry, rather he is suggesting that we need to resolve our anger before the sun goes down (i.e., very quickly!) so as not to allow the Devil to gain any influence on us. Additionally, we must not steal. Instead, we must do our best to work to support ourselves and to support those who have needs (v. 28). In short, we need to live with the needs and interests of others in mind. We are part of the body of Christ. We do not live for ourselves any longer.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit during today's reading, now is a good time to thank Him! His prompting means that He wants to do some work in your life to make you more like Jesus. This may be difficult, but you have the assurance that it results from being in Christ. As you prayerfully confess your sin and shortcoming in the area He's brought to your attention, thank Him for the forgiveness He's promised and the power to live a changed life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:29-32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story is told of a woman who sat in the front pew during a summer revival. As the preacher denounced drinking and smoking, she loudly shouted “Amen!” The next night, the preacher spoke out against immorality and immodesty, and again she gave a hearty “Amen!” The third night, the preacher condemned gossip and feuding. The woman was heard to huff, “Preacher stopped preaching and started meddling!”

It was just a little gossip. The joke was only slightly off-color. It's not a big deal, right? Yesterday we may have cringed as Paul pointed to some specific behaviors that have no place in the body of Christ. In our reading today he lists a few more examples of the way Gentiles live—things that tear down rather than build up those in the church. He starts off focusing on how we talk.

If we are new people in Christ, no unwholesome thing should come out of our mouths. What does Paul mean? The standard by which we can judge our speech is whether it “builds up” and “benefits” (to give a more literal translation, gives “grace” to) others in the church (v. 29). Paul is exhorting us to measure our actions by the way in which they contribute to the health of Christ's body (see 4:16). When we do or say things that tear down rather than build up, we are not living lives worthy of our calling. These sins harm the body and therefore grieve the Holy Spirit (v. 30).

Peace ought to reign in the church (see 2:14-18). Bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice threaten to break apart the church that God has joined together. As God's children we are to be kind and compassionate to one another. Indeed, we have an obligation to forgive one another. Peace will only be a reality in the church when we, the members, take seriously the extent of Christ's forgiveness of our own sins. Jesus shed His blood for us. He paid the penalty for our sin so that we could be reconciled to God. In light of this amazing grace, how can we dare not to be reconciled one to another?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Scripture doesn't get any more practical for our daily lives than our passage today. We can all relate to the challenges of trying to get along with other people! How can you take some positive action to build up others in your church? First, ask for the Lord's help in resisting gossip and anger. Second, actively pray for God to bless those people you find difficult. And third, look for ways to express compassion and kindness through your words and your actions.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:1-2; John 17:20-26
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us. - Ephesians 5:1-2
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the greatest joys of parenting toddlers and preschoolers is that they want to be just like Mommy or Daddy. They carefully observe their parents and then try to imitate putting on lipstick or mowing the grass. The phrase “when I get big like Daddy . . .” signifies the pinnacle achievement of life for a three-year-old boy!

Living a holy and blameless life, a life worthy of the calling we have received, means looking like our Father. Throughout Ephesians Paul has reminded us that in Christ we are new people. We have a new identity. As members of God's chosen people, sons and daughters in God's family, He has given us His Holy Spirit to enable us to live as His people. Through us, God is redeeming His rebellious and fallen world by renewing His presence within that world. By raising Jesus above every other earthly and heavenly power, and by establishing the church, the body of Christ on earth, God has reasserted His claim and authority over fallen creation.

Our responsibility as those called by God into this new creation is to be His renewed image bearers on earth. We are to manifest the presence of Jesus in the world. How do we do this? We imitate God. Yesterday Paul urged us to imitate the forgiveness that Jesus has extended to us (4:32). In our reading today Paul calls us to embody the love that God has shown us in Christ. Jesus gave His life as a fragrant offering to the Father on our behalf (5:2). As imitators of God, we are called to love one another just as God and Jesus have loved us. When we love one another, the world senses the presence of God. God is made known by our love (see John 17:20-26). By loving, we are imitating our Father, acting as He has acted, showing ourselves to be His dearly loved children. People will take notice of our behavior.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Living out sacrificial love is one of the highest and most difficult callings that we have as children of God, especially in a culture that teaches us to demand our rights. Even in the church we can get caught up in wanting everything to revolve around our preferences. By voluntarily surrendering our own desires—even our rights—for someone else, we are imitating Christ. This has consequences beyond our own spiritual life, for God uses this kind of love to attract unbelievers to Himself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:3-7; Galatians 5:16-25
No immoral, impure or greedy person . . . has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. - Ephesians 5:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
The old saying goes, “Talk is cheap.” In our passage today, Paul wants us to understand very clearly that both words and actions matter—and empty words have no place in the kingdom of God.

For several days now Paul has been presenting examples of negative behavior for us to avoid. The Gentiles, that is, those to whom the Ephesians used to belong before they were included in Christ, live by following their own desires. God's children, by contrast, are to live for the good of the church. All the negative examples Paul has listed starting in 4:25 are intended to show us how not to live. Those who live in these ways reflect the fallen order, not the image God wants His children to bear.

But is Paul really serious here? Does it really matter how we live? According to Paul, it's a matter of life and death. This is not the only place we find Paul drawing lines between those who inherit the kingdom and those who do not. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul says much the same thing. The key is that those who are truly God's children demonstrate that they are God's children. Paul has already told us that God's holy people have God's Holy Spirit dwelling in them enabling them to live holy and blameless lives (see also Gal. 5:24-25). If we claim to be in Christ, but our lives are characterized by sins like sexual immorality, coarse joking, and greed, our claim amounts to empty words and we stand to face the wrath of God (Eph. 5:6).

Grace is free, but it is not cheap. Jesus did not die so that the old order of the fallen world would remain intact. He died so that the redemption of creation could begin. We are the vanguard of that redemption, the body of Christ on earth. Our call is actually to live as Christ lived. To live any other way is to call into question whether or not we truly are children of God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In the United States, where we can easily find churches that will develop programs and messages around making us feel better about ourselves, we can lose sight of the cost of God's grace. To help give you a proper perspective, read The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who resisted the Nazi regime. Unlike the message of our society, “easy” does not always mean “good.” As Christians, we want to run the good race, even when that path is difficult.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:8-14; Philippians 2:14-16
Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. - Ephesians 5:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
A favorite biology class experiment for schoolchildren traces the effects of light on plant growth. Over the course of the experiment, different plants are given different amounts of light, and the students chart the results. The connection between light and life applies spiritually as well.

Back toward the beginning of this letter Paul spoke about the resurrection power of God at work in us (see 1:18-19). Here he develops this a bit further by comparing our old lives to darkness and our new lives in Christ to light (v. . We want to look closely at the way in which he compares resurrection life to light.

Paul first sets out a contrast between the “fruit of light” and the “deeds of darkness” (v. 9-11). From the rest of the letter we know that the fruit of light refers to the good, holy works that God has prepared for us to do, while the deeds of darkness point back to our old lives and the very sins he has just been denouncing. We used to do these things when we were dead in our sins. God, in Christ Jesus, called us out of that darkness into His marvelous light. We now know what God desires—goodness, righteousness, and truth—in short, holy and blameless lives (5:9-10, see also 1:4; 4:1).

When God called us, He awakened us from our state of sleep. Sleep was and still is a common euphemism for death, which is what Paul means here. God brought us out of the realm of the dead and brought us into the realm of Christ's resurrection light. In other words, God has given us the resurrection life of Jesus whose life is the light of the world (see John 1:1-10). Paul is still considering the way in which we bear the image of Christ. Jesus is life and light. As those in Christ, we have begun to share in the light of His resurrected life. When we bear the fruit of that light by living holy and righteous lives, that light shines forth into the darkened, fallen world like stars or a city set upon a hill (Matt. 5:14)
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We cannot shine in the darkness if we are not in the light. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” One important way that we are formed in Christ's resurrected life is through reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating upon His Word. Reading Today in the Word is a good start, but don't let your relationship with Scripture end here. Through memorizing verses and doing in-depth Bible study, you'll discover great growth in your spiritual life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:15-20
Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise. - Ephesians 5:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Robert Downey Jr., considered one of the most talented actors in his generation by critics, has seen his career devastated because of his drug addiction. During the trial for one of his drug-related arrests he told the judge, “It's like I've got a shotgun in my mouth and my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of gunmetal.” Even though he was aware of the dangers of his habit, Downey was controlled by his desire for drugs.

In our passage today Paul examines this matter of control. As those who live in the glorious resurrection light and life of Jesus Christ, we of all people are able to understand what the Lord's will for us is—holy living. Those who are apart from Christ continue to live in their darkened understanding (see 4:18), but as part of becoming new people in Christ, our understanding has been transformed. We live in the light and are able to see what God desires.

The key to this wisdom is living in the fullness of the Spirit. Paul compares and contrasts being filled with wine, that is, being drunk, with being filled with the Spirit. Drunkenness is a state in which the power of alcohol controls our actions. In a sense Paul uses the image of drunkenness as yet another picture of our state of sleeping, or death (see 5:14). When we were dead in our sins we were under the control of the ruler of this age and of our sinful desires (see 2:1-3; 4:19). When we were included in Christ, we were finally and joyously released from those rulers and authorities. In the place of those old powers, God gave us His Holy Spirit. The Spirit ought now to be the controlling influence in our lives.

Whereas our old selves were controlled by the deadly wine of our selfish desires, our new selves overflow with the thankfulness and joy of the Spirit. Instead of unwholesome and empty speech, we are able to build each other up and give each other grace by testifying to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and thanksgiving to God (vv. 19-20).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What's controlling you? You may not struggle with addictions like alcohol or drugs—but what about selfishness and a critical spirit? These are just as deadly to our spiritual health and ability to live fully in service to others.

If we are not living under the control of the Holy Spirit, we are wasting the great potential that God has given us to glorify Him and to shine His light to others.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. - Ephesians 5:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
During the funeral services for Ronald Reagan, former President George Bush shared a story illustrating Reagan's humility. Bush described him in the hospital after he was shot in an assassination attempt: “Days after being shot, weak from wounds, he spilled water from a sink, and entering the hospital room aides saw him on his hands and knees wiping water from the floor. He worried that his nurse would get in trouble.”

The model for complete humility and gentleness is Jesus Himself. As Paul spells out the kind of lives God has called us to in Jesus, lives that imitate Him and bear His image, he tells us that relationships in the household of God are to be characterized by mutual submission. Preserving the bond of peace in the family of God demands the kind of humility and submission that Jesus has already shown. To see how Jesus showed humility and submission, let's look at another of Paul's letters.

In Philippians 2 Paul speaks of Jesus' incarnation and suffering unto death on a cross as the ultimate act of humility and submission. Though Jesus is God in His very nature, He submitted to the will of the Father. Jesus had every right to refuse the Father's will—after all, He too is one of the persons of the Godhead. He even prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane that the Father would allow the cup of death to pass from Him (Matt. 26:39-44). Nevertheless, He submitted Himself to the will of the Father.

If Jesus, our Lord, had the humility to submit Himself to death, how much more ought we to live in humility and submission toward one another? Relationships in the church are not to be characterized by people lording authority over one another. That, in fact, is how the Gentiles interact with each other (see Matt. 20:25-28). Maintaining peace in the body of Christ depends on our willingness to serve one another and build each another up with the gifts we have been given. When this is our first concern, we will easily submit to one another and follow the example set by our Lord.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We've mentioned earlier that our culture emphasizes claiming our rights and privileges. In the church, God calls us to surrender our will and desires to serve others. If you struggle with wanting recognition and credit, make it a point to choose some behind-the-scenes ministry. By choosing to serve in a way that won't bring you visibility and acclaim, you can learn to live first and foremost before God, seeking His approval alone.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:22-24; Proverbs 31:10-31
Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. - Ephesians 5:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
Having set out mutual submission as the characteristic that pervades all relationships within the church (5:21), Paul now discusses some specific relationships within the household of God. In our reading for today he begins to talk about marriage, speaking first about the way a wife should submit to her husband in Christ.

Given that Jesus is the model of humility and submission for all relationships within the church, it's not surprising to find Paul comparing the marriage relationship with that of Jesus and the church. We can learn much about what submission means by reflecting on the relationship between Jesus and the church. As we have already seen, the church represents the presence of Jesus on earth. Everything the church does ought to be directed toward furthering and strengthening that presence. As the head of the church, Jesus joins and unifies the whole body (see 4:16).

When Paul draws an analogy between the husband as head and the wife as body, he is thinking of headship in these terms. That is, the wife lives for the larger good of the whole family, not for herself alone. She is in no way inferior to her husband, just as Jesus, though He submitted to the Father, is in no way inferior to Him. Notions of submission that imply inferiority or limit God-given gifts must be banished from the church because they actually reflect the darkened abuse of power and authority found among the Gentiles.

Proverbs 31:10-31 makes it very clear that a good wife freely uses the skills and gifts God has given her. She conducts business (vv. 16-18). She supervises the affairs of the household (vv. 26-27), and she enjoys the full confidence and respect of her husband and children (vv. 11, 29-31). The key is that she does what she does for the good of the household (vv. 12, 15, 21). Just as the members of the church work together to strengthen and further the cause of Christ, the head of the body, the godly wife submits to her husband by working to strengthen and further the good of her family.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Mention the word submission at the next social function you attend and see what sort of reactions you get! Even in the church we sometimes allow cultural notions about wifely submission to define the marriage roles rather than the full picture presented in God's Word. For further discussion on this topic, read Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage by Robert Lewis. It's published by NavPress and available at your local Christian bookstore or through Web sites like www.christianbook.com or www.amazon.com.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:25-33
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. - Ephesians 5:25
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1990, Dr. Robert McQuilken resigned as president of Columbia Bible College and Seminary. He voluntarily stepped away from a career that he loved in order to care for his wife Muriel, who needed constant care due to Alzheimer's disease. In explaining his decision, Dr. McQuilken wrote, “To put God first means that all other responsibilities he gives are first, too.”

Today we will examine the command to husbands found in today's verse. As we saw yesterday, Paul uses the model of Jesus and the church to describe the marriage relationship. Not only is Jesus and the church an image of Christian marriage, but also a good Christian marriage presents the world with an example of Jesus' love for His church.

The husband is to love the wife with the same self-sacrificing love that Jesus has for the church (v. 25). Thus he ought to care for his wife as he does for his own body, even sacrificing his own self for her benefit (vv. 28-29). This is the very kind of mutual submission that Paul spoke of earlier. There is no room for self-aggrandizement, authoritarianism, or any type of abuse in this relationship. The main distinction between husbands and wives is that, like Christ, the husband is responsible for caring for and nurturing his wife.

The great mystery in all of this is that when a godly husband and wife live together in peace and unity, truly living as one flesh and not two individuals, they provide the world with a tangible demonstration of the relationship between Christ and the church. That is, while Jesus' relationship with the church is the model that believing spouses are to imitate, when they do so they actually reflect that model out into the darkened world. Indeed, Paul suggests that all the “marital counseling” he has just given in 5:22-33 is not really about marriage at all, but about the relationship Jesus has with His bride, the church (v. 32). Nevertheless, he adds, husbands and wives ought to live together in the ways he has just spoken about (v. 33).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The importance of healthy Christian marriages goes far beyond the couple involved. If you are a believer, you have a stake in the witness of marriage—even if you may not be married yourself. If you are married, what does your marriage say to a watching world about the way that Christ loves the church? All of us as the bride of Christ should pray fervently for strong Christian marriages that would illustrate divine love in our darkened world.