Instruction
Scripture: Ephesians4:17-5:2
St. Paul took the first half of his letter to the Ephesians
to talk solely about God’s salvation which He gave to us by grace through faith
in Jesus, who died and rose for us. Starting in chapter 4, Paul describes how
followers of Jesus who have experienced such amazing grace should live. In this
part of the letter Paul describes life in terms of an old way of life and a new
way of life. He sums the new life up as being imitators of God and having love
for others. The function of this passage is as a reminder and description of
the ethical difference faith in Jesus makes in his followers.
Teaching
Paul’s teaching here is clear. He urges us to live rejecting
sin and embracing the life we have in Christ. He describes the sinful life with words like
futility, darkened, alienated from the life of God, ignorant and hard-hearted. He
stresses that it was not through the ways of the world that people came to know
Christ and his salvation, and he urges us to put these things off and no longer
live in such ways.
On the other hand he urges us to imitate God, who has saved
us and reconciled us to Himself and one another. As we are His beloved
children, we are to “walk in love” which means to live in such a way that love
is a hallmark of who we are, identifying us as God’s children because we love
as He loved us. The highest expression of God’s love for us is that Jesus gave
Himself up for us as a fragrant offering, and so we too are encouraged to
display such love to others.
Life
We Lutherans go through great pain to emphasize God’s grace
as the sole source of our salvation. This does not mean that we are not
intended to do good works. This passage speaks bluntly to the topic. Our lives
should be different, more Christ-like, since we believe in Jesus. The heart of
the matter, though, is why we are to be different. We are different because of
the salvation we have and cherish, not because we are seeking to earn anything
from God.
The behaviors we are warned against are still part of our
world and lives: callousness, sensuality, greed, impurity, anger, slander, and
malice – to name a few. Perhaps you have noted them in others. Maybe you’ve
noted them in yourself, too. Remember, that God in Christ forgave you, and let
the comfort and joy of that truth lead you to live a kind, tenderhearted,
forgiving, and loving life.
Prayer
This prayer is written
in the themes of Confession and Thanksgiving.
O God, we confess that we have walked as the Gentiles do. We
have allowed the futility of our minds inform us more than Your Word. We have
been callous, greedy, angry, and slanderous. Only too often we have let the sun
go down on our anger and we have not sought to forgive others and to be
reconciled to them. Please forgive us!
We thank and praise You that Your Son, our Savior, Jesus
gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to atone for our
sins. And we rejoice that we do indeed know Him and that we have the truth of
Jesus to shape and form us. Thank You for giving us our new selves, created in
Your likeness in true righteousness and holiness. Amen.
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