Gary Gleans

Finally,   be strong in the Lord and in   the strength of his might.    Put on   the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against   the schemes of the devil.    For   we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against   the rulers, against the authorities, against   the cosmic powers over   this present darkness, against   the spiritual forces of evil   in the heavenly places.  Therefore   take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in   the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.    Stand therefore,   having fastened on the belt of truth, and   having put on the breastplate of righteousness,   and,   as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.    In all circumstances take up   the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all   the flaming darts of   the evil one;   and take   the helmet of salvation, and   the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,   praying   at all times   in the Spirit,

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling,   with a sincere heart,   as you would Christ,  not by the way of eye-service, as   people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,   rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord,   whether he is a bondservant or is free.    Masters, do the same to them,   and stop your threatening, knowing that   he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that   there is no partiality with him.   The call to mutual submission extends beyond the family to the workplace.  Both employees and employers that are believers are to be submissive to one another.  The Spirit of God will constantly call us to be humble and serve one another with joy.  Believers are not to make distinctions between one another based on social status or income bracket.  All of us are created in the image of God and sh

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.    “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),   “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”   Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,   but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.   Paul’s theme of mutual submission moves from the marriage relationship to the parent child relationship.  Both children and parents are called to consider their attitudes and actions in their relationship to one another.  It is important for both parents and children to fulfill their roles so the family can flourish from generation to generation.  God’s people have always been instructed to invest in family so that the will of God will continue to be accomplished in the future.   CHILDREN SUBMIT TO DISCIPLINE: Obedience is the basic responsibility every child is expected to learn.  The primary source of learning obedience is the parent.  Children are to obey

Wives,   submit to your own husbands,   as to the Lord.    For   the husband is the head of the wife even as   Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is   himself its Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit   in everything to their husbands.    Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and   gave himself up for her,   that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by   the washing of water   with the word, so   that he might present the church to himself in splendor,   without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  In the same way   husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.    For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because   we are members of his body.    “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and   the two shall become one flesh.”    This mys

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.     Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.     And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. The key to walking in a way that is pleasing to God is to be constantly filled or controlled by the Spirit.  We are commanded to be being filled with the Spirit.  It can be hard to understand a passive imperative like we see in this text.  What is important is that the content of this passage gives us instructions we should strive to follow, while simultaneously giving us evidence of the Spirit’s work in our lives.   MAKING WISE USE OF

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.    And   walk in love,   as Christ loved us and   gave himself up for us, a   fragrant   offering and sacrifice to God.   But   sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness   must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.    Let there be   no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking,   which are out of place, but instead   let there be thanksgiving.    For you may be sure of this, that   everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.    Let no one   deceive you with empty words, for because of these things   the wrath of God comes upon   the sons of disobedience.    Therefore   do not become partners with them;   for   at one time you were   darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.   Walk as children of light   (for   the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),   and   try to discern what is

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you   speak the truth with his neighbor, for   we are members one of another.    Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,   and   give no opportunity to the devil.    Let the thief no longer steal, but rather   let him labor,   doing honest work with his own hands, so   that he may have something to share with anyone in need.    Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give   grace to those who hear.    And   do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,   by whom you were sealed for the day of   redemption.    Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.    Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,   forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.   The formula of “put off,” renew the mind and, “put on” is illustrated in five different areas of sin with which we are lik

Now this I say and   testify in the Lord,   that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do,   in the futility of their minds.    They   are darkened in their understanding,   alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to   their hardness of heart.    They   have become callous and   have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.    But that is not the way you   learned Christ!—   assuming that   you have heard about him and   were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to   put off   your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through   deceitful desires,   and   to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,   and to put on   the new self,   created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. The Christian walk is and expression that describes the type o life a follow of Christ should have.  In other words, our relationship with Christ through the Gospel should impact t