Ephesians 5: 18-21 (Christ is sufficient, give thanks to the Father through Him in all things)

            Summary: Paul continues in this text with his commission of the church in Ephesus to live holy.  He specifically names the practice of debauchery and condemns it furthermore calling the church to be filled with Christ and Christ alone.  He then once again mentions holiness in the life of a believer in accords with the treatment of other believers, singing songs of praise and hymns with all joy, giving thanks to the Father.  He also continues to say that we should submit at all times to one another, serving one another in love.

            Note:  Greek word for hymn is humnos which maintains an idea of celebration

            Note: see Col. 3:17, Heb. 13: 15-16

Timeless Principle: Paul begins here by commanding the church to avoid drunkenness.  This is seemingly a simple command but in all reality it demands attention.  Often times we will overlook passages like this claiming that they are obvious with our reasoning being simply that “everyone knows you should not get drunk. Duh, Right?”  Wrong.  There is a reason behind why drunkenness is so defiling to the body.  It is so because in being drunk we make a claim in our actions that is surpassing in seriousness.  We are saying to Christ’s face that His death was not sufficient to satisfy us.  We say that we need something else to be satisfied, we must feel better about ourselves in a fictional reality.  It is sin.  It springs forth from a unbelief.  If someone truly believes in the agonizing death of Christ then how can they look for something else to complete them when the answer has been so clearly seen?  That answer being that we are to only be filled by Christ and nothing else will do.

Now Paul turns his attention to the interaction between believers.  He is calling us here to sing praises and hymns, giving thanks to God in all things for He is ultimately working for our good whether we see it or not.  We need to be a people driven by the Gospel who want in all things to know Christ more.  We are so fickle.  We look for any and every way  to complain about our circumstances and often times we blame God for them.  Though God does not will for our heartaches, he allows them and works them at all times for our good.  After all every good and every perfect gift is coming down from the father of lights.  We should fight to offer up praises in all that we do both in good and bad times because we do not deserve relationships, we do not deserve comfort, we do not deserve fill in the blank.  All we have ever deserved is death and may we never forget that.  Therefore give praises to God in the good and the bad so that God might get glory.

Lastly in this passage, Paul calls the church here to submit to one another in love, serving one another at all times.  Christ came to serve not to be served.  If our master came to serve, be humbled, be humiliated, be spit on, be brutally slaughtered on Calvary, then we cannot settle for anything less.  Jesus once told His disciples that a servant is not above his master.  He was making a point that everything Christ endured so must we willingly endure the same in carrying a burden-laden cross. So then go forth and serve one another in love as Christ served.

My Prayer: Father my life is not my own.  I am a filthy sinner who longs merely to see your blessed face.  I have tried in vain to do it on my own and I’m driven once more to tears because of the scrutinizing death of you son.  God I admit I find my satisfaction in relationships and what people think of me and am no better than the drunkard who finds satisfaction his drink.  In doing so I have denied your grace in saying, so sickeningly, that it was insufficient and that I need other things beside it.  Father take these thoughts away from me.  God this burden is to heavy and so I cannot carry it. So I am pleading in agony that you might sustain it for me for you alone are my shelter.  God provide me with a heart to fogive and heart to serve my enemies as Christ served the bankrupt, namely myself.  He did not complain as he ascended to the skull and so God provide me with a heart that will not complain even in the hardest of these earthly struggles.  Bless those around me before me God for I want satisfaction in you alone and will spend my life pursuing souly after you. In Christ’s name, Amen.