The last two chapters of Ephesians are packed full of goodies. I might make a 5a and 5b like I did for chapter 4. Might even do it for chapter 6. We’ll see. For now, let’s look at the theme of this section.
The theme of chapter 5 is clearly healthy relationships: God’s relationship to us and our relationship to one another. One of the things Paul talks about is the power of the tongue and what kind of talk is acceptable. He has this beautiful line inside, “Thanksgiving is our dialect.”
Man, I want that to be true of me. I want to be one of the most thankful / grateful people around. I try to make it a habit to always say, “Thank you.” But it goes beyond that too. As an individual, I do daily and weekly lists of gratitude. As a family, sitting at the table or in the car with the kids, we all ask each other what we’re thankful for that day. We’re building this tremendous habit of gratitude. Why? Because there is so much to be thankful for. It’s good for your brain, for your heart, and for your soul to express gratitude. It gives you eyes to see.
So that line about thanksgiving gets me.
Then there’s this other line, “Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light.”
Here, Paul is talking to the believers about their relationship to corrupt religious frauds. Staying away from these frauds is important. And this image of waking up is so pertinent, so poignant.
It’s not always easy to see the frauds for what they are. It’s not always easy to face the truth or to face yourself, especially if you’ve been the fraud, pretending to be someone you aren’t.
If you want a visual of what I’m talking about, the rapper NF does a phenomenal job telling this story:
Omer Redden 