In Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, the nations are heirs-together, ...and partakers-together of his promise…·I call on YOU…to walk …·with all humility of mind and meekness, bearing with each other in love with patience, ·endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the together-bond of peace. ·There is…one Spirit…, ·one Lord…, ·one God and Father of all—the One over all, and through all and in all… ·Become imitators of God as dearly loved sons and daughters… ·…Let there be no suggestion among YOU of sexual perversity, any uncleanness or covetousness,… ·filthiness, foolish speech, or inappropriate forms of joking—but rather thanksgiving. ·For…anyone who is sexually perverse or unclean or covetous or an idolater has no inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. ·Let no one deceive YOU with empty words… ·Do not become partakers-together with them. (Ephesians 3:6; 4:1-6; 5:1,3-7 PH)

YOU…have been taught in…Jesus: ·to be putting away the old humanity—which accords with the previous manner of life—the one being corrupted in accord with deceitful desires; ·and to be being renewed in the spirit of YOUR mind ·while putting on the new humanity, the one being created in accord with God, in relational righteousness[i] and true piety. ·Putting away lying therefore, let each of YOU speak truth with his neighbor…. ·“Be angry but do not sin.” [Ps.4:4a] Do not let the sun go down on YOUR exasperation ·so as to give opportunity to the devil... ·Let no putrid word proceed out of YOUR mouth but only that which is good, useful for building up, that it might give grace to those listening… ·But speaking the truth in love, we will grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ... —·...towards mature adulthood… ·Then we will no longer be under-age children… (Eph.4:21-27,29,15,13-14 PH)

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God… ·Let all bitterness and fury, and anger with clamoring and vilification be removed far from YOU, along with all malice; ·but become kind towards one another, tenderhearted—being forgiving towards each other even as God in Christ is forgiving with YOU… ·YOU at one time were darkness; but now that YOU are light in the Lord, YOU must walk as sons and daughters of light. ·The fruit of the light is in all goodness, relational righteousness and truth… ·Have no fellowship-together with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather expose these… ·All things exposed are made visible under the light, and whatever is made visible is light... ·...Be filled in the Spirit— ·uttering psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to yourselves, singing and making melody in YOUR heart to the Lord, ·always giving thanks over all things to the one God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… ·In him we have the boldness and the confident access (to God), through his faith… ·Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from Father God and the Lord Jesus Christ, ·and grace with all those who genuinely love our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph.4:30-32; 5:8-9,11,13-14a,18b-20; 3:12; 6:23-24 PH)

In Ephesians, as well as elsewhere in the Bible, our witness to the world is compared to light—light which has power to transform darkness. For Paul, light is about what we ‘are’ because of our relationship with our Lord Jesus and with our Father. We are ‘the light of the world’ when we ‘walk in the light’ as sons and daughters of the Father like Jesus did—as partners in witness with him (Med.#11; Med.#66; Med.#52). The transforming power of our witness, ‘the fruit of light’, lies first and foremost in how we imitate our Father's character ‘in goodness, right relationship and truth’—by pursuing a heart relationship with him like Jesus did. While this is a growth process, Paul expects all believers to start acting like mature sons and daughters in their daily choices. For by faith and by baptism—by the one Spirit—we are already ‘co-heirs’ of the Father and light in the Lord Jesus.

As such, Jesus sends us back into this dark world to transform it (Med.#17; Med.#57). Yet in the world we are again subject to the devil’s temptations; and the ‘empty words’ we hear—the falsehood, vilification of others, inappropriate joking and other foolish talk—can deceive us into imitating these same patterns of ‘corrupt speech. And if we allow the 'deceitful desires' of the world back into our hearts—unresolved anger, bitterness, covetousness, impurity—we will again be reproducing the ‘unfruitful works’ of our former way of life: sexual perversity, fits of fury, clamoring, etc. Such actions make us partners (‘partakers-together’) with the world, rather than partners (‘partakers-together’) with each other and with Jesus in bringing light to the world as co-heirs the Father's kingdom.  

Yet Paul is not simply telling us to try harder. Even if we keep our mouths shut and lose ourselves in all kinds of spiritual activities, any impure heart attitudes will still come out in our non-verbal communication. If we are going to speak and act like Jesus, we must ‘put on the new humanity’. And this requires daily cooperation with the Holy Spirit in the transforming work he is doing inside us (Med.#32); because our words and actions merely reflect what is in our heart (Med.#16; Med.#78). Goodness, relational righteousness, truthfulness, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, love, gentle and gracious words, humility, patience, quick resolution of anger—all these will only flow out of our heart if we are receiving these from our Father with continual gratitude towards him. The whole point of giving our lives to Jesus is so we can know God as our good, loving and gracious Father, and learn to imitate him.

What is the first thing you experience when you approach God through Jesus? Is it ‘peace’?—a deep sense of belonging and safety with your Dad, as a valued family-member? We have a Father who ‘chose us in Christ before the creation of the world’ (Med.#8). He always wanted you (Med.#A)! And he is a Father who will never deceive you because he is righteous in all his relationships (Ps.145:17). You may be faithless and fail him, but your Dad will never fail you (2 Tim.2:13). Yes, he will discipline you. He may even get angry at your behavior. Yet in his anger your Dad will never sin and abuse you (Med.#33, Med.#B)! If you are not able to receive his peace when you are in his presence, the emotional tone of your words and actions towards others will reflect this peace-deficit.

Secondly, do you come to God through Jesus as a Father who ‘dearly loves’ you, ‘with faith’ in you? As a Dad who believes in you? Your Father is the One who sent Jesus to live among us, and to die for you and me—at a time when there was little visible evidence that we would respond to his love (Rom.5:10). When we express love for God or faith in Jesus, we are responding to the ‘love with faith’ our Father has already shown us. Are you able to receive his love and faith in you, or are you still tentative and fearful in his presence?

Thirdly, the Father's love with faith is accompanied by grace (6:23-24)—grace that is big enough for people of all ethnic groups and nations, and for all aspects of our lives. Many Christians have a very limited view of God's grace, associating it only with mercy—God giving us salvation and forgiveness when we don't deserve it. Yet it was grace that motivated the Father to choose us (all human beings)—before sin ever entered the world—for the destiny of ‘placement as sons’ (Med.#8). It is through ‘the administration of God's grace’ that all nations have been made ‘heirs-together’ in Christ, through the Gospel (Med.#6). And it is by our Father's grace that ‘each of us’ has been given gifts of the Spirit (Med.#50). In short, grace is about every good thing your Father freely gives you in Christ: your being, your redemption, your empowering as an adult son or daughter to be a co-worker with him (Med.#32), and all good gifts (Med.#86)!

Are you receiving the Father's love… with grace? Or are you struggling: with bitterness or worry about money; with unresolved anger or malice toward others; or with putrid words coming out of your mouth? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart, and remind you of the peace and love, with faith and grace, that you have received from your Father through Jesus. Are you being tempted: to seek excitement in dubious business practices, or comfort in sexual perversity [Gr. pornos[ii]], in excessive eating or shopping, in alcohol or drugs, or in impure behavior of any kind? Choose to thank your Father in your heart for everything he has given you, and then seek comfort from him in all circumstances (Med.#35). If you are having trouble in showing kindness, compassion or forgiveness towards others, or in finding words that ‘give grace’ to them and build them up, then memorize some psalms or praise scriptures so you can express your gratitude to your Father out loud. The transforming impact this will have on your heart will help you mature as a son or daughter of light that, in turn, has a transforming impact on the darkness in the world around you.

Thank you, Father for everything you have given me in the name of Jesus: especially for giving me peace and love with faith and grace. (Eph.5:20; 6:23-24)

Thank you, Father: for qualifying all of us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; for rescuing us all from the dominion of darkness; for bringing us all into the kingdom of the Son you love, in whom we have redemption; for giving us fullness in Christ, in whom your fullness dwelt in bodily form, by the gift of the Holy Spirit; for giving us all different gifts by the same Spirit; and for everything you give us to say and to do in the name of our Lord Jesus. (Col.1:12-14; 2:9-10; Acts 2:33,38; 1 Cor.12:13,7; Col.3:17).

[i] Greek dikaio-sunee = ‘righteous-with’ or ‘relational righteousness’ with God, or with people, or with both (See note [ii], Med.#11).

[ii] This Greek word, pornos, is the root of the English word 'pornography'.