Today we studied and learned from Ephesians chapter 5. In this chapter, the apostle Paul continues to describe what the practical sanctification process looks like in the life of one who is saved and already positionally sanctified. The key point to remember here is that positional sanctification is by faith alone; only by placing one's faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and salvation from spiritual death is one "saved." Practical sanctification, ,or changing one's behavior to conform more to the image of Christ, is what happens when one cooperates with the indwelling Holy Spirit's work on their heart. Practical sanctification is the important because it's what discipleship is all about, but it adds NOTHING to one's positional sanctification. Positional sanctification is what God does when He declares one holy because they placed their faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Also in chapter 5 Paul wrote about the importance of understanding Christ's love for the believer, and only by doing so can one respond in turn to God in love and then love others. If a believer feels God don't love them all that much (a lie from Satan) then they cannot love God or others with the love of God that they don't have. And because God loves His children, He does not punish them but instead disciplines them. Christ took all the believer's punishment on the cross. This allows Him to discipline them which is in reality preparing the believer for life and service.
Lastly, we learned what the Lord has to say about marriage. Godly wives should submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ, and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. This shows us why God values marriage so much, because the Christian marriage is a picture of Christ's marriage to the church. And this is why the church is often called the "bride of Christ" in Scripture. Loving as Christ does and submitting to one's husband can only be done in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and forgiving one another is the key to a successful marriage, because we all fall short in many ways.
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