Psalm 127

Solomon surveys some of the mundane events of life and notes that apart from the sovereign blessing of God, human endeavor is unfruitful. In verse 3, the conception and birth of covenant children is brought up as an illustration of the kind of mundane human event which is impossible apart from God’s sovereignty. Expounding on the nature of covenant children, Solomon explains that they are given life by the Lord and they are given as a blessing from the Lord to their parents. By the Lord’s design, the covenant home is for the mutual blessing and defense of both covenant parents and their children. The conclusion draws out several points of application to admonish both parents and children how to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the teaching of this psalm.

Ephesians 6:13-17

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil [one]. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Three motives must be internalized to take up a sword and fight: a real enemy who means harm, something of great value to defend, and armor and weaponry suited to the battle. Paul motivates Christians to engage the spiritual battle he sets before them by showing that the situation of Satanic opposition to the church meets these three criteria. In view of this, Paul calls all Christians to enlist in the spiritual battle between the kingdom of darkness and the kindom of Christ. This message surveys the spiritual armor, explains the military function and the spiritual application.

Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

As Paul winds down this great letter to the Ephesians he concludes in a peculiar way. Normally, Paul brings his letters to a conclusion by sending various greetings, referencing specific individuals, and offering bits of instruction and encouragement. In the book of Ephesians however, Paul sets forth in depth instruction about spiritual warfare, and calls all Christians to be strengthened in the Lord and to put on the armor of God that they take a firm stand against the devil. This message explores the nature of the spiritual enemy and the admonitions to engage the conflict in order to motivate believers to take on the hosts of darkness.

Ephesians 6:5-9

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Some passages in Scripture challenge our thinking because they seem to take a stand on an issue which is directly contrary to the prevailing opinion in our culture today. One such matter where contemporary culture and Scripture are at polar opposites is the issue of slavery. Due to the unsavory nature of the institution of slavery in America and how it contributed to hostilities which eventually led to the most violent and bloody war this nation has seen on its own soil, it can be difficult for American Christians to interact with Paul’s exposition of the ethics of masters and slaves. However, since all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for instruction, this passage must be expounded accurately and understood within the whole context of the Bible that Christians may have a proper understanding and attitude toward slavery. One point which must be affirmed without compromise is that Scripture never teaches that race-based or ethnicity-based conceptions of slavery are Biblical; the Bible nowhere endorses racism, White Supremacy, or bigotry, such views are immoral and contrary to the Biblical teaching that all men are made in the image of God.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

The evidence is mounting that we live in a culture of single-parent homes, where mothers are rearing children without the help of a father. Family Research Council statistics tell us that currently one-third of American children live in a home with one parent and that by the age of 17, 45% will live in a single parent home. The effects of the decomposition of the family include increased poverty rates for children, increase in juvenile crime rates, and an escalation in high school drop outs. What is desperately needed in a time such as this is more godly fathers who understand their office and calling in light of Scripture. This message explores the Biblical definition and duties of fathers, and contains a substantial amount of specific application aimed at helping fathers connect Biblical duty to real life situations.

Ephesians 6:1-3

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

Statists, leftists, dictacrats, and Marxists, view children as belonging to “the community” rather than to parents, and therefore hold that children are resources of the state to be indoctrinated by the public education system in order to be prepared to be loyal subjects of the polis. The Bible however, teaches that children of believers belong to the Lord, are bound in covenant to Him by baptism, and are given to parents to train in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Since Scripture teaches children possess covenant status before the Lord, they have a special obligation and calling to be obedient to their parents and to honor them in the Lord. Three motives are given for this obedience: it’s in the Lord, it is right, and it secures reward. This message explores the relationship between the covenant status of the children of believers and their calling to behave in the ethical manner prescribed by Paul.

Philippians 3:4-11

Ephesians 5:22-24

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

With the rise evangelical feminism just over a generation ago, there was a push in evangelical academic circles to re-define the meaning of the word “head” in Greek. It was proposed that head meant something like source or origin, and the claim was made that this word had no connotations of rule or authority. Such an interpretation was preferred by feminists because it tended to put husbands and wives on the same footing in terms of authority and supported a mutual submission and rule interpretation between the marriage partners. The problem with such an interpretation of the word head is that it is completely baseless, having no linguistic basis. Beyond that, it is clear from Paul’s use of the word head in several different NT passages, it is clear that it connotes rule, authority, or headship. That means that when Paul calls husbands “heads” he is saying that husbands have been given the position of rule and authority in the marriage and in the home in general. This message develops both the meaning and application of a husbands headship from Ephesians 5 and various other NT passages.

Ephesians 5:22-24 (NASB)

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Before digging into the duties of husbands towards wives, it is apparent, that one must first come to know what a man is; after all, only a man can be husband, and that means we must know what a man is according to the Scriptures. A foundational Biblical perspective into the distinctness of men over against women is found in 1 Corinthians 11:7 where Paul says the man bears the image and glory of God and women do not; instead, they bear the glory of man. Reformed commentators have argued that Paul is not denying that women bear the image of God since Genesis 1:27 so clearly asserts that they do; what they have argued however, is that men bear the image and glory of God in a particular respect in which women do not, and that specific respect is that man has been given the mandate to rule and conquer the earth as God’s representative. This point of clarification represents an inspired, apostolic interpretation of Genesis 1:26-28, and provides a key to help unlock multiple passages of Scripture which apply the principles of the dominion mandate of Genes 1 and at the same time assists in acquiring an understanding the meaning of masculinity according to the Bible.

Ephesians 5:22-24

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

As Paul takes up the specifics of the ethics of the Christian household, he addresses wives and commands them to submit to their own husbands. Submission is defined in terms of the spatial image of hierarchy and subordination, and consists of coming under the firm control of another, to submit to, to be subject to, to be subordinate. Furthermore, verse 24 explains that this submission is universal in extent as Paul commands wives to submit to their husbands in “everything.” Of course, submission is limited by the Law, since husbands are never given authority by God to command their wives to speak or act in ways that are contrary the commands and teaching of Scripture. But in all things lawful, wives are to submit to their husbands because God has established the headship of the husband in marriage by creational ordinance. Wives are to submit to their husbands, not because a bunch of men got together and decided they wanted to be in charge; rather, wives are to submit to their husbands because God established hierarchy and subordination in marriage according to his wise, creative design. This message concludes with a series of specific applications explaining in concrete terms what it means to submit and offers a handful of Biblical motives to fuel submission.

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