Heralds Digest

"And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord". (Ephesians 6:4 NKJV) The new world of social and electronic media has introduced a disturbing complexity to the conventional principles of parenting. Neither of home schooling nor public schooling can claim possession of the appropriate manual for children upbringing. In spite of this complex twist in our new social system, the admonition of the Lord remain secured. The word of God, and not the ideas of men (parents, guardians, etc), is the only superior light can pave the path to righteousness and prosperity. Personal ideology or carnal enforcement of reformation standards loses a child to rebellion, until a lovely admonition of the divine training manual is embraced.

"Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything". (Ephesians 5:24 NKJV) Depending on the side preferred to be favoured from either the submission of wife to husband or the love of the wife by the husband, emotional support for either of the parties is easy. Although anyone can attempt to emphasize the preaching of either of the two messages, the scriptures did not create room for either of the parties to indulge. While the commandment for wives to submit to their husband was issued first within 3 verses, it is noteworthy that out the 12 verses that posited the message of great mystery, 9 verses underscored the responsibility of husbands to love their wives. More often than not, a totally submissive wife is modelled in the school of her husband's unconditional love.

"Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is". (Ephesians 5:17 NKJV) Good intention, without an inspired knowledge of godly conducts, can even lead to willful submission to unrighteousness. Therefore, intention to love God and walk in the light of His words need a daily support of the Spirit of God, in order to stay on the right path. Otherwise, enormous self-supported zeal can be wasted in service against the counsel of God. Interestingly, God's counsels are often communicated in most of human endeavors. However, the problem, most times, is our unwillingness to receive divine instructions for self application. After all, unbroken channel cannot be a thorough conduit for the flow of God's word.

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". (Ephesians 5:11 NKJV) Just like sin and unrighteousness are natural characteristics of the unregenerated, it is expected that the lifestyle of the redeemed of the Lord represents a radiance of righteousness. Unfortunately, daily interaction with the system of this evil world is hardly engaged without intimate fellowship with its unfruitful works of darkness. Without a righteous defense by exposing every act of unrighteousness, dissociation from their call to fellowship will be impossible. Compassion for sinners is not the same as sympathy for their unrighteous activities.

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma". (Ephesians 5:2 NKJV) Love is all about friendship and association with a subject on one side; and a declaration of dissociation from others, whose interests are parallel to the interests of the subject of his love. While the declaration of association with Christ takes a startup faith for all the redeemed of the Lord, interest in worldly gains often impede the required safewalk declaration of dissociation from ungodliness. The walkway of life is crowded with distracting billboards, showing alternative routes to wealth and fame; but love is satisfied with the sacrifice of fellowship with God, while waiting for the fulfillment of His promises.

"Therefore, putting away lying, “ Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath." (Ephesians 4:25-26 NKJV) A dishonest disposition represents an ungodly strategy of anger management. In times of honest displeasure, the scripture commands a sincere display of anger. A friend who cannot accommodate a sincere expression of anger does not worth the laying of the altar, where friendliness with God is sacrificed. Obviously, a bottled anger will burst, albeit in an uncontrollable environment. Otherwise, it finds a suitable but dishonest channel of penalty for personal justice. After all, members of the same family are naturally wedged together, especially more with honest display of anger.

"Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” Now this, “He ascended” —what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?". (Ephesians 4:8-9 NKJV) The fact of the matter is that Christ's ascension started with a descent into the deep in order to engage captivity in a classical fight. Unlike in all selfish struggles, the focus of the fight was the destruction of the power that held the whole world down into sin and captivity. Therefore, the victory of Jesus Christ resulted in special packages of deliverance gifts for different categories of all who call on His name. Invariably, true victory appears not based on the quantity of laurels loaded on the way up, but on the quality of lives lifted on the way down.