Ephesians 6:1-9 - Our Relationships Matter (Part 11)

Our Relationships Matter
EPHESIANS 6:1-9

1. Our morality grows out of our undeserved, intimate relationship with God as a result of our receiving God's grace.
 --It is what is going on inside of us that determines the true values of our outward behaviors.
 --Galatians 5:22, 23

2. If we are Christians, we recognize a morality in our relationships that is explicit in God's Word.
  --Beginning with our changed natures in the Beatitudes, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount taught the consequential attitudes and behaviors of citizens of the Kingdom of God.
 --Paul's letter to the Ephesian church moves from our changed natures (1:13; 2:5-9) to His immeasurably abundant  power that works within us (3:20-21) in chapters 1-3; then in chapters 4-6, the apostle reveals spiritual resources given to the churches, and the resulting dynamics in Christian relationships.

3. Our grace-changed natures transform every aspect of our relationships to reflect God's love for the world through Jesus Christ.
 --Brothers and sisters in Christ submit to one another in the reverence of Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)
                What does this look like? Philippians 2:3-5
 --Marriage between a believing husband and wife pictures Christ's relationship with the Church. (Ephesians 5:22-33)
  --Believing parents make the Lord central to their family relationship. (Ephesians 6:1-4)
  --First century, Christian slaves and masters were to understand that the Lord in heaven is their Master, and He does not show partiality between them. (Ephesians 6:1-9)


What applications exist for the modern day work place?
    EMPLOYEES:
 --"[Be obedient] with fear and trembling"
 --"Be obedient"
 --"in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ"
 --"eye service"
 --"men pleasing"
 --"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"

     EMPLOYERS:
 --"do the same thing to them"
 --obey
 --"give up threatening"
 --know that your Lord in heaven shows no partiality
 --We face our relationships with fear and trembling, in case we fail to trust God.



Audio: