The Fragrant Offering
Hello friends! I'm back; I've had a day to rest my mind so I'm more focused on today's blog. We are on chapter 5 of Ephesians, so let's see what it has in store for us today. Verses 1-2, 'Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.' I was trying to figure out exactly what that meant - fragrant offering. In NLT version it's phrased as a pleasing aroma to God. So I think it must means God was pleased by what Jesus did. I know it wasn't an easy thing. To die for the very people who were trying to kill Him. But Jesus loves us. We are meant to love like that. We are meant to love our enemies. To love everybody.
Verses 8-11, 'For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.' Christ pleased His father by dying on the cross. We could never do what Jesus did, of course. God is never going to ask us to do anything like that, but we are meant to find what we can do to please him. If Jesus can be crucified; We can make smaller sacrifices. We can take up our smaller cross. We should find our fragrant offering to God. We must not take part in dark deeds, but expose them. There is no value in taking part in them; instead we need realize them so we can turn away from them.
Verses 13-14, 'But everything exposed by the light becomes visible - and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: "Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."' When sin is exposed; you can realize it and put an end to it. Then you can ask for forgiveness. If you don't realize it's something you shouldn't be doing then you just continue doing it. Verse 15 says to be very careful how to live - not as unwise but as wise. And 17 says do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. We tend to get off track and do as our flesh wants, but when we start being conscious of that; we can come back on track and we learn to stay the course.
Verses 19-20, 'Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.' More giving thanks. I wonder just how many times the bible says to give thanks. And we should be appreciative of what the Lord does for us; What He gives us and what He opens our eyes to. He doesn't owe us anything. In fact we are forever in His debt. So be thankful.
Lastly this book talks about about how wives should submit to husbands and you do to the Lord and how husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. Because you take care of your own body. You feed it, clothes it, and treat it with respect. So that's how you should treat your wives. We wives are meant to respect our husbands like we do the Lord. So respect each other and love each other. I really wanted to squeeze that in quickly because that is important.
So what is your fragrant offering? I hope you guys liked this chapter. And I hope you found some joy in today. I always find joy in the Lord. I've grown more and more appreciative of Him. He's really done a lot for me. Especially lately, with me being alone. He pulls me out of dark places and whispers love in my ears. Back before Him when I felt down; I stayed down for a while. I wasn't strong enough to pull myself out of sadness and depression. But guess who is?
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