Salem United Methodist Church, Pastor Justin Collett

How is one of the most beautifully profound and inspiring passages in all of Scripture so terribly misunderstood, so vehemently rejected and, worst of all, so often abused? You know: The "wives submit to husbands..." passage. Of course, that's just one little piece of the passage. It time to re-read Ephesians 5. This is Part 2 of 3 in our mini-series from a portion of Paul's controversial "Household Codes" passage found in Ephesians 5:21-33. Last week we unpacked "hypotasso," the Greek word for "submission" or "to be subject." It has nothing to do with oppression or power-over or forcing anyone to do anything. It has everything to do with Christian salvation and sanctification.

The infamous "S-Word"... This is Part 1 of 3 in our mini-series from Ephesians 5:21-33...you know...the passage which contains the ever-contentious "wives submit to husbands" verse. Everybody has opinions on the passage. Preaching it is like walking through a minefield. Moreover, the assumptions in interpreting it and the implications after interpreting it are just as loaded as the passage itself! Nonetheless, it's an unbelievably beautiful passage. An awe-inspiring vision of marriage. And over the next 3 weeks, we'll learn just how beautiful, just how inspiring, and just how we can possibly be a bit more like Christ in precisely the place where it's so difficult to do—in our home with those closest to us. But first, let's tackle the "S-Word"--submission!

Personally, I love this section of Ephesians. Okay...I love the whole letter, but this section is so jammed full with amazing insights. We see that the source of our problems is our mind and heart (4:17-24) and, therefore, real change occurs from the inside-out as God renews our minds and creates us anew. Next, we see the evidence of our renewed minds in our renewed external actions (4:25-5:2). Throughout the whole process, we're realize that we're learning to do what we do because we're learning to be who we are—beloved children of God. And this is the most incredible way to live...ever.

How do we change? As in, how do we actually change—deep down in the ways in which we're really broken? Can people truly change in their heart? Yes. Thankfully, it's one of God's most favorite things to do.

There should be no surprise regarding mainline church decline. Why not? Because most mainline churches no longer preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Preaching "half" of the gospel (grace, love and forgiveness) is no gospel at all. It's well-intended, of course, but the consequences are devastating, as we end up worshipping a god in our own image. In sum, the source of mainline decline is not the style of worship or approach to ministry or a need to "rethink church." It's idolatry. And as we know, God abhors idolatry. (See Commandment #1) Hear Pastor Justin argue the point above and more in this sermon, the last in a series called, "The Crucible of Conversion." We've been hammering home the entire scope of the Gospel—including not just the good news of the Gospel but also the bad news, which is part and parcel of the Good News, as well. For example, the Good News reveals the problem of humanity as sin and the solution to this problem as salvation. And it reveals the extraordinary character of God, who is holy, righteous and, yes, even wrathful, yet also merciful, gracious and loving. And that's not a contradiction. It's the Living God. And it's very good news indeed.

In Ephesians 2:4-10, Paul paints an incredible picture of God's grace and power and our new life in Christ. However, right before that, in verses 1-3, Paul paints a very different picture—our life before Christ. And the picture is bleak. Paul describes it in such stark terms as "dead in trespasses and sins." He basically says we followed everyone and everything except Christ—namely the world, the flesh, and the Devil. And worst and most offensive of all, Paul declares that we were children of wrath. Really? God has wrath? Wrath against us?!! What are we to make of this bleak picture—this bad news? How can we understand it fruitfully? And what could possibly be GOOD about this very BAD news?

This is Part 1 in a 3-part series called "The Crucible of Conversion" on Ephesians 2:1-10. Why was John Wesley's foundational sermon, "Salvation by Faith," on Ephesians 2:8? Because properly understanding it lays the foundation for everything...but it sure looks like a horrible idea going into it.

Paul prays that the Ephesians—battle-hardened, faith-tested, veteran Christians, if you will—would be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation as they came to know God. Strange, they probably assumed that's what they'd been doing—getting to know God—for almost a decade at that point. It's as if Paul tells the Ephesians that, when it comes to God, there's always more to see and understand. And we find that that's exactly what he's claiming. There's always more to God that we haven't yet understood. If so, what should we do? We should pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation. That gets to the heart of the matter.

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul packs a staggering list of promises into the opening lines. He claims that in Christ, we are adopted as children of God the Father, redeemed by the blood of the Son, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. He writes that this is the "word of truth," and then qualifies this "word of truth" even further by saying that it's also the "gospel of your salvation." This brings up an interesting question: Can you believe that Paul's claims are indeed a "word of truth" but never actually experience the "gospel as your salvation"? In other words, can you believe that the claims of Christianity are "true" but never actually experience this truth in your life? Know about salvation but never know what it's like to be saved? Yes. And it happens all the time. And the difference between the two is astounding—like reading a poem about deep and abiding love versus actually experiencing the reality of love. The Christian faith is the "word of truth," which is great news. But the better news is that it's also the gospel of YOUR salvation. So how do we experience the difference?