Paul begins the fifth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians by imploring them to walk in the same way in which Christ walked, that is, in love. By contrast, they are not to return to their former way of life and the sins which condemned them, for the sexually immoral and idolatrous will not inherit the kingdom of God.

After telling the Ephesians to put off, be renewed, and put on, Paul begins to list several ways in which they are to do this. Through these examples Paul shows the church how to maintain unity by loving one another, all of which comes about by the putting off of sin and the putting on of righteousness.

After declaring the to the Ephesians their calling as members of the church - unity and maturity in Christ - Paul implores them to not turn back to their sinful way of life but to instead remember that learning Christ necessarily leads to putting off the old self, being renewed, and putting on the new self created after the likeness of God.

In our passage this week, Paul continues to describe what the unified church looks like. He tells the Ephesians that Christ has gifted the church with gifted leaders who are to build up the church for the work of ministry, so that, in love, they might all grow up into Christlikeness.

Paul begins the second half of his letter to the Ephesians with its very crux: unity in the church. Having been saved by Christ from God's judgment, and having been made a new man, the church is to walk in unity with one another because God Himself is unified.

This week, Zach Canjar looks at Luke 18:9-14 where Jesus confronts those who boast in their works with a parable about a pharisee and a tax collector. Only God is righteous, and all men are by nature sinful, therefore everyone ought to humble themselves as the tax collector did and repent, for the Lord will exalt those who humble themselves before Him.

Paul concludes the first half of his letter with a doxology, glorifying God for the working of his great power in the church and in Christ, forever and ever. Amen.

This week, Jack Winsor preaches on Romans 12:1-2 where Paul implores his readers to walk according to all that God has done for them in Christ. Rather than be conformed to the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ ought to transform us so that we might live renewed, righteous lives as living sacrifices to God.