Ephesians 5-6 TPT
«Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters.»
This is our Mission on earth – to represent God. Such a great purpose. An how is this done? – Through imitation. But in order to imitate one has to see a model. The Lord calls us to contemplate this Model.
«And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.And have nothing to do with sexual immorality, lust, or greed—for you are his holy ones and let no one be able to accuse you of them in any form.»
Brothers and sisters, continue to walk, not only to church. But «continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ». A was astonished at this word «extravagant» in this translation. It sounds somewhat modern. But I thought, this is exactly so, Christ loves extravagantly. If there is someone who loves extravagantly, not stingily, not boring – that is Christ.
I thought, what is extravagant love? O, this is super-hyper romantic! Still, why is it extravagant? This is a very intimate topic. Both of the beloved do their best to demonstrate their love. When we lose this extravagancy – something really serious is lost with it. I would love to preserve this quality of extravagancy in my relationship with the Lord, and for the church as well, so that when Angels come, they says: «Wow, they love our Lord so extravagantly here!» What are we supposed to do for that?
«His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.» You know, something can be so delicious, that your head spins, and here it is even useful. Medicine is often bitter, but here it is so sweet… like aroma of adoration. And this aroma of adoration is the strongest treatment that heals of any disease. This is the sweetest, the tastiest that can ever be – this is the extravagant love of Christ.
The devil hates extravagant love. He can agree with our faith, but he will never agree with extravagant love.
«An aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance»…
Therefore, this is against sexual promiscuity. «Have nothing to do with sexual immorality». He is talking of love, those powerful things, and so Paul goes: «No, this is not what you are thinking, sinner! Get cleansed, because it has nothing to do with sexual immorality, lust or greed». Lust is greed, things that you want in overmeasure, be it sexual immorality or mammon – God’s love has nothing in common with that.
«His great love for us was pleasing to God» – that is, God the Аферу watch the love of the Son to His Bride, and it was pleasing to Him to watch it. This is a different formation of love – it’s not your own, but you love someone else’s love. This is very powerful. I think, extravagancy is also multiplication of love in other people.
Extravagancy has to be a part of our divine character, we should love our Lord in unusual ways. Our love should be extraordinary. We shouldn’t slip down to mediocrity.
This love is not greedy. It doesn’t claim ownership. It gives and takes delight in giving.
I know for sure, He loves me extravagantly. How about me? How can I respond to Him? Yes, I am an unusual man, so it is unusual, unique relationship with Christ that I have. I don’t try to make my relationship like everybody else has, just the opposite – I try to make them unlike everybody else has. And this also implies extravagancy. I want my relationship to be unique, not on an average level, but maximally. Because He has to spot me out somehow among the 300 concubines and 700 princes. Getting nice make up or clothes won’t help. It has to be a real thing that takes hold of Him.
I invite you to this platform. It is dangerous like surfing, but is crowned with great things.
I though about things which could manifest extravagant love – romance – well, this you can hear at seminars; surprise, things after the heart of the beloved, secret and unexpectedness, reliability… But all this is average level characterizing a real man, who makes good money with a good career, owns a car and goes in for active sports, but this is no extravagant love!
Extravagant is when there is nothing, but you’re sold out to follow Him to the ends of the earth- that’s extravagant! What’s there that the man is completely off the rails? – This is where we’ve got to move, to this platform. Follow the Poor Christ. Because He looked at you, and it was so extravagant that you are undone. You leave your home, your earthly wealth like Fransic of Asisi and set off to have a life of poverty – that is extravagant.
«Walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ… like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance»
«So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage… – We have an advantage! And we’ve got to take it full – every day as you spend your life for His purposes»
We spend our lives for His purposes, even of the Christ, Who impoverisher for our sake. Extravagant love to Him, when it doesn’t matter, whether He gives or He doesn’t. She is not pursuing Him because of the expensive gifts He gives for holidays.
Maybe, He gives her different kind of things that you can’t weigh in this world and evaluate with money banknotes.
I don’t think He gives sufferings only, He gives pleasure as well, but sometimes with bitter herbs. It must be that He knows better, why…
Why do we come? For what reason? I want to burn out all the reasons except one.
Take full advantage… What is the advantage? I’m not talking of theological things – yes, I have an access to the Throne, prayer that will be heard, I have brothers and sisters in church, which I do consider one of the greatest treasures – brothers and sisters, with whom I am in love. This costs a lot. But there are more powerful advantages. Do I know all of my advantages and do I take full of them, for the purpose of living for Him?
Spending life for His purposes is a response to His extravagant love.
He gave us gifts, and we don’t hand them out – we keep them for Him, because they don’t really interest us, and she says in the Song of songs: «I’ve kept what You gave me» – she’s kept it for her Beloved.
«And don’t live foolishly for then you will have discernment to fully understand God’s will».
Some of us do live foolishly, changing jobs and stuff, for some more profit, without even asking God, without testing things whether it is God’s will – rushing at new opportunities, excusing it by the pressure of life in big cities. But this is foolish.
«Don’t live foolishly for then you will have discernment to fully understand God’s will. And don’t get drunk with wine, which is rebellion; instead be filled continually with the Holy Spirit».
«Don’t get drunk with wine – that is don’t take wrong things to make yourselves happy, don’t cross the line – instead be filled continually with the Holy Spirit», which makes you pure and blessed much more.
«And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord. Keep speaking to each other with words of Scripture». I knew our fathers in faith, prisoners, who did speak with Scriptures. I thought how can it be possible to speak like Jesus, because He spoke with Scriptures, just quoting it. It was so amazing for me as a young Christian, I thought, was it really possible to survive like that? But, I don’t think it was a boring life. This is power, this is power of the fire. In order to speak with Scriptures, one has to know Scriptures.
«Singing the Psalms with praises and spontaneous songs given by the Spirit!» – which we keep doing, and it brings us a great pleasure.
«Always give thanks to Father God for every person he brings into your life». Do you see? A person is no accidental in our life, it’s God bringing him. Perhaps, he smells bad and we don’t like him, he may be bringing us some kind of disturbance or danger. But who are you? An island in the river, and something is approaching you – do you have a right to choose? You yourself are surrounded by the sacred water of eternity – who are you to push away what the hand of the Lord is sending to you. And he says: «Always give thanks to Father God for every person» – let us examine in our mind whom we rejected who came to us, whom we didn’t evaluate high enough.
«Always give thanks to Father God for every person he brings into your life in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in love».
Such a beautiful teaching. Sometimes we do need to break through a fresh translation, because those words fly by as doves that we don’t notice. When I met brother Yukka, who is deeply fond of birds, I started seeing birds. Since then I sometimes loose sight, but then wake up again. He changed me. I now see the birds. I used to see them, but never gave them my attention, but today I can discern them, and that is a strong transformation of your world view. It helps me to return to my senses from the smog of the city.
«And to the caretakers of the flock I say, do what is right with your people by forgiving them when they offend you, for you know there is a Master in heaven that shows no favoritism». – God doesn’t make exceptions, He has no favorite ones. It was equal both for David and other people, when the Lord equalized His people. Even with Holocaust in Israel He demonstrated He has no favourites.
«Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernatural» Imagine, they ask you, «where are you going to?» – and you say, «to the supernatural brother, supernatural sister – she is all supernatural!»
«Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force[i] of his explosive power flowing in and through you.Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods[m] and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious!»
That is extravagant love – to make us destined to victory! He said, you are My Bride, and there won’t be any other! There’s no other chance – we are destined to victory!