Turn to the fifth chapter of Ephesians. We are going to talk about divine order for awhile. I think it would probably take at least a half-dozen messages to make a good explanation of what divine order is. There is no way we can cover all of that but we are going to take a swipe at it.
Divine order is God’s order. It works within the Kingdom of God or you could say it works under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. That which is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ cannot possibly be in divine order. He is the Lord and everything under His Lordship falls into a realm called “divine order.”
It is also necessary to understand what we mean by “His Lordship” in the realm of His Kingdom. Every Christian calls Jesus Lord. In fact, a lot of non-Christians refer to Him as Lord, which does not mean a whole lot. If you call Him Lord but only see Him separately from you in the heavens somewhere, then that is not being under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the sense we are speaking of here. To be under His Lordship means to be in complete submission to Him as Lord so that He has the right to function in your life and through your life. That is a whole different thing. As I said, all Christians call Jesus “Lord” but He is not functioning as Lord in and through all Christians.
So what we are talking about here in divine order is an order of God that works among those who are in subjection to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let’s begin reading with verse 17.
Ephesians 5:17-18 Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of
the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.
Most people will understand that to mean the wine of the grape, but that is not the wine Paul is speaking of here. He is speaking of the wine of the world that causes a drunkenness or a numbness to God; in other words, the things of the world that would cause you to be numb to the things of God. Being drunk on worldliness will keep you from understanding things of Spirit. Be not drunk on the things of the world but be filled with the Spirit that you might be in divine order. Right here we have several requisites: understand what the will of the Lord is; do not be overcome by the wine of this world; and be filled with the Spirit.
Be filled with the Spirit, not with a little sprinkle, but be filled with the Spirit. "Filled with the Spirit is" a term tossed around a lot. I would question that any of us has ever received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I would not question the fact that we have received the Spirit and different ones have received different amounts of the Spirit but to say the fullness of the Spirit, that is speaking of something that is incomprehensible to the mind.
Be filled with the Spirit. Whatever capacity you have, let that capacity be filled with the Spirit and then allow the Spirit to work so your capacity enlarges and you can receive more of the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
Speak to yourselves in psalms. Speak to yourselves in hymns. Speak to yourselves in spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord. That is another six messages right there.
Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things …
For all the things that are enjoyable to you? No! Give thanks always for all things!
“But you don’t know what I’ve been going through.”
Give thanks for all things. If you are under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then everything that happens in your life happens for a purpose and is of Him. Whether it feels good or does not feel good, whether you like it or you do not like it, it is for your own good and its purpose is to establish you in God and to bring forth His life in you. This is what divine order is all about. Without divine order you would be like a little ant running around not knowing where you are going. Total confusion in your life.
Now a lot of Christians today are in total confusion, not knowing what their life is all about, and the reason is because they have not come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They are not in divine order. Being under the Lordship of Jesus Christ you will understand what the will of the Lord is. You will learn the will of the Lord and you will not be drunk with the wine of the world. You will learn to be filled with the Spirit, and you will learn how to worship like it says in verse 19 with songs, hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart. Next, you will find yourself giving thanks for all things unto God and the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you are under His Lordship, then the Lord Himself is like a wall of fire about you so nothing can get to you except what involves His will.
Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wow! That will take another six messages there also. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Because you fear God, you will bring yourselves into submission one to another.
“Now wait a minute. We were talking about being in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Now you are talking about submitting ourselves one to another.”
Same difference, because we are talking about the realm of His Kingdom and being in divine order. In the realm of the Kingdom, Christ is coming forth in all of His members. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is over the entire Body of Christ which means that if there is a submission unto His Lordship, there is also a submission to one another, because His Lordship is coming forth in every member.
So, submit yourselves – in the fear of God. Lord help us. We might need a little tribulation to understand that one. Most people do not realize that tribulation is one of the most important gifts that God gives us in His Kingdom. It is the tribulation that eliminates self-centeredness and selfishness, the things of self and ego, so that we can learn to know Him as Lord. Being in divine order and coming under His Lordship is not something that happens in a skinny minute. It is something that you learn as the Lord progressively takes dominion over everything that is in you. Amen.
Copyright © 1996 by Henry DuBose