Ephesians 5:1-17

Walk as His Children

Open your Bible to…

Eph. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children

Pray

Intro

√ Walk as His Children

Children learn best by watching their parents and imitating what they see us do.

That can be good, or that can be bad!

I asked my family what examples I could use this morning and the vast majority were too embarrassing either for Cindy and myself, or the kids…

…but I finally came up with one that will work!

Ex. Sean filling the lawnmower tank from the hose

Sean wanted to help his mom, he just hadn’t watched close enough so that his good intentions didn’t produce the desired results.

But, to his credit he was imitating what he’d seen in our lives as we helped each other to do the chores.

That’s the idea that Paul develops in these 17 verses.

That is, he encourages us to imitate our Heavenly Father.

That is, since we are now children of God through our faith in Jesus Christ then we ought to imitate our Father by acting like Him.

We do that by walking as He walks, that is, living as He lives, in our conduct, attitudes, and speech.

So, in this section we’ll find that Paul calls our attention to three characteristics of God’s nature that we should imitate in our own lives…

God is love (1 John 4:8) so we ought to walk in love.

God is light (1 John 1:5) so we ought to walk in light.

God is truth (1 John 5:6) so we ought to walk in wisdom.

As we imitate God the world will recognize us as His children because we live as He does.

Ap. Who are you imitating?

Really? Who is the “man in the mirror”?

If you honestly look at your life this morning who is it that you’re imitating?

The Christmas season is an especially poignant time to evaluate your life.

That is, you can look at a person’s life and how they celebrate the birth of our Savior and tell an awful lot about whom they’re imitating.

So, let’s join Paul as he calls us to check our life and see whether or not we’re walking as children of God.

Walk in Love (vs. 1-6)

Eph. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Eph. 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

√ Walk in love ~ vs. 1-2

Paul’s first admonition is that we should imitate our heavenly Father by walking in love.

It’s important to remember that his instruction here comes on the heals of the previous chapter in which he warned us against bitterness and anger.

The point is that bitterness and anger are not part of God’s character and thereby should not be a part of our lives as Christians ~ God’s children.

Rather, we ought to imitate our Heavenly Father by loving others (the opposite of bitterness and anger) as He does!

√ God is love

There are innumerable qualities of God that are attractive and that we should imitate in our lives but the greatest and most attractive quality of God is His love!

In fact, we cannot separate God and love, for He is the very definition of love!

John writes…

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” ~ 1 John 4:8

Another example is found in Paul’s classic description of love in 1^st Corinthians 13 where we find that he isn’t defining an ideal…

…rather he is describing God Himself!

Ex. God’s love

The greatest example of God’s love of course is the Cross, thus Paul writes in vs. 2…

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

That is, true love, the God kind of love that we’re supposed to imitate is self-sacrificing for the benefit of others, as Jesus said…

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” ~ John 15:13

God has proven His perfect love for us by taking on the body of a man and allowing us, those He loved, to pin Him to a Cross!

Ap. Love one another

So, since we are children of God Paul tells us that we ought to walk in love.

Specifically we ought to demonstrate that love through our willingness to serve others in a self-sacrificing way.

Isn’t that what Jesus told us when He said…

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Brothers and sisters we simply cannot reflect our Father’s character if we do not love one another in the same way that God loves us…

…by putting others before ourselves.

The reality is that our Christian witness stands of falls on the testimony of our love one for another.

Ex. Show your love

I’m so blessed as a pastor to see this kind of love demonstrated by so many of you!

Those who park at the high school so that others may park near the church building.

Those who clean and decorate the church so that it’s a comfortable and attractive place to meet.

Those who mow the lawn, plant and weed the garden so that we can enjoy the beauty of God’s creative genius.

Those who watch, teach and care for the children so that they can learn about Jesus and you parents can focus on what God is speaking to you in the adult service.

And so many others I don’t have time to mention!

All of these are great examples of how we can walk in love and thereby imitate our Heavenly Father who loves us…

…through self-sacrificing service to others.

√ Don’t walk in evil

In verses 3-6 Paul lists some negative examples of behaviors and attitudes that do not reflect the love of God and therefore have no place in the life a child of God.

Eph. 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

Eph. 5:4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Eph. 5:5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Eph. 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Each of the things that Paul lists here are the opposite of the God kind of love!

Rather, each is self-centered and unloving because these behaviors inflict hurt upon others (not to mention ourselves!).

Let’s just briefly define each of these unloving and ungodly behaviors so that we can examine our own lives to make sure that we’re not practicing theses things!

Fornication ~ is the Greek word “pornea” from which we get our English “pornography”. Pornea has a broad scope and refers to all sexual immorality (that is, sex outside of a heterosexual marriage).

Uncleanness ~ moral impurity, whereas fornication is the act of sexual sin, uncleanness refers to our thought life and desires (ex. lust and pornography).

Covetous ~ the ungodly desire for more! Note also that Paul equates covetousness with idolatry as the covetous person has made wealth and possessions their god.

Filthiness ~ literally means obscenity, that is shameful talk and conduct such as in foul language and sexually suggestive behavior.

Foolish talking ~ humor that is hateful, degrading to others and cruel sarcasm.

Course jesting ~ dirty jokes and innuendo.

It should go without saying that a child of God should not be involved in these things.

However, the Christians to whom Paul was writing lived in a morally corrupt city that was given over to all of these sins!

So, being surrounded by a society that encouraged ungodly behavior many believes found themselves’ imitating the lifestyle of the world.

Paul’s letter then was meant to set the standard of Godly behavior and to remind the Church that they were called to imitate God, not the world.

Ap. Don’t imitate the world!

We live in a society that is corrupt, and more and more given over to ungodliness.

As Christians we have to be careful that we don’t allow the influence of the world to slip into our lives whereby we begin to imitate what the world does.

Ex. Movies and television programming

So many movies and TV shows today rely on cruel sarcasm, sexual innuendo, and base humor to get a laugh.

The reason they do is that it gets an easy laugh from the audience.

Then I watch as people, especially the younger generation imitate what they’ve seen on TV in their conversations with their friends.

They sound more like the world than like Jesus.

So, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself who you’re imitating.

If the person staring back from the mirror looks more like what you see on TV or at the movies than Jesus then…

…it’s time to change your role model!

We’re supposed to act like our Dad, not the world, so let’s make sure we’re walking in love.

Walk in Light (vs. 7-14)

Eph. 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Eph. 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Eph. 5:9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),

Eph. 5:10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

Eph. 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Eph. 5:12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

Eph. 5:13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

Eph. 5:14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

√ Walk in light

Paul’s second admonition is that we should imitate our heavenly Father by walking in light.

To walk in light means that we live our lives in such a way that we’re not afraid of anyone looking closely at our home, our finances, and our private conduct.

It means that we aren’t trying to hide anything from anyone, especially from God!

Remember that while we can hide things from other people…

…we can’t hide anything from God!

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” ~ Heb. 4:13

Therefore, because God does see everything we do and knows everything we think Paul encourages us to walk in light so that we can have a clear conscience and a good witness.

Ex. Airport security

I’m never worried about what the X-ray machine is going to find in my luggage because I’m not trying to hide anything!

Because I don’t have a bomb in my backpack, or a gun in my suitcase…

…I can smile at the TSA workers, make eye contact with them, and have a clear conscience because I’ve got nothing to hide ~ I’m obeying the law so I’ve got nothing to hide.

The spiritual application is that Paul is telling us that we ought to live our lives in such a way that we’re not afraid of God, or anyone else…

…looking into our “luggage”!

So, Paul here reminds his friends at Ephesus that since God is light, and they are His children…

…then they should live in such a way that they would be lights in the darkness of the world.

√ No fellowship

The second part of Paul’s exhortation here is that Christians, you and me, are not to have fellowship with those who walk in darkness, note…

“Therefore do not be partakers with them.” ~ vs. 7

And…

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” ~ vs. 11

That is, now that we are God’s children we’re not to partner with those who practice sinful behavior.

Ex. The Corinthian church

They had a man in the fellowship who was involved in gross immorality.

Yet, they continued to allow him to fellowship in the church because they didn’t understand Grace.

They mistakenly believed that Grace meant that they were to turn a blind eye to blatant sin.

So, Paul corrects that wrong perception and writes…

1Cor. 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

The problem with continuing to fellowship with a person who claims to be a Christian, yet is involved in willful sin…

…is that it only encourages that person to continue in their sin, it tarnishes the witness of the whole Church, and could lead you into sin!

Ap. Church discipline

If you’ve been here for any length of time you know that we lean wholly upon the Grace of God and discourage legalism in all its forms.

We’re quick to extend grace and loath getting involved in people’s personal business.

Yet, we are not soft on sin! We define sin as God does and when we’re made aware of willful disobedience we deal with it in grace.

If there’s no repentance then we have to act to protect the person in sin (so that they don’t think it’s okay) and to keep that sin from spreading to the rest of our church.

Ap. M & A ~ the letter I had to write

So, as you look in the mirror ask yourself if the person looking back is walking in the light or in darkness…

…we’re called to walk in the light because that’s where we have fellowship with our Dad.

Walk in Wisdom (vs. 15-17)

Eph. 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Eph. 5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Eph. 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

√ Walk in wisdom

Paul’s final exhortation is that as God’s children we should walk in wisdom. The primary reason is that God is truth…

“A God of truth and without injustice” ~ Deut. 32:4

And…

“This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” ~ 1 John 5:6

Since our Heavenly Father is Truth as His children we’re to live a life of truth characterized by…

Authenticity instead of hypocrisy

Honesty in place of deceitful airs

Transparency vs. hidden agendas

We’re to live our lives in such a way that who we are in public is the same as the person we are in private.

Ap. The world is desperate for real people!

One of the chief complaints against the church is that Christians are often so phony!

Pretending to have it all together when we’re still working out our relationship with God.

Meanwhile the lost can see that we’re not perfect and when we pretend that we are it destroys our testimony rather than strengthening it.

If we’ll just be real about our own failures and struggles then the lost will listen when we share about the areas of our life that Jesus has worked!

√ Carefully

The second reason we’re to walk in wisdom is that we live in a fallen world surrounded by the schemes of Satan who wants to rob us of our blessings in Christ, look at vs. 15…

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise” ~ vs. 15

The word “circumspectly” means “carefully”.

The idea is that it takes care to safely navigate our way through life so as to avoid the snare the devil puts on our path.

Ex. Mine fields on the Golan Heights ~ watch those cows!

The only way to safely navigate a minefield is to have a map from the person who laid out the mines so that you can avoid getting blown up!

Ap. God knows where Satan has put the trip lines!

As we walk in step with our Heavenly Father He will lead us safely through the traps that Satan has put in our path!

Close

√ Walk as His Children

Who are you imitating? Really? Who is the “man in the mirror”?

If you honestly look at your life this morning who is it that you’re imitating?

The Christmas season is an especially poignant time to evaluate your life.

That is, you can look at how a person’s life and how they celebrate the birth of our Savior and tell an awful lot about whom they’re imitating.

So, let’s join Paul as he calls us to check our life and see whether or not we’re walking as children of God.