A Wise People- Ephesians 5:1-21

How do we live as children of God? We imitate His character!

-As a child, I wanted to do everything that my dad did, I wanted to be just like him! Unfortunately, I haven’t quite lived up to all of that, but there’s no doubt that he has done more to shape my character and my personality than any other human influence in my life. I drink my coffee with one sugar because that’s how he did it. I cheer for Alabama because he did. I consistently look to his example to shape my way of life. What’s true of our earthly fathers and influences ought to be much more so true of our heavenly Father. We imitate Him!

I. Walk in Love vv. 1-5

Paul describes our Christian walk, imitating the character of God as a walk in love, towards both God and others

This walk is exemplified by sacrificial living, that reflects the character of God

On the other hand there are anti-love actions that we must avoid at all costs

Sexual immorality- this covers a variety of behaviors

Spiritual idolatry- interestingly covetousness and idolatry are tied together; a failure to find contentment in the gifts of God is our most prevalent form of idolatry

Speaking impurely- the filthy talk and crude joking here covers two primary areas:

Vulgar or profane speech that makes light of what is precious and demeans what is holy

Malicious or false speech that harms others

When we engage in these anti-love actions, we live in a way that is out of step with our inheritance in the kingdom

Either we do not have an inheritance in the kingdom

Or, our behavior does not reflect that inheritance

In either case, this is a call to examine the pattern of our lives

We cannot say that we love God or we love others when we live in this way!

Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 9-358: Walk Bearing God’s Nature (Walk)

When was the last time you took a bite from a beautiful orange only to be disappointed by its flavor? Instead of enjoying a sweet, juicy taste, you only tasted dry fruit. It looked like an orange, smelled like an orange, and even felt like an orange. But it did not taste like an orange should taste: sweet and juicy. Instead, it was sour and dry. The Christian life can at times be likened to an orange that is sweet and juicy, producing as expected. However, many believers are offering a life that is the exact opposite: sour and dry.

A believer is to walk bearing God’s nature: a life that is marked by the Fruit of the Spirit. A life that is sweet and juicy.

Note that the fruit which is produced in the believer is the fruit of the Spirit. God is in the business of producing top-quality fruit which is abundant and eternal. The believer has done nothing to deserve this kind of fruit. The Fruit of the Spirit is an act of the mercy and grace of a loving God.

II. Walk in Light vv. 6-14

Second, Paul calls us to step out of the darkness and to walk in the light

There is a stern warning; God has condemned these actions

His wrath will fall on those who participate in disobedience

We must not live as part of the darkness, but instead we ought to live in the light of righteousness. The dark is:

Unfruitful- it cannot produce the fruit of life and our lives will not be marked by what is good and right and true

Shameful- it is a place of hidden things that we hide in embarrassment; there is nothing there worthy of our pride.

The light on the other hand is a beautiful place to live:

It gives us vision- we can see and we can help others to see the righteous way to live

It gives life- the life of the righteous is really living and living in the best possible way

It gives Christ- we best experience the presence and power of Christ as we walk in accord with His character!

Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 9-359: Walk in the Light (Walk)

Have you ever groped around in the dark to find a light switch? As you carefully stepped, you were fearful of what might be in your path or of some unseen danger. You felt you would never get where you were going. But what happened when you turned on the light? Your fears were erased, your heart calmed, and you got your bearings back. The same is true in our Christian walk. When we grope around in the dark, it is a scary world out there. But when we walk in God’s light, He helps keep us on the right path!

Two walks through life are available to men. There is the life and walk of darkness or the life and walk of light. There is a world of difference between the two. In fact, a person’s eternity is determined by which life and walk he pursues.

III. Walk in Wisdom vv. 15-21

Finally, Paul calls us to walk in wisdom

Aware of the time- we have a finite window of opportunity to live this life for the glory of God and we must make use of the moment

Aware of the will of the Lord- we must not be ignorant of His desire for His people; we must understand His desire and align our lives with it!

Aware of the filling of the Spirit- we must understand that the wise life is not out of control or under the influence of alcohol or some other substance; it is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, enjoying His wisdom in our lives

Aware of the joy of worship- we must carry our worship outside of the walls and in our hearts to the world, blessing each other as we look to our Savior in hope

Aware of the grace of God- our attitude ought to be one of thanksgiving for every good and perfect gift which comes from our Father

Aware of Christ’s love for His people- we finish this section with a circle back around to the notion of submission and sacrifice

Christ gave His life in submission to the Father so that we can live

We must give our lives in submission to the Father and to each other so that we can reflect Him

Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 9-360: Why to Walk Worthy—Mutual Support (Walk)

When we have become one with each other, all of us who are Christian believers will become nourished and will grow.

The article “What Good Is a Tree?” in Reader’s Digest explained that when the roots of trees touch, there is a substance present that reduces competition. In fact, this unknown fungus helps link roots of different trees—even of dissimilar species. A whole forest may be linked together. If one tree has access to water, another to nutrients, and a third to sunlight, the trees have the means to share with one another.

Like trees in a forest, Christians in the church need and support one another.