Be Followers of God

Be Followers of God

Love, Lust and Light

Ephesians 5:1-

I. Introduction--the new life in Christ is in itself an amazing thing. God called us through the Holy Spirit and the conviction that He placed within our heart that told us that we are sinners in need of a Savior and without this new life that comes from the new birth in Christ that we could never be a t peace with God and never enter into Heaven. When we were saved, Paul told us in II Corinthians 5:17 that old things pass away and all things become new. In the first part of this great letter to the church at Ephesus, he wrote in chapter 2 that we walked according to the course of this world and were by natural birth aliens and strangers to God and all the promises and benefits of a child of God. AS Paul continues, he tells the church that there are some things that should be very present in our daily walk and some things that should be very absent in our walk. Here as he continues in chapter 5, he comes back t a very common thought of Paul and that is the walk of the believer through this world and how we are to conduct ourselves in this walk. He begins be exhorting the believers to be followers of God and in doing so to exhibit love and expel lust and to exude--display strongly and openly the light of Jesus that shines in us and through us. So as we look at this tonight, may we be challenged to be the display of Jesus to a lost world.

1. The Preeminence of Love--Jesus taught a way of life and invited people into a relationship with God that was vibrant, dynamic and fruitful. He said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:. . . . Herein* is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;” (John 15: 5, 8). One of those fruits and probably the most important and the most noticeable is love. Jesus said, " A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." And Paul echoing this commandment says it many times in his letters to the churches. Here he once again talks about the preeminence of love. We see--

A. The Exhortation to Love- The word followers in Ephesians 5:1 is the word mimics, so that the verse can be translated: “Be ye imitators of God as beloved children.” This sets the theme for the section. Paul is simply arguing that children are like their parents, a fact that can be both encouraging and embarrassing to those of us who have children. Have you ever seen a child sitting in the front seat of an automobile, trying to drive like his father! Or walking behind him, pretending to mow the lawn? Or, sad to say, imitating Dad smoking a cigarette or taking a drink of alcohol? Children probably learn more by watching and imitating than any other way. If we are the children of God, then we ought to imitate our Father. He starts by saying that if you love God, then be followers of Him as dear children. The word love is not stated here, but intimated in the fact that as a part of the family of God, we should so love God that we walk after Him and imitate Him in our life. We know that in a family children imitate their parents in many attributes. They walk like them, talk like them and even take on many of their traits and characteristics. Here Paul says to imitate God and walk in love. For we understand that God is love and shows His love over and over again. We should walk in love because we are loved by God and have been purchased with a great price. So as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the greatest of these is charity (love).

B. The Example of Love--the greatest example of love was shown by the Savior when He willingly laid down His life to save us, but also to satisfy the demands of the penalty of sin. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). But Jesus laid down His life for His enemies too. (Rom. 5:10). Our love for Him is our response to His love for us. Paul compares Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to the Old Testament “sweet-savor” sacrifices that were presented at the altar of the temple (Lev. 1:9, 13, 17; 2:9). The idea behind “sweet-savor” is simply that the sacrifice is well-pleasing to God. This does not suggest that God is pleased that sin demands death, and that His Son had to die to save lost sinners. Rather, it indicates that the death of Christ satisfies the holy law of God and therefore is acceptable and pleasing to the Father. The sweet-savor offerings are described in Leviticus 1–3; the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering. The burnt offering pictures Christ’s complete devotion to God; the meal offering, His perfection of character; and the peace offering, His making peace between sinners and God. Since the sin offering and the trespass offering (Lev. 4–5) picture Christ taking the place of the sinner, they are not considered “sweet-savor” offerings. No greater example of walking in love and being an imitator of the Father than that of the Savior as He walked here on Earth.

2. The Problem of Lewdness--as a child of God and a follower of God, these things should not be a part of our daily walk. Paul talks about--

A. The Sins of Lust-- It is beneath the dignity of a saint to indulge in the sins that belong to the world of darkness, some of which Paul names here. He warns us against the sexual sins (fornication, uncleanness) which were so prevalent in that day—and are prevalent today. Sad to say, these sins have invaded the homes of Christians and brought grief to local churches too. “Covetousness” may seem out of place next to fornication, but the two sins are but different expressions of the same basic weakness of fallen nature—uncontrolled appetite. The fornicator and the covetous person each desire to satisfy the appetite by taking what does not belong to them. “The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16) would describe these two sins. “Let there not be even a hint of these sins!” said Paul. In Ephesians 5:4 he warned against sins of the tongue, which, of course, are really sins of the heart. It is not difficult to see the relationship between the sins named in Ephesians 5:3 and those in Ephesians 5:4. People who have base appetites usually cultivate a base kind of speech and humor, and often people who want to commit sexual sins, or have committed them, enjoy jesting about them. Two indications of a person’s character are what makes him laugh and what makes him weep. The saint of God sees nothing humorous in obscene language or jests. “Foolish talking” does not mean innocent humor but rather senseless conversation that cheapens the man and does not edify or minister grace to the hearers (Eph. 4:29). Paul is not condemning small talk because much conversation falls into that classification. He is condemning foolish talk that accomplishes no good purpose. Jesting is a translation of a word that means “able to turn easily.” This suggests a certain kind of conversationalist who can turn any statement into a coarse jest. The gift of wit is a blessing, but when it is attached to a filthy mind or a base motive, it becomes a curse. There are quick-witted people who can pollute any conversation with jests that are always inconvenient (out of place). So in other words, when we came to know Jesus and the Holy Spirit took up residence in our lies, we took on a new nature that brought with it the putting away of these careless actions in our lives. Paul tells us that these things should not be on display or even allowed to be a part of our daily walk. For in truth, to have the testimony of a Christian and to walk in these things can be very hurtful to our testimony and the body of Christ. Paul makes it clear that people who deliberately and persistently live in sin will not share in God’s kingdom. “They which practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21, literal translation). “Whoremonger” is a translation of the Greek word pornos, from which we get our word pornography, and it means “one who practices fornication—illicit sex.” The morally unclean and the covetous will join the fornicator in judgment. Paul equates covetousness with idolatry, for it is the worship of something other than God. These warnings deal with the habitual practice of sin, and not the occasional act of sin

B. The Solution to Lust--Paul gives to us some ways to be able to avoid allowing these things to become a part of our daily walk.

a. Return Thanks--but rather giving of thanks--Paul was saying that instead of using coarse language and jesting or ribald comments to take time to offer up thanks before the Lord. The giving of thanks brings us into the Lord's presence and helps us to realize how blessed we are in all that god has done for us. It helps to clear our mind of the immoral thoughts that can at time invade and to fill it with gratitude towrd God.

b. Resist Them--let no man deceive you--this is a challenge for all of us to be knowledgeable of the scriptures so that when we hear untruths, we can identify them and turn from them. Deception is something that we see all around us today as we watch as people embrace philosophies and ideologies that are not biblical and are leading people down a road of destruction. Then too he tells us to be not partakers with them. In other words do not involve yourself with those that are deceivers and walking after the course of this world.

3. The Presence of Light-- For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: there was a time when we walked in darkness. Our eyes were blind to the truth of our spiritual condition and we were in truth lost. But the day came when the light of truth that God loves us and that Jesus died for us and our eyes were opened to the light of salvation. From that point on, we are children of light and because we are, we are to shine. We see--

A. Light Radiates --Jesus said," Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. This figure is the main thrust of the passage, for Paul was admonishing his readers to “walk as children of light.” You will want to read 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 for a parallel passage that explains the contrasts that exist between the child of God and the unsaved person. Paul did not say that we were “in the darkness,” but that we “were darkness.” Now that we are saved, “what communion hath light with darkness?” After all, light produces fruit, but the works of darkness are unfruitful as far as spiritual things are concerned. “For the fruit of the Spirit [or “the light”] is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” It is impossible to be in darkness and light at the same time! To “walk as children of light” means to live before the eyes of God, not hiding anything. It is relatively easy to hide things from other people because they cannot see our hearts and minds; but “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do”. We should radiate it this light as we walk so that those around us see the light and see Jesus through us.

B. Light Repels - He also said to His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). When He was here on earth, the perfection of His character and conduct exposed the sinfulness of those around Him. This is one reason why the religious leaders hated Him and sought to destroy Him. “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin” (John 15:22). Just as a healthy person unconsciously exposes the handicaps and sicknesses of people he visits in a hospital, so the Christian exposes the darkness and sin around him just by living like a Christian. Paul tells us to live balanced lives—positively, to walk in the light; negatively, to denounce and expose the wickedness of those in the darkness. It is not enough simply to expose the wickedness of those in the darkness. It is not enough simply to expose sin. We must also bear fruit. The believer has no business in the darkness. He is a saint, which means he is a partaker “of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12). He is a king, because he has been delivered “from the power of darkness” and has been translated “into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13). He is “light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8).

Jesus wanted people to flourish. Scripture is sprinkled with phrases that point to fruitful living—the kingdom of God, eternal life, immeasurable riches, a peace that passes all understanding, abundant life. How do I cultivate a life that is abundant, fruitful, purposeful, and deep? What are the commitments, critical risks, and practices that open me to God’s transforming grace and that help me discover the difference God intends for me to make in the world? How do I live the fruitful, flourishing life of a follower of Christ?