Ephesians 5:6-14
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Perhaps you have heard the phrase well I wonder where he heard that from? Children imitate what they see and hear. We are children of God, children of the light then we should imitate the light
walk as children of light
Eph 5:1-21 = the church, we are to be holy as God is holy
-we are to be imitators of God as His dear children
-we are to hate sin, strive to be sanctified
-we are to walk in the light
-this is a section about walking
-4:1 - walk in a manner worthy, 4:17 - do not walk as the Gentiles do
-walk in love, walk in light, walk in wisdom
-darkness and light metaphor
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
-Christ has positionally placed out of darkness and into light, therefore we are to walk as children of light - it is our identity
The effect of the light is not just to make people see, but to enable them to walk. Right conduct, not just clear vision, is the benefit which light bestows.
John Stott
How are we to walk as children of light?
Ground Yourself in the Word
Ground Yourself in the Word
-Let no one deceive you
-this was a concern for Paul
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—
-Paul did not want the Ephesians to be deceived in thinking that they could live a sin filled life and not face judgment for it, he has quickly clarified that a Christian would not pursue such a life
-such people will fall under God’s judgment
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
-partner = sharer
-he said partner, he did not say never speak to them or ignore them, but do not partner, do not share
-how are we to handle this?
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
-so this isn't a call to never associate with unbelievers, we must to share the gospel with them
-goodness = doing what is good, kindness
-right = righteousness
-true = truth
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
-upright behavior, characteristics of God
-He is good
-He is righteous
-He is true
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
-now why would I say ground yourself in the Word?
-Clearly before that takes place there has to be a transformation, one has to be born again, brought out of darkness and into light
It must be understood that we don’t become God’s children by walking in the light, but rather we walk in the light because we are His children.
John F. MacArthur
-But once in the light, to continue to display the light, to continue to imitate our Father we must be grounded in the Word
I am walking toward a bright light and the nearer I get the brighter it is.
Dwight L. Moody
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Alistair Begg - we need to be focused on the Bible, we need to be directed by the Bible, our minds have to be filled with the Bible. Focused on the Bible, directed by the Bible
Give Yourself to Please the Lord
Give Yourself to Please the Lord
-try to discern = test, examine, prove
-pleasing = acceptable
-How do we know what pleases the Lord?
-His Word reveals what pleases Him
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
-The point being that we are not to please man, we are not to please ourselves with the fleshly desires
14 Let us therefore not seek our own, but that which pleases the Lord and is helpful to the promotion of his glory.
John Calvin
On the Life of the Christian Man (1550)
John Calvin
4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Expose Darkness
Expose Darkness
-Take no part = do not be connected
-no association, far away as possible
-unfruitful = yields no fruit, there is no benefit to participating in the sinful actions of darkness
14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;
-expose = bring to light, reprove
Ephesians Exegesis and Exposition
If darkness serves as a cloak for the deception, then light can expose it
Clement of Alexandria
-What does it mean to expose?
-walk as children of light, the way we walk should expose sin, it should reveal the way children of God are to live and not live
-point out the deception, to lead one to the truth of the gospel
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
-to remind our fellow brothers and sisters that these things are sin and we are light, we are not to be near it
-v.12-13 the reasons why:
-these deeds are evil, shameful to even mention - the sons of disobedience v 6-7
-all that becomes visible is light
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
-This reminds me of my grandmother we called mamaw, when you went to Mamaws there were a few things you new: it was going to be hot because she had every space heater in the house on. and every light in the house would be on. She had a lamp for every table and it would be on, there was no place where the darkness was not exposed, you could see every part of her house
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
-quotation, seems to be poetry, why would Paul include this and not scripture?
-suggestion that he paraphrased a scripture
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
-This is a call for the unbeliever to wake up, the one who is in darkness, who is in their sin, wake up come to the light of the gospel, come to Jesus who is the light, turn to Christ and become a child of light