Walking in Love
Church, Let’s Be the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Knowing who were are in Christ begins as we seek to know Christ. The more we seek to know Christ the more we recognize that our old self must be put off daily.
Our old self is bitter, selfish, prideful, greedy, calloused, darkened, impure, far from God, and hard hearted.
Jesus came to set us free from our old self, our false self, and our bitter self.
Jesus invites us to put on the new self.
Our new self is not fake but is filled with the Spirit of truth. Last week we were cautioned not to grieve the Holy Spirit but submit to the leadership and the conviction of the Spirit.
Our new self is kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to one another, the way Jesus loves and forgave us.
Putting on the new self daily helps us to live in Unity as the Body of Christ.
As Christian, God has called all of us to walk differently from the world. That’s why taking off the old self and putting on that new self is vital.
Putting on the new self will impact how we walk, how we talk, how we think, how we live, the decisions we make, and how we see one another.
New life in Christ begins as we die to our old loves and our old worldly pursuits and live to be more and more like Jesus every single day.
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Keeping the main thing is the main thing. We must know who we are and whose we are because of God’s love.
Now that we are in Christ, we are saints. Therefore as saints, we must live our life becoming imitators of God.
As we follow Jesus as God’s children we must learn to walk in love every day.
Walking in love is how we reflect Christ.
Paul says we are all called to become a reflection of Christ. Therefore we must to be aware of those things that will try to distract and to derail us.
The world is full of things that will influence our decisions. Life is full of temptations and sin will cost you everything, your integrity, influence, family, marriage, job, but most of all, they will cost you your eternal inheritance.
Ephesians 5:3–14 (ESV)
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
PRAY
Becoming imitators of God as Christians is a process that can only happen as we grow closer in our relationship with God and be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus loved enough to become the perfect sacrifice of love that covered our redemption, our healing, and our salvation, so we can stand before our Holy creator, Holy, justified, and sinless.
It’s God’s grace alone that gives us access to the Father. And now we are called to follow Jesus and walk in God’s love just as Christ did.
Walking in love means that we Love God and we Love One another. Obedience is walking in love and walking in love is obedience.
Walking in love isn’t always easy. There are issues that we must aware that will easily trip us up and disqualify us from receiving our eternal inheritance.
Paul doesn’t soft peddle these 3 sins that we must be cautious of. Three sins that will trip us up as we walk in love.
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
The girls, the glitz, and the gold.
As followers of Christ, we must remember who were are and whose we are.
We are beloved children of God and through Christ, we are no longer sinners but saints.
Walk as Saints and not as Sinners
Walk as Saints and not as Sinners
No matter what you past looks like, your past does not define you anymore. Jesus made us new for a reason so that we can walk in the same love that HE has for us.
Don’t hold on to those things that used to enslave you but be cautious and aware that we have the power to influence others by through our words.
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
We can choose what to say.
Obscenity and coarse joking are so common that we begin to take them for granted. Paul cautioned that obscene and vulgar language should have no place in a Christian’s conversation because it does not reflect God’s gracious presence in us.
We must replace the obscene, silly, and vulgar talk that harms the spiritual life with thanksgiving. This is how our words will build up and benefit others.
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Be aware of the things that come out of our mouth. Giving thanks brings about the real joy. The people in the world will try to achieve joy with their style of humor and communication. We have real joy so let’s be thankful. What are we going to say that will uplift and not tear down?
We have great power in our tongue so used your words wisely. Build up and don’t tear down.
Our choices have eternal consequences.
5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Immorality, impurity, and greed (described in 5:3) are compared to idolatry because those who consistently engage in these types of activities are idolaters. Because they have allowed their desires to run their lives, those desires are their gods. Anyone who has made anything more important than God has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Sin, no matter what its form or category, separates people from God. Being unrepentant leaves people without hope and without that inheritance. Only by forsaking sin, accepting Christ’s sacrifice, and allowing HIM to be Lord of our lives can we believers obtain our inheritance in God’s glorious kingdom
Walk as Children of the light in the midst of darkness
Walk as Children of the light in the midst of darkness
Being light in the midst of darkness requires us to…
Know the truth and faithfully live out God’s truth.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them;
If we don’t know the truth, how can we identify false teachers?
Many times Paul addresses those false teachers who had begun infiltrating the early church, teaching that “freedom in Christ” meant freedom “from” laws and rules, freedom to live as we please.
The false teachers made up a doctrine that allowed for sinful lifestyles. Paul did not want the believers to be deceived by their empty words. Those words have no weight and no depth, they are “empty” because they are lies.
As believers we should be on guard. We must be careful not be deceived…(v.6) because if we are deceived, the wrath of God will come on those who are disobedient.
God is righteous and holy and HE wants us to live in righteousness and holiness. If we are going to walk in love we cannot be deceived, we must know God’s truth and faithfully live out God’s truth.
8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
There can be no clearer distinction between the new life and the old life. Light and darkness cannot coexist, just like a life redeemed by the blood of Christ and brought into the light of God’s truth must not continue in the darkness of a sinful lifestyle.
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
This darkness is part of every believer’s past; all Christians were once darkness, but when they heard the gospel message and received salvation through Jesus Christ, they became light in the Lord. Christians are not merely “enlightened” to God’s truth; they are also filled with light.
Walk as children of the light
“Children of” is a Hebrew idiom for “those who are characterized by a quality.” Christians, as God’s children, are “children of light” because they characterize God, who is light (1 John 1:5).
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
As believers, we should live as God’s children ought to live, reflecting the light of his holiness and truth.
9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
The fruit of the light—that is, the natural outcome of such a lifestyle—is goodness, righteousness, and truth (which is the opposite of what Paul described earlier in 4:25–29 and 5:3–5).
Believers who live in God’s light must be filled with the Holy Spirit so the fruit of the Spirit is produced.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
We are called to live above reproach morally, spiritually, and ethically. That’s how we can reflect God’s goodness to others.
Jesus stressed this truth in the Sermon on the Mount.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
We must let the light of Jesus shine by reflecting God’s Goodness, Righteousness and truth. Let others see Jesus as we walk in love, walk in freedom, and walk in unity with one another.
Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Every believer is responsible to find out what pleases the Lord.
We all live in uniquely different situations and we must learn, we must discern, we need to have wisdom on how we ought to “live in the light.”
God’s Word never changes, but people change, culture changes, method change but the message of Jesus Christ will never change.
That’s why each person must study God’s Word, pray, and seek Godly counsel in order to find out how God would have him or her act in every situation.
This “finding out” naturally goes with “living out” because the knowledge must be put into practical use—doing what God calls us to do in every situation every day.
Paul had written to the Romans,
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.
We all need that inner renewal that only the Holy Spirit can bring so we can reflect that outward change of habit and lifestyle that God desires for all believers to encounter.
Light naturally exposes darkness
That’s why we need discernment as we live in this dark world. We don’t want to shame anyone but repentance cannot begin if sin remains in darkness and not illuminated by the truth of the Gospel.
Jesus came to set us free by revealing truth, there is never going to be real freedom if we live in darkness.
Ephesians 5:11–14 (ESV)
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
As believers we must separate ourselves from sin, having no part of it. This does not mean that as believers must be separate from unbelievers, but we must “take no part” in their sinful actions.
Just as the light shines into darkness and exposes what is hidden, so the light of Christ, through believers, should shine into the darkness of sin and expose it for what it is.
God needs people who will take an active and vocal stand against sin and for righteousness. Christians must lovingly speak out for what is true and right.
Believers who shine out in a dark world will expose evil. Our mission is to invite unbelievers to renounce their life of sin and come into the light of Christ.
Awake oh Sleeper, Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
For the new believer, coming out of spiritual death is like waking up from sleep, and coming into spiritual life is like greeting the sunshine—who is Christ.
Take Away
As believers in Christ, we must now live as saints, not as sinners.
Be imitators of Christ.
We are all called to Be light in the midst of darkness.