Doctrine To Duty 2

Ephesians 5

Probably one of the great chapters of Christian character in life! It packs a great punch!

Vs. 1......Right out of the gate......The believer has no greater calling or purpose than that of being a follower of Jesus Christ! The word follower is “mimetes” in the Greek which means “imitate”.....… ‘Mimic”.....which simply means “act like”.......I do not like the word imitate but the meaning of Paul’s exhortation is for the Christians life should resemble the One that we have been crucified unto!.....As children would mimic a respected parent.......1 Peter 1:15–16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Vs. 2.........AND........walk in love........Love is the motivation behind all of God’s characteristics, He is Love!......The is lived out in the life of Jesus Christ.........The Lord Jesus is the supreme example of LOVE. It is self-sacrificing for those that was hostile against God the Father in so much that He gave Himself so they might be redeemed unto God!.....1 Peter 2:21–24 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” .....Jesus giving Himself as an offering and as a sacrifice to God.......Hebrews 7:27 “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” ......Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” ....To our eyes the cross can only present, as F. B. Meyer says, an ‘awful scene of horror’, but ‘in love so measureless, so reckless of cost, for those who were naturally unworthy of it’, there was an action that ‘filled heaven with fragrance’......Sacrificial love displayed in the believer must deliver a sweet fragrance to Heaven, but will never achieve the greatness of the love of God in Christ!

Vs. 3-5.........This is what God is not, none of these things are pleasing to God, none of these thing are a fragrant odor, sweet smelling to the Lord!..........

Fornication..........Sexual Immorality.....porneia

All Uncleanness..........Any Impurity....This covers a lot of ground. This suggest a threat or opposition to HOLINESS......See that a lot today and all of the ages of the world has seen this.

This is not what should not be what a believer is known as!I believe the great misunderstanding in society is that we all say that we are not perfect and why should their sin be called out.......It is the happy continuation of those things, when you are known by these activities then you clearly have not crucified the fleshly pull by coming to Christ!

Filthiness.....Indecent behavior/Filthy talk.......

Foolish talking.......Silly talking.....Some say words that come from a drunk man

Jesting......Indecent joking.....

Not convenient.......Not fitting.....what does not belong.

Rather give thanks......Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” ......Truly all believers will be thankful continually!

Whoremonger.......same as Fornication

Unclean Person......same as uncleaness

Covetous man.....greedy person

Idolator........Worships something or someone else as their god.

None of these, that are known by these things, have a inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God!

Vs. 6......These that are known by these things the wrath of God will be upon them for eternity!......That is what happens to those who have rejected the sweet smelling offering of Christ by God and it will also happen to the entirety of this world at the appointed time.......Paul says do not let anyone deceive you into thinking that these things are a part of God’s Kingdom. ...........No Christian will be sinless in this present life, but it is dangerously deceptive for Christians to offer assurance of salvation to a professing believer whose life is characterized by persistent sin and who shows no shame for it, also has no hunger for the holy and pure things!

Vs.7......Do not associate with them and do not partner with them!....1 Timothy 5:22 “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” ........

Vs. 8.......Before Christ you were characterized in reality by darkness......Darkness represents an unconverted person, someone that is not born again. Someone that is void of truth and virtue!.....Paul tells us that our lives (walk) should be that of Light, which is representative of truth and virtue (characteristics of God)......This is a good verse......1 John 2:9–11 “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

Vs. 9.....Fruit of the Light.......Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” .......Notice truth is mentioned as the fruit of light! Truth of God, not your truth or their truth, but as the truth is in Jesus!......Ephesians 4:21 “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:”

Vs. 10.......Proving/Testing.......look at your life and see if it passes the test.....whether it is of God or not!......1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Vs. 11......Have no fellowship, do not participate........This is very direct.......Christians should not participate in or with evil ways and works of satan.........Basically, the different ways of living is incompatible with each other! ....… 2 John 10–11 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” .......Paul says instead reprove or expose them......Expose and oppose darkness wherever it is found, especially when it is found in the church.........1 Timothy 5:20 “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” .......

Vs. 12......Some of the sins Paul is speaking of should be sealed off from direct contact and not even mentioned, discussed except in order to expose them.....

Vs. 13-14.......Everything that is evil is made visible by the Light....John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” .......The Light of Christ found in God’s Word is what exposes the darkness!...Paul quotes..Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” ......This pure Word of God, the truth of God through Jesus exposes all the secrets of sin!

Vs. 15-16......”Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”.......To live morally is to live wisely! According to the Light of God’s Word/Truth!............Making the most of your time......I have a book that is called Christian Perfection, in which he writes a brief chapter on “Use Of Time”............

Vs. 17......Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” ......John 6:40 “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”........Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Vs. 18-20.........All Scripture condemns all drunkeness......some say that Paul is speaking specifically of drunken orgies......I still think that this covers a lot of ground!.......In pagan worship, drunken orgies would induce some ecstatic experiences, much like someone who is intoxicated either by drugs or alcohol.......Be filled with the Holy Spirit.......we must allow ourselves to be dictated by the Holy Spirit......Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” .........I have heard of some “false preachers”, one especially, calling themselves the Holy Ghost bartender! Some of those services can be seen where the folks are just a laughing and stumbling like they are drunk.......This is not what this verse is implying. Drunkenness is lack of control, filled with the Holy Spirit is being full of Christ and what will this cause.........singing outloud and within your heart! It is a spirit of joy, which is from thankfulness....

Psalms are public singing...Uncle Charles......

Hymns are songs of praise

Spiritual songs are possibly songs of personal testimony

The Lord Himself is the source of a “song-filled” heart

The thankfulness for God and His Son is the source of the joy expressed in a song-filled heart!

Vs. 21.......This is a transition that introduces the teaching about specific relationships of authority and submission......by declaring that all “spirit-filled Christians” be humble, submissive Christians!.......Our submission is from a reverence of God!

Vs. 22......Paul starts with the wife......This is misused sometimes..........The submission is not the husbands command to his wife but for the wife to offer willingly and lovingly!

Vs. 23-24......The husband is the head of the wife.......as......Husbands “as” is the key word! Husbands role is as Christ’s is.....Great responsibility!..........Jesus was the Savior of the body of Christ.........As the Lord Jesus delivered His church from the dangers of sin, death, and hell, so also the husband provides for, protects, preserves, and loves his wife, leading her to blessing as she submits!.....What wife wouldn’t submit to that!.....The church has submitted to that kind of care from the Lord Jesus Christ!......My dad did that for my mom!

Vs. 25.....Sacrificial Love for His Bride is displayed by Jesus and should be displayed to the wife by the husband! To me this is more work for the husband than the wife.....some have misused this passage to make wives slaves and they offer nothing to the wife, let all husbands follow or imitate Christ!

Vs. 26-27.....Speaking of Jesus’ example of sacrificial love......He gave Himself for the church to wash her that we may be a pure bride......A writer wrote: “ Since divine love seeks to completely cleanse those who are loved from every form of sin and evil, a Christian husband should not be able to bear the thought of anything sinful in the life of his wife. His greatest desire for her should be that she become perfectly conformed to Christ.”......

Vs. 28-30......The Christians husband should care for his own wife in the same way as he cares for himself. If you love your wife this way then that will be a blessing to yourself!.......We get our nourishment from Christ, so does the husband as he physically nourishes himself will also nourishes his bride!

Vs. 31......Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Vs. 32....The relationship between Christ has with His Church is one that was a great mystery, hidden in the past but now revealed in Christ.....

Vs. 33.....Back to husbands and wives.......