Bible Passage: Eph 5:1–7

Living in the Light: Imitating God

Bible Passage: Eph 5:1–7

Summary: Ephesians 5:1-7 calls believers to be imitators of God, reflecting His love and righteousness in their daily lives. This passage emphasizes the importance of living in a way that pleases God, avoiding impurities and embracing the light of Christ.

Application: This message encourages Christians to evaluate their lives and behaviors in light of God's character. It provides practical steps for cultivating love, purity, and holiness, helping individuals maneuver through struggles with sin and societal pressures while instilling hope through the example of Christ.

Teaching: The key teaching is that true imitation of God involves expressing selfless love, living in purity, and reflecting God’s light in a dark world. By understanding our identity as children of God, we are called to live in a way that is distinct and pleasing to Him.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the broader context of scripture, the call to imitate God ultimately points to the example of Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodied God’s nature and love. He is the ultimate model for how we should live, demonstrating love, grace, and holiness.

Big Idea: The big idea communicated is that as beloved children of God, we are called to imitate Him through a life of love, purity, and light, reflecting His nature to the world around us.

Recommended Study: As you prepare your sermon, consider exploring the cultural context of Ephesians, particularly how the early church navigated moral challenges in a pagan society. Utilize the Logos library to examine exegetical commentaries on Ephesians 5 to uncover nuances in the Greek that may illuminate Paul’s intention. Additionally, look at textual critiques to address any translation issues that may impact the understanding of imitating God as beloved children.

1. Commence with Christlike Love

Ephesians 5:1–2 KJV 1900

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

There is that therefore again - looking at the previous verse we see that we are to forgive even as God for Christs sake, forgave use - because of that Paul is calling us to be followers of God - even as dear children, —- I want to examine this statement what’s it mean to be a follower of God even as dear children? how do we know when a child belongs to someone? Sometimes they look like them, walk like them, talk like them. They develop habits and similarities so much that people often comment on similarities even with adopted children and their parents. For good or bad children take on their parents traits and mannerisms (they imitate their parents) we are to follow God as dear Children, imitating his walk and talk and mannerisms so much that even though we are adopted people can not help but to see Christ in us—

and walk in love, just as Christ loved us so much he offered himself up as sacrifice - are we willing to walk in love so much so that we are willing to sacrifice our own selves, our own beliefs, desires? Our own will to God for that sweet smelling savour. Right, wrong, or otherwise people die for their beliefs all of the time, saved and lost people alike.

Paul is calling us for something different he calling us to LIVE and not only to live but to LIVE LIKE CHRIST LIVED.

There is a saying going around that it’s easy to die for something, it’s much harder to live for it. I can see it both ways, sometimes it’s easier to die (especially if you know your going to heaven)

but what’s interesting about Christ is that he showed us how to do both, He sacrificed himself even unto death his whole life was predetermined to be a sacrifice and he lived it well Hebrews 4:14–15 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Sacrifice was no new term for these people, there was sacrificing going on all over, sheep, bulls, birds, money, in some areas even their own children, what a concept to sacrifice yourself though, to give to God the core of what makes you, you.

To examine what you personally hold to be true and right and good and let go of all of it to replace it with what God has commanded. Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Our enemies.… not just people we don’t like but those who have cursed us, who hate us, use us and persecute us. Walk in love is easy to say but to walk in love as Jesus loved us...… this is a powerful thing.

2. Confront Immorality and Impurity

Ephesians 5:3–4 “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”

So in the previous verse Paul is telling what to do but here these things fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness don’t even let it be named among you, do even allow a situation where it would be mentioned. Philippians 2:15 “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

As becometh saints - the greek word here is prepo- meaning to be becoming, seemly, fit —— saints comes from the word hagios meaning holy, separated unto God’s service

We aught to be blameless, seemly, fit, holy separated unto God’s service

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: —- what does he mean by these things are not convenient? The word used here is aneko (an-ay-ko) it means to be convenient or to be fit - to pertain to what is due, duty, as what fitting - interesting that this also ties into as becometh saints, this is not fitting behaviour for followers of Christ, thankfully God tells what to do in this next part

But rather the giving of thanks — Paul is saying be followers of God and walk in love, put away from you this garbage that is not befitting your position and give thanks

And why should we give thanks?

3. Cultivate Heart Allegiance

Ephesians 5:5 “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

Be thankful because these people ^^ have no inheritance with the kingdom of Christ and with God — Look at 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

We have been made clean - Paul is calling us to act like it. How often have we said or thought (your an adult now, act like it)? We have been made clean - act like it

4. Counter Deceptive Influences

Ephesians 5:6–7 “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.”

Do let people fool you, those things cause the wrath of God to fall upon those disobedient people. Don’t get involved with them.

This is something we need to be very aware of. Most people believe what they are doing is ok, more than ok, they often think it’s good. This verse reminds me of teenagers “well so & so did it so why can’t I?” but this is a very dangerous path and we are not immune to God’s punishment just because we are saved in fact Hebrews 12:6–7 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” God holds us personally accountable to Him and no amount of blaming someone else is going to change that because he specifically warns us away from this very thing. So many people want to check a box and go to Heaven but God is a Holy and Perfect Father, you are not being held to the standards of another human but to the standard of God himself - these 2 verses in Hebrews are not a threat they are a promise, to deal with us as His children even when we are not walking correctly and God always keeps his promises

Even proximity alone to these types of people can have disastrous impacts on us. Remember Lot, who looked towards Sodom & Gomorrah, next thing we know he’s at the gate, and had to be drug out of the city before it was destroyed, his wife looked back and turned to salt, he ended up in a caved with his daughters who got him drunk and used him to get themselves pregnant. It sounds extreme but it happened. A look becomes a way, sure God gave him salvation from the city but there’s no denying that he suffered and would have been much better off staying away from them altogether — there is no way to twist this verse God (through Paul) tells us in no uncertain terms that we are not to behave in those manners or align ourselves with people who do