Walk This Way

Ephesians 5:1-21

Walk in Love (1-6)

Ephesians 5:1–6 NKJV

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery (1)

“Show image of Joshua and Dad shaving”

Story of a boy copying his dad.

There was a little boy who followed his dad everywhere. If his dad went outside to mow the lawn, the boy would grab his little plastic toy mower and push it right behind him. When his dad washed the car, the boy would run to get his tiny sponge and pretend to scrub right along with him.

One Saturday morning, the father was working in the garage, hammering nails into a piece of wood. The boy sat on a stool beside him, holding his own little toy hammer, tapping on scraps of wood. After a while, the dad stopped, looked at his son, and smiled.

“Why do you always do what I do?” he asked.

The boy shrugged and said, “Because I want to be just like you, Dad.”

That’s when it hit the father—his son wasn’t just watching him, he was becoming like him. Every word he spoke, every action he took, was shaping the boy’s life.

When we love someone, we naturally want to imitate them. And when we truly love Jesus, we’ll want to follow His example—walking, talking, and living like Him. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.”

We love because of Jesus love for us(2)

John 15:12–13 NKJV

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

The love we have for God doesn’t originate with us, rather His great love for us causes us to love him in return. And his love in us then flows to other people.

Love is the greatest Commandments (Matthew 22:36-40)

Matthew 22:36–40 NKJV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

When we love God we want to please him. (3-6)

Jesus says that you can hang all the law and Prophets on our love for God. So when Paul says that all these things that are “not fitting” in verses 3-6 shouldn’t be named among us as believers it makes sense. God gave such a high price to save us from our sins. Our love for God should lead us away from such darkness and into our next point.

Walk in Light (8-14)

Ephesians 5:8–14 NKJV

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

We were once in darkness. The very darkness that was discussed in v3-7. Sometimes its good for us as Christians to remember who we were apart from Christ. So that we can sympathize with those still lost in darkness. But at the same time we must remember that our past is not who we are now. (v8)

God is Light 1 John 1:5

1 John 1:5 NKJV

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

His Light is Pure ( no darkness at all)

His Light is Just (11-13)

Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12)

John 8:12 NKJV

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Jesus himself is the light made manifest. Pure perfect justice. Holy and gracious When we look at Jesus we see God.

Only through Jesus can the darkness of sin be driven out of the hearts of men.

We are called to reflect Jesus light (Matthew 5:14-16)

Matthew 5:14–16 NKJV

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Walk in Wisdom (15-21)

Wisdom is more that knowledge.

Wisdom is knowing what is right, and doing it.

Matthew 7:24–27 NKJV

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Wisdom comes from the LORD

Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

James 1:5–6 NKJV

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

In wisdom we seek to edify each other

Because we need each other

We need encouragement (Barnabas)

Corporate worship can spark personal worship

In order for us to imitate God, or to put it another way, to Follow Christ everyday of our lives, we must choose to Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom. If we only walk in one or two of these ways then we will always fall short of being Christlike.