Walking in Love

Introduction

This week many Christians around the world reflect on the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation — that moment on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. But Luther wasn’t starting a new religion. He was calling the church back to the gospel.

At that time, people were taught that if they performed enough religious acts — if they bought indulgences, prayed enough prayers, or did enough good works — then maybe they could earn God’s favor. The message was: “Work hard, and perhaps God will love you.”

But as Luther studied Scripture, especially books like Ephesians, he realized the glorious truth of the gospel: God already loves His people in Christ. God already has accepted us in His Son. God already has made us alive, forgiven, and adopted.

And because that new identity is true now — we are free to obey.

The Reformation recovered the biblical order:

Not Do → Be But Be → Do

Not performance that earns love, but love that produces a transformed life.

And that is exactly the flow of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Chapters 1–3: Who you are in Christ Chapters 4–6: How you now live in Christ

Ephesians 4:25–5:2 is not a checklist to earn God’s approval — it’s the overflow of a new identity. Because we belong to Christ — we speak truth. Because we have been forgiven — we forgive. Because Christ loved us and gave Himself for us — we walk in love.

We do not obey to become children of God. We obey because we are children of God.

This is seen clearly in the first word of our text today. Therefore. Because of who we are in Christ, this is how we should live.

Ephesians 4:25–5:2 ESV

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

When God saves you, he makes you a new creation

And this new lifestyle means replacing sinful habits with righteous and holy habits.

In these verses Paul has given us a list of particular actions we should and should not do.

This list is not exhaustive.

This means, this doesn’t describe everything you should or should not do as a Christian

We should try to pursue these behaviors, but these are not the only behaviors we should live out.

Paul is giving examples.

He is illustrating how we should live out our new identities.

But before we look at these behaviors in turn, we need to notice a few important, overarching observations

First, these are relational.

Following Christ makes an impact on our relationships

Sin always hurts others

Obedience blesses others.

Christ transforms us not just for our sake, but for the sake of others.

Second, notice that there is a negative action and then a positive action.

Holiness is not just about saying no to sin, it is about saying yes to God

Every no, has a better yes.

And third, there is a gospel motivation and reason behind every command

This is crucial

Because if the Christian life was just about doing good things and avoiding bad things to please God—it would be legalism

This is not the Christian life. Paul never tells Christians to obey so God will love them more

Instead, he roots every call to obedience in what God has already done.

We Christian obeys, not to become God’s child but because they already are God’s child.

So pay attention to the gospel motivation behind each point.

If you have trusted in Christ, he has made you new—so those truths should transform the way you live.

Now, let’s look at each of these in turn

First

1) Put Off Lies—Speak the Truth

We see this in Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”

So the negative thing we are to put off is falsehood or lying.

We often like to think of ourselves as truthful people.

but this falsehood includes more than just telling a blatant lie.

This includes, exaggeration, adding something to a story that isn’t true to make yourself sound better

cheating, making foolish promises, betraying confidence of someone, making an excuse so others think better of you.

These are all things Christians should not take part in.

Lying is part of the old corrupt nature that was deceived.

It is caused by desires that come from the deceit of Satan about what is truly desirable.

So that’s the negative

but positively, Christians are to speak the truth.

And notice why, “for we are members one of another.”

When Paul says neighbor. he is specifically talking about your brother and sister in Christ. Members of the church.

Because you are part of the same body, you shouldn’t lie to or deceive one another.

It’s like lying to yourself.

Imagine, if you were trying to use a running buzz saw.

but your eyes lied to your hands—it wouldn’t be pretty

that’s the sight when God’s people lie to, lie about one another, deceive one another

Since God is truth, his people should be truthful

We should be candid, straightforward, open, real, honest.

The only way to be truthful with one another though is to get to know each other well.

Ask how one another are doing, be honest with each other.

ask about the hard things another might be going through; be open about what the Lord is doing

Speak true things to each other.

So we’ve seen to put off lies, and instead speak the truth

2) Put Off Sinful Anger—Pursue Reconciliation

Look at verses 26-27 with me Ephesians 4:26–27 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

What happens naturally when you get close to people: there is opportunity to get mad.

And this can even happen in the life of the church.

When you get to really know someone and get close as members do, there will be occasions for upsetting one another.

Notice, though that there is a distinction between righteous and unrighteous anger.

We are actually commanded to be angry in this verse.

but then he explains what he means and puts some paramters around that anger.

Christians shoudl express anger against things that God expresses anger against.

The life of Jesus demonstrates this.

he was angry against unrighteousness, against injustice, immorality, and sin.

In our day and age, there is need for more righteous anger. In the face of evil like abortion, like how people can be murdered in our country and not face consequences and so many other evils in our world, we should not be tolerant. If God hates sin, his people should hate it too.

But we need to be very careful here.

It is easy to go from righteous anger to anger that is sinful.

That’s why he says be angry, but do not sin. We cannot sin in our anger.

Anger that comes from jealousy, pride or any other sinful motives is ungodly.

He also says, the sun should not go down on your anger.

WE shouldn’t let anger just sit and make its home within our hearts.

You should deal with it immediately and give it to the Lord in prayer.

If you let it sit in your heart.

If you let anger and bitterness build within you

you give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin.

This is why we should pursue reconciliation.

If you find yourself growing angry at someone. Seek forgiveness and reconciliation quickly.

Satan wants to use your anger to make you violent. to make you divisive.

This is not how God’s people are called to live.

We should seek unity and give our anger to the Lord.

3) Put Off Stealing—Work to Give

Ephesians 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

So the negative thing we are to put off here is stealing.

Historians tell us that stealing was common in the first century when Paul wrote those.

Many people had seasonal work. and when out of work, they were tempted to steal in order to survive.

But the Christian has no place for this in their new life.

Christians should put off stealing.

But positively, beyond just not stealing, in Christ we should work and give.

Christians should work hard with their own hands.

We were made to work. Do you know that God created humans to work?

Adam and Eve worked before the fall

Work is actually a gift from God.

Work is therefore good, not a biproduct of the fall.

Work is needed to eat. and to live. If you want food, then work.

We so quickly take God’s good gifts and view them wrongly.

We fail to enjoy work as God made us to

There is fulfillment in work

And we should work hard and work honestly

You shouldn’t steal in your work.

This is going to be a real thing for you with the development of AI

You will be tempted to steal what’s not yours, rather than laboring with your own hands.

but this is sin.

you are to do work with your own hands

And here’s why: so that you may have something to share with anyone in need.

We need to have a proper motivation.

WE should do honest work, because we are shaped by the work God gives us to do.

And we should work hard so that we can be generous.

If you don’t work hard to learn now, you won’t have knowledge, skill or money to give to others.

Our motivation to work shouldn’t just be to get stuff for ourselves.

Our motivation to work should be so that we can give to others

So that we can be generous.

4) Put Off Corrupt Talk—Speak to Build Up

Ephesians 4:29 “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.”

First, the negative we are to put off is corrupting talk

that word corrupt means spoiled, rotten, diseased.

It is used in the NT to talk about rotten fruit or rotten fish

This is what sinful speech is like.

Corrupt talk doesn’t nourish you, it makes you sick.

Lying, abusive language, vulgar references, vicious and unkind words, gossip, slandering someone else

these things are harmful and tear down.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 12:36 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,”

You will give an account for what you say

So we should think about what we say.

We should put off corrupt talk and instead, speak things that build others up.

Building others up is central to Christian life and to this book.

And it’s different than flattery.

Right, we shouldn’t lie when we say something nice—that is also corrupt.

But we should speak encouraging words

how do you use your words?

Do you try to encourage others? Or do you tear others down?

do you point out faults, or build others up?

Your speech should strengthen those who feel weak, encourage those who are discouraged, comfort those who are hurting, correct others gently with truth, point people to Christ.

Our words should fit the occasion—this means we need to be careful and thoughtful about what we say.

And the goal is clear: it should give grace

words should give life to those who listen

And this is related to verse 30

The HS is grieved when followers of God speak unkindly to each other.

A question you can ask yourself before you speak:

Is what I say going to please the Spirit of God or grieve the Spirit of God?

6) Put Off Bitterness and Rage—Forgive as Christ Forgave

Look at Ephesians 4:31–32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Bitterness is a hardened heart that clings to past hurts

Wrath: is when you have explosive emotional outbursts

anger: is hostility and resentment toward another

clamor: is loud arguing and shouting matches

slander: tearing others down with your words, usually to build yourself up

malice: a desire to har or see someone hurt

Paul says let ALL, not some, not the worst, but ALL of these must be removed form the Christian life

They are like spiritual toxins ath poinst your soul and relationships.

Instead, bleievers are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted (that means filled with compassion) and forgive one another

And here’s the compelling reason:

As God in Christ forgave you:

How did Christ forgive us? Freely. Fully. Joyfully. At the cost of His own life.

If Jesus has forgiven your infinite sin-debt, then there is no offense you can hold over someone else.

A Christian who refuses to forgive reveals a heart that has not yet grasped the depth of forgiveness given to them.

So dwell often on God’s kindness, His love, and His forgiveness. It will soften your heart. It will free you from bitterness. It will make you more like Jesus.

7) Imitate God—Walk in Christlike Love

Finally, Paul concludes this whole section with a sweeping call:

Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children.

Therefore, before we try to imitate God, we must first remember who He is and What he has done for us

God is merciful—he withholds the judgment we deserve

God is generous—he pours out the immeasurable riches of his grace

God is creator—we are his workmanship, his masterpiece

Why does he do all this?

Because he loves us.

To form, create, and save us. It flows from the eternal depth of who he is

And we are to be imitators of God

to imitate is to copy, mimic, model, mirror, follow

We don’t just mimic God in what we do, but also in what we think, feel, react, interpret the events of our lives, value what he values, choose what is worthy

True formation to God is seeing the world as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Not just doing Christian things, but imitating God, because you are His.

So what does it look like to imitate God?

“Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…”

Outside of Christ, you are unable to imitate God. We know what love is only through Christ.

Christ’s love is:

Active — He gave

Sacrificial — He gave Himself

Substitutionary — He gave Himself for us

God–satisfying — A fragrant offering to God

Love is not a feeling we chase — it is a commitment that acts, serves, and sacrifices.

Bottom Line

We love because we are beloved. We forgive because we are forgiven. We imitate God because He has made us His children.

That’s what he’s saying in v. 1.

We imitate God as beloved children. this is how we carry out the command of imitating God.

It’s not just a sentimental phrase to go climb up on his lap.

This is a phrase rich in theology

to be a beloved child of God.

To be beloved is to have the love of God set and directed on you.

Given to you, changing you.

In Jesus Christ, you are loved by God.

the most important thing is that the eternal God for some unknown reason chose to love you.

And that won’t change.

And so he takes on your concern as if it was his own.

He takes on your provision, your protection.

And he makes you his child. We imitate as children.

As a child, you are the receiver.

God has the authority.

You are not the provider or the independent one.

The Job of the child is to submit joyfully to the Father.

Children are also heirs.

you are not a slave, stranger, outsider or orphan, you are a child.

you are inside the family of God.

There is an inheritance that is yours as a child of God.

And a faithful child is one who trusts someone who knows better than you.

That’s what it means to imitate God as a beloved child.

It’s to trust Him, because he knows better.

And summarizing all these puts offs and put ons is the phrase of love.

We are to walk in love as Jesus loved us.

Love is the badge of the believer. When love marks our lives:

Honesty replaces lies

Kindness replaces anger

Encouragement replaces corrupt talk

Compassion replaces bitterness

Unity replaces hostility

Loved people love people. Forgiven people forgive people. Children of God look like their Father.