Ephesians 5

GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT!

In ch.4 Paul encouraged the Ephesians Christians to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Now in ch.5, he applies that command in four specific ways:

Be imitators of God

Avoid God

Be filled with the Spirit

Be responsible wives & husbands

Intro: Light vs Dark (finding light in the dark, makes life easier to navigate, there is relief)

vs.1-7

Imitate God, just as Jesus did

Paul warns that the way we think & talk will eventually find expression in our behaviors

When we are in Christ, our conversations & actions will change

You are who your friends are (my story)

Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t associate with non-believers. We are called to do that.

Look at Jesus’ life. There was a line; He didn’t let non-believers influence Him so that He lived like them.

Surround yourself with Godly people

Don’t get sucked into the world’s way of thinking & acting

vs.8-14

When light (God) is let in, in the darkest places of your life, you can then begin to be healed and recover from it.

The best way to beat sin is not to do it alone and keep it in the dark.

Shine some light on it - tell a friend, a leader, more importantly—confess it to God and you can start to beat it.

Thought for the week: Where there is light, there cannot be darkness

Think of ways in which you can physically walk the path of love this week with your family, friends, at school, in public.

Think of some ways in which you can be a light to your friends and family who do not know who Jesus is.

Prayer: “may we come to hate sin because of what it does to us and what it does to you. May we turn from it more and more completely. May we be filled with wisdom and with your Holy Spirit”