Ephesians # 23 Eph 5-1 thru 5-8
We’re going to continue on the book of Ephesians. Last time we ended with (EPH 4:32) so let’s up from there.
I. EPH 5:1
A. The word “Followers” in this V literally means “To Mimic.”
1. We are to Mimic God, or as most other translations put it “Imitate God.”
a. At the end of (EPH chapter 4) we’re told to watch our tongue, we should not be speaking anything evil out of our mouth.
i. Let’s just go ahead and read EPH 4:31-32
ii. Then he says, “Be ye therefore followers of God.”
b. If we want to know how we are to act, ask yourself how would God act or respond in this situation?
i. If it come to the place where you said something about someone, ask yourself would God say that?
2. But also being imitators of God we also need to forgive one another, just as God has forgiven us.
a. We have the very nature of God living in is.
i. (Romans 8:9) TLB Says, “You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you.” TLB
b. We know that God is a God of LOVE, He is a God of HOPE, and He is a God of infinite PATIENCE.
i. Because we have God’s nature on the inside of us, we too can walk in LOVE, HOPE and PATIENCE.
ii. When we do that we open the door to receive God’s promises.
B. EPH 5:2
1. Not only are we to Imitate God, but we are also to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ who is the perfect example of Love.
2. He also say, that Jesus was offered and sacrificed to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
a. “A Sweet-Smelling Savour” is a reference to the OT.
i. When the priest would offer up a sacrifice to God, God would smell the savour coming up from that offering.
ii. God was satisfied with the work that was done.
b. Turn with me to ROM 12:1
i. “Acceptable” means that God is Satisfied and Pleased.
ii. Is God Satisfied and Pleased with your life?
iii. He is if we’ve learned to walk in love.
C. EPH 5:3
1. Starting here in (V 3) Paul begins to tell us of the things that we need to put away.
a. These are the deeds of the Sin Nature, the Old Man.
2. He mentions “Fornication” which is sex outside of marriage.
a. Next he mentions “Uncleanness” which is referring to any other Impure sexual active.
b. 3rd he mentions “Covetousness” which is also a reference to sex.
i. “Covetousness” means “Greedy desire to have more.”
ii. Sex in marriage is fine and good, but there are those that never have a stopping place.
iii. They want more and more and more. For them Enough is never enough.
iv. Paul says, “Let it not be once named among you.”
3. EPH 5:4
a. “Filthiness” here is “Obscenity.”
b. “Foolish talking” is a silliness or making fun of someone.
c. “Jesting” is humor in a bad sense.
i. Paul was not saying that humor itself is sin, but that it is wrong when it is used to destroy or tear down others.
ii. Then Paul says, “Which are not convenient.”
iii. Which literally means, “To have come up to.”
iv. Meaning that those things that we just talked about don’t come up to God’s standard.
II. EPH 5:5
A. Very simply he’s saying that those that do these things don’t have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
1. And of course that goes for the promises of God.
2. EPH 5:6
a. Don’t let any man deceive you with there vain and empty words, by enticing you to enter into their sin.
b. Those that are practicing sin will face God’s wrath.
B. EPH 5:7
1. Paul is telling us that we are not to be partakers with those that are into sin.
a. You need to break away from your worldly friends.
2. EPH 5:8
a. COL 1:13
i. We have been translated from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of his dear Son.
b. Back in (EPH 5:8) Paul says that there was a time that you were in darkness, but now you