06PM March 19 Ephesians 5 1_7

March 19, 2006—Evening Worship

“The Glorious Grace of God” Series – Part 13

Walk This Way

The Imperatives for Living the Christian Life

Ephesians 5:1-7

Intro:  There is a popular song on contemporary Christian radio that says: “Lord, I want to be just like You, ‘cause he wants to be just like me. I want to be a holy example for his innocent eyes to see. Help me be a living Bible, Lord, that my little boy can read. I want to be just like You, ‘cause he wants to be like me.”

It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Everyone has someone to whom they look up. Everyone has someone whom they admire. Everyone has someone whose life they wish to follow. Everyone has someone they would love to imitate.

Way back & I’m talking way back in my early childhood, Rick Nelson was the up & coming star. You guys remember Rick Nelson? If you do, you’ll remember that Rick’s lower lip was a little larger than normal. & so, being young & dumb, I used to do this thing w/my lower lip hoping it would make it look like Rick Nelson’s. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

But now that I’ve grown older & now that God has graciously saved me, there is someone else to whom I look. There is someone else whom I’d like to imitate. & the Apostle Paul tells us in our text tonight, that the one we are to imitate is God.

In these vv. Paul tells us how to walk. You may remember that I’ve said before that in the Apostle Paul’s writings, usually the 1st half of the book is doctrinal & the 2nd half of the book is practical. Well, we’ve been in the practical section of Ephesians for some time now & we’ve seen how Paul explained God’s purpose for believers & the power of praise in chapter 3.

In chapter 4, Paul gave us the details of unity in Christ, God’s gifts to the church & went to great lengths to show us the evidences of spiritual transformation. & now that we’ve been transformed spiritually, Paul begins chapter 5 by telling us the imperatives for living the Christian life. IOW Paul says, “Walk this way” to follow God.

Let’s read all about it from our text in…

Ephesians 5 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 & walk in love, as Christ also has loved us & given Himself for us, an offering & a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication & all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ & God. 6 Let no one deceive you w/empty words, for b/c of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers w/them.

- The 1st imperative for living the Christian life is to…

1. Heed the Personal Command to Selflessness. (vv. 1-2)

- & you can heed the personal command to selflessness by…

    A. Following your Heavenly Father’s example. (v. 1) 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

- As always, since the word “therefore” appears in the text, we need to go back & see what it’s there for.

- Paul has just completed his description of the “new you” now that you are in Christ.

- So the meaning of the text is, since you have been spiritually transformed, since you are no longer walking “as the rest of the Gentiles walk”, be imitators of God; follow God!

- The word translated “be” in v. 1 is written in the original language in the present tense & it is also an imperative. IOW, the Bible here commands us to keep on being imitators of God; never stop imitating God!

- Just like little children want to be like their moms & dads, we are to want to be like God!

- & the word “be” in v. 1 literally means, “to become, to come into existence, to begin to be.”

- So we are to stop being whatever it is that we are now & to become, to begin to be more & more like God!

- & God’s Person & Personality is the great I AM, which means He is whatever you need Him to be whenever you need Him to be it. THAT IS SELFLESSNESS!

- & we are commanded to be like Him!

- We are commanded to heed the personal command to selflessness by following God’s example & by…

    B. Demonstrating unconditional love. (v. 2a) 2a & walk in love, as Christ also has loved us & given Himself for us….

- Again the word “walk” translates a present tense imperative & means we are commanded to keep on walking, to keep on demonstrating love like Jesus did.

- Whatever you see of Jesus in the pages of God’s word, you are to imitate!

- However He lived we are to live; however He loved, we are to love!

- & God through Jesus loved us unconditionally! We cannot begin to fully comprehend the meaning of that phrase, yet God knows that kind of love for us & demonstrated it on the Cross as Jesus laid down His life a ransom for many!

- Paul said in Romans 5 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- & Jesus Himself gave instruction in John 13 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

- IOW Jesus said that we were to love others in the same way; in the same manner; to the same degree; & to the same extent that He loved us!

- & He did that when we were still enemies of God; haters of God; disobedient toward God!

- Surely we could love our brothers & sisters in Christ unconditionally. After all, in the context of John’s gospel, that’s exactly what Jesus is saying! Love the believers!

- But we are not to stop there if we truly want to be imitators of God – b/c God loved us while we were His enemies!

- & that means if we are going to imitate God – we are to love those who hate us!

- That’s a personal command to selflessness; it’s being like Jesus; it’s being like God!

- How? By…

    C. Offering only what is pleasing to Him. (v. 2b) 2b …an offering & a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

- Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will & that was pleasing to God.

- In fact, Jesus said, “I always do those things that please Him.” That was His mission & purpose – to please God.

- & that is your mission & your purpose, too!

- If your life is like Jesus’ life, your life will be a living sacrifice. You know you are not your own, but you have been bought by the precious blood of Christ.

- You know your desires & your wants & your wishes are secondary to what God desires & what God wants & what God wishes for your life.

- & the more you live like Jesus – the more you are an imitator of God – the more your life is a sweet-smelling aroma to God!

          [Have you ever been really hungry & got out of your car in a restaurant parking lot & smelled the food cooking inside? Did that smell good or what? It was a pleasing aroma, wasn’t it?

          Or maybe you’ve planted some flowers next to your house & they’ve come up & as you drove in your driveway you could see their beauty & then as you stepped out of the car you smelled their wonderful fragrance. It was a pleasing aroma, wasn’t it?]

- Well that’s what God’s looking for from your life – the beauty & sweet smell of a life lived for the glory of God!

- & Paul is trying to get the point across that it’s all about God – it’s not about us – it’s all about God!

- So we are to heed the personal command to selflessness to walk the walk of Jesus & we are to…

2. Achieve the Proper Focus on Holiness. (vv. 3-4)

- & you gain that proper focus…

    A. By a holy control of your Life. (v. 3) 3 But fornication & all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints

- The word translated “fornication” literally means “illicit sexual immorality in all its forms.”

- & “uncleanness” means “the impurity of lustfulness, the impurity of your motives, or luxurious, flagrant living.”

- & “covetousness” means “a greedy desire to have more” regardless of how much you have.

- People who live by those standards are living for self; they are living to please their own hearts & are not focused on the holiness of God!

- & Paul’s instruction here is that those things should be so foreign to us & to our new way of life that those things aren’t even named among us.

- IOW, they are not even mentioned or spoken of among believers!

- & Paul says this is “fitting” for saints. The word “fitting” literally means “to stand out, to be conspicuous, to be eminent.”

- IOW, you are different b/c Jesus lives in you & since you are different, that difference should stand out; it should be conspicuous; the difference between you & the world should be eminent.

- So you achieve the proper focus on holiness by a holy control of your life &…

    B. By a holy control of your Lips. (v. 4) 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

- “Filthiness” is verbal profanity & “foolish talking” literally means godless speech.

- If these are not “fitting” or proper for the saints of God, then the opposite of those would be appropriate use of your lips.

- So your lips should deliver pure, godly, wholesome words.

- Now if you’ve known me for any length of time at all, you know that I’m pretty partial to humor. I like to joke & kid around w/the best of them.

- & there is a place for that in the life of a Christian, but Paul’s meaning here for “coarse jesting,” literally is “scurrility & ribaldry.”

- Now isn’t that so helpful?!?

- Scurrility means “indecent, abusive, vulgar, foulmouthed language.”

- Ribaldry means “humor that deals w/sex in a vulgarly humorous or earthly way.”

- To put in terms we can understand, it’s the telling of “off-color” jokes or humor that contains sexual innuendo.

- Believers are not to participate in any of those forms of speech, but in the giving of thanks!

- IOW our lips should show forth the praise & beauty & glory of God who is in us & gave Himself for us!

- We’re talking about the imperatives for living the Christian life & so far we’ve covered the fact that we must heed the personal command to selflessness & to achieve the proper focus on holiness & in vv. 5-7, Paul tells us to…

3. Pursue the Persistent Separation to Godliness. (vv. 5-7)

- The devil is so slick. The ways of the world can creep into your church & into your lives so easily if you are not vigilant; if you do not purse the persistent separation to godliness…

    A. By guarding your Heart. (v. 5) 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ & God.

- IOW Paul’s point is that those who practice fornication, uncleanness or covetousness are all idolaters who have never truly turned to God by grace through faith & therefore are not truly saved & have no inheritance in heaven at all!

- Now please understand that Paul is talking about people who habitually practice these sins. He’s talking about those who constantly live in & for the temporary pleasures of fornication & uncleanness & covetousness.

- But he is in no way limiting sin to just these 3 sins. These are categories of sin & an incomplete list which is used as an example.

- IOW Paul is saying that if you don’t guard your heart; if you are not pursuing a life that is void of these types of sins; then you seriously need to do an examination of your spiritual life & see if you truly are in the faith.

- You guard your heart by pursuing – constantly pursuing a life of godliness by separating yourself from such sins.

- But if you are going to live godly, you must do more than just guard your heart.

- You also pursue godliness…

    B. By guarding your Mind. (v. 6) 6 Let no one deceive you w/empty words, for b/c of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

- Don’t believe everything you read or hear! Be discerning through the power of the Holy Spirit in you!

- Don’t allow anyone to fill your mind w/vain, empty, useless, untrue words – but believe & follow the truth of the word of God!

- & Paul says that it is b/c unbelievers don’t believe (& that’s the meaning of the phrase “the sons of disobedience”) it’s b/c they don’t believe that His wrath is going to be poured out on them.

- The words translated “wrath of God” literally mean “the anger, the agitation of soul, the violent emotion, the righteous indignation of God against sinners.”

- Paul reminds us here to renew our minds as he does in Romans 12 2 & do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.

- So guard your mind by filling it w/the word of God; w/the praise of God; w/thoughts of God.

- As Paul wrote in Philippians 4 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.

- Purse the persistent separation to godliness by guarding your heart & your mind &…

    C. By guarding your Ways. (v. 7) 7 Therefore do not be partakers w/them.

- Since all this bad stuff is going to happen to those who practice these things, stay away from them; don’t participate w/them; guard your ways!

- As the psalmist said in Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

- Guard your ways! Be careful of your friends! Be aware of where they lead you & what they lead you to do!

- Don’t be partakers w/them of the things that separate you from God – but be separated to God from those things!

Conclusion:  George Truett once said, “To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge. To do the will of God is the greatest achievement.” & A. T. Pierson said that the one prayer of his entire life had been, “to go AS I am lead; to go WHEN I am lead; & to go WHERE I am lead.” Both these men of God knew that life was all about pursuing Him w/a constant, deliberate, conscious desire to be what God wants you to be! & only then to do what God wants you to do!

          How about you tonight? Have you rejected self & sought the face of the Savior? Have you rejected sinfulness & sought to walk w/God in holiness? Have you rejected the ways of the world & sought to live in godliness?

That’s what it means to walk the Christian walk. That’s what it means to live the Christian life. We can’t do it alone; we must rely on God’s power & the Person of Jesus Christ in us – to allow us to walk w/Him! Is that the desire of your heart tonight?

Invitation:  Has God spoken to your heart tonight about your present condition before Him? Are you keeping company w/friends that have influenced you away from God & His ways? Are you satisfied w/your present spiritual condition or do you long for more of Him?

          However God may have spoken to you tonight, I’m going to ask you to respond to Him & His call. Would you be obedient to God tonight & respond to His grace as He calls you by grace?

Hymn 294 Have Thine Own Way, Lord