Resembling the Redeemer (Eph. 5:1-10)

Introduction

· Please turn in your Bible to Ephesians 5 this morning, the passage that Daniel read for us a few minutes ago.

· Pastor Chris asked me several weeks ago if I would preach this opening section of chapter five. He has chosen to park in chapter 4 a little longer than expected, and tease out some of these ideas of spiritual gifts, so we aren’t actually in chapter 5 yet. So we are jumping ahead a little today, but just think of this as a “free sample” of what we get to study in the weeks to come.

· At end of chapter 4, Paul calls us to forgiveness, saying we are to forgive as God has forgiven. When we forgive, we are imitating God. He continues that theme in ch. 5.

· I recently reached a rather disturbing milestone – I now have college friends whose kids are now heading off to college. Some have an uncanny resemblance to their parents! It’s fun to see how kids pick up certain physical features of their dad and mom, and become a unique individual, yet with a certain blend of their parents. And not just physical. There are personality features too. Our first thought when one of our children was born is that they looked just like one of their great-grandparents! They’re a “chip off the old block” as the saying goes.

· Well, here in Ephesians 5, Paul is making the point that if you have been saved, you are a child of God. And as one of his children, you should resemble him. Not in a physical sense, for God is spirit. But in a spiritual sense. His personality should rub off on you, so to speak.

· And Paul goes on to list three ways we should imitate God – walk in love, walk in purity, and walk in light. Let’s look at each of these more closely…

Walk in Love (1-2)

· Read vv. 1-2

· Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian. It is our call sign, our stamp of authenticity.

· In Jn. 13, Jesus takes the Passover meal with his disciples. At one point during supper, he stands up, takes off his cloak, and ties a towel around his waist. Then he pours some water into a basin and one by one begins to wash the feet of his disciples. He doesn’t focus on how unfair this is, and how they should be washing his feet. He pours a little water over each foot, and scrubs off the filth and the grime. Then he says, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (v. 14). In other words, he says to imitate his example of servant leadership. Each of us are called to love and serve one another. Later in the passage, he says, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)

· Here in Ephesians, Paul says to walk in love. He has already been talking about the walk or “lifestyle” of believers. In 4:1, he said we’re to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling.” In v. 17, he warned “no longer walk as the Gentiles do.” Now here in ch. 5 he says, “walk in love.” Love should characterize our daily “walk,” or lifestyle.

· When I was interviewing with the deacons about coming to Immanuel, one of them asked me, “How is your former church taking all this?” I said, well, they don’t even know yet, but I have a pretty good idea how they will respond. Surprise. Some hurt. But then support. But I have to be honest, I was not prepared for such a powerful demonstration of Christian love.

· Love gives. Jn. 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. 5:1 “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. When you give of yourself, and put others above yourself, you are manifesting Christ’s love. When you take your focus off yourself, and lay aside your own personal preferences, you’re manifesting Christian love.

· >>The sexual revolution has tried to lay claim to the word “love” and use it as a sort of battle cry. “Love wins!” they say. “All you need is love!” But they cannot claim ownership of this word “love.” God is love, and he defines what true love is. Here, we learn that love is the very opposite of moral relativism and throwing off all sexual boundaries. True love presses toward holiness, godliness, and purity. Notice how Paul transitions from love immediately to the subject of sexual purity…

Walk in Purity (3-6)

· Paul addresses a number of sins in this passage – sexual immorality, coveting, and dirty words to name a few. These are things that used to describe us as unbelievers, but now they “have no place” in the Christian life.

· Read vv. 3-6

· The Greek word for “sexual immorality” (v. 3, ) is porneia, which of course is where we get our modern word “pornography.” Pornography is one form of sexual immorality, but it’s hardly the only one. In using this general term, Paul has everything in mind from pre-marital sex, to adultery, to homosexuality, to any other sexual sin. Anything that falls short of God’s design for sex within marriage is forbidden. It should not be practiced, and it should not even be talked about. This may sound prudish to modern ears. But it is by God’s design. And it is good. God has been clear and consistent since the very beginning.

· Other words here: impurity, covetousness.

· All the way back in the early chapters of Genesis, we see God’s design for sexual purity. Gen. 1:28 “God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

· And over in Hebrews 13:4 it says, Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

· I know it’s a delicate subject, and one you want to handle with care. But silence is not an option. Parents, if you’re not talking with your children and teens about this subject, be assured the world will be happy to do it for you. They would much rather indoctrinate your children and have you not interfere. Friends will tell them. Hollywood will show them. Youtube will provide an instruction manual. Be on guard.

· Imagine you go to Malibu and there were signs posted everywhere. Beach Closed. Danger. Do not enter the water. Great White Shark sightings in the area. None of us would send our children out to swim in the Pacific Ocean right after there was a report of shark sightings in the area. Yet parents do something even worse every day when they equip their children with electronic devices and set no kind of boundaries or safeguards.

· Dear Christian, are your eyes wandering to places they shouldn’t? On the screen, or the printed page, or the people around you who are a little underdressed? Are your ears tuning in to conversations they shouldn’t? Where there is constant profanity, flirtatious talk, or filthy joking? Are your feet going places that they should not? I know of one person who changed his morning commute and lengthened his drive tie simply to avoid the temptation of looking at a certain graphic billboard.

· NIV, ‘But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality…” They are not “proper” (v. 3) but rather “out of place” (v. 4)

· The stakes are high! v. 5

· Some say, “Live how you want. It makes no difference! After all, you have freedom in Christ, right?” Don’t be deceived, Paul says. Your very soul is at stake in this matter.

· I realize this is harder today than ever. It is not easy to be pure in today’s society. It takes effort. It’s much easier to give in to temptation than to fight for what’s right. That’s why we have Men’s Boot Camp, right Scott? We’re learning about mortification of sin. Be willing to take drastic action.

· Sin is like salt water. You take a sip, hoping it will satisfy your thirst, but all it does is make you thirstier. It never satisfies. This is the worst kind of bondage imaginable. Only Christ can set you free from addiction. We are here to help.

· Andrew Cuomo, the former NY Governor, stepped down a few weeks ago over accusations of sexual harassment. His entire career came crashing down over sexual impropriety, and the harm he had done to others. He said in his resignation speech, "In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn't realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn." That was no confession statement. His suggestion is that certain touches or remarks used to get a pass, but now some have gotten too sensitive.

· The Bible’s standard has not changed. But if cultural lines have been drawn in any direction, it’s in a decidedly immoral direction.

· >>We’re going to be in some difficult situations. I often feel like Lot in the days of Sodom, whose “heart was vexed within him” (2 Pet. 2:7). All their immorality was “tormenting his righteous soul.” But we are not to be partakers with them. Instead, we are to walk in the light. That leads to our third and final point…

Walk in Light (7-10)

· Have you ever been in a really dark place? Years ago I was at a pastor’s conference, in a room much like this, except probably twice this size. Right in the middle of the sermon as the pastor was preaching, the power went out. All the lights and sound in the auditorium shut off, except for emergency lights around the exits. Later we learned the power company decided to do some unplanned maintenance and switched off the power for the whole block. So there we all were, 3,000 pastors sitting in a dark room. And do you know what happened next? A friend walked up to the podium, handed the preacher a smart phone with a little flashlight, and he just kept right on preaching for another 15 minutes. We may have been sitting in the dark, but God’s word shone as brightly as ever.

· Imagine a place of total darkness. No sun. No moon. No street lights. No car headlights. No electricity. Just absolute, complete darkness. This is a metaphor in Scripture for sin, evil, and wickedness. While light pictures the good, the true, and the beautiful. That is what we are to pursue.

· Read vv. 7-10.

· Jesus is Light. John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

· And we who have been rescued from the domain of darkness, and now we are shining lights. Matthew 5:14–16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Conclusion·

Are you putting Christ’s light on display this morning? Are living so others can see the light of Christ in you? How can you be an instrument that will reflect his glory and truth to others? God wants Immanuel Baptist Church to be a shining light in the city of Highland and the Inland Empire. The fruit of such light is goodness, righteousness, and truth (v. 9).

· We saw this morning that Christ has shown his love by giving himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. We are going to turn our attention now to the Lord’s Supper, and remember that sacrifice together.