Ephesians 5:1-21

Ephesians 5:1-21

Pray –

Recap

It’s been a few weeks since we looked at Ephesians, so a very quick recap is in order

Ephesians a book in two parts chapters 1-3 is Paul sharing the good news of Jesus and what God has done for us.

God Chose a people to be his loved and adopted children from before the world began. Even though these children rebelled against him he loved them and made it possible for them to be brought back into right relationship with him. That was done at the Cross, where Jesus died.

These Chosen people are Christians

Chapters 4-6 is encouraging us to live it out. To live in the light of the Gospel. In chapter 4 we heard about how God gave gifts to his children so the Body of Christ may be built up, so the Church may grow. Gifts to encourage each other.

So what is a Christian

Its not someone from Australia or another Western society or someone who was born into a family who may have gone to church.

A Christian is someone who submits their life to God, who acknowledges Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Its someone who walks the walk

An Old testament example comes from Psalm 1

Psalm 1 NIV

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

A Christian is someone who delights in the LORD and follows his path not the path of the world

In Todays passage Paul encourages Christians to do the same.

V1-2

Paul is encouraging us to live a Christian life, he uses the word Walk some translations use the word Live[2], walk in the way of love. Its active is moving forward. He is encouraging us to walk the walk. WE don’t become Christians and get to sit back and relax on the couch No Paul is encouraging us to not have an active our Faith, to live it out

He reminds us of who we are, loved by God adopted into his family and urging us us to walk in light following Jesus example. Who loved us from before time began and because of that love gave himself as a perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our rebellion against him. We are to imitate God and his love… Not that we die on a cross for the salvation of other, but we live out our Fatih as Jesus showed us. Loving one another.

In v3- 5

Paul gives clear instruction of What Christian walk should and shouldn’t look like. He begins in v 3 telling us that all sexual immorality should be rejected, from sex outside marriage to homosexuality. He doesn’t list all immorality we would twist the words and look for loopholes allowing the freedom to do what we want. He is talking about anything outside a consensual, married relationship between a man and a woman. God created marriage and sex to be a blessing for us, not for it to be a desire that corrupts us and twists our focus from God. God cares about what we do. It’s Not just sexual immorality, its impurity and of any kind. All of these are improper for anyone who is a true child of God.

He goes on to say its not just how we act but also how we speak. Our words are not to be crude or foolish in our talk. Its not just walk the walk but talk the talk.

In living out our faith in walking the walk Our actions and our speech should set us apart, we are to be loving.

Paul says this in V5

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.[3]

Anyone who continually walks down the path of Sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, greed, Obscene, foolish talk, and crude joking. Paul is saying that they are not living a life following the example of God, they are not acting like his called out adopted children. If you pursue this lifestyle you have no part in Gods kingdom! Harsh words…. Paul is saying people who live their lives pursuing this life well they are headed to Hell. Both our actions and our speech need to line up in with our faith, we need to walk the walk.

The good news is if you turn from this self-indulgent nature, if you turn to Jesus as your saviour then there is forgiveness.

6-7

The warnings continue in the next few verses in 6 & 7

While Paul is writing to Christians, I think there is a warning for those who are not yet Christians in these words as well.

For Christians the warning is don’t be deceived people will tell you it’s okay to walk in a manner of immorality, impurity, and obscene speech. It’s a twist of some words, things like Paul was speaking to a different culture back then. Or its okay do what you please, God is in the business of Forgiving sins.[4]

Non-Christian you will be continually told that Christians are hypocrites not living up to the values they impose and that you are doing well enough yourself. The real lie you are fed is that there is no God and you can do as you please.

I think it seems like Paul is thinking about Psalm 1 and the encouragement as a follower of God to not walk in the way of the wicked stand with the sinner and sit with the mocker. He knows that doing this will lead us to be distracted from what our walk with God should be like.

V7

Don’t get caught up with people who are going to drag you down.

Paul also reminds us of what our lives were like once before we truly knew God and became one of his Children, we did live in the way of the world we too walked in Darkness.

IF you are a Christian, an adopted child of God then your life should be showing that, you should be showing goodness, righteousness, and truth. Paul again urges us as Christian to walk the walk.

Friends if this is still you are walking in darkness talk to someone today. Find out what it is that pleases God. Ask about what it means to be one of his children.

If you are a child of light, then Paul repeats it again and again don’t be caught up with the things that you know are wrong. Watch your actions and your words

The light and dark imagery is something that is picked up not only by Paul but by our whole society, bad things happen in the darkness. That’s why we have sensor lights and streetlights that’s why you see the police in TV shows or movies using torches to spot the bad guys hiding in the darkness or shadows. That’s what our lives should be like a light that drives away darkness light that exposes the shameful the immoral and drives it out. It is not our light but the Light of Jesus that does this shining through us.

Paul in V14 turns to poetry or as some think this may be part of an early Christian song.

Awake o Sleeper

Rise form the Dead

And Christ will shine on you

It’s a story of change and conversion someone being woken up from their former life of darkness as the light of Christ exposes the rebellion against God and brings the Christian into that loving relationship with God.

But its also an encouragement about how we live out lives as Christians. As we live as children of light as Christs light Shines through us and can awaken sleepers bringing them to new life in Christ

Friends how’s your light shining? Is it visible in the darkness? Are you living in a way that has Jesus Light Shining through you?

All of what Paul is saying to us in this letter is that we are Christians we have to live and act like it. We as adopted Children of God need to live in a manner that shows that. If we are no different to the world, then how can our light actually shine out in the world.

What could that look like? It will be different for each of us but we can all take Pauls words to heart.

Paul draws this portion of Ephesians to a close with four commands

The First command is Be careful how you live, don’t make unwise choices in how you live. Make wise choices, make choices that live out your faith. If there are areas that you struggle to do this, talk to a Christian friend who can support you but also challenge you in this area.

Pauls prayer back in Chapter 1:17 was that the Spirit would give wisdom to his readers. The Old Testament has 3 verses that say the same thing about wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom. The proper respect of God is where wisdom begins. I wonder if in our lives we have that right respect for God or if we push it aside trusting in our own wisdom….

The Second command Make the most of the opportunities you have been given why because the days are evil, they have been from the very first day Adam and Eve left the Garden. Jealousy murder and lust appear constantly in the early chapters of Genesis. They are in the world today, the days are evil, Make wise choices in your walk with the LORD

The Third command don’t be foolish instead understand what The LORDS will is or as V10 said do what pleases the LORD. Be wise not foolish

The Fourth command don’t get drunk on wine… this isn’t a loophole that allows us to say that it’s okay then to get drunk on beer or rum and it isn’t the other extreme either where it says don’t drink alcohol.

I will say that if Alcohol is a problem for you then the best thing you can do is stay away from it, get help, talk to your GP. As already mentioned, I encourage you to have a Christian friend to challenge you and support you through this time.

The issue for all of us is that when we get drunk, we do not have full control of ourselves and end up doing things we should not do.

A quick example of this comes form a visit to the hospital on Christmas day with an elbow injury to one of the girls. There were several dads also in the emergency department. One of the nurses said every Christmas they get dads with injuries. They have a few drinks and think they can still do the tricks they used to do on the skateboard or trampoline or whatever toy it is they bought their kids. Getting drunk clouds our judgement, this doesn’t stop at toys at Christmas it includes our walk with God. Those things that we would see as unwise ungodly and foolish when sober become blurred when drunk.

The alternative is for God to fill us with his Holy Spirit to be guided by God that we may grow more like Christ and walk in the way that he has called us to.

The environment for wisdom, making the most of every opportunity understanding the Lords will, being filled by the Spirit is in the Church…. Paul has continued to talk about unity as Followers of Jesus in Ephesians. IN this unity we encourage each other. Walking the walk is easier around others who speak to you with psalms hymns and songs from the spirit and you are to do likewise. Being with brothers and Sisters in Christ aids your walk

If you are a Christian there is a multitude of things that we can give thanks to God for, His Character of love and care, his patience towards us. How he loves us enough to challenge us as we read these words and reflect on our own selfishness and shortcomings. We give thanks that we in our own failings have a saviour who loved us and gave himself up for us, becoming the perfect sacrifice to God and the example of how we are to love one another.

Serve one another in the unity of the body speak words of rebuke where necessary but speak words of encouragement to each other. Sing praises to our great God for all that he has done for us.

Listen to Pauls Challenge today to walk the walk with God as the example.

Let me finish with the words of the psalmist and the first 3 verses from Psalm 1

Ps 1:1 Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.

Walk in the way of Love.

Walk the Walk,

Amen

[1] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ps 1:1–6. [2]V2,8& 15 [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 5:5. [4] What do I say that I may keep on sinning that Grace may abound?