Read -Study Notes – Ephesians Chapter 5:1-10

Eph. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
Eph. 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Eph. 5:3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
Eph. 5:4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

• Therefore, Paul says, let’s imitate God as His children
  • The word “therefore” comes in reference to our mission as Christ’s body
    • Paul could have said “So that we may accomplish our mission, be imitators…”
    • This is a call to missional living for the sake of the Gospel
    • This is not about earning or preserving your salvation
    • This is about being effective in the role Christ assigned to His body
    • There is simply no other way
  • And it begins with walking in love
    • The phrase is certainly common, and everyone agrees with the concept
    • But when you see Paul’s definition of what it means to walk in love, it gets harder
  • Paul defines walking in love as walking in Christ’s footsteps
    • Specifically, Christ willingly lay down His life for those who were spitting on Him and whipping Him
    • He took insults and fists and returned them with sacrificial forgiveness
    • This is the biblical meaning of  “walking in love” which is showing everyone self-sacrificial, agape love
  • This is walking in love, but it’s hardly what the world means when it talks of love
    • But it is the love God expects, and it’s a pleasing thing to our Father when we do it
    • If you and I are going to show that kind of love to others, then we must eliminate the behaviors that are contrary to that kind of love
    • And so what follows are an examination of the many ways we fail to walk in love
• Beginning with our personal purity
  • In v.3 Paul says if we want to walk in love as Christ walked, we can have no immorality, no impurity and no greed among the saints
    • These things can’t even be named among us, Paul says
    • Which is to say that even the suggestion that such things are part of the body of Christ is harmful to our mission
  • If we thought Paul was going to go easy on us, it’s clear Paul has no intention of skirting the tough issues
    • Immorality is a Greek word that always describes any conduct that defiles the marriage bed like fornication or adultery
    • While impurity refers to any form of unholy living like using pornography or illegal drug use
    • Finally greed seems to be connected to the earlier two thoughts, which means any uncontrolled appetite for evil things
  • Paul begins with these things because they are exactly the opposite of walking in love
    • Walking in love means sacrificing the desires of self for the betterment of others
    • But these actions are all about serving self at the expense of others
  • Fornication is having sex with someone without marrying them first
    • It’s the most selfish form of love
    • It’s stealing something precious from someone’s future wife or husband
    • It’s about serving our own greedy desires rather than sacrificing self for the sake of the other person and their future spouse
  • Obviously, we can say the same things about an adulterous or homosexual relationship
    • They are illegitimate relationships born out of selfishness and greed
    • They don’t love another person because they aren’t for the betterment of the other person
    • They are merely ways we love ourselves
• In fact, every immorality (drug abuse, pornography, etc.) is a selfish act that hurts others, whether directly or indirectly
  • And therefore, we cannot allow such things to gain a perch inside the body of Christ
    • We cannot have even the suggestion that such things are compatible with a walk with Christ
    • Because their very existence in the body of Christ argues against the truth of our message
    • We say we want to show Christ’s love to the world but then we act in ways that are the opposite to the way Christ loved
  • In Paul’s day in Greek cities like Ephesus, these behaviors were commonplace and so he’s concerned about these things making their way into the church
    • But don’t think we’re far removed from these concerns
    • Many Christians today struggle with various forms of immorality
    • But it’s even more troubling to know that many Christians aren’t even struggling anymore
    • They have conceded to the existence of these things in their lives without even putting up a fight, as if it’s the new normal
  • Many churches have come to accept these things as normal in our culture
    • Like young Christian couples living together before marriage
    • Or Christians talking openly about enjoying watching near-pornographic television shows and movies
    • Or kids in Christian families using illegal drugs or alcohol, caught in “sexting” scandals at school, etc.
  • If we think this is the new normal in the Church, then we’ve lost the message of love Christ left for us to share with the world
    • Our message has merely become the world’s message
    • Which is love yourself at all costs
    • And that message brings no one closer to God
• Finally, Paul moves from immoral behaviors to immoral speech in v.4
  • Like Jesus said:

Matt. 15:18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
Matt. 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

• What lies in our hearts will find its way out of our mouths soon enough
  • And just as immoral and impure acts are contrary to love, so is vulgarity
• Let’s look at each of Paul’s concerns
  • Paul starts with filthy speech
  • Filthiness is obscene conversation
    • Like two men discussing a woman’s body in lurid terms
    • Or using profanity
  • Speaking in these ways is the opposite of love
    • It’s abusive to others
    • And it’s insensitive to those who will be justifiably offended by such things
    • In fact, there is probably no faster way to undermine your Christian witness than to engage in profane or obscene speech
    • And by the same token, there is no more obvious and powerful way to stand apart from the world than to refrain from such language
• Next, Paul tells the church to cease silly talk, which could be translated foolish talk
  • This is a broad category of speech, but think of it as any talk that is beneath us
    • And in particular, any conversation that diminishes us in the eyes of those we’re trying to influence for Christ
    • For example, repeating silly phrases like a child might or speaking in a silly voice
    • Or talking seriously about meaningless things as if they were worthy of mature conversation
  • I think much of what passes for entertainment on the internet (e.g., internet memes, for example) might fall into this category
    • We all enjoy the occasional cat video
    • But it’s easy to get carried away with that sort of stuff to the point of acting juvenile
    • I think this category of speech is especially challenging for teenagers
    • It’s a time in life when we’re supposed to move beyond the silly and frivolous to serious concerns of life
    • Let’s encourage our Christian teens to mirror their adult aspirations with adult speech patterns
  • Obviously, there can be moments in life when talking in silly ways is perfectly acceptable
    • Like when entertaining a baby or during private moments with your spouse
    • But when we carry these kinds of behaviors into a public setting, we encourage others to take us less seriously
    • And if that’s who we become in front of our friends or acquaintances, then we’ll find it difficult transitioning to serious discussions of eternal life
  • And it’s in that sense that we are unloving when we talk in this way
    • If we truly have love for the lost, then we will guard ourselves against looking frivolous or silly before them
    • We want to make sure they see us as serious, thoughtful people who can be trusted to offer meaning counsel on weighty matters
    • People don’t seek eternal advice from people who can’t act like an adult
• Finally, Paul asks us to put aside coarse jesting
  • He’s talking about dirty jokes, and we all know one when we hear it
    • Keep in mind that this category also includes subtle dirty humor
    • Like double entendres that imply something profane
    • Once again, we know when we hear it
  • And term coarse jesting also includes crude remarks of any kind
    • For example, making off-handed remarks about someone’s spouse
    • Thomas Constable tells a story of a time he attended a wedding where a guest proudly declared that she was the first person to get the groom drunk
    • That was coarse jesting too
  • Coarse talk of this sort isn’t consistent with walking in love because it imposes on others
    • Either it offends
    • Or it incites lust
    • Or it celebrates depravity and sin in others
    • In all cases, it is contrary to love and detracts from our ability to represent Christ
• Instead of these speech patterns, use your tongue to give thanks, Paul says
  • First to the Lord Himself and then to others
    • Be someone who is a blessing with your mouth
    • Because in that way you will certainly stand apart from the world
    • Which can only serve to help you reach them for Christ
  • We’ve just begun the chapter and there is a lot more waiting for us here
    • Paul will move from individual purity to marriage and then family and to those in authority
    • We’ll have plenty more to consider as we go
    • But before we look past today, give some sober thought to how you carry yourself in the things Paul mentioned
    • Remember, your job is to glorify the Father from a thankful, holy heart

We’re returning to Paul’s fifth chapter of Ephesians, where we pick up again in Paul’s list of personal vices that stand in the way of our mission as Christians

• • Last we studied, Paul was calling upon the church in Ephesus to walk in love as Christ did
    • Which we understood means to live self-sacrificially, loving others more than ourselves
    • Putting the needs of others over our needs
    • We do all this to show Christ to the world, as ambassadors drawing men and women to Christ
    • We’re talking about having a missional mindset, which is a mark of spiritual maturity
  • But when our old nature drives our thinking and our behavior, we cease walking in love, choosing instead to love ourselves
    • In those moments – or seasons – of our life, we’re setting aside our mission
    • We’re taking a vacation from our service to Christ and from our witness to the world
    • Paul says we ought not do that
  • Then Paul embarked on a laundry list of personal vices that interfere with walking in love
    • Paul began with immorality and impurity
    • Then he moved to vulgarity and unhelpful speech
    • Those two categories alone were enough to convict all of us, I’m sure
  • But knowing what we should do is one thing, yet finding reason to actually do it is another
    • And Paul understood the challenge he was placing before the church
    • So he interrupts his list of vices for an exhortation to give cause for us to obey these commands
  • His exhortation begins in v.5 and runs until v.17

Eph. 5:5  For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Eph. 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Eph. 5:7  Therefore do not be partakers with them;
Eph. 5:8  for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
Eph. 5:9  (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
Eph. 5:10  trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

• In v.5 Paul says that people who do the very things he just counseled against will not see an inheritance in the kingdom
  • In Greek, there is no article before the word inheritance
    • So the better translation would be that none of these people “has inheritance” in the kingdom
    • The lack of an article before the word inheritance suggests this is a reference to unbelievers
    • That is, those who have no part of the kingdom whatsoever
  • From there Paul goes on to contrast believers with unbelievers throughout the rest of this passage
    • His point is we can’t let the world’s behaviors become our testimony since we have a mission to stand apart from the world
    • That is to say, if we adopt the same behaviors as an unbeliever…
    • Paul says “if we become partakers with them”
    • Then we have no hope to influence the world for Christ
  • Then notice how Paul develops his argument
    • First, he tells the church don’t be deceived by empty words
    • False teachers were apparently teaching that a Christian’s behaviors were not important to God
    • Once we come to faith, we’re saved regardless of how we behave
    • Therefore, we shouldn’t concern ourselves with being holy or pursuing sanctification, etc.
• Paul disputes this false teaching with three arguments
  • First, Paul says these behaviors bring about God’s wrath
    • For believers, God poured His wrath out on Christ
    • While unbelievers receive God’s wrath themselves
  • Either way, Paul’s point is God detests these behaviors
    • Knowing these things lead God to pour His wrath out on the world, how can we think God approves of us following in their footsteps?
    • Do we suppose God doesn’t mind? Do we expect Him to turn a blind eye?
  • We may not receive His wrath, since He already poured that wrath out on His Son for our sake
    • Nevertheless, we would be foolish to think we can sin with impunity in the meantime
    • The Lord will not be mocked, not even by His children
    • So Paul’s first point is that we know these things are not acceptable to God, because He says they are deserving of His wrath
• Secondly, Paul says we are not called to be partakers with the world
  • The Greek word for partaker can be translated partner or one who shares something with another
    • We aren’t supposed to share the same testimony or lifestyle as that of unbelievers
    • We are to live missionally, which requires we walk a different path
    • It’s as if believers and unbelievers are both salespeople, each pitching a different product
    • Unbelievers are declaring that what they offer “Tastes Great”
    • And the Church is declaring that what we offer is “Less Filling”
  • But what if we adopted their slogan?
    • They said “tastes great” and our response was “tastes great”
    • That’s what happens when we act like them and look like them
    • Their slogan becomes our slogan, because their product becomes our product
    • Missional thinking understands that we can’t look like the world or else we have nothing to offer them
  • In v.8 Paul says, remember you were taken out of their world and brought into a new life by His grace
    • You were once a salesman for the product of darkness
    • Now you are selling the product of Light
    • So walk as children of the Light
    • Which means displaying goodness and representing truth
    • So Paul’s second argument is, we must look different than the world if we are to influence the world
• Which leads us to Paul’s third argument in v.10
  • We are to live for the goal of pleasing the Lord, not ourselves
    • The Christian who thinks he or she can do whatever they want because we’ve already been forgiven by the blood of Christ is seeking only to please him or herself
    • That’s not the goal of a Christian life
  • Notice Paul says in v.10 that we are trying to learn what pleases Christ
    • The phrase “trying to learn” is a single Greek word that means to prove something
    • It’s the same Greek word used in Romans 12:2 when Paul says

Rom. 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

• So Paul isn’t suggesting that we are all searching to know what Christ wants as if it’s a big mystery
  • We already know what pleases Christ, because it’s in His word
  • Paul means we “prove” to the world what pleases God
  • We are walking billboards displaying godliness and holiness
• When people witness us living differently, they get proof of what pleases Christ
  • They learn that God is pleased when we keep His commands
  • That He is pleased when we walk in love
  • And He is pleased when we serve Him in our mission
  • We prove these truths by our lifestyle
• But take a second look at how Paul began this passage
  • Paul opened in v.5 saying you know with certainty…
    • Paul strings together two different Greek words for  “to know”
    • In effect, Paul says “you know that you know”
    • He’s emphasizing this truth is something believers can’t deny
    • We can’t pretend we haven’t heard it or we hope it isn’t true
  • We know that unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom
    • This is an odd way for Paul to describe unbelievers, that is as those without inheritance in the kingdom
    • It’s oddly specific, because of course unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom
    • They won’t even be in the kingdom
    • So why make a reference to an unbelievers’ lack of inheritance?
  • I think Paul chose that odd reference to remind believers that we need to think about how our behavior impacts our inheritance
    • Living like the world means potentially sacrificing something in the kingdom
    • In effect, this becomes Paul’s fourth argument against sharing in the world’s behaviors
    • Not only are we testing God, not only are we failing to stand apart from the world, and not only are we not pleasing Christ…
    • But we are also taking risks with our reward
• So rather than joining in the world’s behaviors, Paul says we must go in an opposite direction