Ephesians 5:1-14

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.  Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.  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.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

In a day when people are being told that they are to follow their hearts the message of this passage desperately needs to be heard.  The dangers of giving into our sexual desires are clearly revealed in this text. Unfortunately, people have been deceived into believing that their identity as a person is linked to their sexuality as opposed to be identified as image bearers of the Lord.  This reality causes confusion, chaos, and condemnation before God.  The biblical alternative of this passage stands in contrast to the culture of the day.

 

BE IMITATORS OF CHRIST: As followers of Christ, we are called to be His imitators.  Following, by definition, imply imitation.  The first characteristic of imitating Christ is walking in love.  We are to love one another in a sacrificial manner as an act of worship of God.  Christ’s death on our behalf was motivated by His love for and obedience to the Father.  We are to practice this same kind of love. Purity is the second way we are to be imitators of Christ.  We are no abstain from any kind of sexual immorality in both words and deeds.  Our sexual desires must be fulfilled only within the commitment of marriage, so we are called to a life of obedience and self-control instead of self-gratification.  The final way we are to imitate Christ mentioned in this passage is gratitude.  We are not to speak in and evil or impure way and are not to desire the things that belong to others.  Our lives are to be marked by love, purity, and gratitude.

 

BE SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD:  We live in a fallen world and the influence of worldly thinking is all around us.  God calls us to be separate from the world by rejecting the worldview the offer and not allowing ourselves to be influenced by them.  We cannot allow their empty words and false teachings guide our lives.  We must be guided by the truth and light of God’s Word instead of being deceived by their darkness.  We must not become partners to the agenda of the world but must walk in light and truth.  There should be a clear contrast between us and the world in which we live.

 

BE PLEASING TO THE LORD: The mandate on our lives is that we live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and seek to discern that in every area of our lives.  This means exposing the darkness and walking in the light.  We should not partake in the evil ways of the world or seek to please our own desires.  God’s call on our lives is for us to be pleasing to Him, not to the world.  God wants us to be devoted to Him and live in fear of Him.  It is always a danger we face to be under the influence of the world and the systems of the world.  Instead, we must walk faithfully in the light as He is in the light.

 

APPLICATION:  Seek for ways to love others, be pure in our thoughts, words, and actions, express gratitude for what God has given us instead of complaining.  Beware of the influence of the world of our thoughts, relationships, and actions.  Please God as our priority and expose the darkness that we find around us.

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