Parkland First Baptist Church
October 3, 2021

      • Isaiah 13–17CSB

      • Isaiah 18–22CSB

      • Isaiah 23–27CSB

      • 2 Kings 18:1–8CSB

      • 2 Chronicles 29–31CSB

      • Psalm 48CSB

      • Hosea 1–7CSB

  • Introduction

    We’re moving right along in our look through the book of Ephesians.
    Last we saw Paul encouraging his readers and us to put on new clothes, or new behavior, since were new creations in Christ.
    Because of who we are in Christ means that we should act differently from those who are not Christians or even they we were before our salvation experience.
    Winston as an example of the difference.
    Who are your role models?
    Those people you want to emulate?
    Those who you desire to be like in mannerisms, thought processes, speaking style, clothes, etc.
    We all have them.
    For some it might be a parent or grandparent, close friend, a well known person, or maybe someone you only read about.
    Paul tells in this passage that we should look to God as our role model and live out our lives as Jesus did who was our real life model of being totally obedient to God.
    Ephesians 5:1–17 CSB
    1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. 15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

    Walk In Love Verses 1-2

    We are told to imitate God as “Dearly loved children.”
    In verse 5, Paul told how we got to be His children, “He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
    You see, God has adopted us and made us His sons and daughters.
    His Spirit enables us to cry to Him, “Father”
    He has given us a family, the church, where we carry out our daily chores.
    Therefore, an appropriate application of Ephesians 1:5, is Ephesians 5:1.
    These two verses belong together.
    The Father has loved us in the Beloved One (1:6).
    We share in the love the Father has for the Son.
    Believers now show God’s fatherly love by great acts of compassion and mercy.
    So we are to walk in love as we imitate God who loved us.
    Is it too much to ask us to walk in love?
    For us to please our Father, He wants us to walk in love.
    Why should we live this way?
    Because Jesus gave Himself up for us to God.
    Our love for Him should be a response to His love for us.
    For he gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God.
    Christ gave himself in death as a sacrifice on our behalf.
    The words “offering” and “sacrifice” are really synonymous, although the first word generally indicates a gift and the second always designates a slain animal (as in the sacrifices of the Old Testament).
    The sweet-smelling aroma relates to the acceptability of the sacrifice.
    God was not bound to accept any offering (Genesis 4:5); he did so only on the basis of the attitude of the giver.
    This focuses on God’s pleasure with Christ’s sacrifice.
    Because God accepted Christ’s sacrifice, we who believe are acceptable to God.
    Because of this, our love ought to also be self-sacrificial.
    Jesus had told his disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
    So first of all, we are to walk in love.

    Walk In Light Verses 3-14

    In this section, Paul describes how we are live in the light while contrasting that with the darkness.
    In verse 8, Paul says “You were once darkness.”
    He doesn’t say you were walking in darkness, but that you were darkness.
    Through the gospel we are now light in the Lord.
    Our identity has changed and thus we are to walk in the light.
    How do we do that?
    Exalt God, Not Idols verses 3-6
    Paul seems to pick up where he left off in the last chapter.
    He describes several sins of a dark life.
    Sexual immorality and impurity.
    You’d think he was describing our day and not first century life.
    Impurity is a broad word that refers to any type of filth.
    Though often mentioned with sexual immorality it isn’t limited to sexual sin.
    The word for sexual immorality is the word we get pornography from.
    It covers any sexual sin.
    The Scripture condemns particular types of sexual sin like homosexuality, fornication, adultery, bestiality; but Jesus adds lust to the list.
    No matter how hard you try to make it acceptable, it is still sin in God’s eyes.
    Paul adds greed in this list.
    The issue with these is that are idols.
    They take away a person’s allegiance to God and puts them on themselves and their pleasure.
    It takes us away from worship God in our lives, to worshiping our pleasure and desires.
    Greed is just an insatiable desire for more.
    He continues with corrupt speech.
    As ones living in the light will not use language that is shameful or disgraceful.
    I find it odd that those who live for only themselves will use such language to make the look better to others.
    They need to put others down by their speech and language.
    Instead Paul tells us our speech should be filled the thanksgiving.
    One commentator said, “Thanksgiving is the antidote for sin, for it is difficult to both give thanks and sin at the same time.”
    These sins, Paul says, should have anyplace in our lives and believers and followers of Christ.
    Paul says those who persist in this dark lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
    Another commentator is instructive here: “Do Christians fall into these sins? Of course! But true Christians will not persist in them, for persistence in sensuality is a graceless state”.
    This warning emphasizes how foolish worldly pursuits are from a kingdom perspective.
    Consider Jesus’ words: “For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his life?” (Mark 8:36).
    Indeed, this warning is instructive to the believer as it calls him or her to pursue the kingdom and its righteousness over fleeting pleasures.
    Paul strengthens his argument by speaking of the fate of the unrepentant: “Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things” (Eph 5:6).
    Paul says God’s wrath is coming on the unrepentant and people had better not listen to the scoffer who mocks God’s judgment.
    Exhibit the Fruit of Light verses 7-10
    Like last week, Paul just doesn’t tell to stop doing something without replacing the bad with the good behavior.
    He reminds us of our new identity and gives us four ways to exhibit a life of light amid the darkness.
    Display light by not joining those in darkness.
    Do not become partners.
    We are called to be salt in a society by loving and befriending those outside our faith.
    We don’t participate in their sins, but we must be there to show them the gospel.
    Display the light by living our your identity.
    Walk as children of the light.
    Christians are not light in themselves; they are light in the Lord.
    So since we are in the Lord, we must walk in the light that’s an imperative.
    Live in total holiness before the eyes of God, who has made us new.
    Display light by doing all that is good, right, and true.
    The phrase fruit of the light describes the result of dwelling in God’s light.
    God is good and right and true and as imitators we should be the same.
    Those who walk in light to do good works, they live righteously and they speak truthfully.
    Expose the Darkness Verses 11-14
    Paul goes on to say that we must not only avoid participation in darkness, but we must also actively expose the darkness.
    We are let our light shine for all to see.
    This does two things.
    Light exposes the sin of unbelievers.
    The word expose carries the idea of correcting or convincing someone.
    It doesn’t mean we are to avoid contact with people, it means we live a holy life, and that means confronting darkness.
    It doesn’t tell how to do this, but it surely means by our words and deeds.
    Our life and actions expose the works of darkness in the world.
    Light transforms unbelievers into the realm of light.
    In verse 14, he points out the transforming power of the light truth and purity.
    J. B. Philips’s paraphrase is helpful: “It is even possible (after all, it happened to you!) for the light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also.”
    The believer is called to expose the darkness in the corrupt places of our world—like where young children are trafficked, enslaved, and forced to work against their will, and where power is abused in other ways.
    We must bring the light of justice, exposing shameful, secretive sins, and bring the transforming light of the gospel to everyone—including the guilty enslavers themselves.
    The last part of verse 14 is likely a hymn sung at a baptismal service.
    Its meaning for the new believer, coming out of spiritual death is like awaking from sleep, and coming into spiritual life is like greeting the sunshine—who is Christ.
    The hymn seems to have been based on many passages in the book of Isaiah.

    Walk In Wisdom Verses 15-17

    Paul has reminded us to walk in love and to walk in light, now he turns to walk in wisdom.
    Those who walk carefully do not walk foolishly, like an unwise one.
    We are to walk in front of outsiders in hopes that they may see the life-changing power of the gospel.
    We are to walk...
    Not as Unwise People but as Wise (5:15)
    For a lot of guidance on walking in wisdom read Proverbs.
    For instance, it says the fool lives recklessly. He flaunts folly, hangs with fools, and despises wisdom. The wise man, in contrast, values wisdom and pursues it diligently (Prov 2:1–5).
    How does the believer gain wisdom?
    The writer of Proverbs tells us to walk with the wise in order to become wise (Prov 13:20).
    James says God gives wisdom if you ask for it (Jas 1:5; cf. Prov 2:6).
    Further, Paul states that in Jesus all the treasures of wisdom are found (Col 2:3).
    Jesus says fools build their lives on sand, but the wise build on the rock of His Word (Matt 7:24–27).
    Let us follow these instructions.
    “Making the Most of the Time” (5:16)
    Paul reminds the Ephesians that they, like us, are living in the last days.
    Therefore, how we live matters.
    This text calls us to identify the things we waste our time on and to prioritize everything.
    Christians should make the most of their time because they do not want to waste their lives.
    The phrase “The days are evil” refers to the idea of “this present evil age” (Gal 1:4) in which all are living.
    We must passionately shine our light in this dark world while we have breath.
    When we see the King, we will not regret having spent our lives wisely.
    “Understand What the Lord’s Will Is” (5:17)
    Usually when Christians talk about God’s will, they are referring to God’s will regarding major decisions about things like their careers.
    But I do not think that is what Paul has in mind here.
    He is referring to God’s already revealed will, and for us today that means understanding the Bible.

    So?

    We need to remember that God has called each one of us to pursue and what He has called us to avoid.
    Understanding the Lord’s will means we should pattern our life after Jesus as He submitted to His Father’s will by going to the cross.
    We are new creations because Jesus submitted.
    He cried out, “It is finished” after doing God’s will obediently.
    He rescued us from darkness and brought us into the light.
    Now, we have the Spirit in our lives to empower us to walk in love, in the light, and walk in wisdom.
    Let us be thankful to God for His Son, Jesus.
    Prayer
    ​

      • Ephesians 5:1–17CSB

      • Ephesians 5:1–17CSB

Parkland First Baptist Church
office@parklandfirst.com
253-531-0121
http://www.parklandfirst.com
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