Be Imitators of Christ Jesus
Walk in His Light
1
Therefore be imitators of
God, as beloved children; 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.
Jesus lived a sinless life, showing by His example, how
God wanted us to live, and how to love one another. So therefore, emulate Jesus in every way, and
walk worthy of His name (1
John 4:19).
All who believe, and call themselves Christians, know
Jesus came to be our sacrifice for the atonement of our sins; teaching us how
to forgive, as God had forgiven us (Ephesians
4:32).
(2) God took on flesh and lived as
a man. He was tempted as a man, felt
pain as a man, and suffered death as a man. He was all God and all man. Therefore we cannot say God does not understand
our pain. Through His pain and death;
Jesus showed us the extent of love in its ultimate form, by giving His life for
us.
3 But immorality or any impurity
or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness
and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of
thanks.
Paul begins to Identify sin.
“Immorality” - Paul
is speaking of sexual misconduct. In the
Greek culture it was socially acceptable and common for Greek males to have sex
with anyone they wished. There is a
proper use for sex and that is in the union of husband and wife, who become one
flesh.
When the Greek men would have sex with many partners, this
was an act of selfishness for the pleasure was theirs for the taking.
“Filthiness, silly talk, or coarse jesting” – these acts are
unacceptable for the people who are called by Gods name.
In the world we live in, we are bombarded with filthy,
crude, coarse language. This type of
language has become more or less socially acceptable. Our entertainment industry finds it necessary
to use this type of language in their movies, which now has spread to TV. Filthy or coarse language is found on some
social media postings. We also hear this
type of language at our work place, in our schools and at secular
gatherings. Paul is quite clear in his
guidance to the church at Ephesus, on what we should do as Christians. Paul
tells us not to join in with this type of language, but rather pray in thanks
giving. We are ambassadors of Jesus, sanctified for His purpose, and as such,
we are to keep higher moral standards, including our speech.
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.
We all know the result of sin is death. Un-repented sin leads to death of the soul an
eternal separation from God.
Sexual sin can lead to
disease corrupting the body.
Sexual sin most often brings about the breakup of a marriage, resulting
in injury to the children of that marriage.
Sex can easily become an Idol in someone's life. Pornography is a blight on this nation. A person, usually a man, can easily fall into
the pornographic trap, believing perhaps, “it’s not sex out of marriage, and
therefore it’s not sin. This misguided
thinking can bring about a downward spiral into the jaws of Satan. Sexual
misconduct destroys a marriage, by causing feelings of anger, frustration,
betrayal and mistrust between marital
partners.
Of the top 10 causes of divorce in America; Infidelity is
number 1
6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the
wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Who are the sons of disobedience?
The sons of disobedience are those who follow Satan; the original disobedient one.
Paul is saying you have only two choices to follow after the
example of Jesus or choose to fall into the death trap of Satan, and become one
of the sons of disobedience. Satan’s
main tool is that of deception.
I believe Paul was referring to the Gnostic teaching, which
stated briefly is “The body has no effect on the inner man”. This is a lie! These false teachings bring sin to the inner man (his soul). We know the mind directs the body and what
the body feels is sent back to the mind, when pleasure is felt the brain
produces endorphins giving a feeling of pleasure. We all seek pleasure in our lives in one way
or another. Remember; Where the mind
goes so therefore goes the inner man.
7
Therefore do not be
partakers with them; 8
for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk
as children of Light 9 for the fruit of the Light
consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is
pleasing to the Lord.
“do not be partakers” – Even though Paul was not
saying avoid them, I believe unless you have the full armor of God you should
avoid them. I say this because without Jesus we are week and easily
seduced by pleasure.
“Formerly
darkness” - Paul
reminds them, and us, once all lived in darkness, not knowing Jesus. Knowing
Jesus as Lord in our lives bring us from the darkness of sin into the
light. Jesus is the light of the world John 3:19;
John
9:5; John 8:12 .
Fruit of the light is righteous and satisfaction. Darkness cannot bear good fruit.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead
even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to
speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13
But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for
everything that becomes visible is light.
(11)
“un-fruitful deeds”
– Paul is referring to the evil actions of others. These are deeds done in secret and no good
can come from them. These deeds should
be exposed for what they are.
Deuteronomy 32:32 describes unfruitful deeds as; “For their vine is
from the vine of Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are
grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter”.
Just as plants cannot bear fruit without light, people who remain in
darkness cannot bear good fruit .
(12)
Paul goes on and says it is wrong to even speak of such evil things. How then, are we supposed to expose these
deeds? Paul tells us not to expose the person but rather expose the sin. I believe Paul was saying; it’s wrong to
spread rumors about the sinful acts of another. However the acts themselves must be exposed
by the light of Jesus within you.
Because we are children of the light, it is by our example, the light of
Jesus is shed on those who do these things.
(13) Paul explains the reason for exposing evil
practices. Darkness cannot exist in the
light, for the light dispels darkness.
Of course we are talking about revealing the ugliness of these sinful
acts here. Once exposed these acts are
no longer concealed by darkness and therefore can no longer be practice in
secret.
14 For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
Paul is calling for action against the evil which is being
done. Wake up to the evil that surrounds
you. Don’t be drawn into evil by doing
nothing. When a person is exposed over
and over again to something, they will become numbed by it, and will eventually
succumb to it. Have we as Christians
become numb to the moral decay of our own nation? what are we doing about it?
Use Wisdom in Your Walk
15
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time,
because the days are evil.
What is wisdom?
The definition of
the word wise is: having the power of
discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing
discernment, judgment, or discretion.
Paul is saying use
discernment in your daily walk and in dealing with nonbelievers. Do not speak rashly or without respect. Your words and actions reflect directly on
Lord Jesus.
(16)
Do not be frivolous with the time
God has granted you. Time is precious,
every opportunity must be taken to tell people of Jesus. We live in evil times where profanity and
vulgarity are common place. We must be
like cream which rises to the top, and not be as the world but rather
reflection of Christ our Lord.
I believe we are not here on earth to aimlessly wander
through our lives without purpose. God
has a purpose for you, and me. God’s
will is that each one of us may find His will for our lives, and for us to
complete His purpose for us. To do less
would be a foolish waste of our lives.
Understanding the will of God goes beyond just being aware
of His will. Understanding His will
means to know your purpose in His plan.
To use a phrase I have used countless times before; we must
walk with a purpose, which simply means have a destination or purpose in mine
and strive to get there.
18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled
with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart
to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all
things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another
in the fear of Christ.
In verse 18
Paul is not telling us not to drink wine; he is saying do not get drunk
with wine (Proverbs
20:21; Romans
13:13). Paul goes on to say
to become drunk on wine dissipation which means: “the sinking to a state of
low moral standards” (Merriam-Webster).
Alcohol tends to breakdown ones inhibitions, and as a consequence they
act foolish. Paul finished his
admonishment by giving guidance, to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Someone
has said ‘a man must fill himself with something’. The man who is not a
Christian fills his life with wine and pleasures of the world. The Christian is
happy when he allows God to fill him with the Spirit.
Paul admonishes in verse 18.
In verse (19) he gives a this alternative; to speak to one another with joy, and love,
keeping the Lord in our hearts always.
In verse (20)
Paul is telling us to be thankful for all we have, giving thanks to the Father
in the name of the Son. All that we have
whether large or small belongs to God who has granted us possession of it. Paul goes on in verse (21)
telling us to “be subject to one another in the fear of the Lord.” We will see the word subject later also when we talk about marriage. The word was translated from the Greek word hupotasso
hoop-ot-as'-so, - to submit unto another. In this context submit does not mean give
yourself over as a slave to another but rather to see another's needs above
that of your own. I think Philippians
2:3 sums it best: “Do nothing from
selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as
more important than yourselves;”
Paul moves onto the subject of marriage in verses 22-33
Marriage
22 Wives, be subject to your own
husbands, as to the Lord.
In my comment for verse 21; I said to submit does not
mean to be enslaved. Submit means to
give way to another; rest easy ladies.
Wives should submit
physically to their husbands and only their husbands. Wives should not hold physical intimacy from
their husbands as a ransom to manipulate their husbands.
Peter wrote in 1
Peter 3:1-2: “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own
husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be
won without a word by the behavior of their wives as they observe their chaste
and respectful behavior.”
In all situations each should submit to the
other’s needs and to all things to be submissive to Christ Jesus.
God appointed man to be the head of the household (Genesis
3:16). As the head of the household
God will hold the man accountable for his family. Because of this the wife should be submissive
to the spiritual guidance of their husbands.
Man was formed first, and then from his side a rib was
taken, and woman was fashioned from that rib.
This tells me even though the man is the spiritual head, woman was to
stand side by side with the man and be his helper, not his slave. Both man and women are equal in the site of
God; none more important than the other (Genesis
2: 20-23). God created man not to
lord his authority over his wife but to work with his wife in a mutually
beneficial way. In most families it is the father who is the disciplinarian
thus the wife may tell the children “wait until your father gets home”.
23 For the husband is the head of
the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior
of the body.
In verse 23 Paul is telling us to be like Jesus “be
imitators of God”. (Ephesians 5:1)
Jesus is head of all things (Ephesians
1:22). Christ Jesus is the head of
the Church. The church is the body of
believers. Christ Jesus gave His own
life to save this body of believers. I
say all that to point to the obligation of the husband to the wife. He should place his wife’s needs above that
of his own, even unto death.
24 But as the church is subject to
Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
It is the desire of the members of the body of Christ to
adhere to all His teachings. So also the
wife should adhere to the spiritual instructions of her husband in all things;
just as the husband adheres to the teaching of Jesus in all things. There is a spiritual side to be considered
for all things; so therefore in all things the wife should listen to the
husbands spiritual guidance; just as the church yields to the guidance of Jesus
so then the family should yield to the spiritual leadership of the husband.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just
as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her,
having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to
Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such
thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Paul is drawing a direct parallel in verses 25-27 by using
the word her.
As Christ Jesus loved us and gave up His life for the
salvation of the church. We too should
love our wives as we do our own bodies; for we are one flesh (Mark 10:8;
Ephesians 5:28).
The Greek language has four different words for love agápe, éros, philía, and storgē;
the Greek word for love here is: agapao (ag-ap-ah'-o) which is a
deep abiding sacrificial love, which is the same Greek word describing
the love Jesus had for the church.
(26) As we know to sanctify is to be made holy and
set apart from the ungodly. Jesus has
sanctified His church and set it apart from the world as His bride. The word cleansing in the later part of this
verse describes the washing away of sin.
Baptism is an outwardly physical demonstration of the work Jesus has
done within us; for we die to ourselves and rise up again, out of the water, a
new person filled with His Holy Spirit (Matthew
3:11; Mark
1:8).
(27) When a woman prepares for her marriage she
first washes, then she may curl her hair and apply makeup. The last thing she does is adorn herself with
a white wedding dress, a dress signifying her purity.
The comparison of bride and the church is very similar. Jesus prepared the church by cleansing the
church with His own blood. He then set
the church apart as holy and without the blemish of sin. The church’s sin was washed away and is white
as snow.
28 So husbands ought also to love
their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own
flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His
body.
Paul may have been thinking of Genesis
2:23-24 when he wrote the first sentence in verse 28. If we loved our spouse as we love ourselves
we would get up each morning with the thought in mind; how can I make my
spouses life happier. I believe this
devotion would end the current divorce crisis in America. We must remember the
sexual union of husband and wife unifies them as one flesh. To have sex with someone other than your
spouse destroys trust, and the oneness between husband and wife.
We care for our own bodies but what of your spouses; is
their bodies somehow less than yours?
Because we are members of the body of the church we should take great
care of our bodies as Jesus takes care of the church. Treat each other with
love and understanding, for God sees the other person with the same love as He
sees you.
31 For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh.
Paul is quoting Jesus as recorded by Matthew in Mathew
19:5 ,who quoted it from Genesis
2:24. When a man marries his sharing
shift from his parents to his wife. This
is why a man should move away from home and establish a new home with his wife
that they may begin to share their lives with each other.
32
This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and
the church.
The mystery of redemption was now being made clear. God had this plan from the creation. We see now why God created man and woman to
be partners in life. They were meant to
propagate to increase the church. It all
makes perfect sense, now. As man and
woman join together to become one flesh so also does Jesus join together with
the church in a perfect spiritual union.
Les Painter writes: “The husband is head of the
family. In the same way, Christ is the head of the church. The husband shows
love and care for his wife. He does this by giving himself to her.”
This is the
best example that Paul can give. Christ showed love and care for his church. He
did this by giving his life. The wife depends on her husband as guide and
leader. In the same way, the *church depends on the Lord.”
33 Nevertheless, each individual
among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see
to it that she respects her husband.
Women; what if your spouse is not a believer; are you still
to respect him?
This presents a serious problem. We are to seek out a spouse who God would
have you marry. We are not to be
unevenly yoked. Often times however
people find Jesus after they marry, are they still supposed to respect him even
if he is abusive, cruel, a drunkard, and filled with slothfulness?
I do not advocate a person live in an abusive or cruel
environment.
We may not find it in your hearts to respect him and if this
is the case then at least respect that God loves him as He does you. If you cannot respect the man then at least
respect the role God has placed him in.
And offer fervent prayer for his redemption.
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