Ephesians 5:1-20 lesson by Dr. Bob Utley

hello we're gonna be a seasons 5 1 through 20 today I think it's a wonderful application that picks up on the latter part of chapter 4 really chapter 4:17 starts a context that runs through the first part of chapter 5 and it's dealing with living Christlikeness it's talking about not only knowing Christ but walking in him it's emesis of walk worthy of the calling where we have you been called that starts the practical section of chapter 4 and so in chapter 5 the first few verses we're going to amplify what's been said in the the closing part of chapter 4 so you must keep on this the present imperative present means habitual lifestyle imperative a command following God's example now truth is it means imitating God we get the word mimic from this Greek word here this is the only place in the Bible it says mimic God now mimicking God seems to involve several things number one it involves forgiveness back in chapter 432 that's a mimic of God and then in chapter 5 verses 1 and 2 it's a sacrificial self giving love of Christ and those are two ways we mimic God forgiveness and love the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22 is nothing more than a word picture of Jesus Christ who is the fullness of the invisible God now notice where it mentions in as dearly loved children of his now here's the idea we are the family of God we ought to take on family characteristics and verse 2 and practice living in love now this is the word walk walk meaning a lifestyle and I've told you quite often that Christian faith is not simply an initial response an emotional response a creed to be believed a right to be performed Christianity is basically initial repentance and faith followed by ongoing repentance and faith now this method of walk in love that's another present imperative it's a command we are to imitate Christ and we do that by by walking in love now that there's another imperative back in chapter 432 we are commanded to forgive and so here we have all these command relating to what it is to be like Christ and like God just as Christ loved you too now there's a some manuscript variation between you and us and it's in your outline I'm gonna go through it this time and gave himself for you or us there's that variation again now this gave himself for you the far is who payer and I think really it's almost limits with it with the word ante which means on behalf of so it's the substitutionary vicarious atonement of Christ and which says gave himself Christ laid down his own life for us you might see Philippians two six through 11 where he left heaven to die for us now as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God but this fragrant offering has an Old Testament background the sweet aroma she's Dover forty times in the Pentateuch of a sacrifice that was accepted by God using the anthropomorphic metaphor of smell or the olfactory sense Genesis 8:21 exodus twenty nine eighteen livid ACCA's 431 there's some Old Testament apples and the same idea of a sweet-smelling sacrifice used in Philippians 4:18 now those richens here in verse three we begin a series of these sins like they've been mentioned back in chapter four 17 and following now as verses 1 and 2 talk about the self giving love of Christ verses 3 and following talk about the self-centered love of man now there are two groups of sins with three sins in each it may kind of surprise us because of the grouping but the first grouping are three sexual sins and the second grouping are three conversation sins or speech sins and so let's look at them but sexual vice and any from immorality are sensual greed now sexual vice is the word porneia we get the English word pornography it reflects an Old Testament word for fornication and in the Old Testament there is a difference between fornication and adultery fornication being premarital sin sexual sin and adultery being extramarital sexual sins well this is the idea in the New Testament though of any kind of sexual impropriety the second word also has an understanding now it's surprising that greed appears here because you don't think of greed as being a sick sin but my translation sensual greed tries to get the idea that it's more and more for me at any cost it's running over people for sexual gratification the parallel to this will be Colossians 3:5 and you might will see that sensual greed must not so much be mentioned among you as that is the only course becoming God's people now remember and I think we forget so easy that the pagan day in which Paul was writing was a day where sex was done as an act of worship to the gods particular fertility gods and so many of these gods Diana had many many prostitutes where the sexual act was quote an act of worship where really it was an act of the gratification of flesh and so Paul is saying to people who were used to to using sex to worship God this is totally inappropriate maybe that's why he mentions it so often I think the background also is the false teaching of the Gnostics and there are two kind of Gnostics there is libertine Gnostics and there are Gnostics that tended to be very legalistic about the body Libertines or antinomian Gnostics would say well your body doesn't affect your spirit your spirit and body you're totally separate therefore you can know God it's in your mind it's a knowledge you can do whatever you want to with your body but the other group of Gnostics would say oh no if your body wants it you've got to deny it because the more you hurt your body the more spiritual you are and so it's the group of libertine or antinomian Gnostics to which Paul is referring here I think in the background this context verse for there must be no indecency silly talk or suggestive jesting suggestive jesting now these three words are only used here in the entire New Testament and all three of them seem to deal with vocabulary or speech that seems to be inappropriate whether it's testing about sexual things or bodily functions or telling dirty jokes or risque humor or sarcastic humor I'm not sure you might we'll see Colossians 3 8 and 429 I did a filthy talk it just shouldn't be so not about you but but that says a critical word some of my humor I've got to think through some of some of the joking I do and some of the things I say it's not appropriate for God's people to talk with the filthy mouth it's just not and I think we need to see that you might well see James 1 1 through 12 where it touch the tongue the tongue is a terrible thing to control and with it not only do we say filthy things but we curse men made in God's image James says a fountain shouldn't have fresh water in brackish water and that's what we tend to do as Christians when we claim to know God and some parts of our lives are praised and some part of our lives are so earthy and worldly friends all of life belongs to God and we just don't talk a certain way on Sundays and another way during the week our life should characterize who we are in Jesus Christ that's the idea for they are unbecoming there should be Thanksgiving instead and how often the idea of Thanksgiving is repeated matter of fact down here one of the the participles to describe what it means to be filled with the spirit is ever giving thanks you know let's see 1st Thessalonians 5:18 for the idea that Thanksgiving on a characterize of God's people speech not that the sensual talk notice where it makes it in verse 5 then for you may be absolutely sure it's as 2 verbs linked together and they're both verbs to know it is the periphrastic imperfect of the word yah and it is the participle of the word you know SCO's so it means intensified form you should know and know for sure well it's really strong way of putting things together that no one who is sexually impure immoral or greedy for gain that is idolatry can have a part in the kingdom of God now he's coming back to say that the way we live shows who we are this is the idea of Matthew 7 by their fruits you shall know them it's the idea of the idea of James 3 about by their talk you will know them it's the idea here but their life you'll know them you might want to go to first John chapter three verses three fumée six and nine we're habitual sins is a characteristic of those who are not God's people now I'm not saying here that Christians don't sin and I'm not saying Christians don't get involved in sexual sins periodically and in filthy talk but it's not God's will and if these kind of sins characterize a life it's obvious that life doesn't know God you say well I know a guy who's that like that claims to be a Christian there is an example of in 1st Corinthians 3 10 through 15 of a man who has built on the foundation of Christ but totally lives a self-centered life but friends he is the exception not the rule the norm is that when we once we meet Christ in our life reflects that meeting would change not only in actions and thoughts in but in deeds and in vocabulary now notice where it mentions greedy for gain now this greedy for gain picks back up on this sensual greed used earlier and so I think it's another one of those sexual sins this says that is idolatry you might want to see Colossians 3:5 is it saying that sexual greed is idolatry what maybe all of them are idolatry where the physical body becomes ultimate I think that's what it's talking about now when it says have a part in the kingdom of God this idea is present tense and it's the word inheritance continue to have an inheritance we talked about inheritance earlier in the book about that we are Co inheritors back in chapter 2 I believe verse 6 as well maybe it was 3 6 we talked about it and it's the idea of those who live this kind of life aren't inheritors with God so you can tell who's a believer by how they live the whole book of verse John is the book of assurance and it says you can know you're a Christian by the way you live that's the whole books about now I'm not saying the way we live makes us a Christian but I am sin the way we live gives evidence to the validity of our profession and lifestyle sin is a sign not of God's people but of the evil one now notice where it says the kingdom of Christ and God now in Luke 22 49 it's Jimmy 22:29 talks about God giving the king to his son I also think the eye the offending Colossians 1:13 but the kingdom of his beloved son shows that we're talking about the kingdom of God that's been transferred to the son and here both of them are mentioned with one of and so I think it links them together is both God in Christ Kingdom the kingdom is a central ideal the Gospels that means the reign of God and men's hearts now that will one day be consummated over all the earth as it as his reign is in heaven when the Lord's Prayer about that will be done on earth as it is in heaven it's a prayer for the kingdom of God to come and verse 6 stop letting this is another present imperative apparently with a May article which means stop and act already in process stop letting anyone deceive you with groundless arguments about these things it's an obvious lesion to the false teachers that were in philosophy and were apparently permeating the entire Asia Minor area these false teachers were saying Wow what'd you do your body is okay don't worry about that is this special knowledge we're going to give you and Paul says that's empty and vain and futile stuff don't anybody deceive you stop letting receive you they were being deceived they were to stop about these things what things sex ends filthy talk that kind of thing now for is because of these very sins that God's anger comes down upon the disobedient God's anger you mean God is mad as well as God is love the same Bible that teaches God is love teaches God is angry and his settled opposition is against man's rebellion and here's the idea I think we see so clearly in Romans 1:18 and following we see it clearly in Colossians 3 6 this is the idea either of temporal judgment that our sins do pay a price in this world are in eschatological judgment God is going to set it all straight it may be a prophetic present or it may be just a present and it's hard to know which it is here now down thus on the disobedient is a Semitic idiom here the sons of disobedience which we used back earlier in the book verse 7 so you must stop here's that present imperative with the may article stop and act in process it's a command having anything to do with them now this anything to do with them is the word Co holders we see a similar word down in verse 11 where it's Co fellowship errs now this very same word Co holders or partners with was used in chapter three verse six and so we got a C word we're not to have social fellowship not to separate ourselves often to some kind of little a cloister but it's the idea of not too socially fellowship not to be intimate friends with that's the idea here for at one time you were in darkness now you might we'll see chapter four eighteen part they were in darkness second Corinthians 4:4 says that Satan has blinded the eyes of the unbelievers this is the idea of the unregenerate man lives in darkness he has no life with God he has no sense of God's will for his life and that's what darkness is spoken of as here now this play on darkness and light is going to continue down through verse 14 it's very johanan in its emphasis John speaks of light and darkness you mount will see John chapter 12 you meet John 8 verse 12 that this emphasis is very much more like John than Paul but Paul uses it here now it says but now in union with the Lord you are light itself now it sounds to me like Matthew 5:14 you are the light of the world and that's what the idea here is and you must live like children of light another present imperative first John would put it you must walk in the light as he is in the light Ephesians 4:1 put it you must walk worthy of the calling wherewith you've been called we are to exemplify our family characteristics verse 9 but the product of light now some manuscripts some very old have the fruit of the Spirit and still the fruit of light but the manuscripts are in your in your notes I've mentioned to you and I think it must be light can't be spirit spirit comes from Galatians 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit but here the context demands the light the fruit of light is consistent practicing everything there's three of these that is good that is right that is true and those are characteristics of God's people first night verse 10 you must approve what is pleasing to the Lord of the word approve here is is a word that means to test the metals so we we approved by testing seems be the idea and God will show us what's pleasing and displeasing to him start having anything to do with if another president parity for the May article they were fellowshipping intimately with these obviously fallen people dark people they are to quit that profitless doings of darkness instead you must continue to expose them expose them how by our lifestyle by the proclamation of the gospel beca idea verse twelve furnace disgraceful even to mention the vices practice and secret by them now this may refer to the pagans in their worship like in the Temple of Diana or something or it may refer to the false teachers what they're practicing and we're just not sure verse thirteen and yet anything that is exposed by the light is made clear to them for anything that has made clear is light so it is said now verse fourteen is a quote some say it's a an allusion to either Isaiah 29 26 1960 verse 1 but if so it's a very loose illusion it's in a metrical pattern many of us think it's an early Christian hymn or confession of faith or something like that wake up sleeper get up from the dead in Christ will day dawn on you where it shined there like a morning star now wake up sleeper sleeper and dead speak of the moral condition the lost world dead goes back to chapter 2 verse 1 you're dead in your trespasses and sin sleep is the ideal of not being cognizant of what's around you the spiritual true that's around you now it says that Christ will day dawn on you it's the idea of Christ is already the morning star he's already shining but when you come to know him he that same light comes in you it's not the idea of you changing and then Christ comes on you there's too many other passages that speak about that God always takes the initiative like chapter 2 verse 8 God always comes in grace first but man must respond now in verse 15 following we're kind of in a different context now where it says so you must be very careful of how you live we've made an emphasis in four one five two and 5:15 it's obvious we're in a practical section that's very important that we know we're in a practical section when we deal with what it means to be filled with the spirit you must be very careful as a present imperative again notice the series of imperatives how thoughtlessly but thoughtfully now we'll see Colossians 4 or 5 we don't we don't live in foolishness but in wisdom and continue to make the most of your opportunities now this is the word redeeming it's a market term to mean to buy out completely something take full advantage of an opportunity and friends spiritual opportunities once lost never come back to us need to make the most of our spiritual opportunities for the times are evil it means this present time this opportunity with this the stage in which we live the world setting verse 17 so stop becoming senseless but understand what the will of God is now what is it it's not the will of God it's a will of God and what is that will of God the worthy walk the Christ likeness the imitating God that the the fleeing certain sins and the emulating certain characteristics of God that's what it's all about and then we come this very famous passage in verse 18 stop being drunk on wine that's a present imperative it seems to be a quote from proverbs 23 30 and 31 and I think it's a very important thing now but ever be filled with the spirit you'd think the contrast from being drunk would be temperance but that's not it now that there may be a reason for that it may be that as wine controls some people the spirit should control us it may be that the joy some people find in wine the Christians find in the Holy Spirit there's an exhilaration in him remember on Pentecost that Peter was accused of being drunk with wine when he preached to those and he said look it's too early it's 9 o'clock in the morning so maybe it's that connection or maybe it is as you have to continue to drink wine to get the effect maybe you have to continue to be filled with the spirit to get that effect maybe that's the idea stop being drunk with wine which means debauchery but ever be filled with the spirit now that's not a present imperative it's not an abnormal state for Christians to be filled it's the normal state it's not what they should do is super Saints there are no super Saints the norm for the Christian life is to be filled so what does it mean to be filled with the spirit now it's a present passive imperative we're to be filled by God not something we do God does it but he must yield ourselves to it now I wanna do several things real quickly here number one what does it mean to be filled but you get a concordance and look it up people are filled by many thing I've written just a few down here they're filled with rage they're filled with fear they're filled with Wonder and amazement they're filled with satan they're filled with envy they're filled with confusion they're filled with sorrow they're filled with unrighteousness they're filled with the Holy Spirit they're filled with joy their spirit they're filled with whatever but it's the idea of what controls or characterizes their lives so all men are filled with something now the word filled is using the book of Acts Peter is filled several times it says the early Christians were filled they're only baptised once first Corinthians 12:13 but the filling is recurrent apparently they leak this control herbs and flows need to continue to stay available for the Christ like life in us so filling is a repeatable occurrence we learned that from Acts the number of times the word is used over and over and several times for Peter himself so it's something that characterizes the life of man it's something that's repeatable and it's the norm well what exactly is it well first of all I want to say it's important that we see the context now I want to do a contextual flow for you and that it's important we see if there's any parallels because the book of Colossians and Ephesians are so parallel if I can find a word in Colossians that fits this I'll have it say it a little different way and lo and behold Colossians 3:16 says that being filled with the spirit what it is is is letting the mind of Christ richly dwell in you do you mean that being filled with the spirit is living the Christian life day by day that's exactly what I mean now follow with me I'm gonna do something overview and I'll come back and then fill it in this is a present imperative in verse 18 followed by five present participles the first four are present active and the fifth is present middle and this fifth present middle is followed by three domestic example this will beget wives and husbands parents children slaves and masters which I think would be comparable to employers and employees in our setting so it's going to find what filling is by these participles and it's not by accident that the this these threefold domestic example of submission which is the fifth participle is followed by the definitive passage on spiritual warfare you mean being filled with the spirit and spiritual warfare are connected yes and what that means is being filled with the spirit is living the life of Jesus every day in every relationship our life the spiritual warfare is not some big event fighting Satan somewhere and one time it is the daily nitty-gritty of living the life of Christ that's what makes it so hard and they gotta say wonderful truth need to hear now look with me knows it says and always be there five present partly given to you number one speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs number two the man has keep on praying that's the word singing and that and the third one is praising it's the word sawing with the Lord in your heart now hear that here's the first three of what it means to be filled the spirit are connected with music as under the Lord in your heart your person your deepest now I'm not a singer but I tell you what I catch myself humming the hymns of God in times of joy and in times of pressure those songs of faith those hymns those Psalms come back to me that's what I thing is there's a joy a melody that the world can't rob a Christian of that's the ideal here then the fourth one is giving thanks for everything to God our Father I will see 1st Thessalonians 5:18 Thanksgiving is an attitude of being filled the spirit as inner praise and vocal praise is to God now the fifth in verse 20 most many translations starting to paragraph in verse 21 and I think that is appropriate even though there's a series of five participles here for this reason the fifth is present middle which means that the person voluntarily participates in the action and I don't want to fill out my thunder for next week but the deal is these next domestic examples the wife is told to submit but if you'll look there's no verb there it's in italics which mean we're dropping the verb down from 21 and 21 is the universal principle that we are to submit ourselves to one another out of respect for Christ that's the universal principle and then because of that husband treat wives certain way and wives treat husbands and Christian parents treat Christian kids a certain way in Christian employers treat Christian employment this is this it's not that they deserve it that's a sounding spirit-filled in relationships it's because of who we are in Christ that we treat them in a certain way now that's the key of this passage I think we're in to see that you have talked initially about what not to do in chapter 4 17 through 32 then we've been told to imitate God and what is but take God forgiveness love it's all these aspects we've talked about then we talk about being filled with the spirit and their spirit filled life is connected with our daily living you see I think sometimes in our world we've separated the secular and the sacred it's kind of like what we do at church on Sundays and that's that's religious but what we do somewhere else on Monday afternoons or Thursday nights or Saturday mornings that's different no friends all of life is related to God and all of life is to flow from a Christian as a sacrifice of praise and good deeds and love and joy and Thanksgiving yes and submission to one another out of respect for Christ and so the spirit feel life is a very practical thing it's not a theology to be fought over it's a daily life to be lived now I want to tell you there's an exhilaration that comes with being filled the spirit there's a door that comes but primarily it's living the life of Christ at home at school at work when we have recreation times when we're with our families whenever we are the Spirit of Jesus ought to pervade our attitudes our actions our vocabulary it's crucial that we see this for the practical application of Ephesians is so much more significant than the doctrinal battle over what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives friends he wants to farm Christ in us that what he wants to do you

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Length: 26min 36sec (1596 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 19 2014