Tonight we continue in the second half of this wonderful book of Ephesians…doctrine in the first half, how to live out that doctrine in the second half

To summarize the doctrinal portion: we learned that our salvation is solely the work of God, originated by God “before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1.4) and accomplished by God on our behalf while we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2.1); we see that salvation described as “by grace through faith” in Ephesians 2.8-9; we’re reminded that we are now part of a single people for God’s possession, “one flock with one shepherd” according to John 10; to the purpose that “Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Eph 3.17); as he finishes this doctrine of the church as the body of Christ, he turns to the practical matter of instructing the church about how to live like the church we are

In the exhortational portion of the book, the last three chapters, we are told to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as the single people that we now are; that the Church has been given gifted leaders, who are charged to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph 4.12); and that we are to be who we are, to walk in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ…that we are to live in light of the fact that we have put off the old self of the flesh, and put on the new self in Jesus

Now, as we begin the fifth chapter, Paul puts a spotlight on our ethics and behavior -- on the choices we make each day about how we live in relationship to God directly, and to each other, particularly within the body of Christ

Turn with me to Ephesians 5.1-21 and we’ll read God’s word together

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

                                          “Awake, O sleeper,

                                             and arise from the dead,

                                                 and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Would you join me in prayer

Tonight we tackle a fairly large and robust piece of Scripture still focusing on the ethical and exhortational teaching from the apostle Paul to prepare us to live out the doctrine of the first three chapters

While it looks a bit as if it is just a collection of short, unrelated verses, I think there are two overarching comparisons throughout the passage…light and darkness in verses 3 through 14, and worship and idolatry in verse 15 through 21…but we’re going to get started with the first two verses as an introduction, if you will…

I. Imitate God                              5.1-2

As last week, we begin with the word “therefore” -- and as last week, Paul strongly connects the thoughts at the end of our chapter four to the thoughts he now introduces at the beginning of our chapter five -- recognizing, of course, there were no verse or chapter divisions as Paul writes this letter from prison in Rome…chapter four ends as follows:

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Paul gives the Ephesians two broad instructions -- one negative and one positive -- at the end of chapter four that form the basis of his beginning of chapter five…the negative injunction focuses entirely on words related to hatred, and is very clear about the intent of the apostle to ensure the church understands that bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice -- and the attitudes, words, and actions that are created by them -- have absolutely no place in the church, or for that matter, in the heart of a believer…they must be “put away” or “put off” in the language of the earlier part of chapter four 

Paul also gives a very positive instruction: be kind -- be compassionate -- be forgiving. In other words, live out the very nature of Jesus, who in Himself perfectly embodied all those qualities and more…and as we follow Him in His kindness, compassion, and forgiving spirit, we will become His presence in the worlds in which we live and to the people with whom we are in contact

And the next thought from the apostle moves us from fairly familiar territory -- put away anger in all its forms, and reach out to others in kindness, compassion, and forgiveness -- to a thought, an idea, found nowhere else in Scripture, something so startling that at first we might not even catch it’s full meaning…

Imitate God.

“Imitate” renders Gr ‘mimetai’ meaning to copy closely, repeat another person’s speech, actions, or behavior…source of our English word “mimic” and “mimeograph machine” if you remember those…

As “beloved children” -- Bryan Chapell speaks of the foundational call to Christian life as based not in our behavior, but in our identity…what we do comes from who we are, not the other way around…the world might think that our worth and value come from what we can do or provide to others…but that’s not what the Bible teaches…our worth and value are found simply in our humanity, that we were, and are, created in the image of God…but beyond that, the Bible speaks to a relationship, initiated by God as we learned in chapter 1, by which His children know and understand Him as Father -- the Name given to us by His Son, Jesus Christ, God the Son Himself…in that relationship, we are His children, not just His creation…and as His children, His “beloved children”, Paul says we are to imitate God

If you are a parent, you know well what Paul speaks of here…nothing is more endearing than watching a parent lovingly care for a little child, raising that little girl or boy up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, as we will see in the next chapter…and it doesn’t take long, does it, for that little one to start to mimic mom or dad…what they see and hear they will try to imitate…it is a wise parent who recognizes that tendency of children, and lives a godly life before that child, so that their son or daughter has the great benefit of a godly example to imitate, and it is a blessed son or daughter who has godly and wise parents who are walking with Jesus, whom they can look to for a life worthy of imitation

Sometimes that instruction to “walk” is lived out in a literal way…I recall when I was about six years old, we lived in southern Ohio…in the winter, Ohio can get some significant snowfall…one late afternoon, after a snowstorm had blown through, I went out in the front yard with my dad, for a reason I can’t recall, but the snow was about up to the middle of my thighs…it wasn’t much for my dad, but for me, it was overwhelming…the only way I could walk in that snow at all was to raise my feet up as high as I could, and place them in the footprints made by my dad…now, of course, that experience calls to my mind our instruction in I Peter to “follow in the steps” of Jesus

I Peter 2.21

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 

But you see the point…we are to imitate God, to mimic Him…but how?

We have to watch and listen to Him…just as young children do their parents…and the truth of it is this: that doesn’t happen in only days or weeks, or even months, but years…it takes us a while to begin to learn His voice and His ways, to understand what He does and how He does it…to that end, it’s critical to stay in His word, for that is the infallible, authoritative source of truth about God, since He’s revealed it Himself, but after that, start to watch and listen around you…you’ll see and know Him there, too, as you begin to see God acting in ways consistent with His word

John 10.3b-5

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 

As His sheep, we need to carefully listen for His voice -- so much so that we won’t hear or heed other voices clamoring for our attention

So we are to watch and imitate our God, as His beloved children…but how can I imitate God?

Good question…I think the answer is in two places….one is in John 14.8-11

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

In a sense, to imitate God the Father is to imitate Jesus -- which we will see as we progress further into chapter five…but I also wanted to share just a few thoughts about something we don’t often consider…the attributes of God

We can think about Who God is by considering His attributes -- characteristics or elements of Who He is as far as we can understand Him

One good way to think about them is to put them in two categories: incommunicable and communicable

Incommunicable attributes are those characteristics of God that are completely unique to Him, which He does not share or “communicate” with us…for example, He is independent and self-sufficient (He needs nothing and is entirely sufficient in and of Himself); He is immutable (His character and nature never change); He is eternal (with no beginning or end -- existing outside of and beyond time as we know it); omniscience (He knows everything -- there’s nothing He does not know); omnipotence (He has all power within Himself); and unity (He is unified and completely integrated within Himself, and infinitely perfect in all His attributes)

But there are attributes that we, as His special creation, share with Him in part or by degrees because we are created in His image

God is Spirit -- thus we have a spirit as well

God is omniscient -- He knows all things perfectly and completely -- but He has given us the ability to know and understand in part, even to the point of revealing Himself in part to us

God is wise -- He is all-wise, but in His image, we are given to know His wisdom as He reveals it to us in His word

God is good -- He is good all the time, and all the time God is good, as we sing, but He enables us by His Spirit to be good, too

God is holy -- He is perfectly holy in all His ways and His character, the thrice-holy God (Isaiah 6.3   “3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”) , but He communicates that holiness to us in a partial way, even to the point of commanding us “Be holy, even as I am holy” (I Peter 1.16)

So to the degree that we are empowered and enabled by God’s Spirit, we can imitate our Heavenly Father in His attributes by walking according to His word and in the power of His Holy Spirit

So as His beloved children, can we, as far as we are able, imitate God -- walk as He walks, speak as He speaks, live as He lives? Yes -- yes, we can.

What does that look like? 

It looks like Jesus. 

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

We are to live out the very love with which Jesus loves us -- which involves sacrifice and offering -- in relationship to others, but giving that back to God

The language in verse 2 is overtly related to ancient and even first-century worship practices…burning the offering on the altar was a picture of wholehearted devotion to God…He offered up Himself, and we must do the same

Now as we progress into the remainder of the passage for tonight, we will see what it means to live and love in a holy and sacrificial way

II. Light and Darkness                           5.3-14

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

   and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

Light and darkness is a frequently used Biblical metaphor…Paul uses it here to help the Ephesians (and us) understand what it means to walk in love as Jesus did

Paul is very clear -- for those who are “children of light” as he says in verse 8, there are things that we simply cannot participate in -- first he lays out the prohibitions -- the “what”

The first type of sin Paul addresses has to do with our sexuality

   “Sexual immorality” renders ‘porneia’ (4202) -- a broad word encompassing all sexual sins; inclusive of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and a host of other sexual perversions known to the first century and the twenty-first century

   “All impurity” renders Gr ‘akatharsia’ (167) -- moral uncleanness and filth; lewdness; defilement; pollution; it would include basically all actions that would be understood as morally wrong; unclean, even in a legal or ceremonial sense; unfit, participating in that which pollutes or defiles; it would include pornography and lustful thoughts as well, given the sexual nature of the context

Paul could hardly have chosen two more fitting words to give his readers the widest possible understanding of the variety of sexual sins -- and even these general words probably didn’t capture the full extent of the sexual perversions in that day or this

   “Covetousness” renders Gr ‘pleonexia’ (4124) -- greediness in all its forms; includes love of money in order to hoard away; avarice; used of extortion to obtain wealth; also used of theft and stealing; covetous thoughts and plans; fraud; one lexicon said it defined it this way -- “it may be said to be the root from which these sins grow, the longing of the creature which has forsaken God to fill itself with the lower objects of nature” -- but given the context of this word, it carries here a sexual connotation as well…a greediness, a covetousness for sexual sin, even for the body of another person or sexual intimacy with that person

Once we understand more clearly what these sins are, we will understand why Paul says they are “not even to be named among you, as is proper among the saints” -- these are both public and private, but are so far from the nature of Jesus Christ, from His command to walk in God’s love in relationship to others, that for these sins to be connected to the body of Christ, or to an individual believer, is in itself, shameful -- that’s why when prominent Christians fall into sexual or moral sin, it is still shocking to us -- it is so wrong, that we all react toward it in shame

But Paul doesn’t stop there…now he addresses our speech

4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 

   “Filthiness” renders Gr ‘aischrotes’ (151) -- indecent, improper; summarizes a wide variety of improper conduct, whether in actions or words, even in thought and intent; conduct that, when exposed by the light, would rightly make a person ashamed of himself; in this context, especially related to our speech; this is the only use in the NT

   “Foolish talk” renders Gr ‘morologia’ (3473) -- this is a compound word combining two words, ‘moros’ silly, stupid, foolish (moron) and ‘lego’ to speak…talking like a fool; it is the type of speech that betrays the one speaking as a fool; another bit of fatherly wisdom from my dad: “better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”

   “Crude joking” renders Gr ‘eutropelia’ (2160) -- facetiousness, coarse jesting or joking; “the turning of one’s speech for the purpose of exciting mirth or laughter”; a scoffer, one who sneers; this would probably be the word applied in English to a typical late-night talk show host’s monologue or cable TV comedian’s routine

Again, Paul condemns this particular type of sin as being “out of place” -- an interesting way to say that if you observed it in the body of Christ, in public or private conversation, you would be struck by how inappropriate it is

Paul immediately gives the positive and proper alternative: thanksgiving -- in order to use your speech appropriately, give thanks to God

Now Paul turns to the “why” -- the consequences of the sin 

5 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 

The first consequence is a crushing indictment, especially when prefaced by Paul’s statement, “you may be sure of this…” 

The word for “sexually immoral” is, as you would expect, closely related to the word for sexually immorality used in verse 3, but it also carries with it not just the idea of sexual immorality, but also signified those who were temple cult male prostitutes; likewise, “one who is impure” is the noun form of the word in verse 3…with regard to covetousness, Paul turns to the actual root problem, and declares such a one to be an idolater; one who would place sin and self on the throne rightly occupied only by the Almighty God

Those for whom such sin is an accepted and embraced lifestyle, a lifestyle and persistent pattern from which they will not turn and repent even when warned, will have “no inheritance” in God’s kingdom or Christ’s reign…they refuse to turn from their grievous sin and turn to faith in a forgiving God

The second warning is as crushing as the first: those same people will suffer the wrath of God; they are properly named by Scripture here as the “children of disobedience” -- the same word used in Ephesians 2.2, “2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

It's hard to picture a more pointed warning of the fires of Hell than this.

But Paul continues as his focus turns to the response of the Ephesian believers

7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, 

“partners” renders Gr ‘summetochos’ (4830) -- partner or partaker together with…used also in Ephesians 3.6, there rendered ‘partakers’ -- means just what you think it means, to come alongside someone in partnership and shared purpose

Paul’s command is clear: do not partner with these people…he understood that many of the church members in Ephesus likely had been partners with such people, and had even been those people themselves…but now they could be no longer…this is another example of the principle Paul introduced in chapter four: “putting off” the old life & “putting on” the new life

You are different now -- you are no longer “darkness” but you are “light in the Lord” -- live that way, walk that way -- BE WHO YOU ARE!

Paul continues with the positive instruction in verse 8b-14…

but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

   and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

He affirms for them again the fundamental truth: in Christ, “…you are light in the Lord.” Each of the Ephesian believers should have been saying to themselves, as we should -- “I’m not who I was.” And that isn’t simply positive thinking or affirming self-talk -- that is the witness of the word of God -- if you have placed your faith and trust for life now and eternity in the hands of Jesus Christ, then you are saved, you are delivered, you are redeemed, and don’t you believe the lie of the world and the Devil that you’re just the same, that no one wants or loves you, that nothing really changed in your life, that you’re the same lost and dying sinner that you’ve always been…that’s a lie from the pit of Hell, and don’t you believe it…by the grace of God, you are a saint, bought back from the slave market of sin, and destined for an eternal glory the likes of which we can’t even imagine…your future in Jesus is secured and assured, beyond the reach of anyone in this world or the next who would like to pull you back into the pit of hopelessness and despair…you’re walking with Jesus Himself, from now until the day He takes you home to be with Him in the Father’s house forever.

Paul tells it to us straight: “walk as children of light”

Let your first concern be to please the Lord Who bought your freedom with His own blood; for is there any higher allegiance we could possibly have than Him? Don’t take part in the works of darkness -- that’s not who you are anymore -- it should be as foreign to us as it is possible to be…it didn’t change, but we sure did.

Instead of participating in the works of darkness, we should be exposing them…not by dragging them out into the light, but by BEING the light…simply walk each day without compromise, without returning to the darkness, and by your presence you will expose the darkness for what it is…at times He will lead you to confront or face rebellion and sin…that will come when He wishes…but the first thing is to walk each day in the light, unwilling to return to the person you used to be…and unwilling to even return to discussion or certainly admiration of the works of darkness, which surround us…instead, live such a distinctive life that everyone who sees or hears you will know that there is something really different about you…never be afraid of being who you are in Jesus…most in the world won’t understand or care, or might even mock or ridicule you for your stand for Jesus, but some will see and be drawn to Christ because of your witness…may the Lord use us all to bring others to faith as we are the light in a dark world…by living for Christ, you’ll expose the works of darkness…be faithful in that work 

Paul completes this passage with an interesting quotation: 

“Awake, O sleeper,

   and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

It’s unclear where this came from…it evidently wasn’t Paul himself, since he places quotation marks around it…scholars think that the most likely source is a baptismal hymn, meant to be sung when a believer is baptized…it’s consistent with the picture of baptism as a form of death followed by resurrection…just as we understand it today 

The point is clear…wake up and live for Jesus, and Christ will shine on you, live out the light of His presence through you. 

Amen!

III. Worship and Idolatry                        5.15-21

Now Paul turns to the second comparison that illuminates what it means to imitate God and walk in love…

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

We’re reminded in verse 15 of a basic truth of the Christian life -- that we must carefully and soberly examine our lives…it’s a wise Christian who takes a thorough look at his or her own life on a regular basis, right alongside the Holy Spirit…as we noted a few weeks ago in Psalm 139

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

   Try me and know my thoughts! 

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

   and lead me in the way everlasting! 

Even during communion -- which we will celebrate here at VBVF by video on August 9th -- we are enjoined by Paul to examine ourselves

I Corinthians 11.28

28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

Why? Because an unexamined life can start to develop persistent sinful behaviors, if only through neglect and inattention, much like a garden develops weeds when the gardener doesn’t pay attention to pulling the weeds. And it’s easier to pull a weed when it’s small than when it’s three feet tall…so use the time we have -- “redeem” it, as the King James Version would say, buy it back for use in the Kingdom of God…none of us know how long we truly have left to live, so it makes sense to not waste a day…whether the motive is love and gratitude for all that Jesus has done for you, or adding to the potential rewards for your service for Him, or just to hear “well done, good and faithful servant” -- use the time you have

So don’t be foolish in this matter…it is no small thing to earn the title of “fool” from the Scripture…you would be grouped with the Pharisees in Luke 11 who confused the value of the external and internal things of life, or the wealthy farmer in Luke 12 who thought that his life consisted of his possessions, or the person in I Corinthians 15 who misunderstood the truth of the bodily resurrection of believers…

Instead, we’re told to “understand what the will of the Lord is…” -- seek to know Him, not just know about Him…the more closely we follow Jesus, and learn His ways, the more we will discern of His plans and desires…His will

It’s consistent with Paul’s words in Romans 12.1-2…

Romans 12.1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

By refusing to conform to the world’s standards and ways, but instead being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit renewing our minds through the living and active word of God, He will teach us His will, and rightly guide us in it…

Now Paul turns to, what for us, might seem an odd placement of an instruction regarding the use of alcohol…

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

This is another point of comparison for the apostle between worship and idolatry…for the warning here most likely isn’t just about excessive use of wine as an addiction or behavioral issue, though that is a problem, but about the idolatrous worship of Dionysus (in the Greek pantheon) or Bacchus (in the Roman pantheon) -- this false god was considered the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, orchards and fruit, vegetation, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity and theatre -- as you might expect, among non-Christians this would have been a fairly popular idolatrous religion…there are records of such worship dating from as early as 1300 BC, and religious art dated as late as 200 AD, so worship of this false god was very likely present in Ephesus, and certainly in other major cities of the Roman Empire

This background helps us understand the mention of idolatry throughout this passage, and helps account for this warning from Paul and his description of excessive use of wine, especially associated with this false religion, as “debauchery” -- rendered from the Gr ‘asotia’ -- a dissolute, debauched, profligate manner of living

Instead, Paul instructs us to “be filled with the Spirit” -- pleroo, to be filled up. It’s said in the passive voice -- this is something done for us and to us, not by us…but I think our role is to diligently seek that filling of the Spirit…a topic that deserves it’s own lesson…but one action that Paul links to that filling is worship…

The very worship that we engaged in and enjoyed at the beginning of this evening’s study is a powerful way to stay vitally connected to the Holy Spirit…I have long said that in my own worship, in choirs and musical settings, that I have been singing for an audience of One -- the Lord Jesus. And while that is true, there is another aspect -- a communal aspect -- of our worship, too…we are to “address one another” with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs -- all words represent things that are musical in nature…a “psalm” is a song sung with musical accompaniment; “hymns” Gr ‘humnos’ is a Magnificat, a declaration of how great someone or something is…the early Church Father Augustine defined a hymn as having three characteristics: it must be sung; it must be praise; and it must be to God; “spiritual songs” renders ‘pneumatikos’ (4152) and ‘ode’ (5603) -- spiritual songs, rightly translated

When we sing, we are praising God, without question, but we are also addressing each other, encouraging each other as together we sing our praises to the Lord…it’s the difference between singing praise songs at home by yourself, and singing them together with other believers in worship…I’m encouraged by hearing you sing praise to the Lord…you’re making melody in your heart, but I hope that melody and praise also comes out your mouth, for we know that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks…especially, as Paul notes, in thanksgiving to the Father and Jesus Christ

So Paul’s instruction is simple: turn aside from the idolatrous pagan religions of false idols like Bacchus or Dionysus, and turn to praise and worship and thanksgiving to the Almighty One, the only True and Living God

Paul concludes this portion of chapter five with one last admonition, that actually sets up the remainder of the chapter as next week we will turn to a passage -- 5.22-33 -- that is often called a “household code” about relationships

21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

This can’t mean that everyone in church submits to each other all the time in such a way that no one leads or follows in any effective way…so what does this mean? 

I think it sets the stage for the clear authority relationships that follow -- husband/wife, parents/children, employer/employee -- by affirming that ultimately, all of us submit to Christ, and that it is from our reverence to Him that we rightly relate to all others around us…this verse doesn’t invalidate the passage that follows, but instead lays the foundation that we are not to “lord it over” one another in any relationship, especially in those in which there are clear authority relationships involved

Application -- Get Truth Into Life And Act On It

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

As we recall where we started tonight -- learning that we are to imitate God and walk in love -- the application of the Spirit’s instruction is clear through the comparisons Paul uses to illustrate the truth: light v. darkness and worship v. idolatry

We are to:

Walk in distinctively holy and pure sexual relationships, avoiding even the hint of improper or sinful behavior

Reject wrong and inappropriate speech in our lives, thereby maintaining an effective witness before the world

Turn away from any partnership in those sins with others who would lure you into the same trap they are in, what Paul refers to as the “unfruitful works of darkness” -- in fact, don’t honor that wrongful behavior by debating or speaking about it; instead, live lives of faithfulness and holiness before those around you so that the light of your witness exposes the darkness of the sinful practices

From a positive point of view, we are to:

Walk “as children of light” -- discerning the will of the Lord -- understanding His word and His ways -- using the time we have to serve the Lord God as best we are able -- absolutely avoiding idolatry in all it’s forms and worshipping the One True God alone -- and living in right relationship with each other, not guided by pride or arrogance, but in humility and peace

I think somewhere in there is something for each of us to consider and act on to walk more closely with Jesus…I challenge you to pick two and get started this week.