Are You In the World Or Of the World? Ephesians 5:1-7

As we move into chapter 5, Paul continues to teach the Ephesians how to respond to the 

grace they have received through faith in Christ. In chapter 4 Paul teaches them how to act 

within the body as one church, now the teaches them how to live out in the world.  

1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  As we live out our Christian life we have goals to live for. We are to imitate God our Father, as a reflection that we are his children.  We are to walk in the way of love. Now that would sound pretty simple until we see the standard for what walking in love looks like.  Our example for walking in love is to love like Jesus did.  

"Specifically, Christ willingly lay down His life for those who were spitting on Him and whipping He. He took insults and fists and returned them with sacrificial forgiveness." Verse by Verse International.   

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  Paul begins with our personal purity.  Not only does he call for purity, but he doesn't even want a hint of immorality among them.  As was the situation for the church in Corinth, Ephesus was a major city with all of the influences a big city brings with it.   Paul tells the Ephesians that if they are going to be imitators of God and walk in the way of Christ they can't conform to the values in the culture around them.   

We see many of these same influences infiltrating the church today.  Whether it be sex outside of marriage, pornography, or other assorted vices; many of us live in places eerliy similar to Corinth and Ephesus.  These behaviors are so commonplace in our culture it is easy to just sweep them under the carpet.  

"If we think this is the new normal in the Church, then we’ve lost the message of love Christ left for us to share with the world. Our message has merely become the world’s message 
Which is love yourself at all costs. And that message brings no one closer to God"  (Verse by Verse)
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  This is a challenging verse. Is Paul referring to believers or unbelievers?  All believers have an inheritance in heaven, so we can assume he is talking about unbelievers.  If this is true, then Paul is saying these behaviors resemble an unbeliever, who has no inheritance in heaven.  Although we can't lose our inheritance we can certainly diminish its value to us by the way we live our lives. 

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. By this statement Paul infers there were false teachers or leaders in the church, who were minimizing these behaviors in the church.  They were probably saying things like, "It's not that bad."  "After all were saved by grace not works."  "After all we are human!".  "Don't worry about it these behaviors are not that important to God." 

To wake these believers up Paul says these behaviors bring on God's wrath.  Is this statement meant for believers or unbelievers?  We might say both in the sense that God feels the same way about sin either way. For believers our sin brought on God's wrath, which Jesus took upon himself on the cross.  An unbeliever will experience God's wrath on judgment day and have to pay for their own sins. God is just so he can't allow sin to go unpunished.  

If we are tempted to water down our sin or not take it seriously, we might want to think of what Jesus endured for us on the cross, so we didn't have to face God's wrath.  We don't talk much about God's wrath anymore.  We would rather talk His love for obvious reasons and rightfully so, but to totally forget about God's wrath causes us to forget about the Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross.  We can't forget what our sin cost Jesus.

7 Therefore do not be partners with them. The word for "partakers" means to share something with someone.  Knowing the wrath that is coming on those who have no inheritance in God's kingdom should make us think twice about the people we associate with and spend time with.  It's not that God wants to take us out of the world, where we will have no influence.  After all the light shines greatest in the darkness.  But we need to be IN the world but not OF the world.   

As you think about Paul's words today, where are you convicted to being more of an imitator of God, and a person who walks in Christ's love?  Why are the behaviors listed not compatible with those two goals?  Are there people in your life who try to get you to buy into the world's way of thinking and partake in their lifestyle?  Is this the kind of relationship that is going to help you live a life worthy of your calling?  How will those who know you are Christian interpret your behavior?