Ephesians 5 - Who Are You Imitating?

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5 1 Follow 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. 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. 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

Paul continues the practical application of the theological principles and promises he laid out in chapter 1-3. Usually we hear him say, "Follow Jesus' example", but this time he says, "Follow God's example". This is a continuation of chapter 4 when Paul admonishes us to grow to maturity in the fullness of Christ. So he is using Jesus and God interchangeably, because Jesus is God. 

Another version says, "be imitators of God".  As God's children most importantly we need to walk in the way of love. After all when we are loving, we are imitating God and Christ. But then Paul mentions some behaviors that are not of God as well. He starts with sexual immorality. We know there is much sexual immorality in our culture today. It is all over the internet. You can get pornography online 24/7. Sexual addiction is just as prevalent as alcohol or drug addiction today. 

Maybe this is why Paul says avoid, "Even a hint of sexual immorality". He knew sexual sin could be explosive and create great dissension in the body of Christ. It can and will tarnish the proclamation of the gospel. He adds to this obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking. We could probably all admit to doing this from time to time. I know I can. It is easy for us to get comfortable with these kinds of sins thinking, "Oh it's not that bad". 

But Paul is speaking in no uncertain terms as he says, "Such a person is an idolater and has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ." Wow! That is really harsh. Does that mean if I sin I don't inherit eternal life? The answer is "no". We don't lose our salvation if we sin. It doesn't negate what Jesus did on the cross. Paul does make it clear that these behaviors are reminiscent of our old way of life before we met Christ. 

 Paul’s idea in this passage can be applied out of context in a condemning way. One might say, “Well, I’ve thought about committing fornication, so that means that I have fornicated in my heart and that means that I am as guilty as someone who has actually committed the act of fornication. Since I am as guilty as that one, and they have no inheritance in the kingdom of God, neither do I, because of my thoughts about fornication.” This deceptive thinking goes against the plain sense of God’s word. - Guzik

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Instead of being in the darkness, we now live in the light. As we live in the light, we show forth the Spirit of truth and goodness. As we avoid "fruitless deeds of darkness", we actually expose them. When we find out what pleases God, we can live as children of the light. We can know what pleases God as we read the bible, and especially focus on the life of Jesus. Jesus lived his life in complete obedience to the Father. He is our model for living and He gave us HIS SPIRIT to enable and empower us to live that life. 

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We cannot be casual about how we live our life as Paul says, "These days are evil". We don't have to look very far around us to see this in our world. Just watch the news or stay up on current affairs. What is good we call bad, and what is bad we call good! The bible predicts this will happen, so we shouldn't be surprised. 

Paul says, "Don't get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery but be filled with the Holy Spirit." 

The antidote to living according to the sinful nature is to be "FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT". The verb tense is "continuous" meaning it happens on an ongoing basis. It should read, "keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit." It is not like you are filled with the Holy Spirit when you came to faith and that's it. The Holy Spirit is a PERSON of the Trinity. Each day we can ask the Holy Spirit to come into our lives, fill us, and renew us. Thanks be to God there are always re-fills of the Holy Spirit! 

Instructions for Christian Households

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Finally, Paul gives very practical instructions for husband and wives. He starts out by saying "submit to one another". It is good he started with this because it sets the tone for the whole passage. As we will see in the passage there is mutual submission in marriage. We submit to each other out of the love for Christ. This is true in the body of Christ and just as much true in our marriages. 

Paul likens the love a husband has for his wife to Jesus' love for his bride, the church. That's a pretty tall order guys. Jesus gave up everything for us on the cross. That is the type of submission Paul is talking about here. Women are also called to submit to their husbands as the head of the household. 

"Head of the household can be a loaded term, as our society has misued this term for many things. Anytime authority is given to someone, they will be accountable for how they use this authority before God. Whether it is a husband, father, mother, or someone in society, authority is used to serve others. 

Passages such as 1 Corinthians 11:7-10 make the point that God created Adam first, and gave him responsibility over Eve. This happened before the fall. Therefore, this passage makes it clear that before and after the fall, God ordained there be different roles between husband and wife. The difference in roles between husband and wife are not the result of the fall, and are not erased by our new life in Jesus.

Paul then describes the mystery of marriage. When a man leaves his parents (and a woman leaves her parents) they are united together and they become one in Christ. How can two become one? It is a mystery that can only be explained by God. This is why the Catholic's calls marriage a sacrament, and in some sense it is. It is sacramental in nature in that God makes marriage holy by his presence. It is not one of the TWO sacraments in the Protestant church, because it doesn't promise the forgiveness of sin like Baptism and Communion does. 

As you look at what is happening in our society with the many issues related to sexuality, LGBTQ, gender identity etc... you can see we have gone far afield from the bible's definition of a man and a woman, and what it means for them to become united in holy marriage. I wonder if God was for homosexuality, why he wouldn't have made provision for it in all of the New Testament passages about marriage. 

This is not about being harsh or judgmental. but just sticking to the plain reading of scripture. My heterosexual sin in some ways is no different than homosexual sin. Sin is sin. There is no ranking. It all offends God's holiness. Fortunately all of our sin past, present and future Jesus died for on the cross. 

These are very challenging times for the church. In addition to these issues, we know that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Usually it is the same percentage within and outside of the church. Scripture says what God joined together man should not separate. So we have the issue of divorce too. 

Pray for marriages, families, and the next generation as they grow up in a culture that has pretty much written off a Christian and biblical worldview. Pray for Christians to become teachers, politicians, and youth pastors to guide our children into the abundant life Jesus has offered to all of us. Most of all, let's offer our lives to God and be an example of someone who is imitating God! It is only by God's grace and power can we be the man or woman he called us to be!