we are studying the book of Ephesians. This whole section is about the total transformation that we have in Christ. Paul said we are to put off the old man and put on the new man, like changing a coat. And he described what the old man was like, your pre-Christian ways, and he describes the new man and what that's supposed to be like. So we're in that same section, and this is a very general section. He gets down to the more specific parts later on in this chapter. He talks about roles for husbands, wives, children, employees, employers, but for right now, this applies to everybody. So we're in chapter 5, verses 1 and 2 is the first paragraph, and we're given two commands to start off with. So let's read that and figure out what those two commands are. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us. an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. What are the two commands? What's the first one? Okay, one, imitate God, and second was what Doug or somebody said, you walk in love. The word imitate is from the Greek word mimeti, you can tell we've got our word mimic from that, so he says, mimic God. And what's the relationship between these two commands? Are they two separate things, or does the second one explain the first one? It kind of looks like the second one explains the first one. Yeah, mimic God and do this. What'd he do? Walk in love, that's right. And this Greek word for walk is peripateo. Okay, so what? Peri means like perimeter, perimeter means around, and pateo is to walk, so walk around. So he's saying walk around in the sphere of love. You're just supposed to be really walking all around in that thing. And he starts off with the word therefore in the ESV. Now what's the therefore therefore? What do we refer back to? I think so, Val. You want to read that for us? Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Even though it could refer to all the stuff we've studied in this section, I tend to agree with Val that he's probably zinging off verse 32 about we are to forgive each other just as God in Christ has forgiven us. There were no what? There were no chapters. I was kind of sorry to see the big five there, as a matter of fact. the kids helping, but they give them tasks to do. And I think it's exactly the same way that God tasks us to go out and help and share and stuff like that. He can do that on his own. Sure. He doesn't need our help. As beloved children, that's the picture that we should be having, that we should be looking to see, what's God doing? Is there something that I could get in on? Amen and you know it's so cute every now and then you'll see a daddy out in the front yard mowing the grass and behind him is a little boy with a toy lawnmower pushing behind him. So children like to imitate their parents and of course parents love that don't they? So as beloved children we are to imitate our father God, the whole Trinity really. What did he do? Well, He served us, He walked in love, and He forgave us. So, this is pretty closely linked to that verse about where to forgive one another. Now, I don't know if you've noticed or not, but being in a church like we're in, this relational kind of church, there's a lot of opportunities for us to offend each other. If you go to a church that's real cold and informal, and you dress up in your Sunday best, and all you do is come in and sit on the pew and go out, and that's the last you see anybody. You know, you can kind of keep a keep a fence around you, you look like you got your act together, we're fine, yeah, very nice to see you, and don't get too close, and sit down, and then you leave. So it's not as easy to be offended or to offend people, but in this kind of church, it's plenty easy. There are people in church, I think, that have the spiritual gift of offending other people. No, wait a minute, that's not a gift, is it? No. In fact, you probably find this hard to believe, but I've managed to offend people every now and then. Just take it by faith. But what we are supposed to all have is the grace of being forgiving, aren't we? And overlooking the transgression. So the people who can't do that don't last long in a smaller church. Because they're just too offended. They wind up in a great big church where you can get lost in the crowd and be fairly anonymous. So, anyhow, this is really an important part of church life, is forgiving, just as God in Christ forgave us. And no matter how much you are offended by anything Nick does, just remember how much God has forgiven you. For what you've done, I mean, it's a far greater offense that each of us has toward God than any of us have toward each other, right? You've just got to do that. That's just what it comes down to, isn't it? Everything in the Bible, everything in the New Testament was written to a church and met in a Roman home. a smaller setting, and everything it talks about works better in that setting. According to my studies, a Roman atrium was pretty close to the size of this room right here. This is about the size that a Roman home would have had a room to meet in. A hundred people? Something like that? Okay. As beloved children were to imitate God, Jesus said, whoever has my commandments and keeps them... What's the rest of it? What? Fill in the blank. He it is who loves me. That's your litmus test. If you love Jesus, what will you do? Keep his commandments. Even though it's true God accepts us just as we are, he doesn't leave us as we are. He messes with us right away and he starts making us like he is and that's part of it. Leviticus 1144, I am the Lord or I am Jehovah your God, consecrate yourselves therefore and be Holy, for I am holy. 1 John 3, 2, Beloved, we are God's children, and we know that when He, Jesus, appears, we will be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. So we are to be, as God's children, like Jesus. So in Jesus, you see man as God intended men to be, the perfect man, right there. So just in case you missed it, and I don't think you did, but what standard for walking in love does Paul set before us in verse 2? Tell me again. What's your standard? Okay, just as Christ loved us, right. So Jesus said, A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, so you also are to love one another. In New Covenant theology, we're not under the law of Moses. We're under the law of Christ. And it's just one law. And it's in John 13, 34, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another. So Paul goes on to say in Romans 13, he says, owe no one anything except There's one thing you do owe other people. What? Love. Accept to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet. If any other commandment are summed up in this word, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And it says if you do this, it'll be like a fragrant What? Fragrant aroma or something? Is that what it says? The word fragrant is euodia. Eu, like euphonium or eulogy, means good. And odia, we get a word, odor. A good odor. King James translates it as sweet smelling. So if you want to smell good to God, what do you need to do according to this? Yeah, love like Christ. Walk around in love. Forgive each other. Try real hard not to go out of your way to offend other people that help. Serve other people. That's all part of it. Now, 3 through 14. We get into some pretty tough stuff here. First he talks about walking in love. Now he's going to talk about walking in light. And he kind of fleshes that out for us. So let's read 3 through 14 and understand that, Matthew, what it means to walk in light. But sexual immortality and all impurity are... Immorality. I said immortality. I thought you said immortality. No. And all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you must be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral, or impure, or is covetous, that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of the disobedient. Therefore, do not become partners with them. For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything becomes visible in the light, Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. According to this, what does it mean to walk as children of the light? What does he say that that means in this paragraph that Matthew read? You walk as imitators of Christ. That's very good. And he says, you awake from the sleep of spiritual death, and you let the quickening light of Christ shine on you. And it means when you walk as Christ, you can discern good from evil. That's what he's been talking about here, right? You can discern what's pleasing to the Lord, that you want to forsake the deeds of darkness. So let's take this apart some more. In three through six, he mentions some behaviors that are to be far from us. I want to know what those behaviors are. Fornication, covetousness, and foolish talking. There's one more that he repeats a second time. It's what? An uncleanness, that's right, or impurity. So three of those he says twice. The one about dirty talking he just says once, basically. That's why I said dirty talking. What's the difference between sexual immorality and the ESV says impurity or Denton's version, probably King James says uncleanness. What's the difference between impurity and sexual immorality? by mixing one thing with another, you can create impurity. And that can be in anything that we do. Honesty, lack of love, etc., etc. Sexual immorality refers to sexual acts that are outside of the commandments of God. So sexual immorality could be impurity. at least in common usage, impurity could also be sexual immorality. But impurity is actually a much broader term, isn't it? Yeah, I think so. So, the Greek word for sexual immorality is pornea. Guess what English word we get from that? Yeah, exactly, but whereas pornography in English is just one thing, this original Greek word referred to any kind of illicit sexual activity. The word for impurity is literally what Dallas said, it means unclean, is that what you said? Uncleanliness. It's the Greek word ah, which means not, and then catharsia, we got a word catharsis, a catharsis is a cleansing, it's unclean. Literally. It has the idea of being polluted or impure, as Al said so very well. And so, some people feel like sexual immorality is something you do outwardly, it's an act you commit, and they feel like impurity is more in the mind. Yeah, things you think about you shouldn't think about. And not necessarily just bad sexual things, but bad ambitions or revenge or greed. And maybe an example of impurity is that sin he didn't repeat twice, which was one about a foul mouth. Maybe that's an example of impurity. So he says, In verse 4, saying things you shouldn't say, he says they're out of place for us as Christians. The word foolish, as in, how does he say that, foolish talk or something, is moro logia, moro, we got a word moron. logia is talk, moro it means idiotic speech, silly speech. crude joking is from a greek word, it means to turn something. these guys on the radio, well i hate to say it but i will, neil borch was worse than anybody about this, somebody, belinda or somebody would say something perfectly innocent. about a Christmas song or something, and he could turn that thing into a sexual innuendo just like that. He just thought that way. And so, that's this, you take something innocently said and you turn it into a crude joke, that's what he said not to do here. And so, James says, if anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, this person's religion is... Yeah, worthless. False would be a similar idea. And Jesus said, on the Day of Judgment, people will give an account for every careless word they speak. Whew! That's pretty rough. Another thing he says not to do is not covet. Why is it wrong to covet? Okay, let's go with Eric first. What did you say? You ought to be content with what you have. The Bible says that you should be content with what you have. In fact, he said if you have food and something to wear, you ought to be content. He didn't even mention a house. What's the difference between having a godly ambition and coveting what somebody else... Why won't I have that instead of him? Why didn't God give me that instead of him? That's where you get in trouble. Let's see, now let me go to Denton and then go over to Al. Was that you who said something a minute ago? I guess that's how the devil tempted Eve at first, isn't it? Coveting that fruit and what it would do for her, he said. Yeah, Al? I think that coveting, like a lot of other sins, is a form of narcissism. It basically says the only thing that really matters here is that I want that thing, and whatever that thing may be. And it cares about nothing else. So in a sense, it is a total disrespect for the concept of private property, the concept of this belongs to you, not me. It is kind of flying in the face of God and saying, I know you gave that to him, but... I want it, so I'm going to take it. And it's wrong because God said it's wrong. It says in Exodus 20, 17, you shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything else that is your neighbor's. I'd just like to point out, right here it actually explains it. It says it's idolatry. Now why does it link between coveting and idolatry? It's because something has gained your focus that isn't God, that it's become important that you think that you're worshipping, that's what I need. Yeah, it is well said and that's why I like what Al said. He started off by saying it's related to narcissism. All that really matters is me and what I want, not what God's given me. And I'm not going to be content with what God's given me. One of the guys I was reading said about this, he was talking about what an idol is. An idol calls forth passionate commitment of time and energy. And in relationship to God, it takes God's place as the focus of devotion. And so when you apply that to coveting, see, it's all about you and you getting what you want, really. God takes second place to that. There's an alternative to coveting that's offered, actually, I think, in verse 4. What is that? The opposite of coveting in verse 4 is not cursing, but what? Thanksgiving. Yeah. So, when you see that guy drive that nice blue truck, you thank God that he has blessed him with that nice blue truck. That's the opposite. Because God's sovereign. God knows, more than you do, what everybody needs. I knew this guy that had more money than he knew what to do with. And he entered a contest and won a brand new car. You know, you'd think God would have let somebody else win that car. But you thank God that he won that car. It didn't matter that he didn't need it and had more money than he knew what to do with. That's not the point. Thank God for his blessing on other people. And that helps you not to covet to get you in the right perspective. Just to attest, do you do that? Are you practicing that? If you do that, then the odds are you won't covet that person's thing. I find this a lot in the workforce. that you recognize and you don't and that sort of envy starts to erupt and it's not good. And so I do just the opposite in teaching myself. Be happy for that person and then those feelings don't erupt. Puts them in check. Amen. I got to witness this Hindu woman and she kept bringing up about why did everybody get promoted than her or her husband. And I said Christianity is not about helping you get promoted. It's about helping you be content despite the fact that everybody else gets promoted. And that's what you're saying. Now there's something according to verse 5 and 6 you can be absolutely sure of. So let's read 5 and 6 again. Well can you be sure of folks? There are some people that ain't going to make it, that's right, and he describes who they are. No one who practices immorality, impurity, or covetousness, those three things we talked about. Evidently, you can cuss and get away with it, but you better not do these other three things. He says you won't make it. 1 Corinthians 6, 9, and 10 says, do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality. I don't know why I didn't mention women there, but men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. So we need to talk about that a little bit. Let me just say there's David who not only murdered a guy but commits adultery and yet he's called a man after God's own heart. What's the difference between David and the people he's talking about here who even though they say they're going to heaven, who say they're Christians, won't be there? Lifestyle, right. It's walking around in it. That's the difference. I mean, we're all liable to sin, but a Christian's going to repent and come back. When you've got a guy that's an accepted, settled-down lifestyle or something, well, then that's a different matter, and that's what he's talking about here. Heaven forbid we don't fall into this, but it's the lifestyle. This preacher I knew had a cute little saying. He said, the lost man leaps into sin and he loves it, but a saved man lapses into sin and he loathes it. That's the difference. so Jesus, we all agree, died on the cross to pay for all the sins of all of his people, right? including the sins of immorality, impurity, and covetousness, so that how is it you have to abstain from these sins in order to be saved if he died to pay for those sins? Thank you. So I asked a false question. What Keith said is right. You don't have to abstain from these things in order to be saved, but if you are saved, you will desire to abstain from these things. That's what it comes down to. So we're saved by faith alone, but a faith that saves is never alone. It always is accompanied by good work. Somebody else said you're not saved by faith plus works, but you are saved by a faith that works. See the difference? That's why James said faith by itself, if it doesn't have works, is dead, it won't get you there. Why did Paul feel the need in verse 6 to write, let no one deceive you with empty words? Because people are deceiving people with empty words. That means this is going to be a problem. Al, would you like to add to that? That's right. Y'all hear what he said? Offering assurance of salvation to a self-professing believer whose life is characterized by continual sin. That's well said. Boy, you could make a case for that, couldn't you? Our culture, as you know, it's all screwed up. I heard on the radio this week that pretend Republican Chris Christie declared that homosexuality is not a sin. I was wondering about that, but he settled it for me. Not the sin part about whether he was really Republican or not. He said, if someone is born that way, it's very difficult to say then that it's a sin. Well, guys, I was born a sinner, weren't you? Yet I'm guilty of all of the sins that I commit. I was really disappointed that South African Bishop Desmond Tutu said, I would not worship a God who's homophobic, and that is how deeply I feel about this. I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. I would much rather go to the other place. Well, he might get his wish. And then, World Magazine had a very sad article about there was a Christian ministry called Exodus International to help homosexuals who had become Christians to abstain from the lifestyle. They could have just had that same thing for Christian adulterers who try to abstain from that lifestyle. It's needed, but they've changed. And the director, a guy named Alan Chambers, said, while behavior matters, those things don't interrupt someone's relationship with Christ. whoo, and then this same fellow went to a gathering called the Gay Christian Network, and he said, we're Christians, all of us. Brothers, that's exactly what Paul's saying, don't believe it when somebody says that. Sexual immorality, if you practice the lifestyle, and you're now saying it's okay, well that's a sign you don't belong to Jesus. I was in a Sunday school class at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, where all the country music singers go to church, and the Methodist singles pastor was up. I was just passing through town. So he was talking about this subject and he says, does the Bible really condemn sex outside of marriage? I think that what matters is that it must involve commitment. As Paul said here, how did he put it? Let no one deceive you with empty words. There's plenty of people that are, as Denton said, quick to do that, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. What's wrath? Oh, it's judgment, yeah. We think of it as anger, but according to the Greek dictionary, it's really not the emotion of anger, it's the settled state of judgment that's coming. And so judgment, you might as well put synonym judgment in there. And it said it's to be expected in the future. And that was kind of the basis for that sermon by Jonathan Edwards, sinners in the hands of an angry God, this judgment. That's why it says in Hebrews, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. It's not loving. to try to reassure someone who's practicing sin that, oh, God's going to accept you anyway. The loving thing to do is convey that God will accept him as he is, but God's going to change him, and that if he continues down that course, though, that what awaits him is the wrath of God. We don't say that necessarily to the person like a Gestapo, you say it with great love and pleading as an ambassador, appealing to him to avert from his present course before God's wrath hits him. So, we are to still be loving toward those people that we witness to that are in bad lifestyles, but the loving thing to do is to tell them though, in love, of the wrath to come. and not just tickle their ears, it's going to be alright. Last thought, Al. Abandonment, it gives you over. Yes, that's terrible. That's what he's done to our country, I think. But guys, the darker it gets here, The more brightly our light's gonna shine. That's right. It really is. Look at his applications. Okay, we got some applications already. First paragraph, what does he say to do? Walk in love and... Imitate God. And then, in the second paragraph, he starts saying there's a bunch of stuff you shouldn't do. Sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthy talk, all that stuff. He says, in verse 6, don't be deceived by people like Desmond Tutu who say it's okay, but it's not okay. But now he's got some more applications. For example, if you look at verse 7 through 10, he says not to partner with these people. And he gives some reasons why not to. So let's read that one more time. 7 through 10. So what reason does he give not to partner with these guys and do what they do? Because you are now like I guess you got a lightsaber. And we sing that song in church, I was once in darkness, now my eyes can see. Okay, Jesus, turn the light on. You ever dread going in the kitchen in the middle of the night to get a glass of water? You don't know what you're going to see when you turn that light on, right? And that's the way I've been. When we get saved, God turns light on in our lives, and there's all kind of stuff there, scurries for some other new dark place. And you get changed. But as we, as Christians, shine our light in communities, while evil becomes exposed for evil, just the fact of your presence there is going to really irk and annoy the agents of darkness. You don't even have to say anything. They're going to know. Even at work, your language, the fact that you don't curse like all the rest of them, It says something, right? It's a terrible thing, but they used to arrest the Anabaptists, and how do you spot an Anabaptist? Well, they sing a lot. And so there are these two women in a wagon going along singing. Well, they arrested them right away under suspicion of being Anabaptists because they were so joyful. Jesus is shining out. I mean, you don't have to say anything. Your demeanor, it lights things up. Okay, it's going to show. We're going to have to go into that more next week. But the point is, don't partner with them. And that word partner, anybody want to guess the Greek word? You know it. It's koinonia. And we're with in front of it. With koinonia. Don't have koinonia with that. And he's not saying you can't hang out with lost people. You should hang out with lost people. But don't do what they do. That's what he's saying. There is a group you shouldn't hang out with. Who's that? Right. People who say they're Christians act like this. You can't hang around them, Paul says. No, you should hang out with pagans. Oh, you can't, but just don't do what they do. Okay, let me close with a couple of verses. 1 John 1, verse 5 says, God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But, if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, the blood of Jesus' Son cleanses us from all sin. And look at verse 9 again. What's the fruit of being children of light according to verse 9? Right. All things good and right and true. That's the fruit. Jesus said, By this is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. And then, though, also in verse 10, he starts talking about discernment. What must we be discerning? Well, what he says in this case is, how do we please the Lord in this situation? Now guys, you don't have to pray whether it's God's will for you to rob the bank. We're talking about gray areas. Nick's been praying about where he's going to work. He's got to try to discern what's going to please the Lord. If he stays with a crook, he's worth it to go to work for a new crook, which is going to please the Lord the most. He's got to pray about that. Where do you live? Denton's thinking about moving, trying to get closer to ground central here, ground zero. Well, what's going to be most pleasing to the Lord for him to stay out there or move in closer? He's got to try to discern that. who you marry. You can marry anybody you want to. It says in the Lord, but okay, let's not be stupid about that. Okay, you got to discern which person that you marry is going to be pleasing to the Lord, you see? So, we're talking about Freedom areas and gray areas. Guys, don't be stupid is what he's saying. Walk in the light and be discerning where you go to school. Discern what's going to be pleasing to the Lord, what you do for a living if you still have a choice in that. If you want to be a witness and your thing is evangelism, probably you wouldn't want to get a job as a security guard at night where you drive alone in a pickup truck all over an abandoned plant. Not many opportunities to witness there. You should probably try to find a different career to go into. You see what I'm saying? Discern what's pleasing to the Lord. Some of you guys may drink a little. Maybe you drink too much. What's pleasing to the Lord? How much should you drink? One glass of wine or two or three? Or maybe some whiskey. Is that pleasing to the Lord? You've got to discern that. Maybe what you do along with your family is one thing, but somebody from church comes over Is what you do going to be a stumbling block to them? Is your freedom in Christ? Discern what's pleasing to the Lord in that. So guys, use your sense. Grow up is what he's saying. Learn to walk as wise, not as unwise, which is what he's about to say here in just a minute. I guess I better pull over to the curb and park. Tell me what you got out of this today. What are you going to do with it? I'm going to do like it says in the book of James, I'm going to be a man who looks in the mirror and then when he walks away forget what he saw. That's biblical. What did you learn? What can you do different? Discern. You got any big decisions coming up you need to discern some things about? Okay. What else? Next time I offend you, what are you going to do? Give me a hug, that's right. What else? Yeah, beware those of the easy believism camp, that's right. What should you do next time you run across somebody, anybody, whether he says he's a Christian or not, but he's practicing immorality, what do you do? If you love him, you lovingly tell him about it. That's right. It does, doesn't it? And though God, he became a man and he became a man as a servant. So we are to serve each other. Since it's on my mind, I'll say this is going to affect your pocketbook too. God still loved the world that he gave. How much do you love God? You give. You need to be giving sacrificially, not only of your time, but of your possessions. And if you're not, I'm just telling you, something's wrong. It's just that simple. And I do think 10% is a pretty good standard to go by, even though we're not under that law. Love's probably a little higher law. That's a good starting point. Love. Give. Sir, hey, there's some needs in our church, aren't there? Give. There's some needs in India. Seeing is believing. We didn't just get a random email. We've been there. We've seen it. Good. They want to do this. Amen. That's right. That's well said. Tell you what, let's close in prayer and he can pray for us. Father, we're just humbled by your Word and your love for us, Father, and I know that you've conveyed to us today that we're to love one another as Christ loved the church. Father, I thank you for your words of truth, that examination, Father, that your word applies to our walk with you and what that looks like and the fruit that we're to bear. Father, now I just pray your blessings upon each and every person here as we return to our jobs and our families and our neighborhood. And Father, I just pray that our light would shine. That we would be an example, not to walk in fear of man, but to walk in your strength and your power that you've imparted into us in that victorious life that you've given us in Jesus Christ. Father, I just praise you and love you today, Father, in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen, thank you. This message was produced by the New Testament Reformation Fellowship, reforming today's church with New Testament church practice. Permission is hereby granted for you to reproduce this message. To learn more about New Testament church life, you can find us on the web at ntrf.org. God bless you as you seek to follow Him in obedience. May your faith in the Lord Jesus be strengthened and your daily walk with Him deepened. do do Oh.