Ephesians 5:1-14 - Living Love in the Light

Ephesians 5:1-14

Walk in Love

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any 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 be partakers with them.

Walk in Light

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

Living love in the light is the call of holiness to the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:7) as His children who set their sights on patterning their lives after Him.  This means to love others as He loves us (1 John 3:23) and five of ourselves as Jesus selflessly gave Himself on the cross and even before His crucifixion for our sakes.  He sacrificed His own life and put aside His divine rights to be as we are in order to take the responsibility and punishment for our sins!  How often do we willingly take the consequences for another out of love and concern for them?  This self sacrifice is like incense of the prayers and offerings in the old temple in worship to the Father.  Walking a life of such love for God and man means we avoid sexual immorality which misuses others as well as steering clear of any self seeking of greed or ungodliness which focuses solely on pleasing self at the expense of another.  As the saints, or ones made holy in the righteousness of Christ, we are to not be accused of these unloving actions and attitudes by our practice of them.  This list goes on to name others just as destructive such as dirty or suggestive speech or jokes or empty prattling that does no good for the hearers, which implies we give thanks to God in Christ instead by speaking clean and helpful words that build up and encourage instead.  We are reminded that ungodly speech is not only ungrateful but is a sign of what keeps the unbeliever out of heaven’s grace.  We are not to imitate that worldly mindset but that of Christ instead.  We should avoid engaging in such conversation with unbelievers in tacit consent of their ungodly jokes and suggestive stories that glorify a lack of love for God and our fellow man.  Our inheritance is in the righteousness of Christ which we honor by loving and living accordingly.  We are to pursue holiness in word and action (Hebrews 12:14) if we want to look God in the eye and not share in the unrighteousness of the world we were pulled out of by the grace of God’s love and mercy!  Because we have been called out of the darkness of the corruption of sin to Him, we should be running towards the light where He dwells (Daniel 2:22, James 1:17-18, 1 John 1:5) as children of His light of holiness.  We then will yield the fruit of the Spirit in goodness, righteousness, and truth as a result of His transformative work in us for our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 1 Peter 1:2).  We seek to find what is acceptable and pleasing to the Lord through His word and prayer by the leading of His Spirit in us and then follow that path and not the world’s which we have been pulled out of.  His light of truth and purity of His holiness exposes us and gives us light to live in holiness to become more and more like Him as 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us all.  May we continue to choose to live this love of God in the light of His word and presence in and among us.