Imitators of God as dear children.
Ephesians 5:1 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.
We pick up where we left off in our last lesson. There is a clear call to intimacy with God. Be imitators of God as dear children. Have you ever watched a toddler walk in their dad’s shoes? We are not imitating from a distance; we are imitators from the revelation of the love of the Father toward us. Faith works through love! We are called to love to the degree of the measure of love that Christ exercised when He went to the cross. The sacrifice of the cross is described as a sweet-smelling aroma. How precious are we to the Father that the death of the Son of God is a sweet smelling aroma to Him? Oh that we the dear children will be constrained by love!
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
You and I are the fragrance of Christ to God! You smell good to God! Christ in me the hope of glory! Through you and I God diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. You have purpose by God’s own decree.
Ephesians 5:3 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.
Grace sets us free from sin not to sin! Remember 2 weeks ago we talked about shutting the door on the devil. Fornication is sex outside of God’s defined boundaries of marriage. Marriage describe by scriptures is one man bound to one woman for life. God forgives our past and wants to secure our future. He not condemning of the past but for the future He declares go and sin no more! Covetousness is anything that inhibits or brings shadows to your desire for God. The instruction are clear divine influence teaches us not to even name those filthy things that God identifies as sin. Even to the degree God tells us not to be partakers of foolish or coarse jesting. It is a clear call for every believer to live apart from every leaven of sin. Not only does it tell us what to depart from, but it leaves a word of instruction to be such imitators of God you are one who is giving thanks! If we would get the complaint out of our mouth and put thankfulness in our mouth we would shut the door on the devil. He could have no foot hold in our lives.
Ephesians 5:5 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.
No fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. The deception of the enemy is to have one believe sin in their life has no repercussions. If you as a believer sow to the flesh you will reap of the flesh. Let no one deceive you in this truth. Where sin abounds grace does much more abound; however, how shall we the believer continue in sin if we have truly died to the sin! Sin shall not have dominion over the believer!
Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
Evil company corrupts good character 100% of the time. Do not partake with anyone’s sin! You are light in the Lord; walk as children of light! Some have believed if we join the sinner where they are at we can help lift them up. We are to love the sinner but hate the sin! There can be no compromising on sin. We must take the stance of Jesus; where are your accusers? We do not condemn, but clearly we declare go and sin no more! The light does not condemn but shows the way out from the darkness!
Ephesians 5:9 (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.
Divine influence gives us practical instruction. Bear the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Have a heart to find out what is acceptable to the Lord! Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Being imitators of God as dear children directs our path to walk in love without condemnation; however, it does not condone or have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. As imitators of God we expose the unfruitful works of darkness!
Ephesians 5:12 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.
It is amazing how many scriptures address what we should and should not speak! What is done in the darkness in secret we should not speak at all. America has come to the opposite of the instruction on how to live in grace. Not only does our society speak of the shameful acts, we promote it and put it on television; then we call it entertainment! Believer friend we are called to imitate our heavenly Father as dear children. Will this truth change what we watch, and what we do, what speak, and how we live?
Ephesians 5:14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
God is speaking a word of life to the body of Christ. “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead. And Christ will give you light.” Let the Spirit of God bring the word of correction; shake off the moral slumber and begin to walk circumspectly! To walk circumspectly is to be purposefully aware of how we walk. If we will walk as imitators of God we will be redeeming the time!
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
Understanding the will of the Lord is made clear throughout the book of Ephesians. It is God’s will that you be not drunk with wine; it is wasteful living! Using drugs, alcohol and anything that will cause you to take a leave from your senses is foolish wasteful living. It is the will of God that you be filled with the Spirit! This is truly a command of grace. You have a choice, you can be filled with the Spirit.
Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
D o you see the “beloved” before the command? There is a call to live in intimacy with the Father as beloved children. Praying in the Holy Spirit is the way to build yourself up in the faith and to stir the love of God in you.
1 Corinthians 14:2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him;however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
1 Corinthians 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Speaking in tongues is a call to every believer to pray in their prayer language. Pray in tongues and in your understanding; sing in tongues and with your understanding. Yes it is part of the command to be filled with the Spirit!
Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Here is a definition of a great church service; greater still, here is a definition of living a Spirit filled life! “Speaking to one another…” Put it in your mouth! As dear children we should have a psalms to share! We are called to speak hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. This is what believers should do when they get together. Here is the theme of thanksgiving again, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a lifestyle that brings us to submitting to one another in the fear of God. Be filled… put it in your mouth!
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