Sermon: Ephesians 5:1-21 Be Imitators of God

Sermon: Ephesians 5:1-21

Prayer – Thankfulness – Enlightenment – Boldness – Love – Wisdom – Sacrifice.

Be Imitators of God

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

What is the “therefore” there for:

There are 7 times up to this point in the book of Ephesians where Paul says either therefore or “for this reason.”  So before we can really get into what is being said in chapter 5 we need to be brought back through the logical chain that has been built in the first four chapters.

Chapter 1:

God is so good and His plan is so Good!

1:15 For this reason, I pray for you, for your enlightenment.

Chapter 2: 

Remember who you were before Christ

2:8 For by Grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves but it is the gift of God.

2:11 Therefore, remember your separation from Christ and now be brought near.  You're no longer strangers and aliens but are built together to be the dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Chapter 3:

For this reason, reach out to unbelievers, 

3:14 For this reason I bow before the Father, asking Him to fill you with boldness and power.  To reach others with the Gospel of Christ.  To pray for others, to bring them to the Lord.

Chapter 4: 

Therefore, I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of your calling in righteousness, holiness and truth.

4:25 Therefore, speak truth, be angry and do not sin, be good, no bitterness, wrath, clamour, malice.  Be kind! Tender-hearted, forgiving, just as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Chapter 5: 

5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

BE IMITATORS OF GOD!!!!

Because of Who God Is! His Love, His Sacrifice, The Prince of Peace, Always True, Always Hope-filled, Always Caring, Never Giving Up, Always Kind!  Filled with Wisdom and Joy!

BE IMITATORS OF GOD!!!!

So, what does this look like, Imitating God?

Sacrifice is a wonderful thing to meditate on… take a day and just meditate on the sacrifice of Christ all day long… see what that will do in your life, in your spirit.

It is extremely hard to complain or be frustrated or grumpy or stressed if you are imitating God and dwelling on His sacrifice…

 well as we move into verse 3…  Whenever we talk about these things it can come across as works-based, follow the rules, etc… but understand the therefore that this is coming from, Since God is so good, and has sacrificed everything for you, if you want to have boldness to proclaim His Good News to the World and live this life Abundantly giving to others what God has given you then be imitators of God and give yourself up just as Christ gave Himself

3 But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

You know that as soon as you see it, and so does the World that you are trying to reach.  Don’t ruin  your witness by being silly, filthy, or vulgar.  Do not ruin your witness by being sexually immoral like the World or greedy.

You know I used to think occasionally about the concept of how unfair it all is.  A non-believer will commit all kinds of sin without a care in the world but will at the same instant examine every move of their neighbor the Christian looking for the slightest inkling of sin.  If the Christian so much as breathes a single word of frustration or has one hair out of place it is noticed and condemned by the unbeliever, but if the Christian points out a sin then they are instantly a hypocrite and it is called hate-speech or worse.  It’s not fair, but we are called to a life of not sinning because we are so grateful for what the Lord has done for us.  We might be the only glimpse of Jesus that that neighbor ever sees, and as they scrutinize us and it hurts us we can in a small way sacrifice ourselves for them, so that they may see Jesus and so that we can share with them the Grace that He has given us.  It helps me sometimes to remember this: A Christian is not sinless but we do sin less, and less, and less until Jesus returns or we go home to Him.

We need each other.  And we need to focus on Christ, not on the tribes that this World would have us divide ourselves into.  And each tribe will try to deceive you and pull you in.  In Ephesus, which this letter was written to, the deceivers of the day were saying that your sins don’t really matter because you will get grace and be forgiven so sin it up!  Understand on the contrary that it is very important to sin less and less and less… Paul says in verse 6:

6 See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 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 light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 

This is where you have an opportunity to be offended because you have a political party or a group identity of some sort that you cling to.  But, what Paul is saying here inspired by the Holy Spirit is that if your identity is wrapped up with something that is not CHRIST then it is in darkness and you are not only participating in darkness but you are partnering with it.  Any connection that you have with that group should be light in the darkness, it should be exposing the darkness and making all things become visible to the Glory of God.  Be salt and light in every organization you belong to.  Not because I tell you to.  Not as a work that will get you into Heaven.  It doesn’t work that way.  Be salt and light because of what Christ did for you.  Because you are grateful and want to share that with people that right now are like you once were, lost and in darkness.  Remember who you were and with a grateful heart filled with Joy imitate God in your sacrifice, in your righteousness, in  your telling the truth, in your shining light on the world.

14 For this reason it says,

“Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you.”

Prayer: Father, I want Christ to shine on us and on people through us.  Oh that we could be the conduit of your love and your grace and your truth and your wisdom to the world.  Shining light into the darkness in our political systems, the darkness in social media, the darkness in our workplaces and in our schools, the darkness in our families, the darkness in everyday conversations.  Show us how to imitate you, how to sacrifice, how to be wise and loving and to be light.

15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father; 21 and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

I hope this paints a picture for  you of what it means to imitate God and is practical for your life.  That you can shine light in the darkness this week, with boldness, truth, and wisdom.  Notice that worry and complaint were not in there.  Notice God is saying if you are mine and have been bought by the blood of Christ live your life in grateful sacrifice, making the most of every moment, always giving thanks for ALL things in the name of Jesus Christ to our God and Father and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ Amen.