Ephesians 5:1-5

A1 Scripture

B1 Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma. But, you should not even talk about fornication or any form of moral corruption or insatiableness (as is fitting for saints); nor any obscenity, nor foolish talk or coarse joking (that do not belong), but rather thanksgiving. Because you can know this for sure: no fornicator, nor anyone who is morally corrupt or insatiable (actually an idolater), has any inheritance in the Kingdom of the 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 disobedience. Therefore do not be participants with them—even though you were once darkness, you are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (Ephesians 5:1-8, WPNT)

B2 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.  (Ephesians 5:1-5, HCSB)

A2 Outline

B1 A command—be imitators of God

B2 A respect—as dearly beloved children

B3 Walk in love

C1 As Messiah did

C2 As Messiah died

D1 A sacrifice to God

D2 An offering to God

B4 Avoid

C1 Sexual immorality

C2 Impurity

C3 Greed

C4 Irreligious talk

C5 Crude jokes

B5 Do

C1 Give thanks

C2 Know and recognize

D1 Sexually immoral, impure, or greedy (an idolater)

D2 Has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Messiah and of God

A3 Notes

B1 Imitators

C1 Not of God doing miracles, like the present days Pentecostal, word of faith, or heretics.

C2 Not willing something into existence, or any of those things that only God can do.

C3 It is referring to have the same desires, goals, attitudes as God does, and the way God deals with people, etc. This is best seen in the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

C4 Is of living a certain kind of life. This is seen in the context here of Jesus' example. Ephesians 4:32 HCSB And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. We don't compare ourselves to other Christians. We are to compare ourselves to God.

C5 Imitators

D1 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.  (1 Corinthians 4:16, NKJV)

D2 Imitate me, just as I also [imitate] Christ.  (1 Corinthians 11:1, NKJV)

D3 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.  (1 Thessalonians 1:6, HCSB)

D4 For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews  (1 Thessalonians 2:14, HCSB)

D5 So that you won't become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.  (Hebrews 6:12, HCSB)

D6 In holiness: Leviticus 11:44-45 NRSV For I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming creature that moves on the earth.  45 For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy.

D7 The Lord Jesus is our perfect example: Colossians 3:9-10 NKJV  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,  10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

D8 Plus, a warning NOT to imitate the wicked: 2 Peter 3:17 NKJV  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.

C6 Temptation for the Ephesians would still be great. They had been living and practicing life in a very evil culture. To avoid and help overcome temptation, they were encouraged to not even talk about the sinful practices of the culture they lived in. So Wilbur Pickering translates verse 3: "But, you should not even talk about fornication or any form of moral corruption or insatiableness (as is fitting for saints)."  (Ephesians 5:3, WPNT).

B2 Beloved children—God loves us, so we are beloved children. Because God loves us, we want to imitate Him.

B3 Walk in love. Walk has the idea of living our life, our lifestyle, our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. All this must be done in love. Truth is essential, and telling the truth is for the good of someone’s soul. It is the soul that we are concerned for. John 3:19-22 WEL This is [the reason for] the judgment, because light is come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light, because their actions were evil. 20 "Everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, so that his actions may be discovered and reproved [discovered and reproved is one word in Greek]. 21 "But the one who does the truth comes to the light, so that his actions may be plainly seen that they are done for God.

B4 The love of God and His giving of Himself, for love is a choice. We understand this because:

C1 God did not have to do this.

C2 He choose to do this.

C3 He wanted to do this.

C4 Thoughts and desires are not enough. He demonstrated His love.

C5 A sacrifice was needed to atone.

D1 Good works are meaningless, because even one breaking of God's Law sends to hell. No matter how much we do the rest of our lives, it cannot make up for the evil we have done.

D2 Jesus never sinned.

D3 An everlasting death was required.

D4 This death is an separation from God.

D5 Jesus died and was forsaken by the Father.

D6 This was the full payment needed.

D7 The condition now, is to repent and trust into Jesus.

C6 The offering was a sin offering.

D1 "...just like the Son of the Man—He did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20:28, WPNT)

D2 "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  (Hebrews 10:10, WPNT)

D3 Dr Chafer writes: Substitution

Substitution is not a Biblical term (cf. Trinity, incarnation, etc.), but a Biblical doctrine nonetheless.

1. Old Testament Type.  

a. In general, every animal sacrifice offered during Old Testament times substituted for the offender. All this was accordingly a type of Christ dying in the room and stead of the sinner.

b. The sweet savor and non-sweet savor offerings of Leviticus, chapters 1–5, indicate that two accomplishments are to be noticed in Christ's substitution:

(1) The non-sweet savor oblations were, first, the sin offering and, second, the trespass offering. In these the perfection of the offering itself had to be insisted upon since Christ the Antitype is perfect in Himself, but of course, at the same time, the offering is invested with the sin of the offerer. They are called non-sweet savor offerings since God cannot look upon sin with allowance whatsoever. In fulfilling this type of sacrifice Christ cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).

(2) Sweet savor offerings were three in number: first, the burnt offering, second, the meal offering, and third, the peace offering. In these were depicted an aspect of Christ's death which was a delight to His Father, as it has been suggested in Hebrews 9:14: He “offered himself without spot to God.” Here is substitution in the sense that God requires of the believer, not merely that he should have no sins (as typified by the non-sweet savor offerings), but that he indeed should have done all good. These three offerings, consequently, suggest how the perfection of Christ may be accepted of God for a Christian. They are sweet to God since only Christ's perfections are in view, and manifestly as such they could apply to the elect alone.

2. New Testament Doctrine.  Again the same twofold conception obtains. The Scriptures state the doctrine fully.

a. Sweet savor (Phil. 2:8; Hebrews 9:11–14; 10:5–7).

b. Non-sweet savor (Romans 3:23–26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; cf. Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46)."

(Systematic Theology by Lewis Sperry Chafer Copyright ©1948, 1976 by Dallas Theological Seminary Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc., P.O. Box 2607, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501, with special permission of Dallas Theological Seminary. All rights reserved.

B5 Fornication—any sexual activity not approved by God.

B6 Uncleanness—everything not addressed by fornication or covetousness. Finding pleasure in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds that God does not approve.

B7 Covetousness—wanting what someone else has. It can be the love of money, things, persons, or fame. It is wrong, ungodlike desire.

B8 Our speech

C1 Good speech is talk that edifies another. Bad speech is talk that destroys another. One teaches and encourages, the other abuses. Abusive speech is evil, but truth is good.

C2 Proverbs has a lot of passages teaching about this.

D1 Proverbs 12:23 GNB  Smart people keep quiet about what they know, but stupid people advertise their ignorance.

D2 Proverbs 15:2 CEV  Words of wisdom come from the wise, but fools speak foolishness.

D3 Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 NKJV The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;  (13) The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness.  (14) A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him?

D4 Proverbs 4:24 GNB  Never say anything that isn't true. Have nothing to do with lies and misleading words.

D5 Proverbs 10:32 GNB  Righteous people know the kind thing to say, but the wicked are always saying things that hurt.

B9 The inheritance

C1 Who is included or excluded?

C2 What is the inheritance?

C3 Why do we get this inheritance?

A4 Applications

B1 God has set the standard, the routine, for living a Christian life.

B2 God has defined what love is. He shows true love. We need to imitate that love.

B3 God has set the standards for sexual behavior. His rules are the only and the best.

B4 God has set the standard for our speech. Let us be careful.

B5 Greed is not to be found in God’s people.

B6 Humans don’t like God’s standard, so we and they attempt to redefine, minimize, or dismiss in some way. Let us be aware.

B7 Giving thanks is very important. We should give thanks to God and also our fellow humans.