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.
