Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 2

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.” (Proverbs 2, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 5:15-21

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:15–21, ESV)

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

Before we dive into the text of Ephesian 5:15-21 I think it would be beneficial to note its place in this epistle. This that passage that we are about to consider brings Paul’s exhortation to the church in general to “walk worthy” to a conclusion. From 4:1  to 5:21 Paul has the church as a whole in mind when as he exhorts them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they had been called. 

We have encountered the metaphor of walking seven times now in Ephesians.

In 2:1 we read, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—” (Ephesians 2:1–2, ESV)

In 2:10 the Apostle said, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

And then in 4:1 we hear Paul say, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” (Ephesians 4:1, ESV)

In 4:17 we read, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” (Ephesians 4:17, ESV)

5:2: “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2, ESV)

5:8: “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)

And lastly, 5:15: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,” (Ephesians 5:15, ESV)

Clearly Paul has been concerned to open the Christian’s mind to this reality: the change that has been wrought within us by the word of God and by the power of the Spirit is to produce a new walk — a new way of life that fits our new creation self. And as I have said, up to this point the Paul has had the church as whole in view as he has urged us to walk worthy in Christ Jesus. 

But let’s look forward just a bit. And as we do we will notice that Paul will soon turn his attention to the home and to the various relationships that exist within it. In 5:22-33 he will address the relationship between husband and wife. In 6:1-4 he will discuss the relationship between parents and children. And in 6:5-9 he will address the relationship between bondservants and masters. It is not until 6:10 that he turns his attention once again to the Christian in general to offer final exhortations before concluding his letter. 

So please understand that here in 5:15-21 we have the conclusion to the section that began in 4:1 wherein Paul exhorts Christians in general, and the church as a whole — male and female, young and old, rich and poor —  to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they have been called. Let us pay careful attention to what he says. 

In brief, Paul commands two things as he concludes this section of his epistle. One, he commands the Christian to walk in wisdom. And two, he commands the Christian to be filled with the Holy Spirit. What does he mean? 

*****

Walk In Wisdom

First of all, let us consider the command to walk in wisdom. 

In verse 15 we read, “Look carefully then how you walk…” 

As I said before, this is the seventh and last appearance of the word “walk” in Paul’s letter. And here we are warned by the Apostle to walk carefully in the world. All who are living walk, but not all walk carefully. 

I can remember when my children were younger some of them — and I can not remember which ones (David I know for sure) — had a bad habit of walking but not looking where they were going. I remember saying “put your eyes in front of you” many times in those years. I also remember a season where David constantly had a large knot on his forehead from running into things. Door knobs were a particular threat to him when he was at a certain hight. He was walking, but his walk was not careful. Paul says that we are to walk carefully in this world. 

But what does a careful walk look like? And conversely, what does a reckless walk look like? I think you would agree that the answer to that question will differ from person to person depending on their values. If a person values physical pleasure above all else, for example, then a walk that produces pleasure will be deemed careful, whereas a walk that produces pain or discomfort will be deemed reckless. If a person loves money above all else, then decisions will be deemed either careful or reckless depending upon the financial consequences. If a person is supremely concerned about health and safely, then the question of whether a walk is careful or reckless will be judged according to the criteria of heath and safety.  

So when Paul says, “Look carefully then how you walk…”, what does he have in mind? 

Well, he has already described a worthy walk in 4:1-5:14. He certainly has all of that in mind. And he will continue to describe a worthy walk in the rest of this letter as he turns his attention to husbands and wives, parents and children, bondservants and masters. When Paul says,  “Look carefully then how you walk…”, he is urging us to contemplate what he said in this letter, to fix our eyes upon this standard, and to obey it. 

But here Paul says more: he tells us that we are to walk as people who are wise. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15, ESV). Wisdom is the art of godly living. To be wise is to live life according to truth. God has reveled his truth in nature, but even more clearly in his word. The wise person lives his or her life according to God’s word. There wise person obeys God’s commandments. To sin against God — to violate his law — is never wise, but is always foolish. But more than this, the one who is wise has learned to choose, not only the right path, but the best path in the realm of righteousness. And how is wisdom like this attained? It begins with the fear of the Lord, as Provers 9:10 so famously says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10, ESV). It is impossible to walk in wisdom without first fearing God. And we grow in wisdom as our knowledge of him increases.  Wisdom comes from knowing God and his word. Wisdom increases as we learn over time and with much practice to obey God’s word and to choose the best paths as we sojourn in this world. 

Note this: Here Paul is not only calling the Christian to walk obediently — that is to say, in obedience to God’s commandments in thought, word and deed. More than this, he is calling the Christians to pursue wisdom. Obeying God’s law and walking according to wisdom are not the same thing. They are related, of course. But they are not the same. Disobeying God law is never wise — it is always foolish. But wisdom is something more. Wisdom, as I have already said, is the art of living Godly. Wisdom not only chooses the right path, but the best paths in the realm of righteousness.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…” And then the Apostle says, “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16, ESV).

This is an interesting and very important phrase. The wise person knows that “the days are evil.” What does this mean? It means two things, I think. One, “the days are evil” in that they are, in this present aged, filled with wickedness and the temptation to do that which is wicked in the sight of God. The fool is oblivious to this reality. But the Christian who is wise knows that their “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV), and they are watchful — careful. Two, the one who is wise knows “the days are evil” in the sense that they are fleeting, and so they make “the best use of the time” as Paul says in the first half of this verse. Notice we are to make the best use of the time. We are spend the time that we have on earth in the best possible way. We are to invest in the best things — eternal and lasting things — knowing that they “are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes”, as James says. The days of are life in this present age are evil. They are filled with temptation. They are marked by trials and tribulations. And they are fleeting. This is not to say that our days are nor also good days. Indeed, we enjoy good things in this life — very good things, by the grace of God. But in this sense “the days are evil”, and so we are to walk in wisdom, “making the best use of the time”.

And then the Apostle again describes a wise walk, saying, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17, ESV). We speak of the will of God in two ways. His hidden or secret will is his sovereign and eternal decree. It will surely come to pass. We will know what it is only after it happens. There are some things that the Lord has revealed to us concerning the future, but most everything concerning the future is a mystery to us. Clearly, Paul is not refering to this secret and hidden will when he says, understand what the will of the Lord is, for who can possible understand that will. Instead, the Apostle is commanding us to know God’s revealed will. 

And what is God’s revealed will? Read the scriptures to find out! Know God’s law. Read the New Testament and pay special attention to the commands. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” And 1 Thesalonians 4:3 says,  “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality…” So you see that God’s revealed will is not mysterious. It can be known. And the Christian must know it. The Christian should say to God, along with the Psalmest, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV). And the Christian is to forever grow in the art of godly living, learning to apply the revealed truths of holy scripture to the daily circumstances that we face. “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”, the Apostle says. 

[APPLICATION: So friends, I ask you, are you walking carefully? Are your eyes in front of you, as it were, fixed upon Christ and his word? Are you making the best use of time, knowing that the days are evil? Are you pursuing wisdom, seeking to grow ever more in your knowledge of the will of God for you in Christ Jesus? 

This is what it means to walk in a manner that is worthy. Not only are we to put off the old self and the old sinful thoughts, words and deeds. Not only are we to put on the new self created anew in Christ Jesus. We are also to pursue wisdom. We must seek to know the will of the Lord, and learn to obey all that Christ has commanded.

Brothers and sisters, I wonder if we are not sometimes too easily pleased with our progress in sanctification. I wonder if we are not too easily contented with a sanctification that takes us merely to a place of socialy acceptable behavior. Do you know what I mean by that? I am speaking here of a sanctification that knocks the ruff edges off and puts forward a good face, but comes short of true holiness is thought, word and deed — a sanctification that comes short of true wisdom. May we forever chase after a deeper understanding of God’s will for us so that we might walk carefully  in this world, “not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.”]

*****

Be Filled With The Spirit

The second command uttered by the Apostle in this text is found in verse 18, which says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV). In fact, there are two commands here in verse 18. One is negatively stated: “do not get drunk with wine”. The other is positively stated: “be filled with the Spirit…” But these are to be taken together as one, the meaning being this: Instead of giving yourself over to fleshly passions and being driven by earthly things (drinking to the point of drunkenness being an example of such behavior), be driven and controlled by the Holy Spirit of God so that you carefully and soberly do God’s will.

First, Paul commands us to be not drunk with wine. Notice that he does not say do not drink wine, but rather, “do not get drunk with wine”. Whether or not you drink wine, or some other alcoholic beverage, is your choice to make. The choice falls into the realm of wisdom. Wisdom might dictate that you choose to abstain from all alcohol, but never should you judge your brother or sister who chooses to partake, and vice versa.

Second, Paul commands us to “be filled with the Spirit”. In the place of being filled with wine to the point of drunkenness, leading to other sins, no doubt, the Christian is to be filled with the Spirit of God, leading to a worthy walk. 

But what is this filling that Paul speaks of? He has already taught that the Christian is filled with the Spirit earlier in his epistle. The Christian is sealed with the Spirit (1:13, 4:30). The Christian has access to the Father in the Spirit (2:18). The church collectively is being built into a temple — a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Paul’s prayer was that the Christian would be “strengthened with power through [God’s] Spirit in [their] inner being…” (Ephesians 3:16, ESV). And in 4:1 the exhortation was that we would be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, ESV). Everything stated in Ephesians up to this point would indicate that the believer is in the Spirit and the Spirit in the believer from the time of conversion. Paul is not here commanding the Christian to receive the Spirit or to have some experience of the Spirit, but to walk in the Spirit — to be Spirit filled and Spirit controlled from day to day. 

What Paul says here in Ephesians is similar to what he says in Romans 8:4 and following. There he describes Christians as those “who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” He continues, saying, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:4–9, ESV). 

To belong to Christ is to “have the Spirit”. All who have faith in Christ are “in the Spirit”. But here in Romans, and also Ephesians, the Apostle is commanding the Christian to walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit — to be not drunk with wine, but to be filled in the Spirit.  

How do we do this? 

The context make it clear. We walk in the Spirit and are filled with the Spirit when we give the Spirit control — when we live, not for the things of this world, but the things of God — when we seek to please the Lord and not ourselves — when we walk worthily.

You will notice that the Apostle goes on to describe what a Spirit filled existences looks like. Look again at 5:18: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18–21, ESV)

The words “addressing”, “singing”, “giving thanks”, and “submitting” describe the means by which the Christian demonstrates that he our she is indeed filled with the Spirit. Stated in the form of a question, what will the Christian who is walking in the Spirit do? He or she will address other believers with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, sing and make melody to the Lord with their heart, give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to other believers out of reverence for Christ.

Please note this: to be filled with the Spirit involves walking with Christ as a member of the church. It involves corporate worship. It involves true fellowship. The one who is Spirit filled will sing in the Christian congregation, will give thanks to God in the church, and will submit to others in Christ’s name. 

All of this makes perfect sense when we remember what the Apostle has already said concerning the church. The church, remember, is the temple of the Holy Spirit. To the church in Ephesus Paul said, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22, ESV). To be filled with the Spirit is to obey the Spirit, and not the flesh. And the one who is filled with the Spirit will show that they are by fulfilling their function as stones in God’s spiritual temple. They will assemble to sing praises to God. They will assemble to give thanks. They will assemble to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. The one who says that they are Spirit filled who refuses to join themselves to the church and to worship God in the Christian congregation is a liar and the truth is not in them.

Let us briefly consider the three things that Paul mentions here in verses 19 – 21 that accompany a Spirit filled existence: singing, giving thanks, and submitting. 

First of all, the one who is Spirit filled will sing. 

Specifically they will sing to God. They will sing and make “melody to the Lord with [their] heart” (Ephesians 5:19, ESV). Being Spirit filled will show itself in worship. The people of God are a singing people. The angels in heaven sing. What a marvelous thing singing is. We humans have the ability to put our words into the form of song. When we pray to God we express ourselves in ordinary speech. But so great is our love and appreciation for God that we are moved to express our prayers in the form of song. To speak the mind must be engaged. To sing one must use the mind and the heart. Perhaps you have noticed that when your heart is hard towards God it is difficult — maybe impossible — to sing. Those who are walking in the Spirit will sing and make “melody to the Lord with [their] heart”.

And this they will do, not only as individuals, but within the Christian congregation. Notice that Paul describes them as singing, not only to God, but to one another. They are said to “[address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” I wonder if you think about worship in this way. When we sing as a congregation our praise is certainly directed towards God, and not man. But as we sing we are in fact addressing one another. We are singing to God things that are true. And when we sing, all who are in the congregation hear those words and are encouraged by them. 

And notice that the Christian congregation is to sing, not just any song, but “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” Some interpret these terms “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” to mean that the church is only permitted to sing inspired scripture — that is, songs found within the pages of Holy Scripture. Our view is that we should sing scripture — the Psalms and other songs that are found within it’s pages — but that the church is also permitted to sing other songs — new songs — provided that they are true to scripture, and reflect the themes, spirit, and reverence of the songs contained within. 

[APPLICATION: To be filled with the Spirit means that we will sing praises to God in the midst of the Christian congregation. I would like to slow down for just a moment to reflect, therefore, upon the importance of this element of our worship. When we gather together Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day we read scripture, we pray, we observe the sacrament, and we sing. How important our singing is! 

The songs that we sing must either be scripture, or true to scripture.

The songs that we sing should reflecting the range of human emotion found within the songs of scripture. 

Our singing must be congregational. You have noticed, no doubt, how simple our music is here at Emmaus. That is deliberate. The job of the worship leader is simply to conduct. And the church is the choir. We have grown in our convictions over the years that any style of music that draws attention to those on stage and encourages observation rather than participation from the members is out of step with a biblical notion of singing. When the church assembles each member is to participate, “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [their] heart.” 

And think of what happens when we do this!

One, God is glorified as we collectively give thanks to him in our singin.

Two, our unity with one another is communicated and strengthened. Together we sing the same words to the same God through the same Mediator and by the same Spirit.  When we sing together, we praise the Father with one voice. By the way, I believe it is good and right for a congregation to work on its singing. We are a church, and as the church, we are also a choir. We should learn to sing well. Our singing should be strong and heartfelt. We should learn to harmonize. Think of what of what harmonizing communicates. No only is beautiful and fitting for the worship of God, it also reflects the unity in diversity that exists within Christ’s church.

Three, when we sing together those whose faith is weak will be strengthened by those who are strong. Those who are discouraged will be carried along and uplifted by the voice of those who are in that moment encouraged in the Lord.]

Those who are filled in the Spirit will sing. The will give praise with their lips to the Triune God within the Christian congregation. Secondly, they will give thanks. All of our praying and singing is to be permitted with thanksgiving. But it is at the Lord’s table that we give thanks to the Lord in the Christian congregation as we celebrate the eucharist. Remember how, “Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26–28, ESV). When we come to the Table, we are to give thanks to God. 

And thirdly, those who are Spirit filled will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. And with these word’s Paul concludes his general exhortation to the church to walk in a manner that is worthy. Verse 21: “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21, ESV).

This is huge. In Christ, all are to submit to one another. Male and female, old and young, rich and pour, officer and member are here commanded to submit to one another in Christ Jesus. 

I assume that you are familiar with the section of Paul’s epistle that is next wherein he gives specific instructions to husbands and wives, parents and children, bondservants and masters concerning their role within the home. It is well known that there Paul commands wives to submit to their husbands, children to their parents, and bondservants to their masters. I draw your attention to the teaching of the Apostle regarding authority and submission prematurely in order to make this very important observation: before the Apostle commands wives, children and bondservants to honor those who are over them, he commands all Christians to “[submit] to one another out of reverence for Christ”. 

Tell me, how can it be that Christian wives are in Ephesians 5:22 (the next verse) commanded to submit to their husbands when in 5:21 Paul commanded all Christians to submit to one another? Did the Apostle contradict himself? For how can there possibly be this universal, mutual submission of 5:21 and at the same time a particular kind of submission expected from some?

I pray that you would see that these two things are not at all contradictory. It is true that the wife is called by God to submit to her husband’s authority within the home. But at the same time it also true that the husband, in the another sense, is to submit to his wife in Christ Jesus. She does not have authority over him in the home, but she is a sister in Christ, and an heir with [him] of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:7). And because of this the husband is to live with her in an understanding way, he is to honor and respect her — yes, he is even to submit to her in Christ Jesus, putting her interests, needs and desires before his own. 

The point is this: before Paul commands wives, children and bondservants to submit to those who have authority over them in the home, he commands all Christians to submit to one another in Christ. And this they will do if they are walking in the Spirit. The Spirit filled Christian will be like Christ and will “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4–8, ESV).

*****

Conclusion

So friends, as we seek to walk worthy, let us not only put off the old sinful self, and put on the new self created in Christ Jesus. Let us also pursue wisdom, and be filled with Spirit as we walk in the world together. May we fulfill God’s calling to function as his holy temple as we, Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day, “[address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [our hearts], giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19–21, ESV)

Tags: Ephesians 5:15-21

Posted in Sermons Ephesians 5:15-21
Comments Off on Sermon: Ephesians 5:15-21: Walk In Wisdom, Be Filled With The Spirit Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org

• How can a human being possibly imitate God? Why is it easier to think of the imitation of Christ? How is imitating Chrst the same as imitating God?
• What does it mean to walk in love? Why is it important for us to look to God, to his word, and to Christ to know what true love is? How might we get love wrong if left to ourselves?
• Why does Paul issue the stern warning that those who live in sin have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ? How might a self-righteous person misapply this warning? How might someone with a particularly sensitive conscience misapply this? What is Paul’s intention?
• How might we apply the command to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness?

Tags: Gospel Community Groups

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups
Comments Off on Discussion Questions For Sermon On Ephesians 5:1-14 Posted by Joe

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 19:1–4

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God.’” (Leviticus 19:1–4, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of 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 disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” (Ephesians 5:1–14, ESV)

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

As I read this passage you may have noticed that it is in some ways similar to the previous one. In both the previous passage and in this one those in Christ are commanded by the Apostle to honor Christ in thought, word and deed. 

The passages differ in this regard: 

The previous passage focused upon the Christians relationship with other Christians within the church of Christ  —  “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:25–31, ESV). 

These truths should certainly be applied to our relationship with unbelievers too. But Paul’s point here is that we, as Christians, and as members of the body of Christ, would speak the truth to one another, share with one another, and build one another up in Christ, and never tear one a other down. Again, the Christian is certainly to speak the truth when engaging with those outside the church, etc., etc. But the Apostle’s focus here is upon life within the church. Remember, he is exhorting us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV). 

But here in the passage that is before us today the focus is upon the Christians relationship to the world. We know how we are to walk in relation to one another, but how are we to walk in relation to the world around us?

In brief, we are to live in the world, but never are we to be of the world. The Christian is to sojourn in this world — we should not seek to isolate ourselves from the world and those who live within it  — but never should we be of the world, parterning with those who practice evil, nor participating in works of darkness.

*****

Be Imitators Of God In Thought, Word and Deed

Verse 1 and 2 function like a hinge. They simultaneously conclude the previous passage and introduce the next, saying, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV). Perhaps this would be a good verse to commit to memory, for it says it all in very few  words. What does it mean for the Christian to walk worthily in this world? We are to “be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV).

The words, “as beloved children” are very important, for they remind us of what God has done for us by his grace. In love he has adopted us as his children. And as his beloved children, we are to now to mimic the Father. We are to represent the family name. 

Please notice the text does not say, be imitators of God to become beloved children, or to remain beloved children. Rather the text says, “be imitators of God, as beloved children”. If you have faith in Christ a  beloved child is what you are by God’s grace. It is not something you earned, nor is something you maintain by your obedience. But as a beloved child of God it is only fitting that you now be imitators of your Father in heaven. 

It is no secret that we all fall short of this. But here is the standard nonetheless: “be imitators of God, as beloved children”, the text says.  

Clearly the meaning is this — belonging now to God, we are to imitate God as it pertains to his holiness. There are some things about God that simply cannot be imitated, for he alone is God, and everything else is his creation. We cannot imitate God in the least in regard to his eternality, his omnipotence, or his omniscience. Never can the creature imitate those characteristics of God that belong to his divinity, for they are incommunicable. But God has created us in such a way that we are able to image him in some respects. God is love, and we are to love as he loves. God is just, and we are to pursue justice. God is merciful and kind, and we are to reflect his mercy and kindness. This is what the Apostle means when he  says, “be imitators of God, as beloved children”. 

Remember that this was God’s standard for Israel. God, having redeemed Israel, and having entered into a covenantal relationship with them, spoke to them through Moses, saying, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:1–2, ESV). And now God, having redeemed us, adopted us sons, and entered into a covenantal relationship with us, says through the Apostle, “be imitators of God, as beloved children”. We are to live holy lives, for our heavenly Father is holy. 

What specifically does this mean?  Well, in brief, we are to keep God’s moral law. And what is the essence of God’s law? Jesus, quoting Old Testament scriptures, summarized God’s laws saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40, ESV). The essence of God’s moral law is love. If we are to keep God’s law — if we are to be imitators of God as beloved children  — then we must love. First, we must love God above all, and with all that we are. And secondly, we must love our neighbor as ourself. This it what it means to walk worthy. This is what it means to be imitators of God as beloved children. It means that we keep God’s law. And the essence of his law is love. 

This is in fact what Paul says in verse 2. After commanding us to be imitators of God he then clarifies and specifies, saying, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2, ESV)

To imitate God is to “walk in love”. Christ is our example. God is love. But it was Christ who walked in love. He was and is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh. He sojourned just as we sojourn. Do you want to know what it looks like for a human to love? Look to Christ! And when we consider his way of life, what do we notice? Well, he lived his whole life, first, for the glory of the Father. That is what verse 2 says, Christ lived as “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” And secondly, he lived, not for himself, but for others. He “loved us and gave himself up for us…”

Christ’s walk was the epitome of a worthy walk. He loved his neighbor as himself, “[giving] himself up for us”. And this he did because he loved God supremely. The whole of his life was offered up as a “fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

As I have said, verses 1 and 2 function like a hinge, closing out the previous section and introducing the new. In the whole of life — both in our life  together as the body, and in our life lived out in the world — the Christian is to be an imitator of God and of Christ.  And this imitation of God and of Christ is to be lived out in our thoughts, words and deeds. 

As in the previous passage, Paul provides examples of sinful thoughts, words, and deed, and commands the Christian to avoid them.

Verse 3: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:3–4, ESV)

“Sexual immorality and all impurity” are sinful behaviors that are to be avoided. These are general terms that encompass a wide range of sexual sins and immoral living. Paul says that these sins are not even to be “named among [us], as is proper among saints” — he calls Christian’s “saints”, because they have been made holy by the blood of Christ. The point is this, inmate God in your conduct. Live as the saints that you are. Do what is fitting. I will follow Paul’s lead and refrain from specifically naming the sexually immoral and impure deeds. I trust that you know what they are. I trust that you know from the scriptures how God calls us to live in this world, and how we are to control the passions and appetites of the flesh so that we do what is pleasing to the Lord. I trust that you will, in due time, teach your children what sexual purity is. If you don’t teach them God’s way, the world will certainly teach them theirs. 

“Sexual immorality and impurity” refer to sinful deeds. But “covetousness” is a sin of the heart. We “covet” in the mind with our thoughts. To covet is to have a strong desire to have more and more. To covet is to be discontent with what you have. To covet is to be greedy for gain. The tenth commandment forbids covetousness, saying “And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s’” (Deuteronomy 5:21, ESV). Notice that we are forbidden from coveting anything that our neighbor has, and not just his material possessions. Covetousness is a sin that takes place in the heart and mind. Covetousness in the heart and mind will eventually give birth to the other sins that are forbidden in the second table of the law — bearing false witness, theft, adultery and murder. 

Friends, as we pursue holiness — as we see seek to be imitators of God and Christ — it is so very important that we do not forget to keep the mind and heart pure, for our words and deeds flow from the inner man. Covetousness, like un-forgivness, is a deadly cancer to the soul. 

In the place of covetousness we are to put on thanksgiving. Paul says, “but instead let there be thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving is the remedy to covetousness. We are to pray always with thanksgiving. And as we give thanks to God it will, among other things, help to cure the soul of covetousness. Do you wish to be free from the bondage of lust and greed? To you wish to rid yourself of that awful plague of discontentment? Then daily apply the ointment of thankfulness to your soul. 

Brothers and sisters, let us be imitators of God and Christ in thought and deed, but also in word.  And this is what Paul commands next, saying, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4, ESV)

Filthy talk might also be called shameful or obscene talk. The world listens to you speak. Your family listens to you speak. Does your speech reflect the reality that you are a child of God? Or is your speech filthy and shameful?  

Foolish talk is talk that is base and stupid. What do we spend our time talking about? Do we spend our time talking about worthless and foolish things? Or do we spend our words on things that are weighty and of significance? Those who have been redeemed by God and adopted as sons to an eternal inheritance have meaningful things to talk about. Let us spend our words talking about things that matter, building one another up, and giving all glory to God.  

Crude joking is vulgar and unwholesome talk that is intended to incite laughter. Being funny should not be the supreme objective of our lives, leading us to impure talk. Rather, our supreme desire should be to honor God in thought word and deed. If God has blessed you with a sense of humor, then use it to the glory of his name. 

Our words should be used, above all, to give thanks to God. “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4, ESV). The word translated as “thanksgiving” is εὐχαριστία. Perhaps that word sounds familiar to you. Very early in the  history  of the church the Lord’s Supper came to be called the Eucharist, for it is here at the Supper that we, among other things, give thanks to God. 

And please notice how often then scriptures exhort us to give thanks to God with our words. It is such a crucial part of the Christian life. I will not site every passage where this word εὐχαριστία appears. But listen to these: 

Philippians 4:6: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Colossians 2:6–7: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” 

Colossians 4:2: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” 

Someone recently asked me, where in the Lord’s Prayer are we prompted to give thanks to God? After all none of the petitions specifically say that we are to give thanks. The answer, I think, is that we are to give thanks throughout the Lord’s Prayer and in every petition. Thanksgiving to God is to permeate all of our prayers. In fact, thanksgiving is to permeate all of our worship, and all of our living. This is why Paul, after talking about thanksgiving, says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV).

[Friends are you striving to imitate God in your life? Are you striving to be like Christ, who was and is Immanuel, God with us? Are you walking in love? Are you honoring the Lord in thought, word and deed? The world is watching, friends. The world is listening? Are you living a life of gratitude to the glory of God? We had better, for it is unfitting for a child of God to live like a child of the Evil One. ]

*****

Warning: Those Who Live In Sin Have No Inheritance In The Kingdom Of Christ

And this is why Paul offers a stern warning in verse 5, saying, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5, ESV). 

It would be good for us to let these words sink in. 

Perhaps it would be best for us to first of all notice what this verse does not say. It does not say that anyone who sins “has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”. God’s children do struggle with sin. The rest of the scriptures make this abundantly clear. One of the more directs statements concerning this fact is found in I John 1:8,  which reads,“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8–10, ESV). True Christians do sin, and they are to repent when they do. 

So what does Paul say? He wants us to be sure of this: “that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5, ESV). This is not a description of a chid of God who has stumbled into sin and has turned from that sin to walk with Christ once more. This is not a description of one who’s walk is more or less worthy, who has slipped up in some way. Instead, this is a reference to one who is sexually immoral, impure and covetous. This is who they are, for this is their constant walk. The one who walks in “sexually immorality, impurity or  covetous, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” 

Stated differently, though one might profess faith in Christ and bear the name Christian, if their walk is characterized by sin, then they should not expect to inherit life everlasting in the presence of God.

This warning from Paul reminds me of a warning that Christ himself delivered, saying, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23, ESV).

Those who profess faith in Christ, who call him Lord, and then go on to live a lawlessness life of disobedience in thought, word, and deed should not expect to be received by the Lord on the last day, but to be cast out by him and judged for all eternity.    

So are we saved by our obedience, then?

Certainly not! We are saved by the merits of Christ alone, and this salvation is received by faith alone!

But here is another truth — those who are saved by Christ will also live a life characterized by obedience to him, for they have been changed. 

How do we know that we are saved, then? How do we rest assured that we truly belong to Christ given our continual struggle with sin?

The answer is twofold: 

One, we grow in our sense of assurance concerning our salvation as we continue to fix our eyes upon Christ crucified and risen and grow  in our knowledge of  the objective and unshakable truths communicated in the gospel. Though all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are deserving in his wrath, salvation is found in Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). We grow in our sense of assurance as we fix our minds upon these objective truths, understand them, and believe them sincerely.

Two, we grow in our sense of assurance concerning our salvation as we live in obedience to Christ and walk worthily. Obedient living is evidence of a regenerated spirit. Obedient living is the fruit of a changed heart. Obediently living is fitting for one who is truly a child of God. Subjectively, we come to know that we know Christ as we keep his commandments. And this is what John teaches in I John 2:3-6, saying, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:3–6, ESV).

[APPLIOCATION: I suppose the application is two fold. One, if you claim to be in Christ and yet are living a life characterized by sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness, then do not be so sure. Instead, “you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5, ESV). If you are currently living in sin, are you truly saved? Well, who knows! And  that is the point! God knows! But you do not, for your way of life is contradicting your profession of faith. And those around you will not be sure either, for they know the words of Christ, that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” May this uncertainty (if you have it) have this a

affect upon you — may it be used by the Lord to draw you to true faith and repentance. 

Two, if you claim to be in Christ and have noticed a change — if your life is now characterized by holy living, where it was once characterized by impurity — then take comfort in this. See that it is an evidence that you have indeed been made new. No one is perfect, friends. Far from it. But you know the difference, I’m sure, between a life characterized by unrepentant sin and life devoted to obedience to the Lord. 

It is very difficult to preach on the subject of assurance because of the diversity that exists within Christ’s church as it pertains to sensitivity to sin. It may be that some are self-righteous and self-assured. These think little of their sin and may in fact have erred on the side of false assurance. But there are others — and in my experience, many more — who judge themselves too harshly. These fixate upon every sinful thought, word and deed and are driven to doubt and despair, thinking to themselves, how can I possibly be saved?! Look to Christ, my friends. Consider his finished work on the cross, and trust in him. And consider both God’s law and also his gospel. Both law and gospel need to be applied to the soul. The law must slay us so that we see our sin and abandon all hope in self-righteousness. And then the gospel must point us to Christ the Savior.]

*****

Have No Partnership With Those Who Walk In Darkness

Finally, in verse 6-14 Paul warns us to have no partnership with those who walk in darkness. Let us briefly consider these verses. 

Verse 6: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6, ESV). “These things” — what things? Here Paul is refering  back to sins previously mentioned. Because of these things — the sins of the world — “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” Notice that there are sons of God, and there are sons of disobedience — these two. The wrath of God will be poured out upon the sons of disobedience. Anyone who tells you otherwise is seeking to “deceive you with empty words”.  Don’t let it happen. There is a  God in heaven.  He is the judge.He will pour out his wrath on all sin at the end of time. Even now, his wrath is set upon the sons of disobedience.

Verse 7: “Therefore do not become partners with them”. Notice Paul does not say, have nothing to do with them. Instead he says,  “do not become partners with them” — do not link arms with them and participate in their ways. Why would you?! Why would you  closely ally with those upon whom the wrath of God rests?

Paul continues, saying, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:7–10, ESV). Notice here that Paul does not say for at one time you walked in darkness, but rather, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Paul is once again drawing our attention to the transformation that has taken place within us. And beaus of this transformation — because we  were once darkness but are now light in the Lord —he says, “walk as children of light.” In other words, live according to what you now are!

And what fruit will walking according to the light produce? Things “good and right and true.” Perhaps you have noticed that a godly life produces things that are good and right and true? This does not mean that the godly will not suffer. Christ suffered. His Apostles suffered. He  has warned us that we will suffer  in this world. But even in the midst of suffering the fruit of a worthy walk are things good and right and true. And the opposite is true of a dark walk. The fruit of sin is division, confusion, chaos and death.  

And  so Paul again warns in verse 11: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11–12, ESV)

The works of darkness are called “unfruitful” not because they do not produce anything, but because what they produce is death, and not life. 

The child of God is to take “no part” in these works of darkness. This should cause us to stop, think and ask, have I made a clean break with sin? Or do I still fool around with it? Do I still associate with those who walk in darkness? Again, the scriptures do not say, have nothing at all to do with the unbelieving world. But certainly we should  not  partner with those who live in  sin nor participate with them.  

Instead, the child God is to expose them. This means that sin is to be rebuked. The law of God is to be applied so that those living in sin know that they are living in sin.  And after the law is applied, the gospel is also to be proclaimed. But how can the child of God possibly expose or rebuke sin if he our she is in some way participating in the same? First, we must make a clean break with the unfruitful works of darkness, and then we are to expose them. 

The words of Christ apply here: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1–5, ESV).

*****

Conclusion

Holy living is the thing that Paul is here calling us to. Be holy,  as your heavenly Father is holy. Do not be deceived, no one who lives in unrepentant sin will inherit the kingdom of God. For those who have been made holy by the shed blood of Christ will also live holy before him, and before the world. And one of the things that holy living will do is expose the sins of others. God willing, this will lead to their repentance as the law convicts of sin, and as the gospel  of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, which announces that in  him we have the forgiveness of sins and the promise of life everlasting.  

Posted in Sermons
Comments Off on Sermon: Ephesians 5:1-14: Walk In Love Posted by Joe

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 37:1–11

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” (Psalm 37:1–11, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:25–32, ESV)

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

The question, how will we be changed? is at the very heart of the passage that we are considering today. In fact, this question has been the concern of the Apostle ever since he utter the words, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1, ESV). Walk worthy? What does a worthy walk look like? And how will it be that those who once walked in darkness will be changed so that they now walk in the light of Christ? As you know, men and women do not easily change their ways, and yet in Christ, change is expected. In fact, it is unthinkable that one who has faith in Christ would continue to walk according to the way of the world. But how will this change be brought about?

In 4:7-16 we learned, among other things, that God will use the external means of the preaching and teaching of scripture to change his people so that they walk worthily.

In 4:17-24 we learned that a worthy walk will proceed from a regenerated spirit. This principle is so very important to understand. The one who has faith in Christ will certainly change his or her ways because they themselves have been changed — they have been recreated and are being renewed by the word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. A new way of life is inevitable then. The Christian’s new way of life is the natural byproduct of the new life that has been wrought in them by the free grace of God, and by the agency of his Spirit. Elsewhere Paul exhorts the Christian saying, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, ESV). And in another place he says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). Our obedience to Christ proceeds from a regenerated spirit. Our obedience to Christ proceeds from a renewed mind — a mind renewed by the Spirit of God and the word of God.  

Now, if this were all that the Apostle had to say about the sanctification of the believer then I suppose one might conclude that the only thing for the Christian to do would be to hear the scriptures and to pray. In other words, if it were true that transformation is brought about only through the renewal of the mind by the scriptures, and by the regenerating and renewing work of the Spirit, then the child of God would need only to ingest the scriptures and to pray that God would, by his grace, renew them in the inner man. But the Apostle has more to say. He also exhorts the believer to put off the old self and to put on the new.

[APPLICATION: Friends, I hope that you pray. I hope that you pray often and fervently requesting, among other things, that the Lord would, by his grace, transform your heart and renew your mind. This is, in fact, one of the things that we are to pray for under the  third petition of the Lord’s Prayer. When we pray, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” we are praying “that God by His grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to His will in all things, as the angels do in heaven ”  (Baptist Catechism 110). Make us able and willing to obey you Lord! In other words, transform our hearts and renew our minds so that we willingly and happily keep your commandments, Lord!

And friends, I hope that you are committed to hearing the scriptures, knowing that God will use his word to transform our minds. Read the scriptures for yourselves. Listen to word read and preached. Memorize the scriptures and meditate upon them. This is one of the means that God will use to change his people. 

But having prayed, and having faithfully received God’s holy word, do not neglect this most important thing: rise up and obey. Decide to daily and momentarily put off the old man, and to put on the new, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Devote yourself  to a life of that is holy. Friends, this the thing that is so often neglected: obedience, pure and simple. Yes, God must change you by his word. Yes, God has recreated you, and he is renewing you even still by his Spirit. Never will we move away from full and entire dependence upon the grace of God in the Christian life, therefore. But we must also simply choose to obey him.      

As the Apostle James says it beautifully: “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22–25, ESV). And here also Paul, after teaching that a worthy walk can only proceed from a renewed spirit, exhorts the believer to diligently put off the old self, and to put on the new.]

Notice that in the passage that is before us today we encounter a slew of imperatives or commands. At first glance they might seem to be random. But upon closer examination we find that they are commands relating to our thinking, speaking and doing. The point is this: the Christian, having been recreated and renewed by the grace of God, is to obey God in thought, word and deed.

*****

Worthy Speech

First of all, consider Paul’s command regarding our speaking. The Christian’s worthy walk is to involve worthy speech. In verse 25 Paul says, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25, ESV). 

The one who has been recreated in Christ is to put away falsehood.

Falsehood takes many forms. Most obviously the Christian is to cease from lying. The one who has been recreated and renewed in Christ is to obey the ninth commandment which says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” But we must learn to think more broadly about the ninth commandment, and also this exhortation from the Apostle to put away falsehood. 

Not only is the Christian is to cease from uttering bold faced lies. We are also to put away, to quote our catechism, “whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbor’s good name.” We are to put away flattery, gossip and slander, therefore. We are to put away all forms of manipulation. We are to cease from any and all distortions of the truth.

But pay careful attention to this: the Apostle does not only exhort the Christian to put something off or away, but to put something new on in it’s place. That is the pattern that runs throughout this passage. The one who has been recreated and renewed in Christ is to put off the old self, “and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, ESV).

And what is the Christian to put on in the place of falsehood? Paul says, “let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” 

Once again, we should learn to think more broadly about truth telling. Paul is not only commanding us to “not lie”, but to also commit ourselves to promoting the truth with one another. These two things — not lying and telling the truth — should not be conflated. It is possible to not lie, but to also fail to also fail to promote the truth by remaining silent. Many live this way. They are not liers, but neither are the ambassadors of truth. Paul forbids this way of life. Negatively, the Christian is to “put away falsehood”. And positively, the Christian is also, “to speak the truth with his neighbor”. Why? “For we are members one of another”, he says. This statement corresponds to what Paul said back in 4:15 where he exhorted us to “[speak] the truth in love…” Truth builds up. Truth is light to our path. We are speak the truth in love. We are to speak the truth for mutual edification, “for we are members one of another” within Christ’s church. 

This exhortation to from the Apostle to speak the truth is in fact what the ninth commandment requires. Our catechism puts it beautifully  in question 82, which asks, “What is required in the ninth commandment?” The answer is that “the ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness bearing.”

[APPLICATION: And so I ask you, Christian, now that you have been recreated and are being renewed in Christ, are you committed “maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man”? Certainly this includes putting away falsehood. But it also involves speaking the truth with your neighbor. Doing this well requires wisdom and tactfulness. Some might succeed in speaking the truth, but forget to do it in love. And notice also that Paul does not command us here to promote our opinions. We must learn to distinguish between “truth” and “opinion”, and that is not always easy. But are you committed to putting away falsehood and speaking the truth with your neighbor as Paul here commands?]  

The broader principle being established is this: now that we have been renewed in Christ we are to use our words, not for evil, but only for good. We are to put away all forms of falsehood, and we are to speak the truth. Put off the old self, put on new.  

In verse 29 we find another statement pertaining to the tongue. There Paul says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29, ESV). I would encourage you to put  this one to memory. 

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…”, the Apostle says. “Corrupting talk” is talk that is unwholesome and harmful. The word translated as “corrupting” has to do with that which causes decay. Don’t let any decaying words proceed from your mouth, the Apostle says. And notice that he does not give exceptions. He does not say, unless the other person is wrong, or really has it coming, or unless you are really angry, tired or hungry. He does not say, unless you are joking, or sarcastic. No, he says “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…”

And this is contrasted with the phrase, “…but only such as is good for building up…” So, put off corrupting talk, and put on constructive talk in its place. Lay aside talk that breaks down, and take up talk that builds up.

And lest we think that the Apostle is forbidding firm and confrontational speech, he adds the phrase, “…as fits the occasion…” There is a time and place for words that are soft and gentle. There are is also a time and place for words that are stong and firm. We must learn to speak in a way that is fitting to the situation. But never should our words break down. The Christian is always speak so as to build up. And this includes those moments where a firm rebuke is fitting. We are to use our words in such a way that they “give grace to those who hear.”

Lastly, look down at verse 31, where we read, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31, ESV). Clamor refers to loud screaming or shouting. To slander is to speak against someone in such a way so as to damage their reputation. These things are to be put away from the Christian. Instead we are to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave [us]” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV).

[APPLICATION: I am going to ask you to reflect more deeply upon what Paul commands here regarding our speech. Are you walking worthily in your speech? Have you put away lying? Do you speak the truth in love? Have you put away all corrupt talk? And do you build up with your words instead?

Brothers and sisters, please do not forget to “put on” as you go about the business of “putting off”! Please understand this. The Apostle is not only calling you to cease from tearing down with your words. He is also exhorting you to use your words to build others up! 

Think of the good that a husband or wife could do for their spouse if they would not only cease from tearing down with their words but take up the habit of building the other up. Think of the life that would breath into the marriage relationship. Think of how good that would be for the other. And think of the good that mother or father could do for their children if the would not only cease from tearing down with their words but take up the habit of building their children up. Think of the good that siblings would do for one another…  And think of the good that we would do for one another if we would only put aside our old way of speaking, and learn to speak according to the “new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, ESV).

Friends, this is something you must choose to do. You will be able to do it only because God has created you anew. And you will be able to do only by God’s grace, as he renews you by his word and spirit. But this is something you must choose to do. You must decide to put off the old self, and to put on the new in regard to your speech.]

*****

Worth Thoughts

Secondly, consider Paul’s command regarding our thoughts. Not only is the Christian to walk worthy in regard to speech, but is also to maintain a holy thought life. Indeed, our words and actions do not proceed from us spontaneously, but emerge from the inner man. How vital it is, therefore, to take every thought and emotion captive to obey Christ. 

In verse 26 we read these words: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26–27, ESV)

Friends, anger is not a sin. Christ himself experienced the emotion of anger, and rightly so. It is right and good for us to feel the emotion of anger when we encounter that which is contrary to God’s law. Sin should anger us. Oppression should anger us. Injustice should anger us. 

Please pay careful attention here. The verb translated as “be angry” at the beginning of verse 26 is in the imperative mood. It is a command. It is right for us to be angry provided that we are angry about the right things. There is righteous anger, and there is unrighteous anger. 

Anger is sinful when it is in response to the wrong thing. Often times we are angered, not because God’s will has been violated, but because we didn’t get our way! This is unrighteous anger. 

Anger is sinful when it moves us to rage. It seems to me that this is what Paul has in mind when he says, “Be angry and do not sin”. In other words, be angry about things that are sinful and unjust, but do not allow that righteous emotion to drive you to rage. Rage is anger that has exploded out of control. Anger may be righteous. Rage is never righteous. “Be angry and do not sin”.

And anger is sinful when turns to bitterness within the heart. If rage is anger that has exploded out of control, bitterness is anger that has been allowed  to fester like a slow burning fire.  A Christian must never allow anger, even if it is righteous anger, to turn into bitterness. And this is what Paul is concerned to guard against when he says, “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” If someone or something has angered you, and if it is right that you are angry, you must not explode with anger, but neither are you to allow that anger to burn slowly, to fester, and to result in bitterness. Instead, you must deal with the issue appropriately, whatever it is. And having dealt with the issue appropriately, you are to forgive from the heart. If the person repents, forgivness is to be  transacted with the word, “I forgive you”. If repentance is not expressed, even still we are to forgive from the heart, and leave it to the wrath of God. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19, ESV).

Paul revisits this theme in verse 31 where he says most directly, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31, ESV). Notice the words bitterness, wrath and anger. These are all emotions that are felt. These reside within the inner man, within the heart and mind. And Paul is commanding the Christian to put them away! 

The word “bitterness” refers to intense resentment or hate. 

The word “wrath” refers to intense anger characterized by outbursts. 

The word “anger” in this context must have the sense of fury. 

These passions are to be put away from the believer. And place of these we are to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV)

“Kind” might also be translated as gracious.

“Tenderhearted”means that we are to be compassionate and affectionate. 

You are to forgive, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. 

Put off the old self, friends. And put on the new. This must done even within the inner man. It will not do to change our words  and our deeds, for these proceed from the heart. We must put away bitterness, wrath and anger. 

And  pay careful attention to Paul’s warning, where he says, “…give no opportunity to the devil…” The word opportunity might also be translated as “place” or “foothold”. When we fail to honor Christ in the inner man — when we allow our thoughts and emotions to go unchecked and to run afoul — we give the evil one territory where he is able to gain a foothold in our lives.

If you allow bitterness, wrath and anger to reside within you, you give the evil one a foothold in your heart. And if he has a foothold in your heart, he has a foothold in your marriage, your family and within the church.  Don’t give him an opportunity, friends. Don’t surrender an inch oof territory to him. Drive him out completely by keeping your heart  pure. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31–32, ESV)

*****

Worthy Deeds

Thirdly and lastly, consider Paul’s command regarding our deeds. Not only is the Christian to walk worthy in regard to thought and word, but also in deed. Paul address this in verse  28 where he says, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28, ESV).

Our new life in Christ is to manafest itself in a new way of life. Instead of living for self, the Christians to live for the good others. And the transformation of the thief who takes from others into the worker who gives serves as an example of this.

And by the way, I think this is what is going on throughout this passage. Paul is concerned to say, in general, walk worthy.Put of toehold self, and put on the new. Do this in thought, word and deed. And instead of listing every sin of the mind, mouth and action, he  put’s forth examples.  Put away falsehood — speak what is true instead. Put away bitterness and rage — forgive from a tender heart instead. Put away thievery — do honest and productive work so that you might give instead. Many more examples could be given of thoughts, words and deeds that are to be put away, and thoughts, words and deeds that are to be put on in their place, but Paul mentions only these. The function as examples,  therefore. And what do all of these sins have in common? They take from others and the tear down. They do not give or build up. Falsehood robs others of the truth and is damages reputations. Truth edifies. It builds up. Bitterness and wrath are destructive wherever they are present. Kindness, graciousness and forgiveness build up. Thievery only takes from others — it gives nothing in return. But the one who does honest and productive works earns his wage and provides a product or serve to another. And this enables the worker to the share with those who are truly in need. Instead of taking from others, the regenerated thief should be eager to give. 

Thievery takes many forms. A thief will sometimes take from others by force. At other times the thief will take by deceit or through manipulation. Whatever the means, the thief takes from others, but does not give. A thief might work very hard at his thievery, but he does not engage in work, properly speaking. 

To work is to offer a service to others in exchange for a wage. Work takes many forms. But all work has this in common — it gives before it gets. Some kind of service is rendered, before compensation is received.   

The Christian must put away all forms of thievery. The Christian must abandon the practice of procuring wealth by means of taking from others, be it by force, by trickery or the manipulation of others. And in the place of the thievery the Christian is to work  with his own hands so that he might have something to share  with those in need. 

And not only is the Christian to engage in work, but “honest work”. Honest work is the standard for the Christian. There are some activities that might in fact qualify as work — a good or service might in fact be exchanged for a wage — but the work falls short of honest work. The drug dealer is in fact compensated for providing a product to others. I suppose that the what he does might indeed be called work, but it is not good or honest work. It is not productive work, for the product he provides leads to destruction, and not to the building up of others. 

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, we should think about the work that do and ask, is it honest work? First, is work? Are we in fact being compensated by providing a good or service for others. And secondly, is it good, honest and productive work? Does it build others up somehow? 

Are there situations where it is appropriate for Christians to cease from work? I say, yes. 

In the case of mental or physical disability, for example. The Christians who has ceased from work for these reasons need not feel guilty.  Paul is here presenting the general truth that Christians are to work. They are to serve others with their time and energy. If it is true of you that you have  ceased from work due to mental or physical ailment, I would encourage you to use your time and energy to serve others. And in so doing you will fulfill the spirit of what the Apostle is here commanding. Retirement is also a valid reason to cease from work. 

Retirement is a benefit that the worker has earned over time. But I would exhort the Christian who is retired to never retire from the service of others. Use your time and energy, not to serve self, but to serve others. Serve others in prayer. Find ways to meet needs within Christ’s church, and to build others up. In so doing you will fulfill the spirit of what the Apostle here commands.

To the parent who does not earn a wage, but stays at home to devote time to raising children, I say that your efforts are of great importance. Knowing when it is time for a parent to work outside the home requires wisdom and will differ from situation to situation. Again I  say, parents who are blessed to cease from work, use your time and energy to serve others. In so doing you will fulfill the spirit of what the Apostle here commands.

And what is the spirit of what the Apostle here commands? The one who has been recreated in Christ is no longer to live for themselves, but for others. The thief is the epitope of one who lives for himself — he  takes and takes, but does not give. This way of life, whatever form it takes, must be put away. And in its place the Christians is to “labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28, ESV).

To you brothers and sisters who are stuck in a job that is less than ideal or satisfying to you, I would encourage you look for another job. But in the meantime, I would  urge you to see that what you are doing is good — indeed, it is very good, so long as the work is honest work — for you are living according the command of scripture. By engaging in honest work you are being a productive member in society while fact providing for yourself and for those under your care.  This is what God designed us to do when he made us in his image. Now that we are fallen, work is arduous (the ground produces thorns and thistles). But is good to engage in honest work — work that serves others — work that is productive — work that builds up. 

*****

Conclusion

There is one little phrase that I have left off for the conclusion. It is probably the most famous phrase in this passage, and it is of great importance. Paul urges the believer to put off the old self, and to put on the new in thought, word and deed, so  that we “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom [we] were sealed for the day of redemption”. 

Here in this little phrase the Apostle directs our thoughts back to the central issue — if you are in Christ you have been recreated by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have been sealed by him. This means that he has put his mark on you. You belong to God. And God will bring you safely home. He has guaranteed it with the sealing  of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is the visible sign of this. And, having been redeemed by Christ, and belonging now to God, we are to live for him in this world as members of his family, as citizens of his kingdom, and as a part of the new humanity that has been brought into existence by the work of the crucified and risen Son of God.  Having been called by God to have faith in Christ, we are to now walk worthy. And when we fail to walk worthy — when we fail to lay aside the the old self and to put on the new — the Spirit of God is grieved within us. 

Now, of course the Spirit is not grieved, properly speaking, for God does not change. He is not moved by anything external to himself — he does not experience the passions of man. But we feel the affect of the Spirit’s grief. When we walk in the darkness the Spirit of God is “depressed” within us, and we feel the affects of it. And when we walk in the light the Spirit of God is “overjoyed” within us, and we feel the affects of it. 

Stated differently, the Spirit chastens us when we sin. He withdraws the joyous light of his countenance. And the Spirit rejoices within us when we obey the Lord in thought, word and deed. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:1–3, ESV)

Tags: Ephesians 4:25-32

Posted in Sermons Ephesians 4:25-32
Comments Off on Sermon: Ephesians 4:25-32: Put Off, And Put On Posted by Joe

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31:31–34

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31–34, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 4:17-24

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17–24, ESV)

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, I think it is very important that we follow the flow of thought of the Apostle as we journey deeper and deeper into his letter to the Ephesians. If we were reading Paul’s letter all at once it might be easier to follow his reasoning. But given that we are taking his letter piece by piece, Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day, it is easy to loose track of the progression. 

In the first half of his letter Paul described to us the awesome richness and beauty and our redemption in Christ. Though once dead in sin, guilty before God and alienated from him, God, by his grace, has made us alive, removed our guilt, and has reconciled us to himself by the blood of Christ, so that we are now his beloved Sons, through faith in him.

And having been called to faith in Christ, and thus reconciled to the Father, we are now to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called.” This is the theme of the second half of Paul’s epistle. Here in chapters 4 through 6 Paul urges us to walk worthy, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV).

Chapters 4, 5  and 6 are filled with commands — this we will soon see. These chapters are packed full of verbs in the  imperative mood in the Greek. Verbs in the imperative mood express commands or exhortations. [Please allow me to show this to you. On the screen you will see the text of Ephesians with all of the imperatives highlighted in red. Notice as we scroll through that there is only one imperative found in the first half of Ephesians. In 2:11 the Apostle commands the Gentiles to “remember” their hopeless and helpless condition prior to the arrival of the Christ. But notice as we scroll through all of the imperatives that begin starting in 4:25, which we will come to consider next week. “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:25–28, ESV). In fact, the rest of the epistle is filled with imperatives…]

Granted, in the Greek language there are other ways to express commands or exhortations, but I show this to you so that you might see more clearly the flow of thought of the Apostle. In the first half of his epistle he establishes truth. In the second half he issues commands based upon the truths previously established. 

So, what are we to think of this section that we are now in? What are we to make of Ephesians 4:1-24? This section clearly introduces the application portion of Paul’s epistle. The application began in 4:1 with the words, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1, ESV). But, as you can see, Paul does not begin to string together his imperatives until 4:25. So what is he doing here in this section? Well, he is still teaching us, isn’t he? And if we pay careful attention to what he says we will notice that he is answering the question, how can a person who once walked in darkness begin to walk in light? Stated differently, how can a person change his or her way of life — ceasing to walk in an unworthy manner, and walking now in manner that is worthy?

Perhaps you have noticed how uncommon it is for a person to change his or her way of life for the better. 

Perhaps you have noticed how difficult it is for a person to cease from doing evil and to do good instead. 

It is not so difficult to for men and women to move from being good (relatively speaking) to evil. It is not so difficult for a person who is wicked to grow more wicked. Just as falling from some high place requires no physical exertion at all, whereas climbing from a low place to a high place requires great physical exertion, so too it is in the world of morality and sin. Sin has a gravitational-like effect on the human soul. It is always pulling downward. It is always discouraging upward movement. You have undoubtably experienced this yourself, and you can see the effects of it in the world all around you. 

So how will it be that the Christian will change? 

We know that we have been forgiven, cleansed, redeemed, and adopted by the shed blood of Christ and through faith in him. But notice that these are all positional realities. You were once guilty, but now you have been declared not guilty. You were one filthy with sin, but now you have been washed. You were once enslaved, but now you are free. You were once alienated and at enmity with God, but now you are beloved sons. By the grace of God, your position before him has been changed, and all of that was instantaneous, being brought about the moment you believed. But here the Apostle is addressing, not our position before God, but our walk —  our way of life — which is an ongoing and progressive development. 

Once again I ask you the question that the Apostle is here addressing: how can we change? How will we be transformed from liars and thieves into people who are honest, generous and kind? How will we be changed from sexually immoral and perverse people into people who live lives that are upright and pure? How will we be changed from people who are hateful and unforgiving into children of love?

I would imagine that many within this world would doubt if transformation such as this is even possible. To them it might seem to be the stuff of fairytales. But within Christ’s church, it is what we expect to see. We expect that those who have been forgiven by Christ, cleaned and adopted will then proceed to walk in manner that is worthy of their calling as beloved children of God. 

But how will this transformation take place? That is the question. 

What we learn here in the first half of Ephesians 4 is that God uses external and internal means to bring about the transformation of his people.  

The Apostle has already addressed the external means in verses 7 through 16. There we learned that God has given gifts to his people. Specifically, he has given his people the gift of his word along with ministers of the word — apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). These are to devote themselves to “the perfecting of the saints… the work of the ministry… the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12, KJV 1900), through the preaching and teaching of the word of God. The word of God — the preaching and teaching of it — will be the external means that God uses to mature his people, and to bring about their transformation. 

Why have I called the ministry of the word of God an external means. Well, simply observe what is happening even now. The word of God is being ministered to you. It is being proclaimed and taught through preaching. And all of that is external to you. There are many in this room, I hope and pray, who, by the grace of God are also receiving the word inwardly and with  faith. But there may be some who are closed off to the word, who ignore or reject it. I pray that would change if it is the case. The point is that the preaching and teaching of the word of God only an external thing if the Spirit of God does not apply it to the heart with the gift of faith.

Here in verses 17-24 the Apostle identifies the internal means which brings about true transformation in the life of the believer, namely, the renewal of the inner man by the power and agency of the Holy Spirit.

Notice the title of the sermon: A Worthy Walk Proceeding From A Renewed Spirit.

Friends, you and I must choose to walk worthily. You and I must daily and momentarily choose to put off the old self and to put on the new — this is indeed true! But pay very careful attention to what the Apostle teaches here. This worthy walk — this new way of life — procees from a new creation. This worthy walk that we are to take up is only possible because God has renewed us by the gracious working of his Spirit within our souls.

The implications of this are massive. Stated succinctly, the church is not merely a school where men and women are taught morals, but the assembly of those who have been born anew who are presently being transformed into the likeness of their Savior by the power of word of God and by the agency of the Holy Spirit. 

The text that is before us today can be divided into two basic parts. In verses 17-19 the believer is exhorted to turn away from the old life. And in verses 20-24 we are encouraged to walk in the new life which is ours in Christ Jesus. 

*****

Turn Away From The Old Life

First, consider the strong exhortation from the Apostle to turn away from our old way of life. In verse 17 we read, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do…” (Ephesians 4:17, ESV).

I have called this exhortation a “strong exhortation”, for the Greek is unusually strong in its verbiage and construction — “Now this I say and testify in the Lord…”, the Apostle says. There is no imperative here, but the phrase has the force of a command. Paul is concerned to communicate that this is very solemn and important matter — those who are in Christ must “no longer walk as the Gentiles do…” It simply is not an option.  It cannot be. The one  who has been made alive in Christ must not continue to walk in a worldly way.

[APPLICATION:  I wonder, do you agree with the Apostle concerning sin? Do you agree with his solemn testimony, that those in Christ must not continue in sin? Or is sin of little concern to you? I am afraid that some in Christ have a careless and cavalier attitude concerning sin. Perhaps they have been so comforted by the forgivness of sins in Christ that they have failed to see sin as the vile thing that it is before God. The doctrine of free grace, if misunderstood, can have this affect on people. It can lead to us to excuse our sin, or to minimize its severity, saying, well, I am forgiven, aren’t I! But the Apostle is very concerned to protect us from this error. 

True, the forgiveness of sins is by God’s grace and received through faith in Christ. And true, we do not earn God’s love, nor keep it, by our obedience. And it is also true that God is always willing to forgive those who are repentant. But here Paul concerned  to say that it must not be — it cannot be — that the one who has been reconciled to God and adopted as a son would go on living as if still alienated from God and a child of wrath. No  friends, we do not earn God’s love by our obedience to him. But certainly, the one who has been made alive by the love of God will show their love for God through obedient living.]

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do…”, the Apostle says. We should remember that these were Gentiles to whom Paul was writing. They were Gentiles, ethnically speaking, and not Jews. And earlier Paul called them Gentiles, saying, “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh… remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11–12, ESV). And in another place Paul said, “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—” (Ephesians 3:1, ESV). These Christians in Ephesus  were in fact Gentiles. But here Paul exhorts them, saying, “you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do…” This indicates that  these Gentile Christians had made a break with their former life. They had a new identity. Whereas before they might have taken pride in the fact that they were Greek or Roman or Ephesians, now they had a new identity. They were children of God and citizens of his kingdom. The distinction between Jew and Gentile no longer mattered, for they had been born from above. And having been born from above, belonging now to a new family, and being citizens of a new kingdom means that they are now to abandon their old customs, and to adopt the new ones in  Christ. 

[APPLICATION: And this, by the way, is one of the reason the world will despise God’s people. No matter where the church exists, she is to be countercultural. The true Christian will not live the way the world lives, speak the way the world speaks, nor think the way the world thinks. The countercultural dimension of the church will look different from place to place, but the issue will always be the same. To quote Peter, the world will be “surprised when [we] do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they [will] malign [us]…” (1 Peter 4:4, ESV). The world will hate the Christian, in part, because the Christian will not walk the way the world walks.] 

It is at the end of verse 19 that Paul offers up a brief description of the way the Gentiles walk. There he says that they have “given themselves up to sensuality” and are “greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:19, ESV). This is a very generic description of the way the Gentiles walk. Paul is more specific in other places. Take for example 1 Corinthians 6:9ff., where he says,  “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, ESV). Here Paul is more specific concerning the way of life of the non-believer. But notice that his point is the same. “Such were some of you”, he said to the Corinthians. In other words, you used to live that way! But having been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Christ and by the Spirit, your walk is now different. Here in Ephesians Paul describes the walk of the non-believing Gentiles by simply saying, they have “given themselves up to sensuality” and are “greedy to practice every kind of impurity”.

The word “sensuality” refers to a lack of moral restraint, especially as it pertains to sexual licentiousness. Notice that Paul says the Gentiles have “given themselves up to this” way of life. They have given in to this temptation. The word “impurity” can refer to immoral behavior in general, but often refers to sexual sin. And notice the strong language that Paul here uses, saying, that non-believing Gentiles are “greedy to practice every kind of impurity”. This means that they are eager to be immoral — they have a strong desire to do that which is filthy in the eyes of God. And Paul is saying to the one who is in Christ — “you must no longer walk” in this way. 

[APPLICATION: Perhaps you have noticed this way of thinking grow ever more prevalent in our culture. Those who have “given themselves up to sensuality” and are “greedy to practice every kind of impurity” reason that if they have a desire to behave in a certain way, they cannot change it, and the behavior cannot be called immoral, therefore. Those who reason in this way will never be consistent in their application of this principle, I’m sure. Even they will continue to call some behaviors “wrong”  and will urge the one who has a strong desire to act in such and such a way to “fight against the temptation”. The one who practices homosexuality excuses his or her sin by appealing the attraction that is felt inwardly. And yet at the same time the one who practices homosexuality will condemn the liar, the thief, the adulterer, and the murderer, and will have none of it if these reply saying, “but the desires are just so strong!”  Now, granted, these sins that I have just mentioned do involve victims. And if sin is only defined as that which harms another, then I can understand the inconsistency. But not all sin involves a victum. It is possible for two or more consenting  adults to engage in sin. Indeed,  it is possible for a person to sin all alone. Sin does not always involve a victim. Crime does, but not sin. For sin is any lack of conformity unto or violation of the law of God. Sin, above all, is against God. And here I am saying  that even the one who practices homosexuality (or some other sin) will admit that there  are some desires that should not be acted upon, and that it is indeed possible to exercise restraint. Having a strong desire for some impure thing does not justify the sin. In fact, the desire itself is sinful and must be resisted. Clearly this is what the scriptures teach, for Paul is here calling the one who is in Christ to no longer walk in the way that the Gentiles do, who have “given themselves up to sensuality” and are “greedy to practice every kind of impurity”. Stated differently, in Christ you must not give yourself up to sensuality, and you must not be “greedy [or driven by strong desires] to practice every kind of impurity”, for you are a new creation.]

As  I have said, at end of verse 19 Paul briefly describes the Gentiles walk, but in verses 17 — 19a Paul identifies the source of their impure walk with the words, “in the futility of their minds.” Paul then expands upon this  saying,  “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and [as a result] have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”

Please understand this: people do what they do from the heart. A heart that is impure will produce a life that is impure. A mind that is twisted will produce a life that is twisted. This is why the Proverb says,  “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV). And this is why Christ said, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43–45, ESV).

Here Paul teaches that the non-believing Gentiles have  “given themselves up to sensuality” and are “greedy to practice every kind of impurity” because of the “futility [of] their minds.” This does not mean that the Gentiles to not have intelligence or mental capacity, but that their way of thinking is empty. There are very brilliant people in this world who’s minds are empty and futile. Indeed, if our minds are not directed towards the glory of God in all things, then our thinking is futile.   

Paul elaborates saying, “They are darkened in their understanding”. This means that they do not have the capacity to perceive the truth. 

The result is that they are “alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them”. To be “alienated from the life of God” is to be dead spiritually, and without hope in this world. And this, the Apostle says, is due to “their hardness of heart.” Sin hardens the heart. We are born in sin. Our hearts are not naturally soft to God or to the things of God, but hard. And as we sin, our hearts grow harder and harder. Indeed, “they… become callous” as Paul here says. 

[APPLICATION: Only God can give life to those who are dead, friends. Only God can break a heart of stone. Only he can soften the one who has grown callous. Teaching morality will do nothing at all to make a guilty man innocent, or a sinful man pure. Men and women might learn to put up a facade. They might learn to alter their behavior so as to benefit themselves somehow. But they will not be moved to  give glory to God through moral instruction, for we are by nature futil in our thinking, darkened in our understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in us, due to our hardness of heart. We are by nature, and apart from God’s work of regeneration, callous to God and to the things of God. If God is to reconcile us to himself and  truly change us, then he must make us new.]

*****

Walk In The New Life Which Is Yours In Christ Jesus 

And this is what Paul tells us that God has done for us. If we are in Christ it is because God has given us new life. In Christ we have been re-created. And it is in this new life which is ours in Christ Jesus that we are to now walk. That is the second  point of the sermon today: walk in the new life which is yours in Christ Jesus.

 In verse 20 Paul contrasts the walk of the Gentiles  with  the wall of the Christian, saying, “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20–21, ESV). I actually think the NIV provides a little better translation of these two verses when it says, “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20–21, NIV84). To “learn Christ” is not to learn about him factually, but to come to know him truly. And Paul is not here doubting whether the Ephesians know Christ — he is sure of it! Here is reminding the Ephesians of their conversion and of the teaching they received before and after baptism. He is reminding them of their faith and repentance, of the instruction they received from the start, and how they buried the old man in the waters of baptism and we raised from the watery grave to walk then in newness of life. 

In verse 22 Paul reminds the Ephesians of how from the beginning they were taught “to put off [their] old self, which belongs to [their] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of [their] minds…” (Ephesians 4:22–23, ESV). 

The phrase “and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds” might also be translated, “being renewed in the Spirit of your minds”. The verb “renewed” is in the passive voice in the Greek which indicates that the subject of the sentence is not doing the action, but is being acted upon. In other words, this is not a command to be renewed, but a description of what has and is being done to the Christian, namely, “renewal in the spirit of [their] minds”. And the verb is in present tense, indicating that the action is in process. Friends, in Christ, you have been renewed and you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds. 

In verse 24 we read, “and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, ESV).

Here we find another passive verb which is translated, “created after the likeness of God”. Again, this is not a command, for this is not something that we can do to ourselves, but it is something that has been done to the Christian. If you are in  Christ, God has created you anew. And here the verb (which is in fact a participle), is in the aorist tense, indicating that the action logically precedes the main verb.

If we pay careful attention to these two verbs in the passive voice the meaning becomes clear. 

Given that we have been “renewed [by God] in the spirit of [our] minds” we are to daily “put off [the] old self, which belongs to [our] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.”

And given that we have been “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” we are to daily   “put on the new self”. 

Stated differently, what has God done for us? 

He has “renewed the spirit of our minds”. At one time we were “given… up to sensuality” and “greedy to practice every kind of impurity” because our minds were futile, and our understanding darkened. We were alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that was in us. Our hearts were hard and callous. But we have been renewed by God. The old man is dead and gone, therefore. Where there was once  futility , there is substance. Where there  was once darkness, there is light. Where there was once death, there is life. Where there was once a hard and calloused heart, there is now a  heart that is tender with love for God and neighbor. The old man is gone, friends. Put that old way of life off. Cast it away, for you are no  longer that old sinful creature, but have been renewed. 

Indeed God has created you anew in his likeness in true righteousness and holiness. It is hard to read Ephesians 4:24 and to not think of Genesis 1:27, which  says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV). Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. And they were created upright, with true righteous and holiness. This was lost when man fell into sin. By nature we are not right with God, and we do not live right, nor  are we holy. But this is what God has done for us in Christ  — in Christ, through faith in him, we have been created anew. As Paul  says elsewhere, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, ESV). It is this new man — the man that  has  been created anew in Christ Jesus — that we are to daily put on or cloth ourselves with, so that we might walk in a manner that is worthy, to the glory of the God who has redeemed and renewed us.

*****

Conclusion

How does God change his people? 

Well, he changes us through the external means of the preaching and teaching of the word of God.   

But here we learn that God also changes his people inwardly through the  transformation of the mind and heart by the  power of his Holy Spirit. 

Friends, if any one is truly in Christ, they will keep his commandments. I am not saying that they will always obey Christ. I am not saying they will never sin. Corruptions remain. Sometimes we fail to put off the old man, and to put on the new. Sometimes we walk in a way that is inconsistent with our new creation self. But if we are truly in Christ — if we are truly born again — we will not remain in sin. Living in sin is a tortuous affair for the believer, for the life of sin is a contradiction  to the new life that has been wrought in us. The light that is in us will hate the darkness. The life that it is in us will hate the stench of death. But here the Apostle is solemnly warning us to walk worthy — to walk in a way that is fitting, given our calling. We must no longer walk as the Gentiles  do, but, having been renewed and retreated in Christ Jesus, we must daily put lay the old down, and be clothed with the “new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, ESV).

Posted in Sermons
Comments Off on Sermon: Ephesians 4:17-24: A Worthy Walk Proceeding From A Renewed Spirit Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org

• Paul is here writing to the whole church in Ephesus, officers and members together. How does this passage apply to the minister? How does this passage apply to the member?
• Why is the word of God so crucial to 1) the maturity of the church, 2) the stability of the church, 3) the unity of the church?
• Why is it crucial to sit under the preaching and teaching ministry of a local church where the word of God is ministered live and in person? Stated differently, what crucial component is lacking in preaching delivered digitally?

Tags: Gospel Community Groups

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups
Comments Off on Discussion Questions For Sermon On Ephesians 4:13-16 Posted by Joe

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 1

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 4:7-16

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:7–16, ESV)

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

Previously in Ephesians we have been strongly exhorted by the Apostle, based upon all that God has done for us in Christ Jesus, to now walk in a worthy manner, to be humble, gentle and patient, “bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” within Christ’s church. This is our reasonable and fitting response to the grace of God that has been lavished upon us. Having been called from spiritual death to spiritual life, we are now to walk worthy of this calling. 

The Apostle has also encouraged our hearts by reminding us that God has not left us without supply. He has redeemed us by the shed blood of Christ, but in Christ he has also lavished us with gifts. We are well equipped, therefore. Indeed, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3, ESV).  

The act of redemption does not necessarily guarente a rich supply. You can imagine a king providing salvation for a people in bondage, but then leaving those captives that he has set free to fend for themselves. That would not be unreasonable. A redeemer is not obligated to also be a generous benefactor, is he? And those freed from bondage would be grateful for their redemption, even if no other gift were given. But our heavenly Father is generous and kind. He has redeemed us from the curse of the law, from sin and from death. More than this, he has adopted us as his children. Think about that! Not only have our sins been washed away through faith in Christ, we have also been adopted into God’s family, though we were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.  And as his children he has lavished us with gifts so that we are well supplied to walk in manner that is worthy and to bring glory to his name. When we think about our salvation in Christ we must learn to think of it as involving much more than just the forgiveness of our sins. No, we have been forgiven so that we might be reconciled to the Father as sons. And as sons of the King we are very well supplied. 

Christ has given gifts to all who belong to him by faith. All have spiritual gifts that they are to use for the edification of the body of Christ. And he has also provided the church with ministers of the word. This was the emphasis of the previous passage — God has gifted and called men to serve the church with the word of God so that “the word of Christ [would] dwell in [us] richly.” (Colossians 3:16, ESV). In the early and foundational days of the New Covenant church there were Apostles and Prophets who ministered the word in an authoritative and foundational way. After the age of the Apostles, evangelists, shepherd and teachers remain. And what to do all of these callings share in common? These are all ministers of the word of God. Evangelists, shepherd and  teachers are to preach and teach the scriptures, they are “to equip the saints”, the are to devote themselves to “the work of ministry”, they are to labor  for the “building up the body of Christ”, which is the church, the visible manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth today. 

And what is the intended result of a faithful ministry of the word? In other words, Lord willing, and with God’s blessing, what will be accomplished as the word of God is proclaimed and taught faithfully within the Christian congregation? This is the question that the passage before us today answers. And in brief the answer is maturity in Christ. It is through the constant ministry of the word that the church will be moved along to maturity. And this maturity amongst the members will have many benefits indeed. Four byproducts of a faithful ministry of the word are mentioned in this  passage. The primary byproduct is maturity. Believers will grow up to be mature in Christ as they come to know, believe, trust and obey God’s word. Stability within the congregation will flow from this. And so too will unity, Lord willing.  

I say, “Lord willing”, because none of these things are automatic or guaranteed. Just as a farmer might work diligently to plant, water and tend to his crop, things beyond his control might threaten his harvest. And so too a minister of the word might labor faithfully only to see the fruit of his labor diminished or destroyed by circumstances beyond his control. Ordinarily, though, a faithful and constant ministry of the word of God within the Christian congregation will produce maturity, stability and unity in Christ’s church. 

*****

Maturity

In verse 13 the goal or purpose of the minister of the word is established. The minister’s purpose is to lead the believer on to maturity. The Christian minister — that is to say, the evangelist, shepherd and teacher —  is to have the maturity of the members as his aim. This was the goal of the apostles as they ministered the word in the earliest days of the church. Paul himself says so in Colossians 1:28 with these words: “[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:28–29, ESV).  What did the Apostle have his sights set on? Maturity in Christ! He proclaimed the word of God faithfully so that in the end he might present those who were under his care to God,  “mature in Christ”.  

Stated differently, the goal of the minister of the word — be they evangelists, shepherds, or teachers — is not conversion only. The gospel is to be preached. Men and women are to be urged to turn from their sins and to believe upon Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. But repentance and faith leading to salvation is not the end. It is only the beginning. When someone believes upon Christ to the salvation of their souls, they are to baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, and they are to be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded, for we are his disciples, which means “learner”. Again, cultivating maturity in the believer is to be the objective of every minister of the gospel. 

Christ gave ministers of the word to the church so that believers might grow to maturity. But notice that Paul describes this maturity in three different ways. 

One, those mature in Christ will “attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God”.

Here the word “faith” refers,  not to personal belief or trust (as it often does in the scriptures), but to the body of  doctrine that is contained within holy scripture. Notice the definite article. Ministers of the word of God are to do their work with the objective being that believers “attain to the unity of the faith.” The goal here is that we would all come to believe the same things and to be of the same mind as it pertains to “the Christian faith”. How is this possible? Well, it is possible because “the faith” has been delivered to us. God has spoken. We have his word in the Old and New Testaments. The apostles and prophets have spoken and written with authority. The evangelists, shepherd and teachers are to receive this word, and they are to preach it, building upon this foundation. And the church is to “receive with meekness [this] implanted word…” (James 1:21, ESV). And what is at the heart of this faith except “the knowledge of the Son of God”? The scriptures tell the story of our redemption in Jesus the Christ, who is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh. To be mature in Christ involves having firm grasp on Christian doctrine. In particular, maturity in Christ means possessing a true knowledge of the Son of God. 

I have said this before, friends. Doctrine matters. Knowledge matters. Knowledge will not automatically produce maturity. There are certainly some who possess knowledge, but lack maturity. But knowledge is indeed a vital element of maturity. And this is the calling of the minister of he gospel — to preach and teach the word of God so that men and women, boys and girls, might grow in their understanding of “the faith” and in their “the knowledge of the Son of God”.

Two, Paul explicitly says that ministers of the word were given so that through their ministry believers will attain “to mature manhood”. Here I will repeat what I have just said — knowledge of Christian doctrine does not equate to maturity. No, but it is a vital component. The goal of the minister is to, by teaching the faith and by preaching Christ, move men and women on to mature manhood or womanhood. I am reminded of that rebuke that the writer to the Hebrews delivered to his audience, saying “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:12–14, ESV). Here I want for you to see the connection that the author makes between knowledge of the “oracles of God” and maturity. Knowledge does not automatically produce maturity, but it does pave the way. We must be weaned off of milk and learn to eat solid food so that we might grow to maturity, having the “powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

Three, Paul describes maturity as Christ-likeness. The objective of the minister of the word is to move men and women on to maturity, until we all attain “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” What does a mature man look like? Well, one way to put it is to say, look to Jesus Christ! He is the epitome of maturity, for he alone loved God with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength and his neighbor as himself. To be mature is to attain “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

The word “until” at the beginning of verse 13 indicates that ministers of the word must do their work until these things are accomplished. The apostles and prophets have completed their foundational work, and the church today builds upon this foundation. Evangelists, shepherds and teacher are still active. And they must minister the word of God — they must preach it and teach it — “until” we all attain “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” When will that be? Well, although progress will be made in this life, we will not truly attain to this maturity until Christ returns or takes us home. Therefore, these ministers of the word — evangelists, shepherds and teachers — must be diligent in the work of the ministry to build upon  the foundation of the apostles and prophets until the end of time. 

[APPLICATION: I would like to make just a few points of application before moving on to points two through four of this sermon, which will be brief. 

There is obvious application for minsters of the word found in this text. They are to understand that God has called them and equipped them to serve within Christ’s Church. They are to be diligent, therefore, in the work of the ministry. They are serve Christ’s people with the word of God. It is the word of God that will produce maturity in the people of God, and the maturity of the believers is to be our objective.

But there is also application for the members of the congregation. I might ask you, are you pursuing maturity in Christ? Are you striving to grow in your understanding of “the faith” and “in your knowledge of the Son Of God”? Are you eager to arrive at “mature manhood”? Are you looking to Christ, not only for the forgivness of your sins, but also as your standard for Christian living? Are you pursuing maturity? And do you understand the means that God uses to bring about that maturity. One of the primary means that God uses is to mature his people is the ministry of the word of God faithfully discharged within the Christian congregation.  

Friends, we should not forget that we are here reading Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. We are not reading, let’s say, Paul’s letter to Pastor Timothy. Paul’s purpose, therefore, is not primarily to instruct Pastors concerning their responsibility, but to instruct the entire congregation — officers and members together — concerning the vital role that the ministry of the word will play within the Christian congregation, until Christ returns to make all things new. Ministers are to be faithful. But members are also understand God’s purpose for, appreciate, and desire the ministry of the word in the context of the Christian congregation. 

Let me make a couple of specific points of application. 

Friends, if you understand God’s purpose for, appreciate, and desire the ministry of the word within the Christian congregation, you will not willingly forsake the assembly. There are good reasons to forsake the assembly. We have spoken enough about that in the past couple of months. But ordinarily the assembly is not to be forsaken, for, among other things, it is where the word of God is ministered in word and in sacrament. And no, friends, there is no substitute for being personally present. Mind you, Christ did not accomplish our redemption remotely and from a distance.  No, the eternal Word of God took on flesh and tabernacled amongst us. And so too the living and active word of God is to be preached by a minster who is living and active, to a people who are living and active.

I wonder, are you eager to sit under the ministry of the word on the Lord’s Day? Do you understand God’s purpose for it? Do you appreciate and desire the ministry of the word in the context of the Christian congregation. And notice that it is the word that I am imploring you to desire. Brothers and sisters, develop an appetite, not for well crafted and eloquent sermons, but for the word of God. If the word of God is delivered in skillful way, all the better. But if the eloquent sermon is devoid of God’s word, then learn to reject it.

Do you have an appetite for the word? Are you teachable? Do you come being eager to learn and to humbly receive the implanted word which is able to save your souls? Do you desire substantial teaching, which will move you, along with the rest of the congregation, on to maturity in Christ? 

Last week I revealed to you something that has been on my mind for some time now, namely, evening worship on the Lord’s Day. Our previous facility played a part in the decision to not move forward with the idea in the past. I am hopeful, though, that this new facility will enable us to begin to gather for evening worship. But I do not wish to impose this upon you, brothers and sisters. Instead, it is my hope and prayer that the congregation would be eager for it. It is my hope and prayer that you would see the value of assembling again at the conclusion of the Lord’s Day so that the word might be ministered again, but in different way, so that we might “attain”, ever more so, “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, ESV). There are many things that we will need to discuss before moving forward with this, but for now I am simply appealing to you to see the goodness of the thing. I pray that you would desire more of the ministry of God’s word. 

*****

Stability

There are two more points to this sermon, but as I have already said, they will be brief. Remember that our question is, what will be accomplished as the word of God is proclaimed and taught faithfully within the Christian congregation? The principle answer is, maturity in Christ.  But maturity will will bring about others benefits as well.  

In verse 14 Paul communicates that the maturity will produce stability — stability within the life of the believer, and stability within the Christian congregation. Verse 14 begins with the words, “so that…” The words “so that” indicate that Paul is about to elaborate on the fruit of maturity — “…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14, ESV). 

The individual Christian, and the church as a whole, will always and forever in this life be assailed by violent winds and tumultuous waves. These storms which buffet the church take many forms. Indeed, we face trials of many kinds. But here Paul has in mind the threat of false doctrine, especially those that originate from human cunning, crafty and deceitful schemes. Sometimes false doctrine in the result of ignorance or honest error. But at other times it is the result of human cunning. Men are sometimes crafty and deceitful. They twist the truth to benefit themselves and to feed their own passions. And here Paul is warning that those who are immature in the faith — those who are children, spiritually speaking — will be easily “tossed to and fro by [these] waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” But the one who is mature in the faith, who has grown up in the knowledge of the Son of God, will stand steadfast and will be unmoved by the wind and the waves.

This stability in the individual believer will inevitably lead to stability within the Christian congregation. A congregation filled with spiritual children who are untrained in the faith, ignorant concerning the Son of God, and lacking maturity is prone to volatility. When the winds blow and the waves beat against that house, it will be easily shaken. But congregation filled with mature believers who have built their lives securely upon Christ and his word, will weather even the most violent of seas, and will stand against the fiercest of winds.     

Christ’s words to the individual in Matthew 7:24ff. can also be applied to the local church: “[Every church] then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise [church] who built [its] house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And [every church] who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish [church] who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24–27, ESV)

The minister of the word is to be faithful in his ministry so as to produce maturity in the believers, and this maturity will produce stability. 

*****

Unity

Thirdly, this maturity and stability will promote unity within the Christian congregation. And we should remember that this is what Paul has exhorted us to be eager to maintain — unity within Christ’s church. He urged us “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV). Now he reveals one of the ways in which that unity is maintained, namely, through the ministry of the word which will cause us to grow up to mature manhood and to a stable existence. 

Unity was already mentioned in 4:13 where Paul identified “unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” as a byproduct of the ministry of the word.  And here in 4:15 Paul contrastes the volatile existence of the untrained and immature with the preferred alternative. He writes, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15–16, ESV)

Notice a few things about verses 15-16. 

One, notice the contrasting word, “rather”. Instead of persisting in a childlike state of instability we are to, “rather”, choose a different path. 

Two, instead of being tossed around by every wind of doctrine we are to “[speak] the truth in love”.  To speak the truth, is to speak the truth of God’s word into the situations of our daily existence. Ministers of the word are to do this. And in fact, all Christians are to do this for one another. Paul put it a little differently to the Colossians, saying, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16, ESV). The wording is different, but the meaning is essentially the same. The word of God is to dwell richly in the midst of the Christian congregation. We are to speak the truth to one another. But notice the phrase, “in love”. We are to be moved by our love for one another when we “speak the truth”. It is common for people to withhold the truth and to appear loving. And it is also common for people to speak the truth but to lack love. The Christian is called to speak the truth, but  always in love.  

And notice that unity will be the result. By speaking the truth in love we will [verse 15] “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Here Paul uses the metaphor of a body to describe the church. When the truth of God’s word is the lifeblood of a congregation, the church grows up into Christ who is the head of the body. Christ is the central and unifying part of the body. He is the head. He is the one joins and holds every part of the body together. Every unique joint and every unique part of the body is held together by Christ and by virtue of our union to him. And when ever part is united to Christ and working properly, the body grows and builds itself up in love.

[APPLICATION:  Friends, I hope that you can see that there is no substitute for membership within the local church. There is a lot of good preaching and teaching available online. And I have no problem with you making use of that (but discernment is needed). But there is no substitute for pastors who are present with you, living and active. There is no way to recreate the benefit of living in the midst of a Christian congregation where the truth of God’s word is spoken to you in love. That cannot be replicated online. How crucial it is to be joined to a body of believers with Christ as the head.] 

*****

Conclusion

Truly, the word of God  is the lifeblood of the Christian congregation. It is through the word that each individual Christians is nourished and strengthened to grow up to maturity. And it is the word of God which binds us together so that we might “attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:13–14, ESV).

Ministers must be faithful to preach and to teach the scriptures, therefore, if we hope to see the church grow in maturity, stability and unity. 

Indeed, we all must learn to “[speak] the truth in love” so that we together might “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in lov” (Ephesians 4:15–16, ESV).

Posted in Sermons
Comments Off on Sermon: Ephesians 4:13-16: So That We Might Grow To Maturity Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org

• What is Paul’s central (and simple) point in Ephesians 4:7-10?
• What does Paul reveal concerning Psalm 68 when he quotes from it in Ephesians 4:8-10? 
• Compare and contrast the popular view of Ephesians 4:12 today with the one presented in the sermon (hint: who’s job is it to do “the work of the ministry”?). What difference might these two views make within a local congregation? 
• In what sense are “evangelists, shepherds and teachers” Christ’s gift to the church? What should the goal of every minister be, therefore?

Posted in Study Guides
Comments Off on Discussion Questions For Sermon On Ephesians 4:7-12 Posted by Joe