Wake Up! | Ephesians 5:1-14

December 15, 2012

ILLUSTRATION

Have you ever had an important assignment anytime early in the morning and was so tired that you did not wake up? When the alarm goes off, we have the tendency to hit the snooze bar and continue to sleep. The alarm rang but somehow you were so exhausted that you slept and missed you flight or train.

In the year 1992, I was living in a hostel and studying for my technical course in Tool & Die making. We had a Retd. Wing Commander as our warden and he wanted all students to assemble for exercise and physical training at 5:30 am. The security would blow a whistle at 5 am and shout, “Wake up, wake up!” so that we had enough time to freshen up and get ready for the drill. Sometimes we would be so tired that we would wake up and get back to sleep for 5 more minutes but end up missing the morning exercise, consequence punishment1

Now is the exam time, have you seen children sleeping with their books open? Then one of the parent will see that and shout, “Wake up son!”

I wonder if this is what the Holy Spirit is speaking to many Christians today. Many Christians are hitting the snooze bar on their alarm clocks and are sleeping when it is time to be awake for the things of God.

Are you in a spiritual slumber?

Wake Up!

Ephesians 5:1-14

HF: Today we are going to see Apostle Paul’s wake-up call to the church in Ephesus. In this passage, Paul is exhorting them to wake up from their slumber and become like Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-14

¹Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Paul Has Set The Stage For Us In Eph. 1-3.

Jesus loved us by becoming human and died for humanity.
Those who believe in Jesus:
We have been given a new identity.
We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.
We have had the central dividing wall of hostility against God broken down.
We have been made one family as brothers and sisters, Jews and gentiles.
Jesus takes up personal residence in us by the means of his Spirit.

Now that God has done that for the church, Paul is laying boundaries in which we can walk. We have freedom in Jesus Christ but we have been given ethical boundaries, Eph. 4-6.

ILLUSTRATION

When Sam and Grace were small children, crawling in the ground and beginning to walk, they would take anything they see and play with it. Therefore, we had to keep everything can cause injury (like needle, scissors, knife or sharp objects etc) away from their reach. They have freedom to be around the house but in order to exercise their freed effectively, they had to have boundaries and if they breach they would get injured.

Paul from Chapter 4 of Ephesians is laying down parameters for the believers to exercise their freedom.

There are 5 walks between Eph. 4:1-5:15

Walk in unity; Eph. 4:1

Walk in holiness; Eph. 4:17

Walk in Love; Eph. 5:1

Walk in Light; Eph. 5:

Walk in Wisdom; Eph. 5:

Ephesians 5:1

NIV Follow God’s example, therefore, as (like) dearly loved children…

ESV Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

“Paul here is exhorting us to imitate God. Become into the nature of God. By constant perseverance, you be the imitation of the divine copy.”[1]

Paul starts this sentence with “therefore” building on the previous discussion.

Why Should We Imitate God? Look at the previous chapters, Eph. 1-3.

We Are Adopted By God; Eph. 1:5
We Are Holy; Eph. 1:4. We are distinct and set apart now.
We Are Loved; 1:4; 5:2. You are more loved by God than you can imagine.
We Have Been Sealed By The Holy Spirit; Eph. 1:13; 4:30
We Are New Humans; Eph. 2:15

Therefore Imitate God. This is a NT concept.

Matthew 5:44-45 ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Luke 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

‘That concept of imitating a deity in relational terms was very common in the 1^st Century. We find it in Greek writings. Aphrodite is the Goddess of love and people would involve in lustful impure behaviour to imitate their god. If anyone would like get drunk, they would identify with Dionysos, the god of wine.’[2]

Paul takes that concept and says to the Ephesian church to imitate God. We are in a relationship with God, so imitate God, reflect our God’s character.”

In Ephesians 5:1-2 he is calling us to imitate God as beloved children. Children imitate their parents. Likewise, we are to imitate God. We are God’s children because in Ephesians 1:5, we are adopted, children. We are in a relationship with the Father.

APPLICATION

You may not have an earthly father to love you but you have a heavenly Father who loves you and you and I are called to become like our Father in heaven.

So Imitate God.

What Is God’s Character That We are Called To Imitate?

Ephesians 5:1-2

¹Follow God’s example, therefore, as (like) dearly loved children ²and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Love – Choose the best for another at whatever cost to yourself. Hebrew: Hesed; Greek: agape.

This is what God has done for us in Christ. We have been loved. The believers at Ephesus have been loved. They have received the love that Paul had already mentioned in this letter.

Ephesians 1:4 In love he predestined us….

God loved us and he loved to the end. As beloved children of God we have received the love of God. We are now being asked to emulate the lifestyle of your Father who has so shown this love towards you.

Paul says: Christ Is The Model For How Love May Be Exhibited.

Ephesians 5:1-2 ¹Follow God’s example, therefore, as (like) dearly loved children ²and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

So now he introduces Jesus as the model and the love that Jesus exhibited is self-giving. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are challenged here to love in a self-giving fashion. He says when you love in a self-giving way, it is like a sweet aroma to God.

“a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.”

The notion of ‘fragrant aroma’ comes from the book of Leviticus, for an acceptable sacrifice. In the OT, Aaron’s sons are to give a food offering on the altar which becomes an aroma pleasing to God (Lev. 3:5, 19). Paul’s point here is that the love that is exhibited among the children of God comes up with that sense of sweetness to God.

It is like nice smelly candles and just light them all and let that flame and aroma begin to come out. Love is a sacrifice that pleases God.

In the NT there are three things that brings fragrance to God:

“Paul’s own life calling was an aroma of Christ to God, 2 Cor. 2:14-16
The gifts of the Christians in Philippi, Phil. 4:18
The love of believers is a fragrance that pleases God, Eph. 5:1-2”[3]

Transition: Paul has shown all important virtue of love and he has talked about how giving yourself up in love like Christ becomes so beautiful and pleasing to God. In that notion of love he then turns the language and contrast it with a twisted expression of love, namely sexual habits, some sexual desires.

Ephesians 5:3-4 ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Paul lists 6 Sins:

Three sexual Sins – Sexual immorality (porneia), all impurity, Greed

Three Sins of Speech – Filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking

Paul lists 6 vices that are very serious. The first three are sex related, the second three are speech related. Paul is going to contrast it by asking them to an important virtue called thanksgiving.

Three sexual Sins

Sexual Immorality

It is from the Greek word porneia from where we get the word pornography. This is translated as fornication. This is a wide range of sexual evils. In our context, it is any sexual indulgence outside the permanent relationship of marriage.[4] Sometimes it refers to harlotry or prostitution (Mt. 21;31-32; Lk. 15:13; Heb. 11:31). Situations where sexual appetites are used as a means of pleasure for one without any sense of responsibility and care for the other.[5]

In the 1^st Century, ‘Taverns/pubs often doubled as brothels upstairs, exploiting the slaves, deeds that people wished to perform in secret were often performed at night.’[6]

Impurity

Impurity signifies unrestrained sexual behaviour.

Greed

Greed sometimes is taken like greed as we have it in English but it is also the desire to covet somebody to satisfy your sexual passion.

We should not have a reputation of sexual immorality. I think what Paul is saying here applies to both men and women. Paul says let it be out of you because it is unfitting for God’s holy people. It is not worthy of who you are in your identity as children of God.

Three Sins of Speech: Filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking

All three refer to vulgar conversations that show perverted minds. Common ordinary conversation interspersed with sexually explicit words. All such talk is out of place among God’s people. Our children are being influenced by these words from the world, and we need to keep emphasising on our vocabulary.

Rather than immoral sexual behaviour and filthy conversation, Apostle Pauls suggests that it is thanksgiving that benefits them.[7]

‘Believers have received so many blessings from God, in grace as well as in nature, that thanksgiving should be a dominate note in their speech as well as in their thought.’[8]

Thanksgiving

Twelve out of fifteen appearances of thanksgiving in NT are in Paul’s writings. At the beginning of his letters (Eph. 1:15) he likes to give thanks. Paul himself seems to have that virtue.

Paul usually use it in reference to thanksgiving to God. Here in this context, the language seems to suggest that he is talking about a personal virtue that should be present in the way people deal with each other.

APPLICATION

Learn to say thank you. learn to appreciate other people. When somebody gives or does something to you or avails themselves to you, we are not entitled to the kindness of people that they show us. We should be grateful.

Indictment/Charge:

Ephesians 5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Paul has already warned them about this and now he says that none who indulge in these vices have any inheritance in the coming kingdom.

A greedy person is an idolator. When greed and money take the place of God, it becomes an idol in our life.

Kingdom of Christ and of God. This is both the same. Christ has established his kingdom and the kingdom is already in us. When Christ comes back, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness.

In other words, those who have impure lives and impure lips cannot be joint heirs with Christ and has no place in God’s kingdom.

Appeal:

Ephesians 5:5-7 ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.

Let no one deceive you. There are preachers who do not address this. They are deceiving you. There are others who say, “Do anything and God’s grace will cover you.” These are all empty words.

God’s wrath comes on the disobedient. The present tense indicate that there is a present aspect to the divine wrath that the disobedient experience.

Do not be partners with them: Keep away.

Keep away from the sexually immoral.
Keep away from those who do not preach the right gospel. You will be deceived.

How do Christians are living their lives in the world? We are to live as the light.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

The same people were once darkness, but now they have come to the light. Paul describes that our surrounding is in the evening but inside of us, we have the light. Those who live in darkness may live in sexual immorality and vulgar speech. You won’t be influenced by the outside darkness. Live as children of light. In other words, to become a Christian things have to change.

Ephesians 5:8-12 ⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord, v8-10

Living as the children of light produces 3 virtues: Goodness, righteousness and truth.

Fruitless deeds of darkness: Mentioned earlier in Chapter 4 & 5.

Goodness: Good. Which is good and fitting before God. Personal Character.

Righteousness: Right. Upright and just conduct. Social dealings and social standing.

Truth: True. Integrity. True to God, self, and neighbours.

We should be known for: The Good, the right, the true.

Find out what pleases the Lord, v10. In every situation, a Christian is called to relate our faith to every specific life situation to be good, right and true. It is not just a Sunday obedience, but in every area of our life we find out what pleases our Lord.

We expose darkness: When we live an upright life we become a witness of our Lord. We have the light of God shining through us. Then the world and others will be convicted of their sin looking at our lives. The light of God will shine through us to the dark areas of people’s lives.

Ephesians 5:13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

Christians living as the children of God, children of light can expose the real nature of evil (deeds of darkness) in society and God becomes visible to the people through our lives.

Imagine the dark things in the city that we live in. People try to do drugs, involving in all kinds of inappropriate conduct in the dark. Imagine you showing up with a big light and just switching on to make people see what they are doing.

Paul’s point is that the world is full of darkness. Nothing they produce by their sense of being is fruitful.

What Paul does not say, that I will add is when you expose the unfruitful works of darkness be ready to be unpopular, be ready to face opposition, and be ready for people to call you all kinds of names. There are people who go to high school or who go to college that are not Christian. They live their Christian lives, they call them priests to ridicule them. Be ready to be ridiculed.

Ephesians 5:14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Isaiah 60:1-2

¹“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
²See, darkness covers the earth

and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you

and his glory appears over you.

Friend, wake up! Wake up from your sleep! Rise from the dead! You Christian who is almost slumbering, who is drowsy, wake up from the dead.”

Paul had earlier mentioned that they have been made alive.

Ephesians 2:1-2 ¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Ephesians 2:1-2 ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

They have forgotten their status and are now behaving like people dead people. Wake up the church a Ephesus. Wake up City Harvest. Wake up the worldwide body of Christ.

See what Paul said about this elsewhere:

Romans 13:11-14 ¹¹And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

1 Thessalonians 4:5-7 ⁴But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

CONCLUSIONS

We are beloved children of God. We are loved to the degree that we are also called to imitate the life of God. The model to be followed is Christ himself. In order to do that successfully, we should be aware what not to do. Do not indulge in immoral sexual behaviour or impure talk. They are shameful and should not even be named among us and he said on the contrary, let us be filled with love and thanksgiving. Live as the children of light which will expose every darkness around. Wake up from your sleep. “Let us rise, let us live up to the worth of the calling we have received, let us live a life that actually shows the world that we have experienced a good God, a righteous God, a holy God and we have been loved so we can love.”[9]

Questions to Ponder:

How is my life and speech?

Is there any sexually immoral lifestyle and bad speech?

Am I living in the light or darkness?

Is my life full of love and thanksgiving to God and others?

Is it possible to live a holy life? Yes, not by our merit but by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 ….be filled with the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit helps us to live a holy and a life that is pleasing to God. A life of love and thanksgiving.

Light and darkness don’t try to synchronize. Light shines and exposes the darkness and I hope that you and I will heed to this call and exhibit this life in the light as children of God who must bear fruit in the light.

ENDNOTES

[1] Foulkes, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Ephesians, 96.

[2] Darko, Against Principalities and Powers Spiritual Beings in Relation to Communal Identity and the Moral Discourse of Ephesians.

[3] Foulkes, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Ephesians, 10:97.

[4] Wintle and Gnanakan, Asia Bible Commentary Ephesians, 134.

[5] C.L., Ephesians, 178.

[6] Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament, 552.

[7] Stott, The Message of Ephesians. Originally Published as ‘God’s New Society.’, 192.

[8] Bruce, The Epistle to the Ephesians, 371.

[9] Darko, Against Principalities and Powers Spiritual Beings in Relation to Communal Identity and the Moral Discourse of Ephesians.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Ephesians. London: Pickering & Inglis, 1961.

C.L., Milton. Ephesians. London: Oliphants, 1973.

Darko, Daniel K. Against Principalities and Powers Spiritual Beings in Relation to Communal Identity and the Moral Discourse of Ephesians. Plateau State, Nigeria: HippoBooks, ACTS and Langham Publishing, 2020.

Foulkes, Francis. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Ephesians. Second. Vol. 10. England: InterVarsity Press, 1963.

Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament. Second. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014.

Stott, John R.W. The Message of Ephesians. Originally Published as ‘God’s New Society.’ Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1979.

Wintle, Brian, and Ken Gnanakan. Asia Bible Commentary Ephesians. Bangalore: Theological Book Trust of Bangalore, India, 2004.

City Harvest AG Church

Wake Up! | Ephesians 5:1-14