Know it & Live it: You re Holy Week 6 -- April 23, 2017

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1 Know it & Live it: You re Holy Week 6 -- April 23, 2017 Series Overview We re taking 8 weeks to walk through Paul s letter to the Ephesian Christians. Here s an outline with the week-by-week titles for what we ve covered and where we re headed. Week 1 God Chose You on Purpose (1:3-14) Week 2 Prayer: Know it! (1:15-23) Week 3 God Paid a Price for You (2:1-22) Week 4 Prayer: Live it! (3:1-21) Week 5 Know it & Live It: You re One (4:1-16) Week 6 Know it & Live it! You re Holy (4:17-5:21) Week 7 Know it & Live it! You re Family (5:22-6:9) Week 8 Know it & Live it! You re Ready (6:10-20)

2 This Week You re holy. Paul never uses the word holy to describe the new life we have in Jesus, but it s a very fitting description coupled with this section of the letter. The word holy carries a meaning of set apart and special. Our God certainly is set apart, and because of the life we have by His Spirit living in us we are made holy as well. We are set apart and special because the One who defines holiness lives in us and gives us our new life. As you read this next section of the letter, notice the not this, but that pattern that Paul uses to highlight the transformation that takes place in the lives of Jesus followers. Remember how chapter two highlighted the movement from death to life - a change in us that takes place by the power of Jesus who underwent that change first. This new life looks different from our old life. You re holy, and that means you re different. 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. 18 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. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. From the second half of chapter two until the first section in chapter four, Paul has carefully and thoroughly proclaimed a unity between Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus. Now, Gentile again carries the meaning of outsider, but it s faith in Jesus (instead of Jewish heritage) that defines the family of God. Keep in mind that the context set by the preceding chapters sets this section up to be understood as the result of the Holy Spirit s work. When Paul writes in verse 1 that you must it would be wrong to read these words as you must in order to be saved. He s been telling us that we are already saved. We ve gone from death to life because of the work of Jesus. What follows is understood as the natural outcome of the Holy Spirit s presence in our lives. A newborn baby has no option of going back into the womb. Neither do we have the option of going back to our old life. Paul is using a metaphor when he talks about putting off the old self and putting on the new self. He invites us to picture a change of clothes. Imagine you re dressed nice because you re hosting friends for dinner at your house. Before the meal you spill wine down your front. You could pretend the large red stain isn t there. You could tuck a napkin under your collar and wear it over your front as an accessory. Or, you could go change your clothes! As we grow in relationship with Jesus we realize how often we make a mess of ourselves, but Jesus always offers a change of clothes. He s calling us to live lives that look different from the mistakes we ve made. What actions have been a part of your old self? How does your new self in Jesus look different?

3 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 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. 29 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. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Paul gives a list of what not to do (old self behaviors) and what to do instead (new self), and also gives a reason why. For each of the following summaries, see if you can identify what Paul tells us to do instead, and why he says we should do this. Verses Don t do this: harbor anger for your neighbor Verse 28 Don t do this: steal Verse 29 Don t do this: use words to tear down The Holy Spirit is grieved (some translators would make a case for offended ) when we work against him. This is how Martin Luther described the work of the Holy Spirit in his Small Catechism: [The Holy Spirit] calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. The early Christian Church spoke of Baptism as a seal. Paul uses that language here and in 1:13-14, connecting it to the Holy Spirit s work. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. You could outline these verses like we did above: Don t do this: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice Do this instead: Be kind & tenderhearted & forgive Here s why: God in Christ you. Did you notice God s forgiveness is past tense? He s not waiting to forgive. He already has. In verse 17 (the start of this section) we were told not to walk as the Gentiles do. Here, Paul closes his thoughts with the contrasting call to walk in love, as Christ loved us This is the big contrast that encompasses all the smaller and more specific contrasts throughout this section.

4 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. In this next section (5:3-5:21), Paul continues with the pattern of contrasting what should not be done with what should be done as the people of God. But here he becomes more pointed and more specific. Why does Paul choose to focus on sexual sins here? The most likely reason is this was in some way a big issue for the Ephesian Christians. Notice that idolatry is tied to this group of sins. The next verses will build on this thought. If Paul were writing to Christians in our city, do you think he would emphasize this area of behavior or does something else come to mind? In the last section we noted the connection Paul makes between sexual sin and idolatry. Now, in verse 7 he warns against becoming partners with them. Ephesus was home to a temple honoring the Greek goddess Artemis. (her followers create trouble for Paul in Acts 19:21-41) The fertility practices of the temple included religious prostitutes. In this setting adultery was encouraged, coordinated and celebrated. Some of the Christians Paul is writing to were possibly involved in or at least accepting of these practices. Verse 6 makes it sound like there were arguments advocating for acceptance of a moral standard different from what Paul is teaching. This is bound to happen when your morals differ from the surrounding culture. As a Jesus follower, where do you notice your morals diverging from culture? In verse 8, instead of saying you are in the light Paul says you are light. What difference does that make to you? When light shines into darkness the light always wins. If the room is dark and one person pulls out their phone to start texting you can t help but notice. The light may not fill the entire room, but the darkness cannot hide the light. Verse 14 is a poem - possibly part of an early Christian hymn that Paul quotes.

5 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Discernment is the theme of these verses. In verse 15 how you walk should remind us of 4:17 and 5:2 and Paul s use of the same term to describe our whole life s character in those places. Do you know what the will of the Lord is? Do you remember? (look to 1: in the ESV translation the word will is used 3 times in describing God s plan and action for our salvation) The references to Spirit (v18), Father (v20) and Jesus (v20,21) give a Trinitarian conclusion to this section of Paul s letter. Alcohol is not prohibited by this passage or any other is the Bible. However, drunkenness is. But, drinking doesn t seem to be the main point of these verses. Rather, getting drunk is the antithesis of being filled with the Spirit. While being under the influence of alcohol is associated with many negative behaviors and poor decisions, Paul encourages us to instead be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. This will lead to positive behaviors that build up other people (v19-21). It also gives us a humility so that instead of making poor decisions (usually selfishly misguided) we make decisions for the benefit of others (v21). When we live out verse 21 we become a picture of Jesus. How did Jesus submit himself for your good? Closing We titled this section Know it: You re Holy. The statement You re Holy can be posed as a challenge, or declared as good news. In what way have these verses challenged you to be holy? You are holy because of what Jesus has done for you. How does this truth encourage you?