Ephesians Series Week #29 Being Imitators of God Ephesians 5:1-7 June 23, 2013 I. Introduction A. God has spoken to us in chapter 4 regarding laying aside the old self and putting on the new self B. In and amongst those instructions to us, is a verse which speaks about grieving the Holy Spirit [4:30] 1. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [4:30] 2. There are two key words and one important phrase in this verse 3. Grieve lupe,w lupeo {loo-peh'-o} a. Meaning: 1) to make sorrowful 2) to affect with sadness, cause grief, to throw into sorrow 3) to grieve, offend 4) to make one uneasy, cause him a scruple b. Origin: from lu,ph lupe {loo'-pay} Meaning: 1) sorrow, pain, grief, annoyance, affliction 1a) of persons mourning c. Can one really grieve the Holy Spirit, can one grieve God d. Consider these passages: (1) Genesis 6:6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (a) bc;[' `atsab {aw-tsab'} Meaning: o hurt, pain, grieve, displease (2) Psalm 78:40-41 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! 41 Again and again they tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel. (3) Isaiah 63:9-10 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. 10 But they rebelled and Page 1 of 7
grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them. e. When we sin, the Holy Spirit witnesses the entire event, from start to finish, from inside us and it hurts Him, it causes Him sorrow (1) Why? He both sees and He foresees (2) The effect it has on God (3) The separation it causes between us and our God (4) The loss of blessings that god had planned (5) The loss of protection God had been providing and the results of that loss (6) The effect these losses will have on others f. We should see these sin events as pushing away, ignoring or rejecting the Holy Spirit 4. Sealed sfragi,zw sphragizo {sfrag-id'-zo} a. Meaning: 1) to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal 1a) for security: from Satan 1b) since things sealed up are concealed (as the contents of a letter), to hide, keep in silence, keep secret 1c) in order to mark a person or a thing 1c1) to set a mark upon by the impress of a seal or a stamp 1c2) angels are said to be sealed by God 1d) in order to prove, confirm, or attest a thing 1d1) to confirm authenticate, place beyond doubt 1d1a) of a written document 1d1b) to prove one's testimony to a person that he is what he professes to be b. Origin: from sfragi,j sphragis {sfrag-ece'} Meaning: 1) a seal 1a) the seal placed upon books 1b) a signet ring 1c) the inscription or impression made by a seal 1c1) of the name of God and Christ stamped upon their foreheads 1d) that by which anything is confirmed, proved, authenticated, as by a seal (a token or proof) c. The Holy Spirit is Himself the seal, that is His presence is our seal d. It is a symbol of the transaction which has occurred and a deposit that has been made to secure the promises which have been made to us e. Consider Eph. 1:13-14 5. The day of redemption that is when Christ comes to retrieve us the Rapture of the Saints 6. He s inside of you when you do these things a. When we do, we bring Him pain and distress b. We cause Him sorrow 7. So how do we avoid participating in the actions, speech, attitudes and thoughts that bring Him Page 2 of 7
pain 8. As soon as temptation comes, ask that He strengthen our inner man with power, the power to say no, and then fill your mind with God s Word and spiritual hymns II. Review when we put on the new self A. He then gave us some characteristics that will change when we do 1. Lying and honesty 2. Being without sin in anger 3. Not giving the Devil a foothold in our lives 4. Caring for other s needs and working hard so that we will be able to help out 5. Extending grace and seeking to build up those around us 6. Refusing to allow bitterness to take root in us, and 7. Feeling empathy and granting forgiveness to those we come in contact with B. Chapter 5, verse one Therefore 1. As a result of what? 2. Some say chapter four 3. Others say verse 32 4. Still others the way we are to act outlined in 4:25-32 III. All of these characteristics act as a backdrop to the picture Paul wants to paint that of the Father and the Son, reaching out to us and bringing us into their presence A. These qualities of chapter 4 reach their summit in chapter 5 B. What is that summit? Being imitators of God 1. Be is the Greek word gi,nomai ginomai {ghin'-om-ahee} Meaning: to become a. It speaks more of a process than an instantaneous change 2. mimhth,j mimetes {mim-ay-tace'} Meaning: an imitator a. This Greek word gave us the English word mimic b. Mimicking someone can be obnoxious or disrespectful c. But here the Lord instructs us to mimic Him 3. How can we do that? 4. It is easier than you might first think, and the reason for that is we are His children a. Imitation by children of their parents is a normal occurrence, and comes from two key sources: (1) nature Page 3 of 7
(2) environment b. I imitate my father because I carry his genes c. And I lived with him, I watched him, and I have emulated him d. I teach in many ways the way my mother taught (1) I am first her son (2) and I was taught by her, I watched and listened to her, and wanted to do what she did 5. Imitation does not come without effort a. We have to be alert and aware b. We listen to the written Word of God and observe the living Word of God, that is Jesus C. The primary way that we imitate God is to love the way that He loves and to love those that He loves 1. The word walk speaks of a way of life or practicing a certain life style a. To be walking in love we must (1) allow love to become the deciding factor in our decisions, and (2) the motivating power in our actions 2. The passage then directs us to the nature of that love a. Gave himself up for us b. He became an offering and sacrifice for us c. Jesus love is two part: (1) self-giving, and (2) self-sacrificing D. Ask yourself this question: Am I imitating God by loving people as He does? 1. He sacrificed Himself for us so that we could live 2. Do we love others just by showing affection for them 3. Or do we love in a way that goes beyond affection to self-sacrificing service 4. We are so enabled, see Romans 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Page 4 of 7
IV. Understanding Love s Enemies [5:3-7] Satan s designs to destoy real love A. In all Gentile society, what God calls sexual immorality and impurity was the norm 1. Sometimes it was through multiple wives at the same time 2. Sometimes it was with one or more wives along with multiple concubines or mistresses 3. Sometimes it was with one or more wives and sacred temple prostitutes 4. It also involved slave girls which you would own 5. In Paul s day, in the Roman empire, 4 out of every 5 people were slaves B. Ephesus was the center of the worship of Artemis (Roman goddess Diana), a goddess of fertility 1. She was worshiped through cult prostitution C. Paul is now going to attack the concept that immorality and impurity is normal and should be accepted 1. In our society it is getting to that point 2. Every temptation of this nature is available to us 3. Sexual immorality masquerades as love in our culture 4. We tend to find out too late that it is heartbreaking and a cheapening counterfeit of God s design for intimacy D. Then verse 3 starts with the contrasting conjunction But 1. It speaks in opposition to what came before 2. In opposition to the love of God is what follows 3. It can be described as the counterfeit 4. Why is Paul going to present such a dark picture of sin that captures so many who want real love 5. Because if Christians are going to walk in, have the attitude of, and experience real love, these other things cannot be a part of their lives E. Immorality and impurity 1. pornei,a porneia {por-ni'-ah} Meaning: 1) illicit sexual intercourse 1a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc. 1b) sexual intercourse with close relatives a. Illicit sex is sex outside of marriage b. It can be deviant or normal 2. avkaqarsi,a akatharsia {ak-ath-ar-see'-ah} Meaning: 1) uncleanness 1a) physical 1b) in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living 1b1) of impure motives Page 5 of 7
3. He speaks first of actions or acting out of a sexual nature 4. And secondly of attitudes and fantasies of a sexual nature F. Greed 1. Why is this in this grouping? 2. pleonexi,a pleonexia {pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah} Meaning: 1) greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice 3. In this context it s the wanting of more sex or sexual stimuli 4. It includes the context of diminishing returns in regard to sexual immorality G. Filthiness, silly talk, coarse jesting 1. aivscro,thj aischrotes {ahee-skhrot'-ace} Meaning: 1) obscenity, filthiness a. Dirty talk of a sexual nature 2. mwrologi,a morologia {mo-rol-og-ee'-ah} Meaning: 1) foolish talking a. Logos - the Word or words b. Moros moron - stupid or moronic 3. euvtrapeli,a eutrapelia {yoo-trap-el-ee'-ah} Meaning: 1) pleasantry, humor, facetiousness 2) in a bad sense 2a) scurrility, ribaldry, low jesting H. These actions and attitudes are the opposite of Christian love or God s love I. Paul tells us to be thankful for what God has given us, the right relationship for sexual union as God intended which is the really fulfilling act V. God now gives us a warning [5:6-7] A. Don t let the world deceive you 1. They want you to think that the things of which we are warned here are normal and part of everyday life 2. In fact the world tries to convince us that if you do not participate in them, you are abnormal B. God s wrath will deal with these actions 1. That is true of unbelievers [see Romans 1:18-32] 2. But it is even more telling for believers 3. Unbelievers are to be punished 4. Believers are to be disciplined sufficiently severe to change the attitude and the action C. Notice the phrase do not be partakers 1. Partakers summe,tocoj summetochos {soom-met'-okh-os} a. Meaning: 1) partaking together with one, a joint partaker 1a) of something Page 6 of 7
b. Origin: from (1) su,n sun {soon} Meaning: 1) with Origin: a primary preposition denoting union (2) me,tocoj metochos {met'-okh-os} Meaning: 1) sharing in, partaking 2) a partner (in a work, office, dignity) VI. Some contrasts A. Love God s way reconsidered 1. Love gives but lust takes 2. Love sacrifices but lust sacrifices others 3. Love purifies but lust degrades 4. Love satisfies but lust leaves a gnawing emptiness 5. Love seeks to give but lust seeks only to get what it can B. Did you notice how this passage begins with the love of God, but ends with the wrath of God 1. Involvement in this type of sin is something God has to deal with 2. He loves you too much to allow you to continue C. Do not buy the counterfeit Let no one deceive you with empty words, [5:6] D. Why does God hate sin so much? 1. It killed His Son 2. The Hebrew word Shalom, if taken to its depths with God s intent means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight a. Which if distilled down to its base, means to have things the way they ought to be, the way God intended b. God hates sin because it violates shalom c. It breaks the peace of God and interferes with the way things are supposed to be Page 7 of 7