Eph. Pt. 7 (Living as Children of Light)

 
 
Living as Children of Light
Ephesians, Pt. 7
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© August 23, 2015
www.pastorkennedy.com

There aren’t many times that Paul insists on Christians hearing what he has to say.  Today, we have that very instruction.

Ephesians 4:17–32NIV 
Living as Children of Light 
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 
20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 
Paul’s Insistent Instructions to Christians
Eph. 4:17a So I tell you this, and insist [“testify”, or “exhort solemnly”] on it in the Lord…

How strongly is Paul emphasizing that Believers in Christ should listen to what he is telling them?

He insists on our “listening to him, in the Lord”

What is Paul insisting for us to hear?

Eph. 4:17b “That you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.”

Powerful words warning against the thought process of carnal, worldly minds who do not know God, and do not acknowledge or embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord:

 Eph. 4:18 They (the godless Gentiles) are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 

•	Futility of the World’s Thinking
•	Darkened Understanding

Romans 1:21 
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

•	Separated from the Life of God

•	Ignorance due to the Hardening of their Hearts

Hebrews 3:7–12 
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: 
“Today, if you hear his voice, 
8 do not harden your hearts 
as you did in the rebellion, 
during the time of testing in the desert, 
9 where your fathers tested and tried me 
and for forty years saw what I did. 
10 That is why I was angry with that generation, 
and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, 
and they have not known my ways.’ 
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 
‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” 
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 

•	Having lost all Sensitivity

1 Timothy 4:1–4 
4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 

•	Given over to Sensuality  (see the warning in Proverbs 6:24-35)
•	Indulging in Every Kind of Impurity, with a Continual Lust for More

Romans 1:22–32 

Jesus’ Way Does Not Teach The World’s Carnal Way

Eph. 4:20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 

WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH THE OLD, FORMER, “BEFORE CHRIST,” LIFE?
•	Eph. 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, 
o	to put off your old self, [put some distance between you and the old way]
o	which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…

Hebrews 12:1 
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us….

NEW ATTITUDES OF THE MIND
•	 Eph. 4:23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
o	 24 and to put on the new self, 
o	created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

Romans 12:1–2 
A Living Sacrifice 
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 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. 

WHAT TO “PUT OFF”
Eph. 4:25a Therefore each of you must put off:

“Putting off”:  Separating ourselves from it.  Removing it from our presence, or removing us from its presence. 

•	Confessing our sin to God (1 John 1:9; Psalm 51).  
•	Our “Dying” to it (Col. 3:5; Gal. 2:20; 5:24; 6:14; Rom. 6:6).  
•	Asking the Holy Spirit to release us from it (Rom. 8:11, 13, 26-27).  
•	Gaining spiritual support from others in “putting it off” through confession of sin (James 5:16; Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5).

LYING
•	Eph. 4:25b put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, 
o	for we are all members of one body.

Colossians 3:9–10 
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 

ANGER
•	Eph. 4:26 “In your anger do not sin”: 
o	Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
o	 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Matthew 5:21–24 
Anger 
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

Psalm 37:8–9 
	8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! 
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 
	9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, 
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 

STEALING
•	 Eph. 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, 
o	but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, 
o	that he may have something to share with those in need.

Leviticus 19:11 
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.”

2 Thessalonians 3:11–12 
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 

CURSING AND UNWHOLESOME SPEECH 
•	 Eph. 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, 
o	but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, 
o	that it may benefit those who listen.

Exodus 20:7 
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 

Cursing is more than using 4-letter words – this should also be done, but cursing is also using Destructive Words against another – including Gossip…Jesus associates these things with “murder” – character assassination. 

Psalm 109:17–20 (The Message) 
Since he loved cursing so much, let curses rain down; 
	Since he had no taste for blessing, let blessings flee far from him. 
	He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes; he drank curses, took his baths in curses. 
	So give him a gift—a costume of curses; he can wear curses every day of the week! 
	That’s what they’ll get, those out to get me— an avalanche of just deserts from God. 

GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT
•	 Eph. 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 
o	with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Isaiah 63:10 
	10 But they rebelled 
and grieved his Holy Spirit; 
	therefore he turned to be their enemy, 
and himself fought against them. 

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 

BITTERNESS, RAGE, ANGER, BRAWLING AND SLANDER
•	 Eph. 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, 
o	along with every form of malice.

Colossians 3:8 
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 

WHAT TO PUT ON
•	 Eph. 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, 
o	forgiving each other, 
o	just as in Christ God forgave you. 

Colossians 3:12–13 
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 

Paul continues the instruction of “Living as Children of Light” in Ephesians 5…
Ephesians 5:1–21 
Imitate God
Eph. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

Children are motivated to imitate what their parents do.  We should imitate what God has done!

Live a Life of Sacrificial Love – as Jesus Christ did
 Eph. 5:2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

What does “sacrificial love” look like in daily life?  Do you have some examples of how others have treated you sacrificially?  How have you and I treated others sacrificially – even when others do not know about it?

Manifest Selfless Love not Selfish Love
Eph. 5:3 But 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.

Keep our Speech Circumspect, with Thanksgiving, not Course Joking

Eph. 5:4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Paul gives us a Serious Caution and Warning about Personal Condemnation and the outpouring of God’s Wrath on those who disobey God.

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

We once lived in Darkness, now we are to Live as Children of Light

Eph. 5:8 For 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) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

Reject Fruitless Deeds of Darkness – Expose rather than Condone

	Note:  Confession of sin allows us to bring sin “to the light” ourselves.  All sin will be brought to the light, one day, one way or another! (1 Tim. 5:24; 1 Cor. 4:5; 3:13-15)
Eph. 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 
“Wake up, O sleeper, 
rise from the dead, 
and Christ will shine on you.” 

Live Godly-Wise in a Worldly-wise Society

Eph. 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Eph. 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

•	Make the Most of Opportunities (v. 16)
•	Don’t be Foolish,
•	But Understand God’s Will (v. 17)
•	Don’t get drunk,
•	Instead, be filled with God’s Spirit (v. 18)
•	Let your interaction be with healthy Spiritual conversation (v. 19a)
•	Let Spiritual music buoy your spirit toward God (v. 19b
•	Give thanks to God for everything, in Jesus’ Name (v. 20)
•	Submit to each other out of reverence for Christ. (v. 21)

Should the Believer in Jesus Christ need to walk around checking off a list of things to do and things not to do?   No!
We should not be “list driven” Christians, which would mean that we would merely be “legalistic” Christians…doing things by “wrote” without a primary emphasis on a heart for God, or power from God.  
We should seek to be Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered Christians.  God’s Word should actively be in our hearts and minds.  When we do wrong, we need to repent from our sin against God and others.  
We should not grieve the Holy Spirit.  
We want the Holy Spirit to be consistently unhindered in our lives so we can follow His promptings and direction.  We want to walk as Children of Light. 
Are any of these things Paul mentioned that Christians should be aware of in Ephesians 4 and 5, unexpected in a Christian’s life?
On the other hand, are the life-styles listed as being worldly, carnal, sensual, and self-seeking surprising from those who deny God, in the world around us? 
Why then does Paul reiterate in these passages, what a Christian should be like?
•	Christians still have a carnal and selfish nature.
•	Christians are targets of an aggressive enemy of our souls.
•	Satan wants to destroy, humiliate and cause the Children of God to be spiritually powerless in this world.  He is the “accuser of the brethren.” 
•	“The days are evil.”
Paul reminds the church in these chapters in Ephesians, that we are to be God’s Children of Light.  We should reinforce our efforts in daily prayer, reading and meditation in His Word, so we will understand God’s expectations and will for us.  We need to strengthen fellowship with others who are truly seeking God.  We must seek God’s daily guidance by His Holy Spirit.   We should choose to rest in His peace.  We yield our anxiety to Him.
And we hope in the Return of Jesus Christ.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
and live a life of love,
Just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
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