Ephesians

Reason Number 3: Continuance in sexual immorality reveals an unregenerate heart.

Paul gives us the third of his five great statements about the Christian and improper sex:

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. (Ephesians 5:5)

Notice that Paul revisits the same three categories he referred to in verse 3—immorality, impurity, and greed. Anyone who practices immorality, impurity or greed, Paul says bluntly, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God!

In other words, sexual immorality is incompatible with Christian faith because continuance in it reveals an unregenerate heart. Notice that Paul reinforces this idea, making sure there is no room for misunderstanding or rationalization, as he adds, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:6). So you cannot be a Christian and knowingly, deliberately practice sex outside of marriage, for the one cancels out the other.

Yes, a Christian can commit sexual sins. The record is all too clear in this regard. Even in the Scriptures we have the account of David who, after years as a faithful believer, as a man after God’s own heart, fell into the sin of adultery and took another man’s wife. But the point the apostle makes is that no professed Christian can do this repeatedly, defiantly, or shamelessly, and really be a Christian. The true Christian, if he does fall into this kind of folly, will abhor himself and loathe his sin. He will repent and forsake it. The person who defends, justifies, and excuses this kind of activity, or even glories in it as a mark of personal liberty, gives evidence that his professed Christianity is a sham.

That does not mean that such a person is beyond the reach of God’s grace. In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul lists a number of sins, including homosexuality and other sexual sins, then adds, “And that is what some of you were. 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 6:11). God’s grace reaches out even to those who practice these sins, if they repent and turn to Christ. But no one who professes Christ can continue in these sins, for his deeds deny his claim to being a Christian.

Reason Number 4: A Christian no longer has any excuse for indulging in sexual immorality.

Paul gives us the fourth of his five statements about the Christian and sexual immorality:

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. (Ephesians 5:6-10)

Paul’s argument is that all sexual misconduct is incompatible with Christianity because a Christian no longer has any excuse for indulging in it. He is not a child of ignorance anymore. He is not caught up in the web of deceit that is woven throughout our society. He is not self-deceived or brainwashed by the subtle propaganda of our age. He knows the truth about the God-given gift of human sexuality. So it is unthinkable that he should deliberately go back from light into darkness.

Notice how clearly the apostle draws this picture. If a person is born again by faith in Jesus Christ, he has been translated out of the kingdom of darkness, out of the power of Satan. He has been brought into the kingdom of light, into the power of God. This is the whole Christian gospel. So it is unthinkable that a Christian, who has been delivered from darkness and brought into the light, should turn his back on the light and return to the darkness.

The Christian should know that sexual misconduct will be the subject of subtle and deceitful propaganda. That is why the apostle warns, “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” We are being assaulted by a tremendous barrage of propaganda, all subtly designed to make us think that God’s moral standards are outdated and limiting. Most of our media—from books and magazines to films and television to music and advertising to the internet—are bent toward keeping our minds focused on immorality and illicit sex.

But the Christian knows what the world denies: Sexual sin evokes the wrath of God against the society that permits or encourages immorality. That is why Paul says, “For because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”

As we discussed in Lesson 4: “The Work and Blessings of the Spirit,” the term God’s wrath is greatly misunderstood today. The wrath of God does not refer to God’s judgment coming down upon sinners as lightning bolts from heaven. It does not refer to the future Day of Judgment that the Scriptures foretell, because Paul makes it clear that this wrath is going on right now (see Romans 1:18). The wrath of God, as Paul speaks of it here, refers to the consequences that naturally arise when we misuse God’s gift of sexuality: broken and distorted relationships, broken families, emotional pain, anxiety, depression, jealousy, violence, and sexually transmitted diseases. These consequences are not caused by God’s deliberately smashing sinners beneath his thumb; they proceed in simple cause-and-effect fashion from the choices we make.

Reason Number 5: A Christian cannot preach against immorality while indulging in it.

Paul gives us the fifth of his five reasons why Christianity and immorality are mutually exclusive:

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 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.” (Ephesians 5:11-14)

Sexual immorality is incompatible with the Christian faith because the Christian is commanded to expose the true character of sexual sin. How can you expose what you are engaging in? That is not just inconsistent, it’s hypocrisy! The church of Jesus Christ is directed by the Holy Spirit to be a source of biblical truth on matters of sex.

In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul calls the church “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Only the church is qualified to teach the world the true nature of sex. We are commanded to unmask the false sexual values of this age and reveal God’s truth about how sex is to be expressed within marriage. We are not just to shun immorality—what Paul calls “the fruitless deeds of darkness,” but we are also to expose those deeds for what they are.

How do we expose sexual sin? Not by denouncing it—the world is unimpressed by people who go around denouncing sin. What makes an impression on the world? People who live the truth and exemplify God’s wholesome, beautiful plan for marriage and human sexuality. We expose error not by screaming about the error but by illuminating truth with the brilliant example of our lives, lived in healthy, holy obedience to God.

Paul concludes with a wake-up call: “This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’” (Ephesians 5:14). Keep your minds and hearts alert. Hold fast to the Word of God, to the truth as it really is, and Christ will give you light. Then let your light shine! Live the truth and speak the truth. Speak it boldly. Yes, talk about sex—the kind of sex life that God designed and intended for each of us. Expose the darkness by shining God’s truth out into this morally dark world.

God does not call us to retreat to a monastery or a convent somewhere. He calls us to live out a Christian code of morality and sexuality in a pagan and perverse world. As Paul tells us in Philippians 2:15, God calls us to live “so that [we] may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which [we] shine like stars in the universe.” What a challenge! What a clarion-call to holy living in a world of deceit and sin!

Friend in Christ, this is an important subject and we must regard it with all seriousness. We are being engulfed on all sides by a tidal wave of sexual propaganda designed to undermine the foundations of morality and Christian faith. Christians must take a bold stand in obedience to God’s moral law, both in their words and in their lifestyle before the world.

History shows that when the gospel of God’s grace penetrates a society, even in the midst of the most depraved sexual practices, islands of purity and Christ-like love have formed and spread, touching entire cities, and ultimately transforming the sexual practices of empires. This is where the power of the church lies—in the willingness of its people to obey the Word of the living God.

Study Questions

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Before you begin your study this week:

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  Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.
  
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  Use only the Bible for your answers.
  
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  Write down your answers and the verses you used.
  
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  Answer the “Challenge” questions if you have the time and want to do them.
  
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  Share your answers to the “Personal” questions with the class only if you want to share them.
  

First Day: Read the commentary on Ephesians 5:3-14.

1. What meaningful or new thought did you find in the commentary on Ephesians 5:3-14 or from your teacher’s lecture? What personal application did you choose to apply to your life?

2. Look for a verse in the lesson to memorize this week. Write it down and post it in a prominent place. Make a real effort to learn the verse and its “address” (reference of where it is found in the Bible).

Second Day: Read Ephesians 5:15-21, concentrating on verses 15-17a.

1. We have been looking at the passage in Ephesians where the apostle Paul deals with our preparation as Christians for living in a sin-sick and corrupt society. What does he now warn us about? (Ephesians 5:15a)

2. a. From Ephesians 5:15b-16a, how are we to live?

b. What does Colossians 4:5-6 tell us about living in this way?

3. Why do we need to take extra care how we live? (Ephesians 5:16b)

4. Because of the evil times we live in, what does Ephesians 5:17a tell us not to do?

5. Personal: Do you ever consider how you live your day-in, day-out life, or do you just go about your business without ever giving it much thought? We will look more closely at these passages throughout this week, but having read these today, what is God bringing to your mind, and how will you respond to Him?

Third Day: Review Ephesians 5:15-21, concentrating on verses 15-17.

1. How do the following verses help you understand what “the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16) means?

1 John 5:19

Galatians 3:22a

2. From the following verses, what is the attitude of those who are “unwise” (Ephesians 5:15)?

Psalm 14:1

Psalm 94:7

Psalm 10:2-11

Isaiah 32:6

Zephaniah 1:12

3. The “unwise” (Ephesians 5:15) live as if there is no God, or as if He will not call them into account for all they have done. In contrast, what are we to understand? (Ephesians 5:17b)

4. Some people would understand the term “the Lord’s will” (Ephesians 5:17) to mean specific guidance on what to do next, where to live, what job to have, whom to marry and so forth, but what Paul means is that we need to be aware of what God wants out of us in every situation—in general, how we live to please the Lord. How does Hebrews 11:6 tell us to please God?

5. Personal: Faith is not “positive thinking.” Faith is believing what God says about everything—life, people, ourselves, how to be saved—everything. When we truly believe what God says, our attitudes and actions change. What changes has God made in the way you view things? Give specific examples.

Fourth Day: Review Ephesians 5:15-21, concentrating on verses 15-18.

1. Paul has been telling us not to be foolish and unwise, not to live as non-Christians live. We are not to have the attitudes and actions of the world, but instead are to live by faith, believing what God has said, and understanding His will for the way we live our lives. What do you learn about wisdom and living wisely from James 3:13-17?

2. From 1 Timothy 6:9-10, describe those who live in an unwise manner.

3. a. From Ephesians 5:18a, what has Paul specifically instructed us not to do, and why?

b. What are we to do instead? (Ephesians 5:18b)

4. The Greek word translated “debauchery” means “an abandoned, dissolute life.” ⁹ Paul is contrasting two opposing kinds of influence on our lives—God’s Holy Spirit vs. drunkenness. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. You are sealed by the Spirit, and you are indwelt by the Spirit, but you are also to continue to be filled by the Spirit (this is a quiet yielding to and drinking from the inner supply of strength given by the Spirit for individual situations). Read Romans 8:6. Compare the life lived under the control of the Holy Spirit to the life that is not.

5. Personal: Paul says that life is to be lived with the recognition that demands and pressures come all the time. How do you meet these demands and deal with the pressures?

Fifth Day: Review Ephesians 5:15-21, concentrating on verses 19-20.

1. God’s Spirit takes God’s Word and makes it real to our lives. He empowers us to obey God and truly live. From Ephesians 5:19-20, what are some of the results of being filled with God’s Spirit?

2. How does Colossians 3:16-17 expand on these truths?

3. Challenge: Read Acts 16:16-33 and summarize briefly. How did Paul and Silas’ actions bear out what we have learned in Ephesians 5:15-20? Summarize briefly.

4. After we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, we are new and different people, living by the power of God and making the most of every opportunity to share His love and good news with those who are lost. Read 1 Peter 4:2-5. What do you learn about the way unbelievers may respond to your changed life and message?

5. Personal: How have your friends and family reacted to your changed life and message since you came in faith to Jesus Christ? Have any of them come to Christ? Have any gotten angry? Have any dropped you as a friend or tried to pull you back into the “old” lifestyle?

Sixth Day: Review Ephesians 5, concentrating on verse 21.

1. We are not to live as the world lives. In fact, living in God’s kingdom is diametrically opposed to the way the world operates. From Ephesians 5:21, what are we to do and why?

2. a. Human beings have a problem with submission. What does Romans 8:7 say is the root of this problem?

b. What do you learn about God’s law from the following verses?

Matthew 22:37-40

Romans 13:9-10

3. Through Christ we have been set free to love and submit to God. He has also set us free to submit to and love others. What do you learn about love and self-seeking from 1 Corinthians 13:4-5?

4. From John 13:35, what will happen when we love one another?

5. Personal: Have you ever considered that submitting to God means loving others? Have you considered that when you love, you aren’t self-seeking? Have you considered that willingly submitting to the will or opinion of other believers is submitting to God? We will look into this in depth in the next lesson. But for now, how would you rate yourself when it comes to submitting to the will of others out of reverence for Christ?
Ephesians Lesson 18

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Ephesians 5:15-21 — Watch How You Live

We have been looking together at the great passage in Ephesians where the apostle Paul deals with our preparation as Christians for living in a sin-sick and corrupt society. We have seen that the problems first-century Christians faced were essentially the same problems we face today. Now we come to Paul’s summary of this subject: Please read Ephesians 5:15-20.

We are to be careful, Paul says, how we live. We are to live not as unwise but as wise. This passage is a review of all that the apostle has been teaching us up to this point—that we are no longer to live as the Gentiles do, that we are to put off the old nature and put on the new. Paul has also talked about the practical application of Christianity to the situations of everyday life.

Now, in Ephesians 5:15, Paul summarizes his message with one statement that says it all: “ Be very careful, then, how you live.” Then he goes on to give us the two characteristics of living rightly: 1. Live with understanding; 2. Live in the Spirit.

Live with Understanding

Let’s look at the first of these characteristics. Paul writes: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Paul says we must live wisely, understanding the nature of life (“the days are evil”), the nature of our opportunities, and the nature of God’s will. He is pointing out to us that evil times create opportunities for good. We must make the most of those opportunities created by evil days. The phrase “making the most” is a form of one Greek word in the original text, exagorazo, that can also be translated as “redeem” (see Galatians 3:13; 4:5). It means to buy up commodities in order to turn a later profit. If you buy stocks at a low price to sell later at a high price for a profit, you are “making the most of every opportunity.” That is the analogy suggested by Paul’s statement in these verses.

That’s a far cry from the outlook many Christians have toward evil days! Most of us see evil days as obstacles, as times of withdrawal and defeat. The wise Christian knows how to take advantage of evil times in order to advance the agenda of God’s kingdom. If you are under pressure, make the most of that time by manifesting the overcoming grace of God. Live with understanding and buy up the opportunities.

Paul also tells us that we need to understand the will of God. We need to be aware of what God wants out of every situation. Some people would understand the term “the Lord’s will” to mean specific guidance on what to do next, where to live, what job to have, whom to marry, and so forth. But that is not what Paul means when he talks about understanding the will of the Lord. God is not nearly so interested in what you do as in what you are.

Earlier in Ephesians 5, Paul said, “Live as children of light…and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8,10). Understanding what pleases the Lord is the same thing as understanding the will of the Lord. What pleases the Lord? One thing: Faith! “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” says Hebrews 11:6. Faith is believing God, believing what He says about life, believing what He says about people, believing what He says about ourselves. This is what the apostle is referring to—not trying to get specific guidance about this or that decision, but remembering that in every situation of our lives we are to act in reliance upon the Word of God.

Acting in faith means to adopt God’s evaluation of what the great values of life are. Acting in faith means to reject the success image that the world is constantly holding before us, and to seek the riches of Christ rather than the riches of this world. Acting in faith means that we apply Christian principles to our business relationships, our family relationships, and all the other relationships of our lives.

Paul is telling us not to be foolish and unwise, not to live as non-Christians live. We are not to blindly swallow the immoral propaganda that has infected our society. We are not to go along with the world in which we live; we are to stand against it. We are to live by faith and live wisely, understanding the evil nature of the world, and understanding the will of God for our lives.

Live in the Spirit

The next word Paul gives us in this passage has to do with our resources in the Spirit. We are to live life in the overflowing power and presence of the Holy Spirit. He writes, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Paul contrasts two opposing kinds of influence on our lives: Being drunk with wine versus being filled with the Spirit. It is interesting to note the parallels as well as the contrasts between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit. The same pressures in life, the same troubles and demands, will drive some people to drink, but will drive others deeper into the embrace of the Spirit. Under the influence of wine, people lose their inhibitions and gain confidence—but lose control. Under the influence of the Spirit, people gain boldness under God’s control.

The word here translated “debauchery” is the Greek word asotia, which means “without limits, with reckless abandon.” It refers to escapism and the tendency to throw all restraints overboard and live out of control. By contrast, Paul tells us that when we feel we need strength to face life with its troubles, we should not seek the reckless escapism of alcohol, but the strength and power of the Holy Spirit.

Here is the great secret of real Christianity—the reality of being filled with the Spirit. When you became a Christian, when you believed in Jesus Christ and received Him as your Lord, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. You are sealed by the Spirit and you are indwelt by the Spirit—but the paradox is that we still need to be constantly, repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the momentary access of the resources of the Spirit for individual situations. It has nothing to do with a “religious experience” or with feelings. It is a quiet drinking from an inner supply of strength given by the Spirit.

Jesus put it beautifully when He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well: Please read John 4:7-14. Notice those two key words in verse 14: “in him.” The well, Jesus says, is no longer going to be outside of us, so that you have to go somewhere else, but it will be in us. That well is the Holy Spirit, and we can drink from it at any time. The Spirit is our adequate and ever-present resource for any demand that is made upon us.

Paul says that life is to be lived with the recognition that demands and pressures come all the time. We are not to meet them with artificial means, with alcohol or tranquilizers or any of the more modern substitutes. We are to meet them by being filled with the Spirit. We are to drink from the Spirit within us, not from a bottle of wine.

Three Results

Paul goes on to tell us of three results that we can expect as we live in understanding and live in the Spirit. Please read Ephesians 5:19-20. Notice the three verbs in these verses: speaking, and singing, and giving thanks. These are the marks of one who is drawing every moment upon the well of the Spirit within.

The first mark of the Spirit-filled life is that you will talk about what you have read in the Scriptures, about what the Lord has taught you from His Word. The more deeply you drink from the well of the Spirit, the more a love for the Bible will be manifested in you.

The second mark of the Spirit-filled life is singing, making melody to the Lord with all your heart. Now, I’m sure Paul includes actual singing with the voice, but I am so grateful he talked about making music “in your heart,” singing from the heart. I have a great deal of trouble singing with the voice. I used to sing in a choir until I missed one day and someone thought the organ had been fixed! But I can sing beautifully in my heart. I know well that inner bubbling of a melody to my Lord and Savior. I know the inner joy of knowing that God is in control and He is working things out, even in times of trouble.

The third mark of the Spirit-filled life is giving thanks. Notice how Paul puts it: “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). That statement eliminates all complaining and murmuring.

Notice that Paul enjoins us to give thanks “for everything.” Why does Paul say that? Surely he doesn’t mean everything? Oh, but he does! The will of the Lord is that we be put in difficult situations and have unpleasant circumstances in order that we might have opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus Christ. So don’t complain—give thanks! Because these circumstances will do something to you that nothing else could do. This is what Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

And the writer to the Hebrews agrees: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). God has a purpose in all that happens in our lives. Therefore, we should give thanks in all things.

So we live in understanding of God’s will, and we live in the power of the Spirit. As we do so, the result of our lives will be singing and thanksgiving—the music of praise.