The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #5171 KCEphesians11

If you worship some "thing", be it sex, money, whatever, or some "one" other than our Father, then you have no inheritance.

We now come to chapter 5 of Ephesians.

Let's go for it, asking His help along the way.

Ephes. 5:1
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Uh oh, wait just a minute here!

We have spent a great deal of time in chapter 4 listening to Paul tell us to grow-up and become mature, adult, Christians.

Now he says to be as children.

So what gives?

Actually there is no conflict here at all.

Paul is simply talking about our "relationship" to our Father.

You know how children will imitate their fathers and do as they do, like father, like son?

And they have complete trust in their moms and dads?

Well, we are to do the same, i.e. imitate our Father in heaven, be as much like Him as we can.

Like Father, like son (or daughter).

[2] And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Remember Paul told us back in chapter 3 that we are to be rooted and grounded in love.
Ephes. 3:17, 19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [19] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
So walk in love, that's what we are supposed to do.

Now here's what we are not supposed to do!

Ephes. 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
It is not very Christian-like to be involved in the adulterous, lustful, covetous ways of this world.

It is the quickest way I know for a Christian to obtain the label of "hypocrite", preceded with a few choice adjectives.

[4] Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
There should be no obscene, stupid or scurrilous talk.

All that is unbecoming, un-Christ-like.

There should be thanksgiving instead.

The word "jesting" used here is the Greek word eutrapelia.

Paul is not telling us that we can't be humorous or even witty at times (Thank God! I'd be in deep trouble).

It means specifically "vulgar witticism", or "ribaldry", which is coarse indecent humor.

[5] For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Paul is being very graphic and descriptive here.

He's a realist.

The Greek word for "whoremonger" is pornos, while"unclean" means impure or "lewd".

And know this, he says: to be obsessed or "eager for gain" is a form of worship, called idolatry.

So very simply put, if you worship some "thing", be it sex, money, whatever, or some "one" other than our Father, then you have no inheritance.

That is not to say that at times we fall short and sin, but let's not "wallow" in filth.

We must repent, i.e. change our ways, and ask forgiveness.

[6] Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words, whether it be to justify the unseemly we just spoke of, or in "religious" or doctrinal matters.

It is the children of disobedience that are at the "root cause" of these things, including deception.

Our Father is not happy with them.

Remember also, back in chapter two, we identified these children of disobedience as the huios, the offspring of satan, the tares of the parable in Matthew 13, i.e. Kenites.

Ephes. 2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
How does Paul tell us to deal with them?
Ephes. 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Stay away from them, the children of disobedience, i.e. do not become co-participants with them or their practices or their doctrines.

Christ admonished His disciples (are we not His disciples?) in Matthew 16:12 "Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

We should chose carefully those with whom we associate.

Stick with those in the family of God.

[8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Darkness here means "the darkness of blindness".

We were once blind, being led around in darkness by the blind.

Notice the contrast between the "children of disobedience" in verse 6 and the "children of light" in verse 8.

[20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Light exposes darkness (evil). So, of course they hate it.

Isn't it amazing that the Apostle John said the very same thing?

John 3:19-21
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
I love the unity, when we see all of God's servants "on the same page", so to speak.
Ephes. 5:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Notice it is he that "doeth" truth, not he that "heareth" truth.

Want to chase away the darkness?

Be a doer and believe on Jesus Christ, for He is the light.

He says it Himself:

John 12:46
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
By being "doers" we produce good fruit.
Ephes. 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Paul also tells us in his letter to the Galatians what the fruit of the Spirit is.

Naturally, number one is love, that which we are to be rooted and grounded in.

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [ 5] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And so it is, there is no legislation against love and goodness and kindness and patience.

(But don't be surprised if the politicians figure out a way to tax them.

I can see it now, the Good Samaritan Tax, etc.)

Ephes. 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Paul was an advocate of checking things out and testing the fruit.

I'm sure, too, that he encouraged the Bereans to go home and "search the scriptures daily" and check him out (Acts 17:11).

"Look it up for yourselves", he probably shouted when he quoted the scriptures.

He repeats the concept in 1 Thes. 5:

1 Thes. 5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
How do you prove things?

Prove them by shining the light, God's Word, on them.

And don't forget, all wisdom comes from God, and therefore, so does common sense.

Sometimes all that is needed in testing fruit is a mild application of common sense.

If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then don't let some spin-meister, or spin-minister convince you it's a chicken.

Ephes. 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Turn the "light" on and let them squirm a little.

Not for your entertainment (though it can be fun), but because our foundation is rooted in love, which at times requires that we exercise reprove and correction.

They may scoff at you and even "jest", but they will leave knowing the light was turned on and they were exposed to the truth.

[12] For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
Again, the "them" are the children of disobedience.
[13] But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
When the light is turned on, it exposes everything, and everything that is exposed is illuminated.
[14] Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
This verse is a paraphrase of Isaiah 60:1,2.
Isaiah 60:1, 2
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. [2] For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Those that sleepest are those who slumber in darkness.

The Greek word for dead is nekros, which means dead either literally or figuratively.

By the context we know in this case it is figuratively "dead",  dead to the truth, i.e. spiritually dead.

Ephes. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
The Greek word for circumspectly is akribos, an adverb from the word akribestatos, meaning "most straitest".

In other words, just as an acrobat walks the straight tightrope, so should we walk the straight and narrow.

[16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Redeeming means to "rescue from loss" (improve opportunity).

Be careful with your time and don't waste it.

Especially don't waste an opportunity to shine some light in the darkness of this world.

Jesus Christ is the light in us.

Here is what He, the greatest Teacher of all time, tells us:

Matthew 5:14-16
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. [15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them {the ancient Israelites} for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

This "American Wisdom Series" pamphlet

is

Published by:
Rhine Publishing Co
E-mail address - americanwisdomseries@verizon.net

If you would like to have your essay published
as part of the American Wisdom Series
submit your manuscript to Rhine Publishing Co
at the address above for consideration, or e-mail us
at the address shown on our home page.

Click Here to Return to "The American Wisdom Series" home page.