Eph 5:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | . When we do what is said in the last verse of the previous chapter, we can be addressed as “imitators of God”. That means that we are able to do what God did in showing His kindness. It may even be expected from us. Anyway, in itself it is a huge thing to be addressed as ‘imitators of God’. Yet, that is not all: we are even called “beloved children” of God. God has not only forgiven us all our debts, but He also made us rich, as we became His children. You should realize this as well. You are a child of God and He loves you! . Then you will not only show kindness and forgiveness in imitating God, but your whole conduct, your whole walk, will be “in love”. You show kindness and forgiveness if you do not blame your brother or sister anymore for what he or she did wrong. To show ‘love’ goes a step further. Love is not so much engaged in what the other has done, but is involved with the other himself. Love always seeks good for the other. The exhortation “walk in love” simply means that you show the Divine nature in daily practice. How that is practiced, is seen in the life of the Lord Jesus. In Him God’s nature is perfectly made manifest. Love brought Him to a deed which we always will admire. That deed of love has been His full surrender to God – to death. His death is the absolute culmination of His love for God and for us. His life and death gave God the greatest joy. There has never been anybody on earth who has served and honored God with all his love and so fully devoted. The Lord Jesus was the One Who did. The “offering” and the “sacrifice” speak of His whole life up to and including His death on the cross. It was all a “fragrant aroma” to God, while His death on the cross was also for us. He died in our place. As a result of that we are saved and all hindrances for God to bless us have been removed. In that perfect surrender He is unique, therein we cannot imitate Him. Yet it is said: “Walk in love, just as Christ also.” Only then we shall walk in love in the same way as Christ if we also fully dedicate our life to God and His interests. Then it would be, as if God will be reminded of the walk of His Son, and through our life a fragrant aroma will rise up to Him. .The admonitions here from Paul connect to a walk of life in the light. Everything that cannot bear the light of God must not have room among believers. Besides, it is against love. Love always seeks the good for the other, even at its own expense. The things mentioned here only serve to satisfy one’s own lusts. Those are sins in which one obtains pleasure at the expense of someone else. Everything is measured by the standard of Who God is. The believer is created according to Him ( ). God is light and love ( ). Believers walk as children of God in love ( ) and as saints they walk in the light ( ). The things that are mentioned from do not fit with love and light. The believer should not do things, not even mention things “which are not fitting” ( ), that means that do not fit with the nature of God. It is not so much about the deeds, but what is preceded by that. It is about what is in the heart and what flows from the mouth. “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” ( ). Paul, of course, condemns here a manner of speaking that betrays one’s lust. When he mentions things that should not even be named, he does not contradict his own admonitions. He certainly names them, but in a disapproving sense. This is the way to speak about these things when discipline must be practiced in the church, or when these things should be denounced somewhere else ( ). Do not be tempted to name these things lightly or as a joke and do not even tolerate that. By “immorality” is meant sexual intercourse in the broadest sense of the word. It regards all sexual contact outside marriage and that is more than adultery. By “any impurity” is meant every kind of uncleanness, in words as well as in deeds or in thoughts. “Greed” is the thirst for more possessions, and is not limited to money. The absence of such talk is fitting with “saints”. Decent people watch out for what they say, so that they do not spoil their reputation, but ‘saints’ have a higher motive. They don’t belong to the world where these subjects are generally accepted, but to the new creation. . Nor should “filthiness”, i.e. obscene, indecent in words and gesture, be part of your language. It includes anything contrary to what is worthy of being honored. “Silly talk” is foolish talk. Someone who does not regard God is called a fool ( ). “Coarse jesting” you hear in jokes with a double meaning. It is all ‘not fitting’; it does not fit with the standard of the saints of God. Therefore, you should not allow yourself to descend to the level of talking rubbish and playing the funny man. He, who is known like that, is not a Christian, whatever his profession may be. It is not about general humor here. It is about people who seek to extend moral borders and to take down thresholds of decency by their foolish and ambiguous talk and their coarse jesting. To ‘saints’, people who received forgiveness, “giving of thanks” is fitting. That indicates an opened mouth out of which words of thanks flow ( ; ) instead of debauchery. . In the evil was mentioned, here we see the perpetrators of it. You know well, and you also have acknowledged, that because of everything you were in in the past and wherein you partook, there was no connection with the area where Christ and God have all control. You confessed that at your conversion and you’ve seen that all that has disappeared in the judgment that came over Christ. Yet you can forget that and again start to live as you did in the past. Therefore your conscience is appealed to here to remind you of what you formerly confessed and have put away at the cross. There is not only a reminder of what has been put away, however. There is also a prospect for “an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”. This kingdom will be established in the fullness of times ( ). It is ‘the kingdom of Christ’ because He is the Center of it, the One Who rules. It is the kingdom ‘of God’ because He is the Inventor of it, it is His counsel. By “inheritance” you think of the future; you are an heir and the inheritance is yet to come. Your inheritance in the kingdom you will receive in the fullness of times at the revelation of Christ. The rights of God and His government will be established in the universe. It is mentioned here to indicate that you should see your life in the light of that time. The result will be that you give the control of your life in the hands of Christ and God now already. . Then you will not be tempted to live unholy which can cause you to end up again in the company you were in in the past (cf. ). You can be deceived by empty words, words that conflict with the Scriptures. Different forms of living together that the Scripture calls fornication, are being justified, as living together unmarried and the opening up of marriage between people of the same sex. These things are also defended in professing Christianity with nice, but empty words. But bear in mind: “For because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” ‘Sons of disobedience’ are people who are deliberately disobedient. . Stay far away from them. Do not join them and do not behave like them. Just assure yourself that you will not be seen as a partaker of them (see also ). Children of God and sons of disobedience have nothing in common spiritually. You should not only avoid sins, but also the connection with sinners. . Do you know why you have to avoid those connections? Because of what you were in the past and what you have become now. It is put as a fact. And that change has been achieved through the work that God did on you. You were not only in the darkness, you were darkness. You were characterized by a nature that is in darkness and you found pleasure in everything that was against God. But now you are light in the Lord. Nothing is hidden, everything is visible and that is the way you should walk. Now read Ephesians 5:1-8 again. Reflection: What belongs to the light and what does not belong in the light?

‏ Ephesians 5:1-2

A Walk in Love and in Light

Eph 5:1. When we do what is said in the last verse of the previous chapter, we can be addressed as “imitators of God”. That means that we are able to do what God did in showing His kindness. It may even be expected from us. Anyway, in itself it is a huge thing to be addressed as ‘imitators of God’. Yet, that is not all: we are even called “beloved children” of God. God has not only forgiven us all our debts, but He also made us rich, as we became His children. You should realize this as well. You are a child of God and He loves you!

Eph 5:2. Then you will not only show kindness and forgiveness in imitating God, but your whole conduct, your whole walk, will be “in love”. You show kindness and forgiveness if you do not blame your brother or sister anymore for what he or she did wrong. To show ‘love’ goes a step further. Love is not so much engaged in what the other has done, but is involved with the other himself. Love always seeks good for the other. The exhortation “walk in love” simply means that you show the Divine nature in daily practice.

How that is practiced, is seen in the life of the Lord Jesus. In Him God’s nature is perfectly made manifest. Love brought Him to a deed which we always will admire. That deed of love has been His full surrender to God – to death. His death is the absolute culmination of His love for God and for us. His life and death gave God the greatest joy. There has never been anybody on earth who has served and honored God with all his love and so fully devoted. The Lord Jesus was the One Who did.

The “offering” and the “sacrifice” speak of His whole life up to and including His death on the cross. It was all a “fragrant aroma” to God, while His death on the cross was also for us. He died in our place. As a result of that we are saved and all hindrances for God to bless us have been removed.

In that perfect surrender He is unique, therein we cannot imitate Him. Yet it is said: “Walk in love, just as Christ also.” Only then we shall walk in love in the same way as Christ if we also fully dedicate our life to God and His interests. Then it would be, as if God will be reminded of the walk of His Son, and through our life a fragrant aroma will rise up to Him.

Eph 5:3.The admonitions here from Paul connect to a walk of life in the light. Everything that cannot bear the light of God must not have room among believers. Besides, it is against love. Love always seeks the good for the other, even at its own expense. The things mentioned here only serve to satisfy one’s own lusts. Those are sins in which one obtains pleasure at the expense of someone else.

Everything is measured by the standard of Who God is. The believer is created according to Him (Eph 4:24). God is light and love (1Jn 1:5 ; 1Jn 4:8 ; 16). Believers walk as children of God in love (Eph 5:1-2) and as saints they walk in the light (Eph 5:3-21).

The things that are mentioned from Eph 5:3 do not fit with love and light. The believer should not do things, not even mention things “which are not fitting” (Eph 5:4), that means that do not fit with the nature of God. It is not so much about the deeds, but what is preceded by that. It is about what is in the heart and what flows from the mouth. “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Mt 12:34). Paul, of course, condemns here a manner of speaking that betrays one’s lust.

When he mentions things that should not even be named, he does not contradict his own admonitions. He certainly names them, but in a disapproving sense. This is the way to speak about these things when discipline must be practiced in the church, or when these things should be denounced somewhere else (Eph 5:11). Do not be tempted to name these things lightly or as a joke and do not even tolerate that.

By “immorality” is meant sexual intercourse in the broadest sense of the word. It regards all sexual contact outside marriage and that is more than adultery. By “any impurity” is meant every kind of uncleanness, in words as well as in deeds or in thoughts. “Greed” is the thirst for more possessions, and is not limited to money.

The absence of such talk is fitting with “saints”. Decent people watch out for what they say, so that they do not spoil their reputation, but ‘saints’ have a higher motive. They don’t belong to the world where these subjects are generally accepted, but to the new creation.

Eph 5:4. Nor should “filthiness”, i.e. obscene, indecent in words and gesture, be part of your language. It includes anything contrary to what is worthy of being honored. “Silly talk” is foolish talk. Someone who does not regard God is called a fool (Psa 14:1). “Coarse jesting” you hear in jokes with a double meaning. It is all ‘not fitting’; it does not fit with the standard of the saints of God.

Therefore, you should not allow yourself to descend to the level of talking rubbish and playing the funny man. He, who is known like that, is not a Christian, whatever his profession may be. It is not about general humor here. It is about people who seek to extend moral borders and to take down thresholds of decency by their foolish and ambiguous talk and their coarse jesting.

To ‘saints’, people who received forgiveness, “giving of thanks” is fitting. That indicates an opened mouth out of which words of thanks flow (1Thes 5:18; Col 1:12) instead of debauchery.

Eph 5:5. In Eph 5:3 the evil was mentioned, here we see the perpetrators of it. You know well, and you also have acknowledged, that because of everything you were in in the past and wherein you partook, there was no connection with the area where Christ and God have all control. You confessed that at your conversion and you’ve seen that all that has disappeared in the judgment that came over Christ. Yet you can forget that and again start to live as you did in the past. Therefore your conscience is appealed to here to remind you of what you formerly confessed and have put away at the cross.

There is not only a reminder of what has been put away, however. There is also a prospect for “an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”. This kingdom will be established in the fullness of times (Eph 1:10). It is ‘the kingdom of Christ’ because He is the Center of it, the One Who rules. It is the kingdom ‘of God’ because He is the Inventor of it, it is His counsel.

By “inheritance” you think of the future; you are an heir and the inheritance is yet to come. Your inheritance in the kingdom you will receive in the fullness of times at the revelation of Christ. The rights of God and His government will be established in the universe. It is mentioned here to indicate that you should see your life in the light of that time. The result will be that you give the control of your life in the hands of Christ and God now already.

Eph 5:6. Then you will not be tempted to live unholy which can cause you to end up again in the company you were in in the past (cf. Psa 1:1). You can be deceived by empty words, words that conflict with the Scriptures. Different forms of living together that the Scripture calls fornication, are being justified, as living together unmarried and the opening up of marriage between people of the same sex. These things are also defended in professing Christianity with nice, but empty words. But bear in mind: “For because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” ‘Sons of disobedience’ are people who are deliberately disobedient.

Eph 5:7. Stay far away from them. Do not join them and do not behave like them. Just assure yourself that you will not be seen as a partaker of them (see also Eph 5:11). Children of God and sons of disobedience have nothing in common spiritually. You should not only avoid sins, but also the connection with sinners.

Eph 5:8. Do you know why you have to avoid those connections? Because of what you were in the past and what you have become now. It is put as a fact. And that change has been achieved through the work that God did on you. You were not only in the darkness, you were darkness. You were characterized by a nature that is in darkness and you found pleasure in everything that was against God. But now you are light in the Lord. Nothing is hidden, everything is visible and that is the way you should walk.

Now read Ephesians 5:1-8 again.

Reflection: What belongs to the light and what does not belong in the light?