By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett – Asbury Free Methodist
Ephesians 5:3-20 November 12, 2023
Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus and other churches in the surrounding area. He has talked about the power of the cross, the power of the gospel, and how grace is activated by faith. It is all about what Jesus has done for us.
He then said that because of what Jesus has done for us, this is how we should live. He talked about putting off the old self and putting on the new self. Now, he is taking the time to tell us how that will show up in our lives.
Last week, we looked at part of how that will show up when we read,
Ephesians 4:29–32 (NIV)
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.
A lot of people try to make following Jesus into something that it is not. Over and over in scripture, we are told that you will know your brothers and sisters by their fruit. So, Paul gets detailed.
Ephesians 5:3–4 (NIV)
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. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
Having Jesus in you means living in a certain way. Notice how he phrases these verses. If you have Jesus, then these things shouldn’t be showing up.
I am thankful that Paul took the time, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to write these things. There will always be people who say they follow Jesus and then do whatever they like. I read about a person who was calling herself a Christian, but she was employed as a stripper. Paul, by listing the things found in verses 4-5, let it be known that there are things that you cannot do as a follower of Christ.
While it is helpful that he points these things out. But he does it in such a way where it is as if he says, – I know you know this, and it is obvious, but I need to point these things out just in case there is anyone who doesn’t see the conflict between following Jesus and impurity.
And I would say to you, Asbury, I know you know this. It has to be said in case there are people who miss it. But it is unhelpful to primarily focus on what we shouldn’t do. Rather, it is better to focus on what we are called to be. That is what Paul does.
This whole passage hinges on verses 8-10.
Ephesians 5:8–10 (NIV)
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.
That is true for the Ephesians, and that is true for those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus.
In these verses, Paul is talking about not what you should and shouldn’t do but about identity. He is talking about who you are in Jesus.
I have done a lot of mentoring over the years. The first thing that I look at when I mentor people is identity. What do people think about when they think about themselves? You have to get past the superficial. I’m a carpenter, or I’m a lawyer, or I’m a student. You have to get past the “should be’s.” I should be kind, I should be loving, I should be strong. Sometimes you have to get past the “shouldn’t bes.” I should be this or that. When you get past those things, then you start to get to how a person views themselves.
What I have found is that many people live in what I call “the gray zone.” They are good people. They love Jesus. They love others. They have their fair share of shame from something in the past. They know they are forgiven, but they have doubts as to whether they belong anywhere. They often live in a place of trying to be acceptable and wondering if people really knew them if they would be accepted. The gray zone.
Paul speaks directly to Christians in the gray zone. He says
Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord…
This is an identity statement. This is who you are in Jesus. You are light in the Lord. You don’t have to strive to be light in the Lord; You don’t have to try to be light in the Lord. You are light in the Lord.
Listen to what God has done for us,
Colossians 1:13 (NIV)
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
You once were darkness. You once lived in the domain of darkness. But when you put your faith in Jesus, God, by his grace, rescued you from the dominion of darkness, and he rescued your inner life from darkness. Now you live in the kingdom of God, and now you are light in the Lord.
You were made a new creation. God’s Spirit is in you. Your sins are forgiven and cleansed. The light of God is in you. And look what that light brings,
Ephesians 5:8–9 (NIV)
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. … 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
The fruit of light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth. So, your identity is this, “You are light in the Lord.” You don’t have to strive or try – you are light in the Lord. How could you not be with the Spirit of Him who lives in unapproachable life living in you? Because you are light in the Lord, that light will naturally produce the fruit of light. – all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
The problem is that, while this is our core identity, we often live in the gray zone. Our insecurities, shame, doubt, and fear often push us to live, not out of the light but out of something else.
That is why Paul says,
Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
You are light in the Lord. Now, Live as children of light. It could also be translated live as children of daylight.
This verse would land harder when it was first read. We live in the age of the electric light. If you travel on Highway 41 between Kaladar and Napanee, you will come across a “Dark Viewing Area.” People gather there to look at the night sky because it is one of the few places around where you are not in sight of electric lights. But in Paul’s time, virtually all areas were dark viewing areas.
So, when did people do the stuff that they didn’t want to be seen doing? They did it at night. So, when Paul says – live as children of the daylight – he is saying – live in such a way where you are not hiding. The fruit of that kind of life is goodness, righteousness and truth.
There is something about living a hidden life that puts our souls to sleep. We don’t have the power to live in a way that God calls us to live. That is why Paul writes,
Ephesians 5:13–14 (NIV)
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
How do you expose things to the light? It is not given to us in this text – it just basically says expose the darkness to the light.
It tells us in other places how to do that. Confess your sin to one another is what James tells us. Confess your sin to God first. Then, if you still feel hidden, confess it to someone else.
I hope you have someone who you are able to confess to. Obviously, they need to be trustworthy and confidential. They also need to know how to respond. After confessing your stuff to God and another person, the proper response is for that person to proclaim forgiveness on the basis of God’s word. Confession does not need to be a big deal. But it is a way of living in the daylight.
And look what the promise is – Christ will shine on you.
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There was another command after living as children of the light. It is this.
Ephesians 5:9–10 (NIV)
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
For the sake of time, let me look at that command and verse 15
Ephesians 5:15–17 (NIV)
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.
- Find out what pleases the Lord.
- Be careful to live wisely.
- Understand what the will of the Lord is.
I believe that these are some of the most important directions on how to live your daily Christian life. Find out what pleases the Lord. Live wisely. Understand what the will of the Lord is.
If you live this way, everything else falls into place. Your work, your leisure, your hobbies, your school, your free time, your time spent serving – If you find out what pleases God, you are careful to live wisely and you understand what the will of the Lord is – everything else will fall into place.
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There is a reason why we emphasize scripture and hearing God around here. There is a reason why we run bible studies and spend time helping people to hear God’s still small voice. The way you find out what pleases the Lord, live wisely and understand what the will of the Lord is for your life is to hear from him.
You will notice from our text that these are things to be discovered. Find out how to please the Lord. Understand what the will of the Lord is. We don’t always know what God’s will is until we seek to understand it.
The easier it is to hear God’s direction, the easier it is to know what pleases the Lord and to understand what his will is.
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Paul offers one more instruction on how to live wisely. He says,
Ephesians 5:15–18 (NIV)
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,
Getting drunk is part of living unwisely. It is part of living foolishly because it leads to debauchery. That word carries with it the idea of behaving in a way that shows a lack of concern or thought for the consequences of an action. It is the idea of being reckless.
It is hard to live wisely, and it is hard to understand what the will of the Lord is if you are impaired to such an extent that you don’t care about the outcome of your actions.
Paul offers an alternative. He says, “Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” The verb tense here could be translated as “Instead, be being filled with the Spirit.” It is something that is ongoing.
The evidence of being filled with the Spirit is
Ephesians 5:18b–20 (NIV)
Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever woken up and found a song of worship going on in your heart. That is a sign of being filled with the Spirit. Have you ever been going about your day and find yourself humming a song of praise? That is an evidence of being filled with the Spirit.
Have you ever found yourself being thankful for what is going on around you? That is an evidence of being filled with the Spirit.
Being filled with the Spirit is the antidote to living unwisely. It is the vehicle to find out what pleases God and understand what the will of the Lord is.
The Lord is pleased to fill his people with His Spirit when they ask. If you are willing to live as children of the light, he is willing to give you His Spirit to help you do just that.
Sermon Questions
Ephesians 5:3-20
Introduction
1. What are you celebrating this week?
2. What are you praying about this week?
Digging in
3. Read Ephesians 5:3-20. What phrase or verse stands out to you?
4. Read verse 3 and verse 5. Why are these things improper for God’s people?
5. What does verse 4 have to say about our speech? (Define the terms in these verses.)
6. Read verses 8 and 9. What does this say about our identity? How do we live out this command?
7. Read verses 13-14. What does this say about hiddenness? What do you think Paul is talking about in these verses?
8. Read verses 10,15 and 17. What do these commands have in common? What do you need to obey these commands?
9. Read verses 18-20. What is the evidence of being filled with the Spirit in these verses? How does one go about being filled with the Spirit?