Ephesians 5:1-2
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in
love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
In this study of Ephesians that our Friday night Bible Study group
is examining, I have never really paid attention to how may times the word
“walk” actually appears in these lines of Holy Scripture, and easily see how we
get that term: “walk the talk”. We are to walk worthy of the calling
with which you were called, no longer walk as
the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God. Now we are to walk
according to the truth that is in Jesus Christ. The study talks about someone
who claims to be a Christian and yet lives in a way that is contrary to the
commandments of God. Those who are sure that they would go to heaven when they
died because they made a profession of faith, yet live just like the world
lives. Can a person walk one foot in darkness when they claim to belong to the
Light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ? How are Believers to walk … and not
walk?
Ephesians
5:3-6 But
fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among
you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse joking,
which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who
is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of
these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
The
word “saints” in the Greek is ἅγιος
– hagios and means holy (set
apart from ungodliness, by God, for God’s sacred purposes) and could also be
translated as “holy ones”. Saints comes from the same Greek root as the word
“sanctified”, being ἁγιάζω – hagiazō,
so saints are all those who have been sanctified, consecrated
Believers, genuine regenerated Christians, walking in love, following and
imitating the Lord with an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. But
why the warnings: the “must not’s”, “the there must be no’s”, the let no one
deceive you with empty words? The word “empty” is the Greek word “κενός – kenos, which means vain,
useless, void of truth and void of reality. It indicates the hollowness of
something or somebody. Could it be that ones trying to deceive the saints are
proclaiming that a person can walk though life
with one foot in the darkness of what God calls Sin, when they claim to a Christian
belonging to the Light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ? Does this happen
today? This is what verses 3-6 explains clearly. As with any transgression of
the Laws on earth, there are consequences for Sin also, and they are eternal
separation from God. But our Creator Father in heaven, out of His love and
mercy sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay that price and penalty for the world, so
that who-so-ever repents of those sins (turns away from the darkness of sin and
unbelief, and walks towards the Light of their Lord God in holiness and
righteousness, in believing faith), accepts the free gift of atoning grace in
Jesus on the Cross, will be justified in His sacrificial death in our place, by
His blood, and shall receive salvation, become a child of God by His grafting
adoption into the kingdom family and a permanent Holy Spirit sealed citizenship in
heaven. Do not be deceived that the Child of God can walk in sin any longer. Those in
rebellion against their all-knowing, ever-existing sovereign Maker God, who is
sovereign over everything past, present and future, will attempt to justify their
sin with argument, temptations and peer shame against all opposition. Those set
apart from God will try to lead us away from the true Savior by separating the godly
from God also, by sin. Which leads us right back to Ephesians 5:1-2
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in
love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
In Christ, Brian
2 comments:
Hi Brian,
There are people i care deeply about in my life who say they will go to heaven, they are alright because they believe in Jesus. At one time they got baptized, so all is well. But they have no desire to turn away from their sin, nor even go to church. They do not want the Lord to encroach in their lives. I always hear, "I got saved once and you cannot lose your salvation, so it does not matter what I do. I am not turning away from my sin and follow Jesus." I just hope and pray that the Lord will open their eyes to the truth. Thank you for sharing this and God bless,
Ken
It's almost as if these people believe that they can trick or swindle the Creator of the Universe, yet sin itself is willful disobedient enmity directly against God. They do not want to go to hell, but do not want God as their Lord either. James 2:19 says "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." So what makes them different than the demons? We need to keep running the Light of Truth into the darkness. As you say, " I just hope and pray that the Lord will open their eyes to the truth." It is the Holy Spirit that moves the heart. Great point! Thank you Ken for writing.
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