Imitate God

I once heard Tim Keller describing a sermon series that he decided to present on the seven deadly sins. His wife predicted, "Your lowest attendance will be for the message on greed." Keller said she was correct. And of those who did show up for the greed sermon, no one was observably moved or upset. Why? It is because few think the topic applies to them. Keller went on to say that no one has ever confessed, "Pastor,124 I think I may be greedy" or "I think I love money too much." Why? Is it because no one is guilty or because we are not "watching out" for this blind spot? I think we know the answer. In materialistic cultures greed is the air breathed. We must seek to put this idol to death.

Jesus' command is to delight in God and store up treasure in heaven (Luke 12:32-34). Echoing these words, Paul states, "But godliness with contentment is a great gain" (1 Tim 6:6). The apostle says greed kills (1 Tim 6:9-10) and the rich should not "set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy" (1 Tim 6:17).

Ultimately, the god of money will not satisfy. It is empty. The call is for believers to find their satisfaction in God alone. Christians are to make money, thank God for money, and use money for the right purposes while worshiping God alone.

Corrupt speech (5:4). Christians must also avoid "coarse and foolish talking or crude joking." Those walking in the light will not use language that is shameful or disgraceful (cf. Col 3:8). Some suggest that "foolish talking" may be associated with sexual sin and drunkenness (Thielman, Ephesians, 330). And while there is nothing wrong with humor and laughter, humor can be abused in malicious and vulgar ways. Therefore, Paul forbids "crude joking."

Paul says that in place of corrupt speech, the Christian should be known for "giving thanks" (cf. 1 Thess 5:18). Let us cultivate a heart of gratitude and adopt a vocabulary of thanksgiving. Here again the issue is worship. Thanksgiving, not sinful speech, will come out of your mouth when gratitude fills your heart. Snodgrass says it well: "Thanksgiving is an antidote for sin, for it is difficult [impossible] to both give thanks and sin at the same time" (Ephesians, 276).

Sexual sin, greed, and corrupt talk are about self-centered ways of thinking. We sin in these ways when we seek to gratify our sinful desires. But thanksgiving is the attitude that says, "Thank You for Your generosity, Father. You have given me everything I need. I don't need to go looking to substitute gods for pleasure and joy."

Paul reiterates this note of thanksgiving in 5:18-21. He says thanksgiving is a result of the Spirit's work in the believer. Here is where we find the power for replacing idols with true worship: the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Warning (5:5-6). Paul says those who persist in this dark lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (cf. 1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21). 125Hughes is instructive here: "Do Christians fall into these sins? Of course! But true Christians will not persist in them, for persistence in sensuality is a graceless state" (Ephesians, 159). Paul told the Corinthians, "And some of you used to be like this. 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 Cor 6:11).

This warning emphasizes how foolish worldly pursuits are from a kingdom perspective. Consider Jesus' words: "For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his life?" (Mark 8:36). Indeed, this warning is instructive to the believer as it calls him or her to pursue the kingdom and its righteousness over fleeting pleasures.

Paul strengthens his argument by speaking of the fate of the unrepentant: "Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God's wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things" (Eph 5:6; cf. Col 3:6). Paul says God's wrath is coming on the unrepentant and people had better not listen to the scoffer who mocks God's judgment.

Believers have a God more satisfying than sexual sin and greed, a God worthy of endless thanksgiving, a God who has given them a kingdom. Worship the triune God alone, not cheap substitutes.

Paul reminds us of our new identity and gives us four instructions on how we can exhibit the fruit of light amid darkness.

Display light by not joining those in darkness. He says, "Therefore, do not become their partners" (v. 7). To the Corinthians he says, "Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?" (2 Cor 6:14).

Paul calls Christians to be salt in society, to love and befriend those outside the faith. However, our mission does not involve participating in the sins of unbelievers. We must flee from, and not share in, the world's greed, sexual immorality, and corrupt speech.

Display light by living out your identity. He says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (v. 8). Snodgrass highlights the force of this statement: "No text is as strong in its explanation of conversion" (Ephesians, 271).

Paul makes an important distinction here: Christians are not light in themselves; they are light in the Lord. Because He is light and we are in Him, we are light. And because the Christian is light (a fact), we are 126now called to "walk as children of light" (an imperative). We are to pursue total holiness before the eyes of God, who has made us new people.

Display light by doing all that is good, right, and true. Paul says, "For the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth" (v. 9). The phrase "fruit of the light" describes the result of dwelling in God's light. God is good and right and true. As His imitators, Christians are to do that which is good and right and true. Here this trio of virtues seems to be a summary of the ethical content previously covered in Ephesians and resembles the fruit of the Spirit. Those who walk in light do "good works" (2:10), they live righteously (4:24), and they speak truthfully (4:15).

Display light by pleasing the Lord. Paul says, "Discerning what is pleasing to the Lord" (v. 10). As a believer, you may not please everyone. You may be mocked for following Jesus. Some may think you are living in the Stone Age because you believe the Bible. But we must keep coming back to this fundamental question: What will please the Lord? Walking in the light pleases the Lord.

Paul goes on to say that believers must not only avoid participation in darkness but they must also actively expose the darkness. The latter is the positive counterpart to the former negative exhortation. Believers are to let their light shine as Jesus said and did (Matt 5:16). Notice two effects of shining the light.

Light exposes the sin of unbelievers. The word expose carries the idea of correcting or convincing someone. Walking in the light does not mean avoiding contact with people. It means living a holy life, and it means confronting darkness.

Though the text does not tell us how to do this specifically, it surely means with words and deeds. We need wisdom, discernment, gentleness, and courage to know how to confront and expose the works of darkness. Paul says the light illuminates darkness (these secretive and shameful deeds), as evil is seen for what it is. Here the life and actions of the believer expose the works of darkness in the world.

Verse 12 notes these works done in secret are too "shameful" to mention. Do not participate in that which is shameful. Expose that which is shameful, and live a life that is honorable.

Light transforms unbelievers into the realm of light. Paul says, "For what makes everything clear is light" (v. 14). This verse seems to speak of the 127transforming power of the light of truth and purity. O'Brien summarizes it well:

J. B. Philips's paraphrase is helpful: "It is even possible (after all, it happened to you!) for the light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also."

The believer is called to expose the darkness in the corrupt places of our world—like where young children are trafficked, enslaved, and forced to work against their will, and where power is abused in other ways. We must bring the light of justice, exposing shameful, secretive sins, and bring the transforming light of the gospel to everyone—including the guilty enslavers themselves.

The last part of verse 14 is about the transforming light of Christ. It seems to combine passages on the resurrection and light such as Isaiah 26:19; 60:1; and Jonah 1:6. These words are probably a hymn or an early confession that was used at baptism. Those baptized would be reminded to "rise and shine." Paul says, "Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you" (v. 14).

To summarize 5:7-14, when awakened Christians, who were once darkness but are now light, shine the light of truth and righteousness in a dark world with their words and deeds, they make visible the shameful and secretive deeds of darkness; they may also be used to help those in darkness come to the light themselves.

Walk in Wisdom

Ephesians 5:15-17

In the same spirit of verses 7-14, believers must wake up and live wisely. Paul exhorts us to walk carefully, to make the most of our time, and to understand the Lord's will.

The verses that follow explain what it means to pay attention to how you walk. Those who walk carefully do not walk foolishly, like an unwise person. In the Colossians parallel Paul says, "Act wisely toward outsiders, 128making the most of the time" (Col 4:5), with speech that is "gracious, seasoned with salt" (Col 4:6). The believer is to "walk" in front of outsiders in hopes that they may see the life-changing power of the gospel.

With regards to walking in wisdom, Proverbs is instructive (Prov 1:7; 9:10; 10:1; 12:15; 13:16, 20; 14:16; 28:26). The fool lives recklessly. He flaunts folly, hangs with fools, and despises wisdom. The wise man, in contrast, values wisdom and pursues it diligently (Prov 2:1-5).

How does the believer gain wisdom? The writer of Proverbs tells us to walk with the wise in order to become wise (Prov 13:20). James says God gives wisdom if you ask for it (Jas 1:5; cf. Prov 2:6). Further, Paul states that in Jesus all the treasures of wisdom are found (Col 2:3). Jesus says fools build their lives on sand, but the wise build on the rock of His Word (Matt 7:24-27). Let us follow these instructions.

Paul reminds the Ephesians that they, like us, are living in the last days. Therefore, how we live matters. This text calls us to identify the things that fritter our time away and to prioritize everything relentlessly.

Christians should make the most of their time because they do not want to waste their lives. The phrase "The days are evil" refers to the idea of "this present evil age" (Gal 1:4) in which all are living. We must passionately shine our light in this dark world while we have breath. When we see the King, we will not regret having spent our lives wisely.

Usually when Christians talk about God's will, they are referring to God's will regarding major decisions about things like their careers. But I do not think that is what Paul has in mind here. He is referring to God's already revealed will, and for us today that means understanding the Bible.

Believers need to understand what God has called every believer to pursue and what He has called every believer to avoid. In short, understanding the Lord's will means to pattern our lives after Jesus (cf. Rom 8:29).

We should remember today that Christians are new creations because Jesus submitted to God's will. He cried out, "It is finished," after doing God's will obediently. He rescued those who did not love 129others perfectly, those who committed these dark, shameful deeds, and those who were living a life of folly. Now the Spirit indwells His people, enabling them to imitate God by walking in love, by walking in light, by walking in the Spirit. Let there be thanksgiving to God for His Son, Jesus.

Reflect and Discuss