If you will turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5. Actually, let me start back in Ephesians 4 verse 25. Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not. Boy, that's almost an impossibility, isn't it? Be angry, but sin not.

And this next line is what happens when you can't. Now watch this. Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon thy wrath. You're going to get mad. You're going to get angry. Don't let the sun go down on it. Don't stay that way. Don't harbor it. Don't hold it in. Neither give place to the devil. Who's doing the stirring up? Huh? Who stirs up? The devil. We need to recognize that, don't we? Don't let him do it. Don't even do it. Don't listen to it. Don't give place.

Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the things which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. Anybody here guilty? But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Now, watch this. This is my text. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, 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 sweet smelling savor. But fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh saints. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient, but rather giving a thanks.

For this you 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. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

See then that you walk circumspectly, I don't really know the full definition of that word, but I suspect that it has something to do with circumstance. Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, discerning the circumstance, discerning the time, discerning what the Lord's done in you and how we're to act. We don't just react, we think about it, give some thought to it. Redeeming the time because the days are evil.

We'll stop right there. I've been preaching and teaching to this congregation now for close to 20 years. Seems like only yesterday I came here, but it's been 20 years. all the way through the book of Genesis, verse by verse, the book of Exodus. We're nearly through the book of Joshua. We've been through the book of Jonah and heard messages of all the minor prophets and several messages out of each of what we call the major prophets. And I've done a verse-by-verse study completely through the New Testament.

Do you trust that what I'm telling you is so I'm going to put you to the test this morning. Turn back with me to Ephesians chapter 5. I've never done this before and hope to never do it again, but my heart's troubled this morning. over a division between two men who were both professing believers, both supporters of this ministry, and both personal friends of mine. I first heard about this several months back, and then it sounded to me as though they got it all patched up, which is how it ought to be. Is there anything that can come between us that can't be patched up by the grace of God?

But I was informed on my way to Rocky Mount to speak in the conference there that it wasn't. I want you to turn with me to these verses of Scripture. I'm not trying to rake anybody over the coals this morning. I'm trying to teach us something. Matthew chapter 18, turn over there with me. I want you to hear this out of the mouth of our Lord Himself first. Matthew chapter 18, verse 15. This is our Lord speaking. If thy brother, spiritual brother, shall trespass against thee, violate some law or principle or contract between us, what am I going to do? Go to him. Huh? Don't go anywhere else. Don't go to your wife. Don't go to your kids. Don't go to a priest somewhere. Go to Him. We want to keep this as quiet. Do you know how much we're despised for meeting here in the name of our Lord? We've been called a cult, I don't know what of. People are looking on. They're looking to see what's going on. Your own relatives are. They're looking to see what's going on. We don't want everybody involved in something like this. We want to keep it as quiet and as close as we can.

If he shall hear thee, you go to him, you say, you've done something that hurt me, and I don't know if you're aware of it, but you've done something and it hurt me. And I need some explanation. I need some insight on this. Maybe you don't really know that you hurt me, but you did hurt me. So you go to him. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And the intention here is twofold. I'm going to slow up in my talking, this may take me a while. But I want you to, I want us to learn something here. The intention here is twofold. First of all, to establish every word. If not, oh, you got a bunch of he said, she said, you know, you can't, I can't operate on that. The second, Galatians chapter 6, verse 1, is to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. Meekness. I'm not talking about weakness now, I'm talking about meekness. There was nothing weak about Moses, but he was the meekest man of the whole lot. Meekness is realizing what you are in the sight of God. Meekness.

All right, thirdly, back to Matthew 18. Verse 17, If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Do you know what a publican was in the view of Israel? A deserter. He deserted Israel and went over to the Roman side and helping them collect taxes. He was the worst of the lot, a publican. That's why them Jews, when they looked down, said, he eateth with publicans and sinners. Boy, there wasn't anything worse than a publican.

Now let me say something here to both men. First of all, I want to address the accused. If you've done something wrong, you need to fess up. Own up to it. There's nothing wrong with it. I sin. I can't help it. I'm a sinner. I'm going to sin. But I don't need to hide it. I need to confess it. Confess your sins. That's what he said. Not to a priest, to God. Own up to it. Ask forgiveness for it. If you said something and didn't mean it, explain it. If you said something in the heat of the moment, confess it. Promise to be careful in the future. Now that's how we handle it.

Now, the accuser, let me say this. If there be any bond between you, any love and fellowship, you ought to be brokenhearted. What if your wife whom you love came to you, said a little something, and boy, it just like a knife, just slice, now there's a division. Would your heart be broken? Huh? Would tears be in your eyes at just the thought that a division has become between you and somebody you love? I tell you what it's done to me in the past, left a hole so big I couldn't feel it. One of my children, for reasons I don't even know, he won't call me on the phone. He won't talk to me. You think I didn't leave a hole in my heart? And if I ever go to him and sit down one-on-one to talk to him, I guarantee you there'll be tears in my eyes and I'll be brokenhearted. Even the possibility of losing A loved one ought to bring tears to our eyes and sorrow to our hearts. And when something like this comes up, you don't just say, well, they did this, and I want something done about it. You don't do that. That's how ungodly men talk.

Listen to what Paul says about this over in the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Turn over there with me for just a minute. We're going to say things in the heat of the moment. I'm a human being. I know how it is. We're going to get to working or doing something, and I'm going to lose my temper, and I've done it. And I'm telling you, those that I've done it to, I beg your forgiveness. Now listen to what he says here. These Corinthians, they couldn't settle things between themselves. They didn't know how, evidently. They were either ignorant of it or unwilling to do it. But here's what he says in verse 6.

Brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. You're doing this before people that are looking, people that are watching. Verse 7. Why do you not rather take the wrong. Just bear the wrong. God sits on the throne. He'll sort it out. You don't have to sort it out. He'll do it. He'll take care of it. Now do we believe that? We believe that Christ actually sits on the throne running things? Arranging his providence? Or are we like the ungodly, no fear of God before our eyes? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

And then he goes on to say that taking a brother to law is actually defrauding him because he's your brother by the grace of God, not by law. You and I have this brotherhood by the grace and mercy of God. We didn't do anything to earn it or deserve it. Anybody here feel like they deserve God's blessings? You deserve His grace and mercy? Huh? Nobody here. If indeed we have a true fellowship in Christ, it is by the grace and mercy of God. And my message last week and this week are both born of this conflict. It's been on my heart. It's just ripping me inside out. My message this morning is going to be taken from Ephesians chapter 5 verses 1 and 2. My title is A Plea to God's Children.

Now my Bible note up above the chapter calls this an exhortation. But there's little difference between an exhortation and a plea except that one is a little more personal. Paul said, we pray you and Christ did, that is we plead with you, and Christ did be reconciled to God. It's my prayer this morning that the Holy Ghost will be our teacher in these things.

Now understand something here. Our relationship with one another is not based on age, blood relationship, education, or past history. If that's what you got on the table, just take your hand right now and just get it off the table, because it ain't on there. I'm talking about our relationship with one another is based 100% on the person and work of Jesus Christ. The only other common ground we have is that we're all sinners. Is that right? What have you gotten? Anything, I don't care what it is. What have you gotten that you haven't received? And if you've received it, why do you act like you didn't? I did this. Ain't no I in Greg's history.

Our relationship is based on the person and work of Jesus Christ. It's based on our loving Father's eternal purpose and grace, and the Spirit's work bringing us to faith in Christ and repentance from sin. Everything else has to go. Nothing else is on the table. And this, my friend, is a trial, whether you know it or not. And not a judge and a jury trial, but a trial of your faith. That's what's going on here. How you deal with this message today will either justify your profession or it'll expose you as a fraud, one or the other. Now, that's just so.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians 5. You know, we often refer to Paul's writings as books. Have you ever said that? The book of Hebrews, the book of Colossians, the book of Philippians, They're not books, they're epistles, letters. And I say this because a letter declares a more personal content, don't it? You get a book, I've got a whole library full of books. And they've got genealogies in there, they've got history in there, they've got science in there, they've got all kinds of things in there, just general information. But if I get a letter in the mail from somebody, it's personal. It's personal. And these letters are divinely inspired. They're God-breathed, holy men of God wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And so their content is timeless, is it not? They are as personal to us this morning as if our name was on the envelope. The official of Paul to Brian. That's our personal. And indeed, our name is mentioned. He begins this book and directs the writings of it to the saints at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.

Who are the faithful in Christ Jesus? Well, that's those given to Christ by his Father before the world began. This is they that are predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. God has predetermined their eternal glory. He's going to make them sons and He's predestinated it. Who's going to stay His hand or even ask Him what He's doing? And yet He tells us at the very beginning of this book that He's predestinated our adoption. Nothing's going to change that. Nothing's going to get in the way of that. It's sealed. It's sealed in the counsel of God. Who are these people? They are they who are accepted in the blood. I don't have a single thing, nothing I've ever said, nothing I've ever done, nothing I've ever prayed, not a single thing to make me accepted of God. What thing have you ever done in your life that you'd bring up to the Lord and say, Would you accept this and me?" You can't even look yourself in the mirror and say such a thing.

I cried. I knelt. I prayed. I walked. I gave. I tithed. I did this. I did that. Anything you want to offer him and say, would you receive me if I give you this? They're given to Christ by divine election, predestinated unto the adoption of children, accepted into blood.

Who are these people? They are they called out of darkness. Darkness, that's where we found us. Darkness, total darkness. We didn't know anything. Maybe somebody mentioned to us one time something about election or something and we might have Oh, I really love my, whoever, my grandmother, whoever told me that. I really love them. I believe what they're saying. So, but you had no understanding of it. You thought they just got to write names down in a book. Huh?

He calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light. His light is marvelous. His light untangles that web that covers the scriptures. It's a mystery to natural men. He reads this book and reads this book, and he comes up with something different every time he reads it. But he's not left us in darkness. He called us into his marvelous light.

Saints of light, that's what he called us. Marked out of God to see the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2.7. There a numberless multitude called vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory. Before ever an earth was hung in space, our God prepared a people for glory. Did he not, in Christ, made all full provisionful?

Who are these faithful in Christ Jesus? They are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that they should show forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness. Who are these people? They're children of God. That's what he says. Children of God. I want to establish that. Ye are all children of God. Galatians 3.26. Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

How do I know if I'm one of God's elect? Faith in Christ. He gives me faith to trust Him alone. Look to Him alone. Praise Him alone.

Now you and I are living in the last days. What did He say about the last days? Perilous times shall come. Isn't that what He said? Men shall be lovers of them own selves. And on and on it goes. He said once in the end of the world hath He appeared. Christ appeared. put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

We're living in the last days, and I call these days the gospel age, not because the gospel is not preached in other times, it was, but because he who is the gospel came into this world and manifested the glory of God and all the promises of the Messiah, all the promises that God made in Christ were all fulfilled in him. They'd have been worthless if he had not appeared, but he did appear.

I call this the gospel age because he established his churches in this world, preaching as the means of faith and repentance, and made his churches pillars and grounds of the truth.

Now let me show you something over here in 1 Peter chapter 1. Just hold your place there in Ephesians 5. Look at a few verses with me over here in 1 Peter chapter 1. Peter's talking about the salvation of our souls. Are you even interested in the salvation of your soul? Huh? God giving you... There's thousands out here who have no interest in it whatsoever. They think hell is the part of town that you don't like to drive through. They ain't got a concept of hell or heaven.

Peter's talking about the salvation of our souls, and he's talking about the revelation of this salvation being in Christ and made known to us in Christ. And he says in verse 9, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, now watch this, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. They all foretold of those days, and those who would be blessed by him, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.

unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven."

Now that's what goes on in the church all the time. These things that these prophets declared, these wonderful things, these wonderful promises, this glorious kingdom, life everlasting. All these things were to be accomplished when the Messiah came, and the Messiah came. And it was revealed unto them that it wasn't for their time, it was for us.

The Spirit of God, the author of the written word, who knows all and sees all, inspired these old prophets to speak in great detail. of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, and you and I are recipients of that glory. I've quoted this scripture so many times, I'm not going to re-quote it. He talks about having chose us from the beginning to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and believing the truth. And then he says this, whereunto he called you by our gospel, called to what? Listen to this. to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is, to obtain the benefits of it, His glory. What did He do? He bought a people. He redeemed them. How did He do it? He did it by an eternal union. He did it by representation. He did it by substitution. And then He raised us up and seated us with Him in glory. He's our guarantor.

Well, I don't know if I'm going to make it. You're going to make it if you're in Christ. You've already made it. Our guarantor is seated at the right hand of God. He called us to the obtaining. That's what we do. We obtain.

Let me get rid of this and read you something here in Ephesians chapter 1. in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. I cannot overemphasize how blessed we are to come here this morning and have some sense of our being heirs of God. Everything else is just a small thing, isn't it?

Paul said his sufferings, what sufferings? He was stoned twice, shipwrecked, left for dead I don't know how many times, had to sleep with beasts, had to hunt his meals everywhere he went, beaten with stripes, one stripe from death, several times. And you know how he considered those things? My light afflictions, oh my soul. Well, it's light in view of what's going on with that glory that shall be revealed in us. We can't let these little piddly things get in our way. We can't let it disrupt our union and our fellowship with one another. We can't have it. I won't have it. I'll bring it to a head. I have to. It's my job. That's why he sent me. We struggle for unity of the faith, not divisions of the faith. unity of the faith.

And a plea to the children of God, and my text here in Ephesians 5, verses 1 and 2, be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. What do you see in that? Huh? What do you see in that?

Well, the first thing, as a pastor teacher that jumps off the page at me, is therefore. Huh? Now an old saint, a dear friend of mine, somebody who took me under his wing years ago, he said, when you see a therefore, go look and see what it's there for. Huh? So that's what I did. So let's take a minute and do that.

Look back at verse 20 of chapter 4. He's talking about these heathens walking in the vanity of their mind, their thinking A fleshly mind, and that's what Paul said, don't you walk in the vanity of your mind like your fathers did. And then he gets down here, but ye have, verse 20, but ye have not so learned Christ. If so be that you've heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in him. You can't teach election without teaching Christ. We're chosen in Him. You can't preach predestination as a doctrine and isolate that doctrine from Christ. We're predestinated under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. You can't preach any of these things apart from Christ. And that's why He says here, if so be you've heard Him, Boy, if you ain't heard Him, you ain't heard nothing. You've heard a bunch of words. If you don't know Him, you don't know nothing. He's our wisdom, isn't He? If so be you've heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off, now watch this, concerning the former conversation.

Now, if the books I read are right, in their definitions of the phrase, this means manner of life. It don't mean a few words that comes out of your mouth. Put off concerning the former manner of life which is corrupt according to deceitful lust.

I'm going to ask you something. I'm talking to everybody in here. I'm not just talking about these two men. There's a message for everybody in here. Same thing I said last week. Has God ever convinced you of sin? Do you know what David said when he thought about himself? We're talking about the king now. Good to be king. He's king. He's sitting in the castle now.