Ephesians 5. Ephesians chapter
5. The whole subject here is walking,
living as the children of God. This is how it begins. And it doesn't begin here at
all, does it? It began long before this in
this gospel. But verse 1 says, Be ye therefore
followers of God. as dear children, and walk in
love as Christ also hath loved us. And therefore, you read therefore,
wherefore, see why it's therefore, wherefore. He talked about our
Lord in verse 32 of chapter 4, kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath
forgiven you. Children of God. Christ is the
Son, the only begotten, well-beloved Son of God. And oh my, did He
walk in holiness and love to God, didn't He? Love to His people. And that's what we're told. That's
how we're told to live and walk and act as He did. That's what
we want, don't we? That's what we want. And this
is all about the believers walk. Now, it doesn't start here. Let's
go back in chapter 2. Chapter 2. Now, every epistle
was written to the churches which Christ our Lord gave to the apostles
to write to his people, to his church. And chapter 2, you remember,
verse 2 says, in time past, this is the way you walk. According
to the course, that is the direction and the way the world is headed,
not only in the religious world, false doctrine, but the way the
world walks. He ran when the same excess of
riot, Peter said. The prince of the air, children
of disobedient. Peter talked a lot about that,
didn't he? As obedient children, not fashioning
yourself. after the former love. Verse
3, among whom also we all had our conversation. This is the
way we live. This is the way we walk. It wasn't living at
all. It was dead and trespassed and
sinned. And verse 3 describes unregenerate,
lost people of the world, lust of the flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and the mind, by nature children of wrath. But something happened. Someone did a work. A new birth. New creatures in Christ Jesus. It's a fact. This is not a doctrine. This
is not a theory. This is a fact. New people. That we should walk in newness
of life. That's what the Scripture said.
God has ordained that. Created new people. And down
in verse... 10 said we're His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. You see that? And that's
what we want to do in chapter 4. You remember this? A worthy walk. Chapter 4 verse 1. I beseech
you that you walk worthy of the vocation. Verse 17, this I say
therefore, testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not
as other Gentiles walk. You see that? Don't walk, don't
have the same course of life as they once did. Don't walk
with the same people. Don't do it. So we'll go back
to Chapter 5. And again, I am This morning,
I'm using my pastor's notes from his commentaries on this, that
at the mouth of two or three witnesses, the thing is established. This is what God's Word said.
And this is what he told his preachers to say. You read with me. He said to
Timothy and Titus, let no man despise you. You teach these
things. You preach these things. I don't care who it is. Let no
man deceive you with vain words. Those who walk like the Gentiles
are not going to be in God's heaven. Now that's a fact. He said, don't let any man deceive
you because of these things. How many times does he say that?
Y'all, you read the scripture. How many times does he say that
throughout the picture? Don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. And I say at the mouth of two
or three witnesses, my pastor taught me this and the other
true men and this is what I endeavor to teach. But we don't need the
witness of man. Do we need men to approve of
what God has said? You know, I thought it's a sad
commentary when But you don't look forward to
saying what God said for fear that somebody's going to accuse
you of preaching worse. It's a sad day, isn't it? And I've told other preachers,
I am not in the least bit concerned about the people I preach to
trying to establish their own righteousness. They've heard the gospel so much. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy has saved us. We've
heard this so much. What I am afraid of is people
leaving their husbands and wives and going out there in the world
and acting like the world, where the world mocks and scoffs at
God and bring a reproach on God. That's what I'm worried about.
I'm worried about the reproach my life, my mouth, my actions,
my attitude will bring upon the gospel of Christ. It's got a
bad enough reputation as it is, you know. Men want to find something
in God's people to say that this gospel is wrong, see? And I'm going to tell you what
this book says. And it's a denial of the Spirit
of God leading a people of God if they don't walk like this.
You read this article by my pastor in the Bulletin. If there's no
grace in the light, there's no grace in the heart. There's no
work in the way. If there's no real change in
somebody, if God hadn't really called them from darkness to
light, from death under light, dead in trespass and sin, walking
according to the course of this world, where they walk with God
and walk in holiness and walk with God's people and walk by
faith and walk in love. If that's not there, God didn't
do a work in them. God's not a Savior. He didn't
save them. If He doesn't save us from this
power, reigning and ruling and all-consuming power of sin and
lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes and pride of life, He's
not a Savior. He's not our Savior. He didn't
save us. Right? Temptation is not sin. All of God's people are tempted
by it. It's falling into it. It's wallowing in it. That's
sin. And He's delivered us from the power of darkness. Yes, He
has. I know you're hanging in here.
I see it. And I do. We're all guilty. But as Newton
wrote, Did you read that quote by Newton? I love it. I'm not
what I want to be. I'm not what I'm going to be.
I'm not what God's Word tells me to be, but thank God I'm not
what I used to be. I'm in God's house, and I had
nothing to do with it. I had nothing, you had nothing
to do with it, and you know that. We're not taking credit or glorying
in ourselves at one iota, not one bit. But we're glorying in
Him who has called us out of darkness. All right, this is what God's
Word says. Now I want to preach this with all conviction and
without worrying about what people may label me as. Just preach
God's Word. As dear children, obedient child. I want to be an obedient child
in my heavenly Father. It's my reasonable service. Walk
in love. Walk in love. Here's the key. Live in love to God. Isn't love
the fulfillment of the law? We're not under the law. We're
not. You know that. It's not our rule of life, but
there is rule. That's the rule of love. Love
to God, won't want to sin against God. Love to one another, won't
want to sin against each other. All the law you've seen, first
four to God, last six to man. Love God, you won't take His
name in vain. You love God, you won't use images and all these
things. You'll worship God. You'll worship
Christ. You'll love His people. You won't
lie on them. You won't want to kill them. Walk in love. That's our Lord,
isn't it? As Christ, verse 2, loved us. and hath given himself for us
an offering, a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."
My, my. That's our motivation in him.
That's it. Look at verse 3. And he mentions
several things. Sinful practices which, lifestyle
which describes this world to a T. And what's the first thing
he mentions? Isn't that significant? You know how much the scriptures
talk about that? It's any sexual practice whatsoever
outside of marriage. It's forbidden. It's filthy to
God. It's condemned by God. Fornication. Now there's spiritual fornication
and Scripture's full of that, but this is absolutely talking
about fleshly fornication. And as I said, isn't that significant? The word starts with the letter
F. And what word is on the mouth
and the mouths of all the people in the world? Because that's
what's on the minds and in the hearts of the people of God.
Not you. Does it bother you to hear that
word? Don't ever let it quit bothering you. Like the name
of God, don't let it ever quit bothering you to hear people
take His holy name into that. And don't let it ever quit bothering
you to hear people's mouths run through the dirt and say words
like that. This sexual relation between
a man and a woman, anything outside of that, of marriage, is filthy
to God. And God is going to send all
people who practice that. He doesn't bring them out of
it. If they stay in that, to hell. You've read the Bible. And I'm not telling you what
God's Word doesn't say and what you already read, which things
you already know. Come out from among them. Be ye separate, says
the Lord. This is the most filthy generation
in the history of the world. It's just widespread. Nobody
thinks a thing about uttering filthy perversion. Don't get
used to it. All uncleanness. All of it. Covetousness. Uncleanness is
any kind of sexual perversion, homosexuality, and all of this
stuff that goes on. You know what the scripture says
about it. You know. And covetousness, which
is idolatry. That's what the scripture says
about it. Covetousness. Consuming desire after the world,
after material things. continual thoughts and desires
for the things of this world. That's idolatry, that's what
the Lord said. A covetous person is linked with
a fornicator, an adulterer, a person who, that's the way they live,
that's the lifestyle they live. A covetous person is linked right
alongside that. It means someone who, all they
think about is the world, buying and This and that and the other.
As in the days of Noah, buying and selling and building and
marrying and giving and marrying and doing this and that, that's
all they thought about. Eating and drinking, that's all they
thought about. Their God was their belly. And all that's in
the world, the Lord said, all that's in the world, lust of
the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of the life, it's not of
God, it's the world. That's all the world is all about.
And that's what the world is after. How about you? I don't know about you. I do
know about you. I know you. I've had about my fill of this
world. I've had my fill of it. I'm ready to be done with it,
aren't you? I'm like Ecclesiastes, like solid. I've been there and
done that. I can't find anything in it but
vanity. Man, I want to live my life and
end Ecclesiastes says, fear God and keep His commandment. Isn't
that what it said? Well, you can't keep His commandment.
Well, do it anyway. God doesn't explain Himself. Let it not be once named among
you. Let it not be said ever again. Right? I'm ashamed. The Lord, don't remember the
sins of my youth, but let me be done with that forever. Look
at verse 4. Neither filthiness, or foolish
talking, or jesting, which are not convenient, not edifying,
but rather giving a thank. Filthiness, foolish talking,
and jesting. Sins of the mouth and the tongue.
Not only sins of the body, the hands, the feet, and the members
of the body, This tongue, just what a terrible thing this tongue
does, and what a great matter a little fire kindleth. What
damage this does. Oh Lord, put a watch over my
mouth and my lip. The tongue, filthiness, foolish
talking, so unbecoming of a child of God. This is the way the world
talks, you know, a little sexual innuendoes, joking, this is the
way you talk. This is locker room talk of men,
you know, guys in the locker room, you know, feeding the flesh. That's all it does. It feeds
the flesh. It just brings that old man back to life again, doesn't
it? Don't let it be done with. There's
no place for that. The child of God. No place. Foolish
talking. Jesting. And, you know, jesting
I've often thought, with a smile, how our Lord watched those 12
men playing with one another. I mean, you know how guys are. Girls, women don't understand
that guys roughhouse, you know, like to wrestle. And when guys
greet each other, it's bam. You know, boom, how you doing? That's just, it's just, you've
got this hormone in you. You know, and that's how you
show your affection. And you know, they wrestled around
and joked and kidded with one another and they all said something
about Simon Peter. And the Lord liked watching kids
play. I know He took pleasure in watching
them play, but for the most part, when they were in His presence. And that's how they lived before.
They were just a bunch of joking, cutting up, roughhousing, longshoremen,
fishermen. That's all they did, ever. One
joke. quip after another, one sarcastic
remark, one jest after another. That was it. Try to outdo one
another. Be done with that. It can hurt
people. It can hurt. I had a brother
in Christ that grew up under the gospel together. We both
tried to outdo one another. with quips and sarcastic remarks. You can really hurt people. You
really can. And it, one day, it convicted
me. It really convicted me. Don't
do it. Don't do it. I wish men, you
know, men in the Bible reading back there, I wish you, I wish
you were going to preach that night. Because that's how you'd
act when you came in that study. If you were getting ready to
preach God's gospel, and all these people came to hear you
preach the gospel, you know how you'd be approaching that scripture
reading? I wish it was more like that.
This is what they said. be giving thanks and edifying
one another, building up one another. And all these other
things just feed the flesh. It just brings out that old man.
I want that man dead, don't you? I want him gone. Don't feed him.
Who's going to win, the old man or the new man? Well, the new,
but if you want that fellow dead, don't feed him. Plain as day. Don't feed him. Verse 5, this
is what we've been saying. This you know. You know this.
No whoremonger. An unclean person. A covetous
man. In other scriptures it talks
about an adulterer and drunkard. You say, but Noah got drunk.
Yes, he did. You think he did again after
that? Do you really? Paul was a blasphemer, an injurious,
a persecutor. The Lord saved him from that. You think he was a blasphemer,
an injurious, a persecutor after that? Was that his lifestyle?
Is he living that anymore? That woman caught in the act
of adultery when the Lord said, Your sins are forgiven. Now go
and sin no more. You reckon she went back to that
lifestyle? If she did, the Lord didn't save her, did He? Huh?
He's no Savior if He can't keep her from that. Right? Let no man deceive you. This
you know. They don't have any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ God. Let no man deceive you. Who would
deceive you with vain words? If you just trust Christ, it
doesn't matter. Nothing else matters. Is that right? Is that right? No, that's not right. It's easy
to say you trust Christ. Everybody says that. It's a claim
to belief question. You read with me. Does a walk
matter? Oh, my. Oh, my. Right along with your
faith, it proves God's done a work. It sure does. Let no man deceive
you. Because of these things comeeth
the wrath of God on the children of disobedience. My daughter,
thank God, by the grace of God, was an obedient child. It wasn't
because of us. It was the grace of God. Okay? However, we were told to raise
her in the way that she should go, and we tried to. But, you
know, there are men, godly men, who had Sons like Samuel and
David and Eli and so on and so forth, their sons turned out
to be ungodly, and that's all up to God in how they turn out.
But we're told, we are told how to raise them up. Alright. But
it's by the grace of God if they're obedient. And that's what the
grace of God does. Makes obedient children. You
read with me in chapter 2 of Ephesians. You were children
of disobedience. But God, is God our father able
to make us, his children, walk in obedience? Is he? Is he able? Does he? Yes, he does. Yes, he
does. You're looking at a fellow who
is a rebel against everybody. Starting with God and his parent.
A rebel against his parent. Do you think I'm a rebel now? I hope not. That's your hope
not. Well, I didn't have anything
to do with that. Your daughter or your son is
no worse than I was at that time. And this is why I cannot preach
without these two words. But God. I'm not glorifying the flesh.
I'm not glorifying our parents. I'm not telling you doing anything. I'm saying this is what God does.
And it gives Him the glory. Anything less dishonors him. What God does is forever. Is God able to keep us from falling?
Is he able to do all things? Paul's the one that said that.
He said, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. He said, I'm the
chief of sinners. Didn't he say that? Do you believe
that? But he's the one, I'll just quote
him, I was before an injurious, a persecutor, a blasphemer? Not
now. He said, by the grace of God,
I am what I am. He said, I keep my body in subjection,
lest in preaching to others, I am a castaway. What I'm telling
you to do, he said, I do, by the grace of God. That's what he said. That's what he said. All of God's
people fall. All of God's people fail. Noah
failed miserably. Could he have slipped in defense
of Noah? And people bring that up. David,
look what David did. Did David mourn over that and
regret that and repent of that the rest of his day? Did he?
Yes, he did. And God allowed that. Showed
David what he's capable of if God takes his hand off of him.
And David prayed from then on, don't, take not thy Holy Spirit
from me, because that's what I'll do. And as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they're the sons of God. And this is what the
Spirit of God leads people into. Verse 6, let no man deceive you. Verse 7, be not partakers with
them. Children of disobedience, come
out from among them. You were, look at this, verse
8, you were sometime darkness. You were. Such were some of you. Isn't that what it said? But
you washed, sanctified, justified. You were. Such were some of you. Not are, were. There's been a
real change come over. The old man's not changed, but
the new man has. And he's renewed daily. The old man's died away. Verse 8, you were sometime, but
now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, in
light of his word. Verse 9, the fruit of the Spirit
is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Oh, goodness. You know these scriptures. Let
me have you turn real quick in Romans 3. Romans 3. Go over there real quickly. You
know these scriptures. You know them well. None that
doeth good, no, not one. You know that, don't you? Sure
you do. Well, who's this talking about in Romans 3? Who's it talking
about? Unregenerate Jews and Gentiles. Unsaved. Unborn again. Jews and Gentiles, it doesn't
matter, there's no difference. There's no difference. Chapter
3, look at it. Jew and Gentile, it doesn't matter
who they are, what they are, what they profess, religious
Jews or unreligious Gentiles, they all understand. None righteous,
no, not one. None that understand it. None
that seek it after God. Hold on. Do you understand? Do you understand? Has the Son
of God come and given you an understanding? Do you seek God? Then it's not talking about you,
is it? They've gone out of the way.
What's the way? Christ's way. Are you out of
the way? Don't you know the way? There's none that doeth good,
verse 12. No, not one. Hold on a minute.
Now, he wrote this in Romans 3. Go with me to Romans 15. Romans
15. Go over there. Alright, that's
Romans 3. He's writing to the Romans. And
all the way over here, after he talks about, preaches the
gospel of Christ and what the gospel, what the power of God
does to his people. Okay? All the way through Romans.
What God has done, what Christ has done, the Spirit of God does.
Look at Romans 15 verse 13. Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope through
the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded
of you, my brethren, that you are full of goodness. Is that what it said? Is it contradictory? None that doeth good. Hold on.
We've been looking at good work all the way. He said of Joseph
of Arimathea, God the Holy Spirit wrote of Joseph of Arimathea,
so he's a good man. He said of Barnabas, he's a good
man. He's a just man. Not a just man
on earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Who's that talking
about? Every son of Adam. Not talking about the sons of
God. They're just. They're righteous. They do good
works. God calls them good people. He
said of Job, there's none like him on the earth. He's a just man. He eschews evil. He avoids it. Is that what it
said? That's what it said. This gives
God the glory. If not, He didn't do anything. Or he
don't. It says, the fruit of the Spirit. Oh, goodness. Righteousness.
Truth. Proving what is acceptable unto
the Lord. There are so many Scriptures
I want you to turn to. It talks about what is well pleasing
to God. We're accepted in the Beloved.
You know that now. Oh, you know that. My, my, my. Whatsoever is not of faith is
sin. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. We just dealt
with that, didn't we? that any attempt of his people
to do any good work for any of his people for the cause of Christ
is well pleasing to God. And you know they don't do one
single thing, God's people don't do one single thing so God will
take them to heaven. Not one thing do they do for
merit. Not one thing. In fact, when
the Lord acknowledged the good works of His people, remember
that? He said, you clothed me when I was naked, you fed me
when I was hungry, you visited me. Across the board, all of
those good people said, we didn't do any of this. When did we do
any of this? They didn't take credit for it
or didn't even acknowledge it. They don't think of it as a good
work. It's love. But God did. Well done, my children. Well done. And it's not us, our
works that grants us interest or makes God love us. It's Christ. But it's Christ in you as well. It's a new man. Right on, and let me hurry. He says, we prove what is acceptable
in the Lord. Having no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, I'd rather prove them. It's a
shame to speak of those things which are done of them secret.
That's what we were talking about earlier. He was talking about
these things that now spew out of people's mouths. Those things
are shameful to even bring it up. You know, things that are
just people think about and talk about and in your face today. Fifty years ago, you'd never
even hear anything like that. I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe that. What is
it? It's God taking His hand off this world. That's what it
is. Don't get used to it. I mean,
just say it. This is the wrath of God coming
down. This is a shame to even think
on these things. Verse 13, all things that are
approved are made manifest by the light. That's what light.
He says we're children of light, not darkness. Whatsoever doth
make manifest or approve is light. Here's what my pastor said on
this subject. He says, Believers, don't walk,
don't be a fool. The fashion of this world passes
away. I said, light reveals darkness. And the gospel of Christ and
the life of God's people exposes the life of unbelievers. But not if we walk and talk like
them. I said, you're no different.
God didn't do anything for you. So, verse 14, he says, wake up. Awake thou that sleepest. This
world lulls us to sleep, doesn't it? Carnal sense of security. Don't become insensitive to sin. What kind of sin? Any sin. All
sin. And arise from the dead. Christ
shall give thee life. See then. Here it is. See then.
See now. My dad used to say that to me.
See now. Listen to me now. Listen up now. that you walk
circumspectly, above reproach, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming
the times. Days are evil. Time is short
in it. Yes, it is. Don't be unwise. Understand what
the will of the Lord is. And let me just quote you one
verse of Scripture about the will of the Lord. Okay, listen
to this. You know this. You know where
it is. It's in 1 Thessalonians 4. He says, We beseech you, brethren,
and exhort you by the Lord Jesus as you've received of us how
you ought to walk and to please God so that you would abound
more and more. You know what commandments we
gave you by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the will of God, your
sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that
every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, his
body in sanctification and honor. That's what it said. And Paul
said this, my prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 23. My prayer is that
God will sanctify you wholly. I pray your whole spirit, soul,
and body be preserved blameless to the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now who said all those things?
Me? John Calvin? Henry Mahan? God did. Was I true to this? In spite
of my guilt, In spite of my law, of my shortcomings, in spite
of all that, in spite of your sin, this is what God said. Now
walk as children of God, as dear children. I want to be just like
Jesus Christ, don't you? Don't you? I want to be just
like Jesus Christ in every way. I want to be holy, righteous,
unblameable, unreprovable, love, good, gentle, goodness, meek,
temperate, moderate. Don't you? Okay.