Ephesians 5

1 – 2

So then you should imitate God as His dear children. And live your lives in love the same kind of love with which Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us as an offering and sacrifice which was pleasing to God.

God never did want a dead sacrifice but a living sacrifice. Practice giving up the right to have your own way.  Start with some small things and it will become a way of life.  Let someone else go first, let someone else be strong, do not speak unless you are asked to speak, these are living sacrifices.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

3. As for immorality and every kind of filthiness or selfishness, do not even let these kind of things be talked about among you, because they are not good things for Christians to talk about.

Think of your old self, as lying in a coffin.  The devil brings all kinds of evil things to hold in front of you while you are laying there.  These things have nothing to do with you.  You live in a different world.  You are dead to those things.

Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is the same as idolatry. Colossians 3:5

Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? James 3:11

4. Do not listen to foolish talk or things that people should be ashamed of, or foolish joking, which are out of place for a Christian, but let your talk show that you remember that we owe everything to God.

Make a list of every possible thing that you can thank God for.  This is true worship.  Repeating "Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord" over and over without thinking of why you are praising Him can become only words.

5. You already know this, that no immoral, or filthy, or greedy person (greediness is like worshipping an idol) has any part in the kingdom that belongs to God in Christ.

Do not let someone tell you that they can live in immorality and follow Christ at the same time.

Immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire. Revelation 21:8

6 – 7

Let no one trick you with empty arguments. It is because of these things that the anger of God comes on rebellious people. So do not be partners with them.

An example of an empty argument would be something called the "double-bind."  This means that there is no good answer.  They will say, "Who should we kill, an old person or a baby?"  They are trying to force you to say that sometimes we have to kill.  The answer is that we should not kill either one but do not allow yourselves to be forced into empty arguments. Not every stupid question needs to be answered! Just ignore it -they did NOT want to hear the answer anyway!

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. Proverbs 23:9

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception … Colossians 2:8           

8. Once you were in darkness, but now you are in the light of the Lord so live your lives as children of light.

At one time you had no help to make decisions, but now, if you let him,  He will guide you.

Divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light will break out like the dawn... Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness. Isaiah 58:7 – 9

9 – 10

Because the fruit of light contains all goodness, and right living in truth. Let your life be a living proof of the kind of things that are pleasing to God.

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. Ghandi

11. Do not be a partner with the unfruitful works of darkness but expose them to the light.

When we lived differently from the world it gives them an example of how life can be lived.

He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He knows what the thief is doing but says nothing. Proverbs 29:24

12. Because the secret things that they do we are ashamed even to talk about.

Do not think that you are so strong that evil ideas cannot enter into you.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

But we have rejected the hidden things because of shame... 2 Corinthians 4:2

13. But they are exposed by the light.  It is possible for light to turn whatever it shines on into light.

Evil spirits are always saying, "Can we just have this small thing in your life?" But the light shows things the way they really are.

14. As Isaiah says, “Wake up sleeper, and come back from the dead and Christ will shine on you!

God is saying. “You are asleep, not Me!”

See Isaiah 60:1.

15 – 16

So be careful how you act, do not live as a fool but as a wise person. Make the best use of your time no matter how evil the days are.

Walking close with the Lord paying attention to what he shows you every day in his word is the way to live as a wise person. This way your enemies of sickness, people problems, money problems will be covered by the Lord.

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7

17. Do not be foolish, but hold onto what you know is the will of the Lord.

Do not focus on things that you do not understand in the Bible, but put into practice the things that you do understand.

18. Do not be filled with wine (and become drunk) but  allow yourselves to be continually being made full of the Spirit.

Each of us has a well where we keep our joy, our faith, our love, and our patience.  The world drains our wells and we need to be refilled.

19. So that you when are speaking to one another, you may be filled with the fullness of God

This is how it is when mature Christians get together.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

And they were singing together a new song before the throne … Revelation 14:3

20. Always give thanks to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is wrong to take what is given and not say, "Thank you."

21. Submit to each other because of your common respect for Christ.

Think of other Christians as more important than yourself.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty pride, but with humility of mind think of one another as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

22. Wives adjust yourselves to your husbands as you do to the Lord.

An example would be when someone else challenges the way you think.  God can show both of you the best way to be thinking.  Peter says that you can change your husband without saying a word.

So that even if any of them are not obeying the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives. 1 Peter 3:1

23. Husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the assembly of called-out ones as He is Himself the One who saves the body.

This means that the husband is responsible and gets the blame for what is done.  A wise husband will see how serious this is and ask his wife to help him make decisions. There cannot be two leaders in a group.  Pray for him as he leads and learns from his mistakes.  God will work it all out for good.  Romans 8:28

24. As the assembly of called-out ones are subject to Christ also, let the wives adapt to their husbands in everything.

We surrender to Jesus and accept what comes.  If there is a problem then it is God's problem.

25. Husbands, love your wives in the same way that Christ loved the assembly of called-out ones and gave Himself for them.

But one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:33

Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter against them. Colossians 3:19

26. In order to set them apart and to make them clean by the washing of the water of the Word.

If a man is not sharing the Word of God with his wife, then she has no umbrella covering her and she feels unprotected.  Think of how it feels to be weak and needing protection.  Walking in the Word together is a real protection to her body soul and spirit.

27. So that He could bring the called-out ones to Himself, full of glory without any spot or wrinkle of any kind but set apart without blame.

We see no problem with having a few spots in our lives, but God does not want that spot in heaven.

28 – 30

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own body.  Whoever loves his wife loves himself. No one ever hated his own body takes care of it , which is what Christ does for the assembly of called-out ones. For we are each a part of His body.

When a man mistreats his wife, he is immediately convicted by the Holy Spirit.

31. This is why a man will leave his father and mother and become one body with his wife.

Anything that separates a husband and wife is not healthy. Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5 – 6

32 – 33

This is a deep secret I am talking about, meaning Christ and the assembly of called-out ones. But as for you, let each man love his wife as he loves himself, and let the wife respect her husband.

Since we are called the bride of Christ, we need to remember that Christ would not treat His bride in an unloving way.