1. How does WHO we are determine WHAT sort of life we live?

2. What sort of people should Christians be in their behaviour?

3. What sort of people should they be in respect of their speech?

C. Comment :

First, observe WHO we are: dearly loved children of God.

Second, observe WHY we are: Christ has loved us and died for us in our place to take our sins so that we may appear blameless before God.

Third, observe WHAT we do: we now live lives of love, being as much like Christ as possible. This is real love.

Contrasting the way of the unbeliever with that of the believer (started in 4:17), Paul then lists various things that should not be in our lives as Christians. First he rejects any form of sensuous desire that pollutes us, and says there should not even be a hint of it in our lives. For the Christian there must be total purity before marriage and total fidelity after marriage. There must be purity of life, not partaking in anything that could in any way be considered "impure". Neither must there be greed for this is again just a sensuous self expression. Similarly our language should have a sense of purity about it, constantly flavoured with thanks to God.

Paul is quite clear, any person involved in these sorts of things has no place in the inheritance that Christ has for Christians. It's not words but lives that count before God. We should be careful to avoid a partnership with these sort of people.

D. Application?

1. Christ gave up his life for us as the expression of God's love for us.

2. There is no room in the Christian life for immorality or impurity.

Chapter: Ephesians 5

Passage: Ephesians 5:8-14

A. Find Out:

1. How are we to live? v.8

2. What fruit is there to be in us? v.9

3. As such what are we to do? v.10

4. What are we to do about the deeds of darkness? v.11

5. What does the light do? v.13, 14a

6. What has happened to us? v.14b

B. Think :

1. How are light and darkness mutually exclusive?

2. Why are we now light?

3. What effect does that have?

C. Comment :

Continuing this comparison between believer and unbeliever Paul now uses light and darkness to further illustrate what he is saying.

Note first of all the CHARACTERISTIC of light: light excludes darkness, light and darkness are mutually exclusive, light and darkness cannot exist in the same place at the same time.

Second, note the LOCATION of light: within us, that we ARE light because Christ has shined into our lives with his light (for he IS light) and he now dwells within us, making us light.

Third, note the EXPRESSION of light within us: goodness (good expressed, wholesomeness), righteousness (moral rightness before God), and truth (devoid of anything false or deceptive). Such are to be ours.

Fourth, note the OPPOSITE to light: darkness, indicating a life of gloom, a life of deeds that are shameful and which must be done in secret. These things are no longer to be in our lives for surely, they cannot exist in the same place as the deeds of light, good and evil cannot be together.

In conclusion, we are what we are now because the source of all light has come into our lives and where he is, it is impossible for darkness to remain.

D. Application?

1. Jesus said, "I am the light of the word" and he's now in us. (Jn 8:12)

2. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" and now we are to live as

such (Mt 5:14)

Chapter: Ephesians 5

Passage: Ephesians 5:15-20

A. Find Out:

1. How are we to live? v.15

2. What are we to do and why? v.16

3. What are we also not to be and to do? v.17

4. What are we also not to do and to do? v.18

5. What are we fill our lives with? v.19

6. What are we to be constantly doing? v.20

B. Think :

1. What are the characteristics of the two contrasting lifestyles here?

2. When do people naturally sing?

3. What does this say about the Christian life?

C. Comment :

Observe the two lifestyles that Paul has been speaking about. First the unbeliever: unwise, foolish, involves sensual desires, leading to more and more unrighteous behaviour. Consider next the other lifestyle, the one Paul says is for us. It is to be:

1. A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED life, whereby we think about who we are and what

we do.

2. A WISE life, knowing how we are to live in the face of the sometimes difficult or evil

circumstances that come before us.

3. A life of UNDERSTANDING, having an insight and a comprehension of what God's

will is so we not only know how to live but why to live like we do.

4. A life FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, relying upon Him for our life and our power, the

power to change us and the power to equip us for serving Him.

5. A life of JOY, singing out the wonder of who we are. People only sing naturally when

their spirits are lifted and joy fills them. That, says Paul, is how I want it to be for

you.

6. THANKFUL life, acknowledging that all these good things come from God through

Jesus by His Spirit. What blessing!

D. Application?

1. We need to be clear about the sort of life God wants for us.

2. Check your life for these things.

Chapter: Ephesians 5

Passage: Ephesians 5:21-33

A. Find Out:

1. How & why should wives submit to husbands? v.22-24

2. How should husbands love their wives? v.25

3. What was Christ's aim? v.26,27

4. How also should husbands love their wives? v.28

5. Why? v.29

6. Of what are we reminded? v.31

B. Think :

1. How is the church an illustration to wives?

2. How is Christ an illustration to husbands?

3. How is the church, a body, a further illustration?

C. Comment :

In this passage Paul interweaves instruction to husbands and wives with realities of the church. Paul's main point is that we are to submit, give way or defer to one another, and that is to be seen in marriages especially, in the same way as it is in the church.

First the SPIRITUAL REALITIES: Christ is the head of the church and gave himself up for it, and so now the church submits to him. He has become one with us and as his body, he now cares for us.

Second the APPLICATION FOR WOMEN: in God's order of things the man is to be the head of the family (being responsible for it to God) and the wife is to accept him in that role.

Third the APPLICATION TO MEN: the man has no opportunity to lord it over his wife for he is to take Christ as his example, and he is to love his wife in the same way that Christ loved the church. How was that? He gave up his life for the church, his whole being was given, and is given, to blessing the church and making it a wonderful thing. In the same way, this is to be the aim of the husband.

Note here that we cannot make our partners be like this, we just have to ensure that we play our part in being obedient to God's word and leave Him to do the changing of our partners! Yes, you must!

D. Application?

1. God decrees the order for husbands and wives!

2. We are to a) accept God's order & b) work out our part with His help.

RECAP: "The Quality of Christian Living" Ephesians 5

SUMMARY :

In these 4 studies we have seen:

- A call to live a life imitating God

    - free from sexual misconduct

    - free from foolish talk, selfish & wrong behaviour

    - a warning against God's wrath for this

- A call to live in the light

    - avoiding works of darkness

    - being careful what you do

- A call to have a submissive attitude

    - especially wives to husbands

    - especially husbands loving their wives

COMMENT :

In a chapter that carries on Paul exhortations to live pure and holy lives we find encouragement and warning. There is no room in the Christian life for wrong living! There is also a challenge as to our attitudes towards one another in the church and especially in respect of marriage relationships.

LESSONS :

1. We are called to give up "self lives"

2. There is no room for immorality or impurity

3. We are called to submit to one another

4. Wives are called to submit to husbands

5. Husbands are called to love their wives

6. Christ & the church are the examples to follow

PRAY :

Ask the Lord to help you review your life to ensure you are walking in the light in line with the teaching we have been reading.

PART 6 : "Hold Your Ground"

In this final Part we will see the finish of Paul's teaching on submitting to one another and then a final exhortation to hold the ground that is ours. This latter section is an especially important part for the Christian.