Ephesians 5:1-21
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and
given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But
fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness,
let it not even be named among you, as is fitting
for saints; this you know, that no fornicator,
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an
idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God…”
Ephesians 5:1-21
“…Let no one deceive you with empty words, for
because of these things the wrath of God comes
upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not
be partakers with them. For you were once
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk
as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in
all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding
out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather expose them…”
Ephesians 5:1-21
“…For it is shameful even to speak of those
things which are done by them in secret. But all
things that are exposed are made manifest by
the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise
from the dead, And Christ will give you light.’ See
then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but
as wise, redeeming the time, because the days
are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of the Lord is…”
Ephesians 5:1-21
“…And do not be drunk with wine, in which is
dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking
to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord,
giving thanks always for all things to God the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
submitting to one another in the fear of God”
(NKJV).
• Church Relationships: “One Body” (Eph. 4:4;
cf. 1:22-23).
• Family Relationships:
o Headship of husbands (Eph. 5:23).
o Wives in loving respect in submission (Eph.
5:22, 33).
o Children obedient to parents (Eph. 6:1).
• “Be imitators of God, as dear children” (Eph.
5:1, NKJV).
“Imitators of God”
I. “Followers” or “Imitators”?
A. Since American Standard Version in 1901
the Gr. mimētēs in this text has been
translated “imitators.”
B. Before this English translations rendered it
“followers.”
C. We are to imitate God “as dear children.”
“Imitators of God”
II. Children who love their parents seek to
be like them.
A. Much of the focus of the verses that follow
may reflect this objective.
1. Why are Christians charged to “walk in love”
(Eph. 5:2a)?
2. Beloved children of God should imitate God in
the flesh who “has loved us and given Himself for
us, an offering and a sacrifice” (Eph. 5:2b).
“Imitators of God”
II. Children who love their parents seek to
be like them.
B. Six sinful behaviors are “not fitting” (Eph.
5:4d). Why should such things “not even be
named among” Christians (Eph. 5:3d)? God
would not practice such things!
1. Would God engage in fornication, uncleanness,
or covetousness (Eph. 5:3a-c)? Of course not—a
“covetous man” is “an idolater” (Eph. 5:5)!
“Imitators of God”
II. Children who love their parents seek to
be like them.
B. Six sinful behaviors are “not fitting” (Eph.
5:4d). Why should such things “not even be
named among” Christians (Eph. 5:3d)? God
would not practice such things!
2. Would God engage in “obscenity” (Eph. 5:4a,
NIV), “foolish talking or coarse jesting” (Eph.
5:4b-c, NKJV)? Our Father doesn’t talk that way!
“Imitators of God”
III. Disobedient children don’t imitate their
parents.
A. Earlier, Paul reminded them what they used
to be (Ephesians 2:1-3).
1. “Children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3).
2. “Sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2).
“Imitators of God”
III. Disobedient children don’t imitate their
parents.
B. If Christians fail to imitate the character and
virtue of God our Father…
1. “The wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience” (Eph. 5:6), who…
2. Surrender “any inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and God” (Eph. 5:5).
“Imitators of God”
IV. If we don’t Imitate God, we are partners
with His enemies.
A. Paul has just spoken of God’s wrath coming
upon the “sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6).
1. “Therefore do not be partakers with them”
(Eph. 5:7).
2. “Partakers” in the Greek is summetochos.
3. Metochos, “a partner (in a work, office,
dignity)” (Thayer).
“Imitators of God”
IV. If we don’t Imitate God, we are partners
with His enemies.
B. Metochos in the book of Hebrews.
1. “Partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1).
2. “Partakers of Christ” (Heb. 3:14)
3. “Partakers of the Holy Ghost” (Heb. 6:4,
KJV).
4. To fail to imitate our Father makes us partners with
the “sons of disobedience” who practice the
“unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11b).
“Imitators of God”
IV. If we don’t Imitate God, we are partners
with His enemies.
C.Are we “partners” with God’s enemies?
1. Christians must “have no fellowship” with
such things, or those who practice them (Eph.
5:11a).
2. All were “once darkness” (Eph. 5:8a), but…
3. The child who imitates His Father in heaven
may “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8c).
4. Compare: 2 Thess. 5:1-6; 1 John 1:5-7.
“Imitators of God”
V. “Fruit of the Spirit” or “Fruit of the Light”?
A. The issue of textual evidence.
1. Majority of manuscripts and P46 “fruit of the
Spirit.”
2. Vatican, Sinai, Alexandrian and most
ancient translations “fruit of the light.”
3. A scribe either borrowed from Galatians
5:22 or blended from context emphasizing
“light.”
“Imitators of God”
V. “Fruit of the Spirit” or “Fruit of the Light”?
B. Christians are “are light in the Lord” (Eph.
5:8b).
1. They reject “the unfruitful works of
darkness” but “rather expose them” (Eph.
5:11).
2. Could an imitator of God practice such
things?—“it is shameful even to speak of
those things which are done by them in
secret” (Eph. 5:12).
“Imitators of God”
V. “Fruit of the Spirit” or “Fruit of the Light”?
B. Christians are “are light in the Lord” (Eph.
5:8b).
3. “All things that are exposed are made
manifest by the light”—imitators of God
expose darkness “for whatever makes
manifest is light” (Eph. 5:13).
4. Those who leave darkness may, “arise from
the dead” and “Christ will give you light”
(Eph. 5:14).
“Imitators of God”
VI. “Look Carefully.”
A. Does Divine imitation continue?
B. An imitator of God will “look carefully” (Eph.
5:15, RSV, cf. ASV)—how he should walk.
1. He will “not be unwise, but understand what
the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).
2. It is possible to understand “what is
acceptable to the Lord” (Eph. 5:10) and
what “the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17b).
“Imitators of God”
VI. “Look Carefully.”
C.Our behavior must reflect the character of
our Father.
1. Our Father in heaven would never “be drunk
with wine” (Eph. 5:18a). We should be filled,
with what fills Him.
2. As we come to understand His will in
looking to His word we come to be “filled
with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18c).
“Imitators of God”
VI. “Look Carefully.”
D.Christians “speaking to one another” in song
“making melody in your heart” (Eph. 5:19a)
may not reflect imitation of Deity—man sings
to God and of God. Yet…
1. Children who imitate their heavenly Father
offer worship “to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19b).
2. They look heavenward, “giving thanks always
for all things to God the Father” (Eph. 5:20).