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: Headship of husbands (Eph. 5:23). Wives in loving respect in submission (Eph. 5:22, 33). 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).