WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

Ephesians 5:1-14 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

Be Imitators of God

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; ²and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice as a sweet fragrance to God.

³But sexual immorality,[34] and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you, as is proper among holy ones; ⁴And there must be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

[34] Sexual Immorality: (Heb. zanah; Gr. porneia) A general term for immoral sexual acts of any kind: such as adultery, prostitution, sexual relations between people not married to each other, homosexuality, and bestiality. – Num. 25:1; Deut. 22:21; Matt. 5:32; 1 Cor. 5:1.

Walk as Children of Light

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷Therefore do not be partakers with them; ⁸for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light

⁹(for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), ¹⁰proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; ¹²for it is shameful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. ¹³But all the things that are being reproved are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

¹⁴For this reason it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

It is indeed a high calling to imitate God and to walk in love after the measure of Christ; but it will be impossible unless we open our innermost heart to the Holy Spirit. We must not only sacrifice ourselves for others, but there should be a fragrance in all that we do. “An odor of a sweet smell.” Note carefully the injunctions of Ephesians 5:3-4, especially as they concern speech. It is by our speech that we betray the true condition of our hearts.

We must be as distinct from the worldly as light is from darkness. There should be no twilight in our testimony for our Lord, though there may be considerable obscurity in our views of truth. Whatever is unfruitful; whatever we should blush to have transcribed and read to the world; whatever would be inconsistent with the strong, clear light of the throne of God and the Lamb, must be avoided. We must walk in the light of the Lord. Then we ourselves shall become luminous, as some diamonds do after being held in sunshine. People who love darkness will avoid and hate us; but their treatment may be only a cause for our own encouragement, as God becomes increasingly precious to us.