Walk in Love
“Walk in Love”
EPHESIANS 5:2
NAS Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
THE SUBJECT OF LOVE IS, OF COURSE, VAST. I have dozens of sermons I have preached on my computer about love. There is no way we can hope to cover all aspects of love in one message. I’d like to remind you of this fact at the beginning and tell you that, consequently, I will confine my remarks narrowly to Ephesians 5:2 and its message to “Walk in Love.”
PAUL, YOU’LL REMEMBER, BEGAN CHAPTER 4 OF EPHESIANS BY SAYING…
NAS Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
CHAPTERS 4-6 TELL US HOW TO “WALK WORTHY.”
“IN CHAPTER 4 OF HIS LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS, PAUL pointed to the unity and diversity of Christ’s body, consisting of both saved Jews and Gentiles. That unity was an essential aspect of their calling in Christ, a calling in which they were to walk in a worthy manner. In other words, the Ephesians believers were citizens of God’s new community who had put off their old lives and had put on new lives in Christ. As believers, they were to live this new life. This new man was, as Paul said in v. 24, ‘one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.’ Thus they were to wear or demonstrate this lifestyle each day. Unity needed to join hands with purity. What exactly foes this new life look like? What are its characteristics, its actions, its attitudes? Paul answers this question in chapters 4-6. The biblical principles the apostle expressed in chapters 1-3 needed to be lived out in the practical instructions reported in chapters 4-6. Doctrine needed to unite with duty. In chapters 4-6, Paul tells his readers what walking worthy looks like.” – Garner/TAR
“WALK” IN THE N.T. REFERS TO ONE’S LIFESTYLE, HIS CONSISTENT BEHAVIOR. Our walk, we could rightly say, is the manifestation, the outward expression of what we believe. Unbelievers walk according to the ways of the world; obedient Christians walk according to the Word…
NAS Galatians 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
IN ORDER TO GET A PROPER APPRECIATION OF HOW TO “WALK IN LOVE,” we need to keep in mind the context. When we speak of context we are talking about the verses surrounding the verse or passage we are studying. A verse’s context is the literary neighborhood in which the verse lives. While the context of Ephesians 5:2, our verse for this week can be traced back to v. 1 of chapter 4, its closer, more immediate context, begins at v. 25 of chapter 4. This will set our verse properly in its context and give us a good understanding of what it means to “Walk Worthy”…
NAS Ephesians 4:25-5:7 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3 But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
YOU COULD SAY THESE VERSES GIVE US OUR JOB DESCRIPTION AS BELIEVERS. They tell us who we are and what we are to do as “Imitators of God.”
THE GREEK WORD FOR “IMITATOR,” as we learned in last week’s study, is the word from which we get our English word “mimic.” To mimic someone – not to mock someone – is to adopt that person’s voice, gestures, and/or appearance in a deliberate way. In our lives as believers we are to adopt the characteristics of God – especially the characteristic or attribute of love.
“THE WHOLE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE REPRODUCTION OF GODLINESS as seen in the person of Christ. God’s very purpose in salvation is to redeem men from sin and to conform them ‘to the image of Hos Son.’” – MacArthur…
NAS Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;
THE ONLY WAY WE CAN EVEN TRULY BECOME IMITATORS OF GOD IS to be submissive to the Holy Spirit and allow God to produce Christlike characteristics in our lives… Being imitators of God is not done in our own strength.
“EACH CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE AN IMITATOR OF GOD BECAUSE he or she is God’s child. As a child imitates his or her parents, so ought a believer to imitate God.” – Hoehner
THE VERB “BE” IN GREEK (γίνομαι [ginn-a-my]) stresses becoming, especially in the present tense. This strongly suggests that our imitation of Christ is an ongoing process. Every day we should strive to become more like God.
“AS BELOVED CHILDREN” GIVES US THE MANNER in which we become imitators of God – (from Hoehner)
TO EFFECTIVELY BE IMITATORS OF GOD WE HAVE TO KNOW something about God… To accurately know something of what God is like we have to study His Word. God reveals who He and what He is like in His Word.
“BE IMITATORS OF GOD… AND WALK IN LOVE.” Love is the key to mimicking God…
NAS Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
THE VERY MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE IS LOVE. Love God, love your brother, love your neighbor, love yourself, and love your enemy. Love no matter whom, no matter what.
ALLOW ME TO GIVE US ALL A WAKEUP CALL HERE, A WARNING as we begin. Let me tell you why I say this. It is because I believe, and think you will agree, that we all have heard so many sermons on love we are in danger of closing our minds – at least to some degree – on yet another lesson on love. I want to lovingly (intentional pun) warn us not to allow ourselves to do this. Our study this week, remember, is God’s Word to us today. Although Ephesians was written 2,000 years ago, because it is God’s living, spiritual Word, it is fresh and alive today, able to transform our lives in America here and now. So, I humbly suggest we all rouse ourselves from any unintentional indifference and, as if we’d never heard a message on love before, open our hearts and minds to this message about love.
WITH THIS CAUTION IN MIND, LOOK THOUGHTFULLY TO V.14 of chapter 5…
NKJ Ephesians 5:14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS; WE DESPERATELY NEED THE LIGHT of God’s Word…
NAS Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.
THE GREEK WORD FOR “LOVE” IS ἀγάπη (a-ga-pay), a word you have probably heard a number of times in various messages. A good definition of ἀγάπη (a-ga-pay) love is the decision to selflessly care for the well-being of others. “It is a love given quite irrespective of merit and it seeks the highest good in the one loved. That highest good for anyone is the will of God.” – Hoehner
DAVID JEREMIAH SAID, “Agape love is the power that moves us to respond to someone’s needs with no expectation of reward.”
“THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF LOVE IS THAT CHRIST GAVE HIMSELF FOR US. Literally He ‘handed Himself over’ for us… Jesus willingly, humbly went to the Cross to die for our sins. He wasn’t really crucified; He allowed Himself to be crucified.” – Hoehner/TAR
JESUS CHRIST WAS A SACRIFICE. I wonder how many people would describe Him that way. The supreme sacrifice of Himself is the ultimate demonstration of His love for us. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that because Jesus was sinless, a blameless high priest, He needed no animals to sacrifice repeatedly like the high priests of Judaism. He offered up Himself and He did it only once…
NAS Hebrews 7:26-27 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
THE TEXT IN EPHESIANS 5:2 SAYS JESUS OFFERED UP HIMSELF AS “AN OFFERING and a sacrifice” (προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν [pros-fa-rahn kai thu-see-ahn]). The two terms may sound the same to us – what’s the difference, we might ask. I studied both words this week and must report that the two words are indeed all but indistinguishable. In the O.T., they are often used together with no noticeable distinction. Here are some examples…
NAS Leviticus 3:6 ‘But if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, he shall offer it, male or female, without defect.
NAS Numbers 15:5 and you shall prepare wine for the libation, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.
NKJ Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS SYSTEM WAS BASED UPON sacrifice and offering. In great part – if not entirely – the O.T. sacrificial system pictured the future ultimate sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ who offered Himself as the perfect and once-for-all sacrifice for the sin of the world…
NAS Hebrews 9:26-28 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
“WHEN ONE LOOKS AT THE CALENDAR OF JEWISH FEASTS IN THE O.T. AND all of the offerings and sacrifices for which each Israelite was responsible, and all the offering sand sacrifices which the priests had to offer for all the people (both the daily offerings as well as the annual celebrations), it is astounding that the one supreme offering and sacrifice met all of their requirements.” – Hoehner
AND HE DID THIS “FOR US”…
NAS Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
PREPOSITION USED HERE (ὑπέρ [hoo-pear]) and the way it is used (with the genitive) strongly suggests that Paul’s meaning here is not just that Christ did this “for us” but that Jesus gave Himself up “in our behalf. “He was willing to leave heaven’s glory and die an ignoble death on the cross to become sin that undeserving sinners might become the righteousness of God.” – Hoehner/TAR…
THAT FACT ALONE SHOULD COMPEL US TO WALK WORTHY, TO BE IMITATORS of God, and to “Walk in Love.”
NOW, LET’S LOOK AT THE LAST WORDS OF V. 2…
NAS Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
HERE AGAIN, PAUL, THE JEW OF JEWS, IS DRAWING FROM O.T. IMAGERY…
NAS Numbers 28:8 ‘And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its libation, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. (The term familiar to many Christians of a “sweet-smelling” aroma is from the old KJV and is not the most accurate translation of the Hebrew words – TAR)
“IN ANCIENT TIMES, even when properly prepared, God did not receive every sacrifice as a fragrant aroma because the offerer had a wrong attitude and a heart far from Him. In contrast, Christ willingly gave Himself to be offered and He did it to be a pleasant aroma to God. Likewise, we as believers should walk in sacrificial love so that we may be a pleasant aroma not only to God but also to fellow believers (2 Cor 2:14-16). Christ’s love cost Him His life. Should our love be without cost?” – Hoehner…
ESV 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
“THE COMMAND TO WALK IN LOVE IS REMINISCENT OF CHRIST’S COMMAND to His disciples in His farewell discourse the night before He went to the Cross where He told them to love one another as He has loved them.” – Hoehner…
NAS John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
EPHESIANS 5:2 IS SUCH A GREAT VERSE. We are to love just as Christ loved; we are to walk in the sphere of love.
“THE CHRISTIAN’S WALK IN LOVE IS TO EXTEND TO EVERY PERSON, both believer and unbeliever. If God’s love can reach out even to His enemies, how can we refuse to love our enemies? If He loves his imperfect children with a perfect love, how can we not love fellow believers whose imperfections we share? And if divine love led Christ to sacrifice Himself for unworthy and grateful sinners, how can we not give ourselves to fellow sinful people, unbelievers as well as believers, in His name?” – MacArthur
NAS Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love…
GOD HAS COMMANDED US TO WALK IN LOVE…
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
