Ephesians 5 - Introduction

Outline:

I. Imitating God: Ephesians 5:1-7

A. Involves walking in love: Ephesians 5:2

B. Involves avoiding sin: Ephesians 5:3

C. Involves refusing to be deceived about sin: Ephesians 5:6-7

II. Being children of light: Ephesians 5:8-14

A. Involves bearing good fruit: Ephesians 5:9

B. Involves active opposition to evil: Ephesians 5:11-14

I. Walking In Wisdom Involves: Ephesians 5:15-21

A. Making the most of the opportunities: Ephesians 5:16

B. Understanding the Lord's will: Ephesians 5:17

C. Being influenced by the Spirit: Ephesians 5:18

D. Mutual edification and gratitude towards God: Ephesians 5:19-29

E. Mutual subjection: Ephesians 5:21

Since Christians are being "re-created" into the image of the Creator (Ephesians 4:24), it is only logical that we strive to imitate God's moral qualities. Or, since we are children of God (Ephesians 5:1), it is only logical that we take on the family likeness. “Being, thought and action belong together and must never be separated. For what we are governs how we think, and how we think determines how we act. We are God's new society,. people who have put off the old life and put on the new. Then we must actively cultivate. Christian life. For holiness is not. condition into which we drift. We are not passive spectators of. sanctification God works in us. On the contrary, we have purposefully to ‘put away' from us all conduct that is incompatible with our new life in Christ, and to ‘put on'. lifestyle compatible with it” (Stott p. 193).