Havasu Christian Church
May 31, 2026
Study in Ephesians
Ephesians 5:1-21
“Are you a beloved Child of God?”
INTRO: Several years ago, I walked out my back door. It was evening, so I was surprised to hear a bird singing. After all, it was dark. We all know that birds (aside from owls and nighthawks) sleep at night. But not this bird. It finished it’s song and I thought “Well, he’s done.” Not so! This bird immediately broke out in a completely different song. I stayed there on the porch for probably 20 minutes and the bird never quit. Neither did it repeat itself! It was a Northern Mockingbird.
I did a little research and found out that Mockingbirds “build” their own individual song out of the songs of others. They continue to add to their song as long as they live. An older adult may have more than 200 songs it’s pieced together!
It’s been said that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” If you imitate someone, it means that you see something in them that you think is worth making a part of your life.
In the passage we are studying today, we are told to “be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
As a Christian, I am to be an imitator of God, just like as a child, you learned by imitating your parents.
When I do this, it makes a huge difference in my life!
Ephesians 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 immorality or any impurity or greed must not 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;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
- The way I act is affected! I am to “Walk in Love!
- I do this to honor what Christ has done for me!
- Christ loves us!
- I’m sure His readers understood this, as should we, but Paul reminds them!
- Christ “Gave Himself up” for us.
- As an Offering and a Sacrifice!
- We usually think about Jesus’ sacrifice.
- Dying on the cross to atone for our sins.
- But Jesus also lived on this earth as an offering!
- Offerings were “non blood” gifts to God.
- These were gifts, but didn’t cost an animal its life.
- Jesus came and lived as one of us for 33 years before He became the sacrifice for our sins!
- What an offering!
Because I honor what Jesus has done for me, some changes have to be made!
- My actions are affected!
- There is to be no immorality!
- Sexual purity.
- No porn… pictures or otherwise.
- Sex only within marriage.
- 1 man, 1 woman for life!
Matthew 19:4–6 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
- There is to be no impurity!
- Living in your old, unconverted ways.
- Don’t pollute the Christian life with anything that doesn’t belong.
- There is to be no greed!
- “It’s all about ME!”
- “I want! I want!”
- This is no way for a Christian to live!
- There shouldn’t be a hint of these things in our lives.
- Living without these things in our lives is the proper way for saints to live.
- The way I talk is affected
- There is to be no filthiness in how I speak
- Shameful, obscene or immoral speech.
- “Would you say that in front of your grandmother?”
- There is to be no silly talk
- Think before you speak!
- Silly as opposed to useful to build others up.
- There is to be no coarse jesting
- Speaking with a “double meaning.”
- This pulls people back down, it doesn’t lift them up!
- These things are not fitting
- Regardless of where we came from, we are now Adopted children of the Creator of the Universe.
- We should let that show through in what we say to each other and those outside the Church.
- What is fitting is using our speech to give thanks.
- Like last week, we see more contrasts.
- Instead of wasting our words on evil speech, we should be using our words to give thanks to God!
- Who I listen to is affected
- Don’t listen to deceivers
- People who will tell you whatever you need to hear for them to get what they want from you!
- They will lead you to go back to where you started… as a pagan who does what Satan wants!
- How do I know who to trust?
- Pay attention to God’s Word!
- Who I hang out with is affected
- “Don’t be partakers with them.”
- The “old crowd” isn’t likely to take you where you need to go.
- We want to reach out to them with the Gospel, but we must make sure we are strong enough to not get dragged down.
- Why do I need to make these changes? We have changed sides!
- We were Children of darkness, now we are Children of Light!
- We need to live that way!
- Bear the right kind of fruit!
- Goodness
- Active goodness…. Benevolence, generosity of spirit. He puts his love into action.
- Righteousness
- Agrees with (and lives) God’s standards of what are right and wrong.
- Truth
- Genuine honesty, no pretense.
- trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
- We need to stay away from the evil that people do.
- Not only are we to not participate, but we are to expose what is going on.
- Specifically, don’t be foolish,
- but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- This understanding includes keeping our self control.
- It also helps us to use the time God has given us wisely.
- And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,
- Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
- Live in Harmony with other Christians!
- Use music to encourage each other!
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
- We can use music to encourage
- We can use music to Praise the Lord
- We can use music to teach each other
- Our music also teaches and encourages us!
- Always be Thankful!
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
- Put each other ahead of ourselves.
be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
- Put the good of our brothers and sisters ahead of our own wants!
The only way to do all these things is to make it our business to be “imitators of God!”
