CHAPTER 5

1-2
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath love us, and hath given
Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling Savour.

In Chapter 4, Paul gave some instruction about GROWING in
Christ, and HOW to live a Christian life.

Now, he says, "Be ye THEREFORE followers of God, as dear
children."
The RESULT of growing in Christ is a behavior DIFFERENT
from those who are worldly.
Christians are to LIVE like Christ and walk in "love."
The word love is from the Greek agape, and means: charity, genuine affection.
Usually, that word is defined as giving without thought of return.

Jesus sacrificed the physical body of God for our benefit.
He did that to make an "offering" to mankind.
God's love, mercy and grace are all wrapped up in that
sacrifice Jesus made.
There is no THOUGHT or requirement of returning the gift.
That's because we have NOTHING to offer God that would
be ACCEPTABLE to Him.

It is an OFFER from God to reciprocate with repentance and
surrender to living the way God want's, expressed in the
way Jesus lived.
The old song says it best, "Whosoever WILL may come!"
ANYONE can answer the OFFER from God!

Therefore, when one ACCEPTS the offer, he/she accepts
the FACT that ONLY Jesus can forgive and save us!

3-5
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it
not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting which are not
convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person,
nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance
in the kingdom of God.

The idea behind "saints" is those who live according
to God's will, and not according to the world's whims.

Fornication is sex outside of marriage.
Uncleanness is impurity, either physical or MORAL.
Covetousness is the practice avarice, or of extortion or greediness.
Filthiness is shamefulness or obscenity.
Foolish talking is silly talk, or buffoonery.
Jesting is being witty in a vulgar manner.
Whoremonger is a person who continually practices sexual misconduct.
Unclean person refers mainly to lewd or impure.
Covetous is desiring what someone else has. (See Ex. 20:17)
Idolater is one who worships an inanimate object, or things.

The Christian is to constantly be on guard against those things.
And, one way to do that is to constantly be "giving of thanks" to God.
Thank Him for CHANGING our mindset and our desires!
"For it is God which worketh IN you both to will (desire) and to do
(perform) of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13)

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of thise things
cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

There are many times when we are faced with strong temptations!
For instance, when a teenager is scorned for not taking a drink.

So often, friends develop customs that are not Godly, and will
entice others to do the same.
BE NOT DECEIVED!
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrigheousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness." (Rom. 1:18)

Those who refuse Christ and live constant shameless lives,
will find God has an AWFUL END for them!
Since they decided to live SEPARATE from God, they will
be SEPARATED from God for eternity!

8-10
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the
Lord: walk (live) as children of light (understanding):
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all good and righteousness and
truth:)
10, Proving what is acceptable to God.

We learned in Galatians 5:22-23 that,
"..the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law."

When we live seeking to understand and perform God's will in our
lives, the Holy Spirit of God within us, PRODUCES "fruit"
That fruit is living a DIFFERENT way - God's way!

Christians should live exemplifying in their lives that which is
"acceptable to God".

11-12
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather reprove them.
12 For is is a shame even to speak of those things which are done
of them in secret.

The word "fellowship" is from the Greek sugkoinonia.
It means basically the same as fellowship in 1John 1:6, which
is koinonia.

Note that in verse 11 above, the term is preceded by the imperative
negative "no"

That means, the Christian is to NOT particpate in the "unfruitful
works of darkness..."
And, the Christian is to live a life that exemplifies reproof
of those actions.
The "works of darkness" include those mentioned in verses
three through five.

Those works are unfruitful because they do not give glory
to God.
Those works are "darkness" because they are mostly
practiced in "secret."
They are also "darkness" because they are OUTSIDE
the "light" or understanding of God's will.

13-14
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for
whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherfore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give the light.

Light is how we determine what things are.
We SEE them.
Spiritually speaking, we SEE the "works of darkness" and
understand they are not acceptable to God.
That being the case, we should STAY AWAY from them.

That verse 14 has raised a lot of theological differences.
Let us suffice to say, it is a call to Christians!
"AWAKE!" Do NOT be SLEEPING as to the "works
of darkness!
"ARISE from the dead!" Be ALIVE in the NEW LIFE
Christ has given!

Christians, before they met Christ, were "dead in trespasses
and sin." (Eph. 2:1)
However, they are now RISEN from spiritual deadness by the
same power that raised Christ from physical deadness ---
God's Holy Spirit!!

Therefore, it might be said, "LIVE in the Spirit of Christ, and
do NOT be sleeping, or caught unaware by the works
of darkness!"

15-16
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The word "walk" is translated from the Greek
peripaeo and means to be occupied with a certain manner.
The word "circumspectly" is translated from the Greek
akribos and means diligently.

Life, for the Christian, must be lived in a manner of diligence.

Also, the Scripture adds "redeeming the time."
Christians should use time wisely because we never know how
much remains - for us - or for the world.

Every person has 168 hours per week.
Are we using at least 17 hours per week:
studying the Bible,
praying,
attending church,
visiting others?

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will
of the Lord is.

In our manner of living diligently, we need to understand what God's
will IS.
We should pray and seek God's guidance, and
we should study the Bible to see how it describes what character
we must maintain.

18-21
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit.
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and spiritual song, singing
and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thank always for all things unto God and the Father in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

WOW! LONG sentence!

Verse 18 says drinking in excess brings drunkeness.
Instead of doing that we should concentrate on being "FILLED
with the Spirit" of God.

Then, in verses 19-21, the Scripture teaches HOW to be
filled with God's Spirit.

Now, I don't know about you, but I was filled with the Spirit
of God when I turned to Jesus for salvation.
He filled me with brokeness for sin, a desire to repent from
sin and follow in Christ's example.
THEN, He filled me with God's accepting presence, and His
desire for me to grow in being more like Christ.

Now, that being said, we need to understand that ALL Christians
LEAK!!
We too often substitute our selfish desires for God's will.
So we need to KEEP concentrating on being filled.
It is best that we confess our sin to Him daily! (1John 1:9)

One way is SINGING spiritual songs.
Did you know that singing activates your cardio-vascular system?
Singing uses breath control and causes the heart to beat in a
more rhythmical manner.
The result is PEACE!

Another way to concentrate on being filled with God's Spirit is
to GIVE THANKS!
Thank Him for His love that brought Him to Calvary!
Thank Him for His mercy that offers salvation to ANYONE!
Thank Him for His SEALING us in His Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13)
Thank Him for writing your name in His book of salvation!
(Rev. 3:5 says God will NOT erase that name!)
Thank Him for the forgiveness of sin. (1John 1:9)

Giving thanks to God recognizes what He HAS DONE,
IS DOING, and WILL DO for those who love Him.

Another way of being filled with God's Spirit is to SUBMIT
to other Christians with love and honor.
Whatever authority God gives us, we should NEVER use it
in a derogatory manner toward others!

The word "fear", in verse 21 is from the Greek
phobos.
It is the word from which our phobia comes.
It simply means to have such extreme reverence for God
that we are always humble in our interactions with others.

Now, the Scripture will, by example, illustrate some ways in
which to have this SUBMISSION.

22-24
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as
unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is
the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body.
24 Therefore, as the church is subject to Christ, so let the
wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

A thought must be interjected here:
The Scripture is referring to BELIEVERS!!

God recognizes the husband as the head of the family.
It is a recognition that requires giving an answer to God
as to how he has upheld this responsibility.
(See 1Cor. 11:3)

Christ is the head of the church, which is called the BRIDE
of Christ.
ALL the church is subject to Christ as HEAD!
ALL the family is subject to the husband and father as head.

That being said, we must realize that this is the way it is
SUPPOSED to be in a Christian family.
However, we all know that there are sins which enter, and
cause it NOT to be so.

Now, in the next verses, this is a MUTUAL submission
as the man loves the wife like himself!

25-29
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave Himself for it.
26 That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the Word,
27 That He might present it to himself a glorious church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He
that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lod the church:
30 For we are members of His body, of his flesh, and of his
bones.

I have used these verses over 135 times in pre-marital counseling.

Notice that in BOTH the husband and wife, the Scripture here
uses Christ and the church as EXAMPLES!

The Christian family should be an EXAMPLE of Christ and the
church!

I note also that when God created Adam, God saw that he was
ALONE, and needed an "help meet." (Gen. 2:18)
Those two words come from the hebrew: ezer and neged.
Put together they mean a HELPING COUNTERPART!

The wife is to HELP, not be a SERVANT!
She was made from a rib -- UNDER the arm for protection; and
NEAR the heart for genuine affection!

The marriage is a MUTUAL arrangement, where at times EACH
must be submissive to the other because each view presents
an ARRANGEMENT to be made which will benefit the FAMILY!

The man must love the wife like Christ loved the church!
Christ was willing to DIE for the church!!!
The husband must be willing to GIVE UP his oneness and
become a PARTNER to His wife!!

That really is different from the way the world describes love!

My wife and I have moved 29 times!
Each time, because of work and the children in school, I would
move ahead and get a rent house.
I knew that would not be what she wanted, so, as soon as she
came with the children, we went HOUSE HUNTING!

When a man loves his wife like Christ loved the church, he will
present to himself a loving wife!

31-33
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and
the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife
even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Verse 31 is a quote from Gen. 2:24, which was the FIRST
marriage.
That marriage was HOLY, because it was performed by God
Himself!

ALL marriages SHOULD BE made under the guidance of the
Lord, and should be considered a HOLY institution.
(See Matt. 19:4-6)

The word "mystery" in verse 32 is from the Greek
musterion.
It means a secret which is BEING revealed!

Marriage is BEING revealed through the association of Christ
with the church!
It is a MUTUAL agreement!
Christ says we are all sinners and need to repent and turn to Him
for forgiveness and salvation.
We must agree, and turn to Him in diligence as LORD of our lives!

So then, the husband and wife should SEE this mystery revealed
in the Bible; THEN submit to marriage with solemnity and holy
reverence toward one another.

Yes. I know. MANY marriages are made OUTSIDE of God's
guidance.

But, in the Christian family, marriage must be PATTERNED by
the example of Christ and the church (His bride).