Ephesians Explained | Grace SwaggerSample

Day 6 | Ephesians 5:1-21 | Walk in Light, Walk in Love

Welcome back to Ephesians 5. Today we begin a section on relationships and that can get sticky. So read this one carefully. And kids, this one is PG-13, so let your parents listen first. 

Ephesians 5 continues teaching us how to walk. Back in our Kingdom picture, we were bums in the gutter - walking dead - but God loved us. He saved us in His phenomenal grace. He rescued us and raised us to life. The King adopted us as His own kids and we are heirs of the Kingdom. 

We got a view from the castle - our home in Heaven. Everything looks different now. Our eyes are open - we see the light. And now we’re learning to walk - walk worthy of the price Jesus paid. Live it out. 

It was all grace - so walk in humility. He made us one - so walk in harmony. And here in chapter 5:

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

As we learn to walk we follow God’s example. We’re His kids He loves us. So we love others. We walk in love - back in verse 2:

“…just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).

To learn love, look to Jesus. Love like Jesus means selfless sacrifice. So in verse 3:

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Ephesians 5:3).

In other words, it doesn’t matter if all the other kids are doing it. You’re His kids. And you live different. The issue is not sex, it’s sex without morals. The Greek word here is porneia, and it includes every sort of wrong when it comes to sex, including pornography. We’ll talk more on that on the b-side. But remember: sex is holy - set apart. So Paul says, not even a hint of the immoral stuff. Among God’s people, it’s not right. And in verse 4, same goes for dirty words and dirty jokes. 

Now don’t put a trip on non-Christians. If they cuss, let it go. You did it too. But you are His kid now. And this is where it gets tricky. What about someone who says they belong to Jesus but keeps a filthy mouth and a filthy mind? They talk about God as their father, but they don’t act like His kid. Verse 5:

“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5).

Read that carefully - and put sin in the right perspective. We make a mistake when we just say that lust or greed or drunkenness are simply bad. The heart of the matter is idolatry. The core issue is not sex or money or alcohol. The issue is putting anything in place of God, and those three happen to be very common substitutes. The first commandment is no other Gods before Him. And if the heart of the issue is idolatry, then the solution isn’t to just stop doing bad - it’s to set God in His rightful place in your heart. The rest flows from there. 

However, someone who claims to be Christian but lives immoral, dirty, and greedy is an idolater, and they’re not God’s kid. The truth is in their footsteps. Your walk reveals your king. Verse 6:

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them” (Ephesians 5:6-7).

Don’t join them. You should love them, encourage, reach out, but don’t partner. Verse 8:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live (walk) as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

This is your walk now. You know better. You can see because you have light. So have nothing to do with darkness and walk in light. Verse 13 has a beautiful picture: as you walk in light, you reflect it. You become a light.

“This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper,rise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you’” (Ephesians 5:14).

I love that. And then verse 16 contains what is for me a driving force in my life. Walk wise...

“....making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

The King James says “redeem the time,” but the word time here isn’t just hours. It is time in the strategic sense: an opportune moment or season. Seize it. More on my story there on the b-side.

Now as we step through some controversial topics: sex, porn, cussing, alcohol, it’s not just about finding the exact lines of right and wrong. That’s a law mentality. Verse 17 explains it’s about understanding...

“...what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:17). 

So stop asking what you can get away with and...

“...find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10).

And in verse 18:

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). 

The word for drunk here can also mean soaked. This is not an outright ban on alcohol, but if you have a history of getting soaked, that may be wise. And there is a line that a Christian should never cross. But the key here is where the drinking leads you. Debauchery in Greek is literally un-saving. It’s waste - the opposite of redeeming the time. 

But this is not a call to boring life! It’s a call to purpose. After all, why do people get drunk? Think about it. What are they after? Fun? Joy? Peace? Love? Alcohol can deliver those feelings, but it’s chasing the fake. The feeling of peace is not peace. Nor love, nor joy. So... 

“Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

That’s the real thing! Get soaked in the Holy Spirit and find real peace and genuine love. And let it come out of you in words of kindness and gratitude and in song...

“....make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

And then, in verse 21, we dig in to relationships:

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

That word submit is the key to the rest of the chapter, so define it rightly. Words are tricky. Submit can mean “yield out of respect,” or “cave in under force and fear.” Be very clear: the submission that God calls us to is one of respect for God, others, and self. Watch the words here: 

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). 

And the call to submit is for every Christian. Every one of us submits. Why? For unity. We cannot be one unless we make genuine sacrifices. One plus one only equals one if we both sacrifice. But be clear: this is not a man-made hierarchy where everyone submits except the guy on top. This is very different. Jesus the rightful King of all submitted himself put us first and sacrificed his very life for us. 

Submission here is the natural expression of humility, respect, and love. It is not subjugation. It is not forced. It is an act of free will taken by a child of the King whose identity is founded in Christ. It is a dignified and noble act of respect between equals.

Submit. Give in. Lay down your pride and your stubborn self-will, and put someone else first. Like Jesus did. He put you first. Paul here gives three essential relationships: marriage, parenting, and work, and in each one, shows us submission by both parties between equals.

And that is so big and so important I’m adding an extra day to dive in on marriage. For today read through verse 20. Walk in light, walk in love, and we’ll pick up at verse 21 tomorrow. 

Join us next time as we continue the journey one chapter at a time. And remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word.