Alba 6-4-2023
IMITATING THE WAY GOD WALKS
Ephesians 5:1-21
Did you know that God took walks? The Bible says that when Adam and Eve sinned, “they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)
They should have imitated the way God walked instead of sinning and hiding themselves from Him. Years later the Bible says that Enoch, the great, great, great, great grandson of Adam, “walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 4:24)
Hebrews 11:5 tells us that “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
A little child gave a very interesting explanation of Enoch walking with God. She went home from Sunday School and her mother said, "Tell me what you learned today."
And she said: “Don't you know, Mother, one day they went for an extra long walk, and they walked on and on, until God said to Enoch, 'You are a long way from home; you had better just come in and stay.' And he went.”
Walking with God can be a really good thing! Have you noticed that many people have their own peculiar way of walking. Perhaps you smiled if you happened to see a boy walking with his father, trying to walk the same way as his dad. They say that imitation is a form of flattery.
And scripture tells us we can imitate the Lord and walk in His ways. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” The next verses in Ephesians chapter five tell us how to do that, and also gives steps to avoid so we will be sure to arrive at our destination.
1. What is one of the first things that children are taught about God? “God is love.” It is a simple verse in I John 4:16. So if we are to imitate the way God walks we will walk in love. That is what it says in Ephesians 5:2. “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
God's great love is demonstrated by the fact that Jesus, the very Son of God, came to this earth and willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to that cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Not His sins. Our sins!
Such a sacrifice should cause us to want to follow our Lord and walk in His steps, without missteps. That is why verses
three through seven warn us with these words:
“3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any 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.”
None of those actions show love. Not love to God, and not love to others. They are truly missteps. If one wants to walk with God, these things are not the way God walks.
Two things in particular are mentioned here. Watch where you step with things of a sexual nature, and be careful how you talk. Wrong use of either of these is not walking in love.
Because of the strong sexual nature of human beings, sexual sins are powerful and can become perverted in unimaginable ways. If given free rein, sexual sins lead to complete insensitivity to the feelings and welfare of others, to horrible brutality, and frequently to murder—as news stories testify so often.
That is why the sins of sexual immorality, and impurity, and covetousness must not even be named among Christians, as is fitting for the saints.
The warning continues in verse four against this perversion of love by mentioning an extensive list of related sins that is sure to cover many believers at one time or another. Not only should Christians never engage in sexual sins of any kind, but they should never be guilty of filthiness, foolish talk, nor crude or coarse joking.
General George Washington issued the following on August 3, 1776: “I am sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American Army, is growing into fashion. I hope that the officers will, by example and influence, endeavor to
check it, and that both they and their men will reflect, that we have but little hope of the blessing of heaven in our arms, if we insult Him by our impiety and folly.”
Our imitation of how God walks will be seen in the way we conduct ourselves morally and in the way we talk.
2. Then Ephesians 5:8-14 tells us that if we are trying to walk in the ways of God, we will walk in the light. Here's what it says: “8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: 'Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.'”
It is always safer to walk in the light. This past week as Janine and I were driving up Main Street in Joplin, a man was about 30 feet from the corner trying to cross the four lane street where from where he was standing.
Traffic was stopped, but as he attempted to cross, the light turned green and vehicles started to move so he retreated. It caused Janine to say, “Go to the light! Go to the light!” Of course he couldn't hear her because our windows were closed.
Yes, it is always safer to go to the light. The reason that we have light when we walk with the Lord is that Jesus is the light of the world. And He promises that “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
It takes light to see the way out of the darkness. Yet it seems that some people prefer to go their own way and not cross from darkness to the light.
Jesus came to bring us out of darkness and into light. We live in a hard, dark world dominated, driven by sin. In the midst of that darkness and depravity, God has redeemed a people.
He has redeemed a people that He expects to be different, and empowers them to be different.
I Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
He has changed us and made us children of the light. Since we have been changed, we are to walk in light, and no longer in the darkness that once characterized us.
We are to avoid sinful thinking and sinful living, and surrender ourselves to His Spirit so He can produce within us the fruit of “goodness, righteousness, and truth.”
And our responsibility to abstain from sin goes further than simply not doing sinful things. In verse 13 it says that light exposes evil. So that means that the light of a life lived for Jesus will expose the darkness of sin.
When we walk in the light, it makes the evil of the world around us easy to see. Often a Christian, just by his or her very presence, will change the way others act or talk. Perhaps you have experienced this when people found out that you are a Christian. We are to be His light in the world.
Verse fourteen is given like an invitation for the lost to come to Jesus for salvation. If they will simply wake up, and come to Jesus, He will save them and give them light.
It is the Lord’s will that we be His light in a dark world. We must walk in the light. The world needs to see it in us.
3. Then Ephesians 5:15-21 tells us that if we want to walk in the ways of God, we will walk in wisdom. It says:
“15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
The NIV translates verse 15 saying, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” So we are to walk carefully, accurately and precisely. If you’ve ever seen anyone walk a tightrope, then you know what is referred to here.
Those who walk a tightrope watch where they place each step. The least deviation or inaccuracy and their footing would result in a fall.
As believers, we must give due diligence to every step we take in this world. Anything less, and it is a guarantee to fall into a trap of the enemy.
One of the traps is not thinking clearly. That happens when the mind is impaired. And as verse 18 says, drugs and alcohol do that to the body. But instead if one is filled with the Spirit, the mind can think more clearly and wisely.
Walking in wisdom isn't just a question of knowledge. It isn't just a question of having information. To live as a wise person requires insight into God’s will. Some apparently think that God’s will is lost. At least they say they are searching for it, but not always in the right places.
It is said that wise people know what they don't know, and they are not afraid to go to people who do know. They confess their limitations and they trust someone else. Wise people seek wise council. That's what makes them wise.
So where do we go to find wise counsel? How do we become wise? Solomon became king after his father, David, died. He wanted to rule well, so when God gave him the opportunity to ask for anything, He asked for wisdom. Now Solomon is revered for being a great wise man.
He tells us in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” His wisdom came from God. He asked and God gave.
The Lord gives us the same opportunity. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
That sounds easy enough. But wait, there's more! James 1:6-8 clarifies this request saying, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
A prayer, truly believing that God hears and answers, is the one that has the most power. But what if someone says, “Well I prayed and really expected God to answer, but I'm still waiting. So what's wrong?”
It may be that person has not given the Lord the opportunity to talk to them. So you ask, “How does that happen?” Well some people think that there is a mystical way God talks to people. Others just sit waiting, expecting that in some way God will infuse their brains with all the wisdom they need.
But the answer is simple. God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. We are counseled in verse 17 to be “understanding” of “what the will of the Lord is.” How do we understand the will of the Lord? The Word of God reveals the will of God.
The amount of time you spend in the Word of God is the amount of influence He has in your life. God cannot give you wisdom if you’re not taking the time to listen to Him by reading His Word. There is no excuse for any believer, who owns a Bible, and who can read it, being ignorant of God's Word.
Knowing the Bible settles us. It gives us peace, hope, help and strength. It helps us know the God of Heaven. And knowing Him teaches us how to walk in this world.
Knowing Him teaches us how to make our lives count for God’s glory. Your Bible will keep you from being spiritually stupid. It will make you wise in the ways of the Lord, and it will open your eyes to the schemes of the enemy.
If you have a Bible... Read it! Learn it! Love it! Live it!
And finally, we are to sing to each other songs of praise and thanksgiving. We all need encouragement to walk as wisely as we should in this life. Do you remember how Paul and Silas were sitting in jail in Philipi with their hands bound in chains; their feet in stocks. They had been beaten and were under Roman guard. So what did Paul and Silas do?
The same guy who said, “Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” practiced what he preached. Acts 16:25 tells us that, “at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
As we sing, we are hearing from each other the words of praise, encouragement and thanksgiving.
So as we read the Bible, and sing the words of songs that remind us of our great and gracious God, we are encouraging each other to walk in love... guided by His light... in the wisdom that He gives.
CLOSE:
An animated film of Pilgrim's Progress, the classic story by John Bunyan, has Pilgrim, the main character, being attacked by roaring lions. The lions almost reach him.
But Pilgrim discovers if he carefully and cautiously watches his step, and stays on the path, the lions could not reach him.
They were held back by chains which kept them just out of reach. But Pilgrim had to keep his eye on the path. If he took his eye off the path he might stray into the lion's territory and be devoured.
In the end, Pilgrim reached the eternal city. And by the grace of God offered through the cross of Christ, he was allowed to enter.
As we continue to walk with God, we also will reach the eternal city.
Don't you want it said about you that in this life you walked with God, and then God took you into His home?
