Ephesians Chapter 5

Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

In Ephesians 1:13 we find that these people to whom Paul is writing were sealed in Christ after they had believed the gospel. They then became children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1:4-5 Paul says that they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. That would be the predestination he speaks of in verse 5 above. That predestination is unto the "adoption of children by Jesus Christ."

So being partakers of God's promise in Christ BY THE GOSPEL, and not by having been associated with Israel in the past nor involved in the promises, they became partakers of eternal life simply by believing the gospel. Now Paul says to walk in love as dear children. Children love their father and their father loves them.

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Christ loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and sins. He gave himself for us. God made him to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Salvation is a gift. It is by the grace of God through the faith OF the Lord Jesus Christ. God commended his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Paul is saying that believers should walk in the love of God and love toward God.

Now he gives practical instructions. Practical and positional are two different things. a believers position in Christ is holy and without blame. It is complete in Christ. That speaks of the "inner man," the new creature in Christ. Colossians 3:9-10 is about this position:

Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

So the position of the new man is that he HAS put off the old man with his deeds and has put on the new man. But in Ephesians Paul is referring to the practical aspects of it. In other words it would be like what Paul said in Philippians, to "work OUT your own salvation." He says that it is God "which worketh in you." In other words it is not work FOR your own salvation, because having trusted Christ you are already saved. You OWN the salvation. He is saying to "work out" practically in your daily life what God has already made you IN Christ. It is the same here.

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

All of these things are things that the "other Gentiles" he wrote about in Ephesians 4:17 do. They walk in "the vanity of their mind" because their understanding is darkened and they are alienated from the life of God through their ignorance because of the blindness of their mind. In time past these people had been dead in trespasses and sins. Notice their condition:

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

There again we see the reference to "disobedience" which is to say disbelief or unbelief. He expresses the same thing in Thessalonians:

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Those who "obey not the gospel" are those "children of disobedience" or unbelief. Notice what Paul says here:

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

People are religious and do very religious things but that never saves anybody. Only the fact of "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" according to God's grace will save anyone. Salvation is in the cross of Christ alone and not of works lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

All of the things Paul talks about here are associated with the idolatry of false religion.

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Again, the disobedience here is the disbelief of religious people. In other words they "believe not" the truth of the gospel.

Ephesians 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

In other words, as children of God and not children of disobedience a saved person should not be a part of or be a partaker of these things. Instead he says:

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Some try to use this passage to prove that a believer can lose his salvation. But that cannot be true in the light of what the entire passage says. They are children of God, they are light in the Lord, they are sealed in Christ unto the day of redemption. He is simply telling them that they should walk as who God has already made them in Christ. He is not saying that they could lose that position. If that were the case then salvation would be OF WORKS. But it is clear in Ephesians 2:9 that it is NOT of works and in 2:10 that we are HIS workmanship. In other words Jesus Christ did all the work of our salvation and it is complete and these believers are complete in Christ.

Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

There are nine things that Paul identifies in Galatians 5:22-23 as the "fruit of the Spirit." They are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. To prove carries the idea of testing. In other words to approve, allow or discern.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Ephesians 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

Those things he refers to would be the things he talked about back in Ephesians 4:17-18. Their understanding is darkened. They walk in the vanity of their mind and they are alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance. To reprove would be the opposite of proving. It would be to admonish or to rebuke. In other words have no fellowship.

Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

The idea is to wake up. You are no longer in darkness but in the light of the Lord. You should walk that way, as children of God.

Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

The will of the Lord is not for a believer to walk in the darkness of the things of the world nor in the blind religions of the world. Paul prayed for the Ephesians back in chapter one that God would give to them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Being "filled with the Spriit" is something believers are told to do. In the verse the contrast is between being drunk with wine and filled with the Spirit. In Colossians there is a parallel verse:

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

So being filled with the Spirit is to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. The word of Christ is not a reference to what Christ spoke on earth in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but what Christ spoke through Paul that he said to commit to faithful men that they may be able to teach others also. Some faithful man had preached to the Ephesians, they had believed and had trusted Christ, and as believers Paul writes these things to them.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

What do we give thanks for? He says always for all things. He also says in 1 Thessalonians to give thanks "in everything."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

The reason we give thanks for all things and in every thing is because, according to Romans 8:28 "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." His purpose is the adoption of children in Ephesians 1:5 and it is according to the good pleasure of his will. It is God's will that his children be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Since believers are predestined to live with the Lord in glory forever then life on this earth should be in anticipation of that.

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Notice that the instruction is not to the husband to issue orders. The instruction is addressed to the wife. This is God's order of business. The next instruction is to the husband:

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Ephesians 5:27 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.

Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

So first you have instructions to wives and then you have instructions to husbands as to the will of the Lord.

Notice that the church is cleansed and that was done by the word. The church is a glorious church. Paul says in Colossians that when Christ who is our life shall appear then we shall also appear with him in glory.

Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

There is but one church called the body of Christ. These Ephesians became members of THE SAME BODY that Paul and those previous believers were members of. They were those who "first trusted in Christ" in Ephesians 1:12. These Gentiles to whom Paul writes have become fellowheirs and of the same body, simply by believing the gospel and trusting Christ as their Saviour. (As in Ephesians 3:5-6)

Ephesians 5:31 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.

Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

This great mystery refers back to Genesis 2:24 and even to Genesis 1:27:

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But the "great mystery" here is about the body of Christ and not about the "bride of Christ" as they say. The "bride" language in the book of Revelation pertains to Israel. It was no mystery that God "was an husband unto them" as in Jeremiah 31:32.

There was a divorce, spelled out in Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Jeremiah 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

And in Isaiah:

Isaiah 50:1 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

And the prophecy in Hosea speaks of a future remarriage:

Hosea 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

So the great mystery Paul speaks of here is not about the "bride, the Lamb's wife" of the book of Revelation, which is about Israel, but rather is a great mystery concerning Christ and the church, which is his body. It has to do with the fact that we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. We were chosen IN Christ before the foundation of the world based on the foreknowledge of God that we would trust Christ as our Saviour. It is interesting also to note that the word for "husband" here in chapter five is the exact same word as "perfect man" in Ephesians 4:13. The body of Christ is positively masculine and not feminine as in the case of the referrences to the "bride" pertaining to Israel.

And the final verse again is instruction to husbands and wives:

Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.