By: Bishop Albert Gran
Ephesians 5:1-21
King James Version (KJV)
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
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.
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 Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks 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
It cause to have a renewed thought and a refreshed mentality to view what best description of a victorious life triumphing against all odds of religious doctrinal blunders which are by nature for the flesh affecting our present walk in Christ and as those were obviously appeared consistent how we walked accordingly based on the purpose which he ever planned for us in the current administration we’re living.
The believers walk in this present dispensation of grace causes awareness with that motivation Christ indeed showed to the people with an open light with truth shining and glowing before those who live unrighteously and ungodly in this evil world.
This study apparently was designed to be refreshed once again as we walk circumspectly viewed with truth, righteousness, bound with peace, love, and harmony.On the otherhand, this short article was dedicated to all those saints and remnants of God’s grace to live a light shining around them (by making those people whose blindness for the present truth status due to worldly doctrine would see the light of the gospel, the hidden treasure and God’s wisdom through the gospel which is of Christ.
CHILDREN BE FOLLOWERS OF GOD
Perhaps it’s also an intriguing statement if our eyes are too narrow upon seeing the unquestionable word of God in view and upon presentation on the very essence of our present walk which in reality governed by His reigning grace through the glorious gospel of our blessed Lord suffice to give light in this darkened world.
The exposition of this truth found in this fifth chapter of Ephesians begins with an urgent call to be a follower of God as His dear children. Relatively, the word “dear” simply denotes a literal sense of affection containing a very special relationship showing God’s own identity and or ownership. Thus, applying the context similar to the blessed saints who were members of the body of Christ in particular were called God’s dear children and those were called to be followers of God.
Of course to be a follower of God noteworthy in accordance to the set purpose in the election of grace, adheres the mystery of Christ with doctrines and walk pertinent to the grace of God wherein Paul was set as an example, as someone we could follow and thereby cried to follow him as he followed Christ. Thus, following God and or Christ in this dispensation of grace is simply following Paul and his message established with grace with the truth kept secret since the world began which he called the mystery of Christ in this dispensation of grace.
THE BOC’S CALL TO WALK IN LOVE
How to walk in love? Walking in love is simply governed by the truth what seems God would expect for His sons (with an expected sonship position or full grown type of conversation or manner of life) to abide and live for in this present dispensation of grace. To walk in love doesn’t regard comradeship to the majority’s choice regardless of the truth being compromised to the worldly system in order to suit to the affairs of this world. As Christ not regarded by the majority of the people of Israel, he remained firm and consistent declaring the truth of the gospel in the kingdom as a minister of circumcision in confirmation of the promised God gave to the forefathers in the history’s past.
Our type of walk was simply motivated by the sacrifice of Christ in view of God’s purpose for the Body of Christ where His son offered His life for our sake, only made known by the time God’s revealer preached these things to us. Again, our connection today started when the revealer (Paul) told us the secret in this dispensation of grace in view how we could relatively follow God as His dear children knowing what was that something we could therefore walk before Him in love.
Our identity in Christ simply was in accord to how we walk in our present time. It’s our faith in Christ having received the full trust with confidence of the gospel equipped by God to us for our edification so we could be rooted and grounded in love.
THE BOC AS A SWEETSMELLING SAVOUR
Today’s present pure grace believers who consistently walked in a life unmarred with the walk in accordance to the law, as those who were remnants (in accordance to the election of grace and also according to the mystery truth, the gospel of the grace of God for the Gentiles) were those whom God called as His “sweetsmelling savour “. I perceived that it’s all but the reality of our privilege position after believing and trusting the gospel of our salvation wherein Christ shall regard the best rendition of our works after the doctrine which was adorned by true righteousness and holiness.
It’s greatly sound to hear at and surely a means for you to appreciate those who were once God’s enemies who turned to be sweetsmelling savour of God. Thus, it’s our privilege to endeavor together doing what are those things pleasant before His sight for such action really means how we could prove our privilege to walk in love as God’s dear children. If we knew the essence what is that something motivated by God for making as His dear children even when we were His enemies, then in our present walk as well would simply apply the same motivation how we could offer ourselves as sweetsmelling savour of God.
This body of information delivered by Paul to the “dear children of God” (for you and my emphasis) is what I perceived God’s warning to those who were God’s sweetsmelling savour. I knew almost all believers are aware that Christ created us as new persons and placed into a living union with Christ relative to His purpose for goodness and righteousness and that’s where the all Scriptures intends by God as something he inspired for in view of the above mentioned purposes which is for perfecting of the man of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Being God’s sweetsmelling savour, His amazing delight is when he let you acknowledge as His ambassador in this foreign land, the present evil world, is something governed by true godliness and true holiness possessing a qualitative walk like a real saint governed by the principles in accordance to the “my gospel” of Paul causing establishment, glory, and grandeur.
WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE LIFE OF CONTRAST?
The obvious contrast of sweetsmelling savour is the unsweet smelling savour. The taste of sweetness truly was marred with a life of defeat and contrast to the set purpose of God not consistent to grace life but maybe or perhaps consistent to the life in view of legalism, laws, establishing works and flesh instead of faith and spirit. The plain citation of things unworthy for the saints to do in our present time are emphasized and enumerated by Paul in these forgoing verses such as:
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 Christ and of God.
These were the fleshly relative works Paul charge each saint to abhor through which only by faith in its sense could simply forewarned himself or discipline himself against his own choice to yield on it and loss power or control to be governed by the wisdom of God with the renewed thoughts in conformity to the fruits of the Spirit.
Consequently, its really simple and literally with sense to classify anyone when a believer yield on these things. His present walk is simply not after the wisdom of God having an unrenewed thoughts of who truly is he therefore as God’s sweetsmelling savour who is also pleasant before Him in glory. Believers committing these things (which in most real view of its doing) only for those who were called the children of disobedience, whose glory is their shame, of course possibly a detrimental factor against his godly walk whose life carelessly undermined what seems to be an approved workman of God who has nothing to be ashamed before Him (2 Tim. 2:15). This what we rendered “bad shame”.Good shame is a life viewed with godly sincerity and unconformity.
WHAT LIFE GOD EXPECTS FROM YOU AS HIS SWEETSMELLING SAVOUR?
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks 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
These things enumerated by Paul for us members of the body of Christ are self explanatory only requiring your faith to trust on. Basically, it caused so much consideration to adhere in His appeal for goodness and righteousness sake. God’s delight was embraced upon those who brought the life of God by the gospel of grace with basic grace living instructions specifically delivered as all for you and me. Today, we can simply understand what seems to walk in the truth following God as His “dear children”
I hope this simple study and presentation will show more wisdom in conformity to His will in this present dispensation of grace. Delight His grace and he will allow you to have the full assurance of understanding in the mystery of Christ afforded through the “my gospel” of the apostle Paul.
Grace and Peace to you all!
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