Four Incentives to Kingdom Living (preaching resource for 3/15/26, Lent 4)
This post exegetes Ephesians 5:5-21, providing context for the Epistles reading on 3/15/26, the 4th Sunday in Lent. Insights are drawn from Karl Barth's commentary on Ephesians and "The Expositors Bible Commentary."
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| "The Descent of the Holy Ghost" by Titian (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) |
Introduction
To understand Paul’s approach to Christian ethics, it’s vital to recall his presentation of the gospel of grace given in chapters 1-3. There he shows that through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension, we have been adopted by our heavenly Father as his children. It was not our behavior that gave us this status, nor is it our behavior that maintains it. We are God’s children, included in Christ; and that’s God’s gift of grace. But why then talk about our behavior? Listen to what Karl Barth said in a lecture on Ephesians chapter 5:
Whoever has understood God [referring to a believer] becomes conscientious and attentive [to Christ]. Such a person has been entrusted with something that cannot be destroyed [their salvation is secure]. They learn to respect the supreme necessity of the kingdom of God; and step by step [they] receive new insight and freedom, relinquishing old methods, even though their own action remains merely piece-work and preparation, training and struggle. [Yes] life becomes difficult for them, but that is a sign of the mercy of God that has been granted to them… Precisely for this reason, we [believers] have a mobility given by the Spirit, who makes us obedient… Again and again, it will be a question of whether we have ears to hear, whether we believe the light so we may become children of light.
As believers, we’re not called to earn or maintain by our behavior the place that is ours by grace in God’s family. Rather, through our behavior (imperfect though it be) we live into the reality of who we are, in and through Christ. As J.B. Torrance was fond of saying, the indicatives precede the imperatives. Said another way, our obedient living (the imperative) flows from our identity in Christ (the indicative).
Yes, as Barth notes, to live the kingdom life will, at times, be a struggle. But the Holy Spirit who fills us with God’s grace leads us into the “kingdom lifestyle,” and as we live it, we’ll understand more and more the nature of the family of God into which we have been given entrance by grace. So this is the “logic” of Paul’s Christian ethics. And now, in Ephesians 5:5-21, he offers four incentives to kingdom living.
1. Warning of consequences
Ephesians 5:5-7
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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
Why seek to be who we are in Christ? Why seek to put on the new clothes of our Lord’s holiness and righteousness? Because there are consequences for not doing so. Yes, it often appears that people get away with living immorally. But, as Paul warns, “no immoral, impure or greedy person...has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” The kingdom is the reign and rule of God, and those who yield to that rule are those who have donned the new clothes of Christ, putting off the old clothes of immorality.
I want to emphasize again that Paul is not declaring moral perfection to be a requirement for salvation. In Christ, salvation is an accomplished reality. But whether or not we live in the light of that reality is another question. Paul is noting that Christ, who is the light and the truth, exposes what is old (and thus to be put off), and what is consistent with the new life (and thus to be put on).
Christ’s goodness—his light—brings judgment to the world by exposing evil for what it truly is. And the children of God, receiving with gratitude their Lord’s judgment concerning evil, seek to live accordingly. Knowing they are forgiven, and thus secure in their salvation, they seek to live the way of life that reflects their deep gratitude for God’s grace in and through Christ, by the Spirit.
The way that is contrary to that gratitude is characterized by impurity and greed—and Paul adds parenthetically that, “such a person is an idolater.” As a result, they are unable to experience fully the life of the kingdom. Paul then warns us: “Let no one deceive you,” with “empty words” to the contrary.
The truth is that “because of such things” (evil, immoral, greedy, idolatrous practices) “God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” Here the disobedient are those who know God's way, yet willfully refuse to live it. God's wrath falls on them, not because God is out to get them, but because they separate themselves from his love and life, an act that brings about its own judgement (Eph. 4:17-19).
“Therefore,” Paul concludes, “do not be partners with” such people. Paul is not prohibiting contact or association with them, otherwise we could not bring them the gospel, and we would need to go out of the world altogether, which Christ has forbidden (John17:15; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10). Rather, Paul is warning us not to share in their idolatrous, immoral practices and their false teachings.
2. Fruit of light
Ephesians 5:8-14
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
This is Paul's second motive for living the kingdom life—seeing the difference between what we once were and what now, in Christ, we truly are. He makes his point using the rich symbolism of darkness and light, with darkness representing ignorance, error and evil, and light representing truth and righteousness. In Ephesians 4:17-18 Paul had portrayed the darkened understanding of pagans.
Formerly his (primarily Gentile) readers were the same: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Notice that by living into their status as the children of God, they are actually now light (not merely, in the light). Their lives and not just their status has changed from darkness to light.
This radical transformation has taken place “in the Lord,” by virtue of their union with Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12). Because they had been declared “light in the Lord,” they are to “live as children of light” or “like people who belong to the light” (GNB). Paul’s point is that their behavior must conform to their new identity in Christ (or said another way, “Be who you are, not who you are not”). They must radiate the light they are, and “live like men who are at home in daylight” (NEB).
What does this mean in practice? It means living in such a way that one’s life shines forth Christ’s own “goodness, righteousness and truth,” for these things are “the fruit of the light” (and Jesus is that light). To do that, we must “try to find out” (the Greek means “test, discern and approve”) “what pleases the Lord.” The light metaphor here speaks of Christian openness and transparency, of living joyfully in the presence of Christ, with nothing to hide or to fear.
As Paul notes in verses 11-13, living with Christ, expressing his light, results in two things:
- First, “everything exposed by the light becomes visible.” Though darkness hides the ugly realities of evil, light makes it seen for what it is. S
- Second, “it is light that makes everything visible.” The construction of this statement in Greek suggests that Paul is declaring that light not only exposes, but transforms what it illuminates. The light of our behavior as Christians may be a force in the conversion of those children of God who continue to live in darkness. JBP paraphrases it like this: “It is possible (after all it happened to you) for light to turn a thing it shines upon into light.”
In verse 14, Paul clinches his argument with a quotation that either summarizes the teaching of an Old Testament verse (Isaiah 61:1?) or, as many commentators suggest, is an extract from a baptismal hymn: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Here our former condition in the first Adam is graphically described in terms of sleep, death and darkness, from all of which Christ, the second Adam, has rescued us. That rescue occurred before we were aware of our need for rescue (for us today, before we were born!), but when we became aware, through the illuminating, converting work of the Spirit, we were awakened from sleep—it was like rising from death. We were brought out of darkness into the light of Christ. No wonder we are now summoned to live a new life in consequence!
3. Instruction of wisdom
Ephesians 5:15-17
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Paul’s third incentive to kingdom living is grounded in two assumptions: first that Christians are wise, and second that Christian wisdom is practical wisdom, for it teaches us how to behave. Paul writes, “Be very careful, then, how you live,” where in other translations, the word live is walk.
The Hebrew concept of walk speaks to one's pattern of behavior and is a consistent theme in this letter. According to Paul, as Christians our lifestyle must no longer be according to the world, the flesh and the devil 2:1-3), or like the pagans (4:17). Instead, it must be worthy of God's call, in love, and as children of light (4:1; 5:1, 8). Paul puts it this way: “Be most careful then how you conduct yourselves: like sensible men, not like simpletons” (NEB).
What, are the identifying marks of a “sensible” person? Paul mentions two:
- They make “the most of every opportunity.” As the Greek says, they "buy up their time," that is, they know that time is precious. They also know that “the days are evil”—their eyes are wide-open to the reality around them. So they seize each fleeting opportunity to participate with Christ in what he is doing to shine his light into a dark world.
- They discern “what the Lord's will is.” Knowing that true wisdom is found in God's will, they are careful to not be “foolish” but to “understand what the Lord's will is” (v. 17). Jesus himself prayed, “Not my will but yours be done,” and taught us to pray, “May your will be done on earth as in heaven.” Nothing is more important in life than discerning and then doing the will of God. We discern his will in the principles taught in Scripture and through prayer, meditation and counsel with people of wisdom and maturity within the body of Christ.
4. Filling of the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18-21
We come now to Paul’s fourth and final incentive to kingdom living:
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Paul begins by comparing drunkenness and the Spirit's filling: “Do not get drunk on wine,” he says, “instead be filled with the Spirit.” There is a superficial similarity between these two conditions. A person who is drunk, we say, is “under the influence” of alcohol; and a Spirit-filled person is under the influence of the Spirit. But the comparison ends there and a contrast begins—the result of drunkenness, he writes, is “debauchery,” whereas the result of being filled with the Spirit is totally different. If excessive alcohol dehumanizes, the Spirit’s filling makes us more human, for the Spirit unites us to Christ, who T.F. Torrance refers to as “the personalizing person.” Jesus is true humanity, and our true human identity is found (experienced) in union and communion with him, through the Spirit’s filling.
Note here four things about the Greek verb translated be filled:
- It’s imperative—a command, not a suggestion.
- It’s plural, addressed to the whole church—together, we are filled by the Spirit.
- It’s in the passive voice—thus the NEB translation: “Let the Holy Spirit fill you.” We don’t cause the Spirit to fill us, we let him by yielding to him.
- It speaks to a present, continuous action—it should be translated, go on being filled. The fullness of the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience, but an ongoing event that occurs as we yield to the Spirit at work in our lives.
- Fellowship. The exhortation to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (v. 19a) is a call to fellowship in the form of public worship. It is to this that the filling of the Spirit leads God's people.
- Worship. The exhortation to "sing and make music in your heart to the Lord" (v. 19b) makes it clear that our worship together is “to the Lord.” Our singing together is to be "in your heart"—referring to either the sincerity or the inwardness of authentic Christian praise, or both. Perhaps JBP has caught the point with “making music in your hearts for the ears of the Lord.” Spirit-filled Christians have a song of joy in their hearts, and Spirit-filled public worship is a joyful celebration of God's mighty acts.
- Gratitude. Paul then calls on believers to “always” be "giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 20). This call to thanksgiving is common in Paul's letters (Col.3:15-17 and 1 Thes.5:18). The Spirit-filled believer is full of thanksgiving. The "everything" we are to thank God for is qualified by the context, namely “to God the Father” and “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our thanksgiving is to be for everything which is consistent with the loving Fatherhood of God and the self-revelation he has given us in Jesus. Note that the doctrine of the Trinity informs and directs our devotion. When we are filled with the Spirit we give thanks to God our Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Submission. Paul then calls on believers to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Sometimes a person who claims to be filled with the Spirit becomes aggressive, self-assertive and brash. But the Holy Spirit is humble, and those who are filled with him (and not themselves) display the meekness and gentleness of Christ by submitting to one another. They also submit to Christ, for their mutual submission is “out of reverence for Christ.”
Note that these benefits are all about relationships. As we are filled by the Spirit, we shall be harmoniously related both to God (worshipping him with joy and thanksgiving) and to each other (speaking and submitting to one another).
In brief: Spirit-filled believers love God and love each other.
Furthermore, the command to be Spirit-filled is for both the defeated and the complacent. To the defeated (and thus discouraged) Paul says, “Be filled with the Spirit, and he will give you a new love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control.” To the complacent Paul says, “Go on being filled with the Spirit. Thank God for what he has given you thus far. But do not say you have arrived. For there is more, much more, yet to come.”
Conclusion
May we rest, with joy, in the knowledge of who we are in Christ—God’s dearly beloved children. And may we live into that reality—experiencing the filling of the Spirit as we walk with Christ.
Lord, thank you for giving us by the Spirit, through your servant Paul, these four incentives to kingdom living. May we walk in the light with you, and thus be a course of your light in the world. Amen!